Body Building for Hand Held Work

[Tim Kolb]

Well, as someone who wishes they were a little larger-framed in times of hand-held work, I think that making sure your stomach muscles are strong through sit ups is ogical, but I think a lot of people forget that you need to reverse the motion to strengthen the muscles in your lower back.

Also…taking a break is important during a day of shoulder work. No matter how strong you are, shoulder shooting creates pressure unevenly on your lower back.

TimK
Kolb Syverson Communications
Creative Cow Host
2004, 2005 NAB Post Production Conference Premiere Pro Technical Chair
Author, “The Easy Guide to Premiere Pro” http://www.focalpress.com
“Premiere Pro Fast Track DVD Series” http://www.classondemand.net

[Frank Otto]

As one of the founding members of the Order of Unsung CameraOps in Hospital (OUCH) I can tell ya, the most important exercises are lower back workouts along with abs. When I was day-to-day handheld, I’d work out with a Nautilus machine, designed for just those two areas.

The really most important thing, however, is limiting your time holding the camera. If you’re a production shooter, don’t let the director make you a “dolly” camera. If you do industrial/IMAG don’t let the director shop for shots on your camera. If you’re a news shooter, have a plan, put the camera on sticks and rest…and make the “reporter” carry the other gear.

In 30+ years of ENG and EFP I’ve crushed two vertebra, flattened my right shoulder (the “TK” bone…so named by shooters who for years used the TK-76)and a majority of the muscles and ligiments in my abs are torn, along with knee and hip injuries…and those don’t even take into consideration being run over, stabbed, hit with lumber and bottles and being shot while gathering news.

Even though current hand-held gear is smaller and lighter (my first hh cam was a fully loaded Norelco PCP70 – including backpack – weighed out at 102 lbs) you still have the issue of your body wasn’t designed as a tripod. To operate and get the kind of shots hh cams get still requires you to work on lower back, upper body and abs…plus some work with weights for arm strength-especially if you use the ol’ overhead shot, or the hi-to-lo arm move.

Just don’t bulk up…it’ll seriously restrict your movements and your flexibility.

Cheers,

Frank Otto

[Justin Dee]

I agree with the above,..

I have trained in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and some boxing for over 3 years now and even thou I’m quite fit,..I still get sore after a long shoot. Mainly Biceps and forearms for handheld extension shots and my quads for when I have to dip down (I shoot alot of fight events). But yes,..my back is quite strong but I can see how the lower back problem would come about.

Regular exercise buddy,…we all need it.

Good luck.

– Juggs

[Steve Wargo]

Don’t be the Hero.
I shot off-road races for ESPN for years and am now paying the price.
Hire a person to haul your gear.
Carry the camera with your left hand.
Take frequent breaks.
Get a cart of some kind like a modified golf bag carrier.
Use a monopod when you can. It will screw into your camera plate.
Get a Steadi Stick from Tiffen or someone else. This transfers all of the weight to your hips. Best $250 I ever spent.

Oh yeah. Don’t be the hero. It’ll cost ya later. (repeat often)

steve wargo

[Bob Cole]

A purely unscientific observation, but it seems to me that back in the day, all of the tv shooters I saw around town had big bellies.

Now they are much fitter-looking of course….

— BC

[James Mulryan]

Now days, with all the emphasis on nice lighting, all those cameramen are carrying sand bags,
c-stands and lights and those who don’t do interviews get to be human tripods on reality shows.

[Tony]

James,

Stretching and yoga exercises are fundamental to maintaining one’s ability to deal with lugging around heavy equipment. Building up strength in your core in addition to your back is important.

The best approach to exercise is three fold 1) Cardio 2)Muscle building via weight lifting 3) Stretching. The last major ingredient is a healthy diet.
Give up all saturated fats, soda’s, pizza’s, hamburgers along with daily visits to all fast food restaurants. Vegetables, soy products, fish (especially salmon), egg whites, chicken, whole grain bread, complex carbohydrates,omega 3 fat products (nuts,flaxseed oil) are my primary diet of choice.

I workout regularly on set during my lunch break which offers me the chance to live without excuses and miss a workout. In this business you are what you eat and you will reflect that each and every day on the job if you abuse yourself with an unhealthy diet and lifestyle.

“In life there are no excuses… only missed opportunities”

Tony Salgado
“Minister of Exercise”

[Frank Otto]

[tony salgado] “Give up all saturated fats, soda’s, pizza’s, hamburgers along with daily visits to all fast food restaurants. “

Of course, this doesn’t apply to news photographers…since the only staples are that of: Vendoland at City Hall, Vendoland at the station and the mixed assortment of Hardee’s, McD’s, BK, Wendy’s, Col. Chicken’s, Taco Hell and 7-11, AM-PM and Stop-n-Go’s since, your schedule rarely lets you do more than experience the culinary styling of the “Dashboard Dinette.”

Cheers,

Frank Otto

[Tony]

Frank,

No excuse there also. With careful preplanning and support from your wife or girlfriend even MOM any overweight news photographer could pack a healthy lunchbag in advance and avoid FAST Food hell. Subway is actually one healthy place to eat – Chicken breast sandwich, turkey or tuna are all great as long as they are on wheat bread.

Again I have to say “there are no excuses… only missed opportunities”

You will only stay fat if you want to be fat.

Tony Salgado

[Bob Cole]

[tony salgado] “You will only stay fat if you want to be fat.”

Appreciate your advice. I agreed with everything you wrote up to that line.

Some fatties hate being fat, go to extreme trouble and expense to fight it, and fail. Some skinny people BECOME fat while they are going through medical treatments for certain diseases.

And while I am glad you exempt Subway from the list of bad-fast-food spots, it is extremely easy to turn a healthy Subway sandwich into a Big Mac with a few squirts from the squeeze bottles at the end of the line.

All that said, your advice is excellent, and for most of us, but NOT ALL, fat is something we can fight successfully if we want to badly enough.