How to Train Your Wrists for Drumming

Prevent wrist injuries by training your wrists properly for drumming.

The repetitive movement drummers use can strain your wrists and cause pain or injury with prolonged activity. Avoid these problems by performing strength-training exercises along with specialized drumming exercises. If you experience any pain or discomfort while drumming, it is important to stop. You may need to wrap your wrists, apply ice and heat or change the way you hold the sticks.

Things You'll Need

• 5-pound dumbbell
• Practice pad or pillow
• Drum sticks

Instructions

1. Hold your arm out straight in front of you with a 5-pound dumbbell in your hand. Rotate your wrist so the palm of your hand is facing downward then upward. Repeat this motion eight times, then perform the exercise with your other hand. Do five sets of eight repetitions for each wrist.

2. Hold your arm out straight in front of you with a 5-pound dumbbell in your hand. Move your wrist up and down, keeping your palm facing downward, for eight repetitions. Switch hands and repeat the exercise. Do this exercise in five sets of eight for each wrist.

3. Drum on a practice pad or surface that doesn't bounce back, such as a pillow. This will force you to use your wrists to control the drum sticks rather than relying on the energy from the drum to move the sticks for you. Practice singles (left, right, left, right), doubles (left, left, right, right) and paradiddles (left, right, left, left, right, left, right, right).

4. Practice drumming on regular drums. Along with the special strength-training exercises, your wrists need to get used to the motions that you will use when drumming normally.

References

• Rock Drumming System: Develop Drum Hand Speed, Power, And Control!
• Mike Michalkow's Drumming System: How to Practice Drums Effectively
• Workouts Without Weights: Wrist Strengthening Exercises -- Pronation/Supination