Vocalist.org archive


From:  richard@r...
Date:  Wed Feb 6, 2002  6:18 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] Weighty Issue??

I've lost about 40lbs within the last 3 years or so. I'm about 6'1" with a
pretty broad frame, and I can generally carry up to about 215lbs and look and
feel fine. (Beyond that, I definitely start looking and feeling heavy.) I topped
out at about 240 in 1998, hated how I looked and felt, and I found that it very
much affected me vocally. I had trouble accessing the muscles of support, and
wound up singing from the neck quite a bit. As I got down closer to 200, I found
that I had an easier time using the muscles I needed, and I didn't have to push.

I think it's very much a question of overall fitness rather than just weight,
however. If I've gotten down to 195 by starving myself, that doesn't do my voice
a heck of a lot of good. If I stay between 205-215, run three times a week, and
do a daily routine of calisthenics, my voice stays pretty healthy, and so do I.

Richard





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