Ongoing History of New Music

Ongoing History Daily: Travis Barker’s endurance

One of the most physical drummers you will ever see is Travis Barker from Blink 182.  He really goes for it during shows, soundchecks, and recording sessions.  So how does he develop such great stamina?  For a while, it was boxing.  He boxed–spars with real opponents–three or four times a week. 

Travis loves this kind of training and recommends boxing for drummers for several reasons.

(1) It forces you into great physical condition, but aerobically and strength-wise.  (2) It’s great for developing superior eye-hand coordination, which is very important when playing the drums.  And (3) You learn how to fight and protect yourself, which is never a bad thing when you’re in a famous punk band. 

Take it from Travis, too.  He was beaten up several times before he got into boxing.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 37993 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

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