Cameramen carry a lot of weight on one of their shoulders for extended periods of time. This inevitably leads to some serious back problems. One way to eliminate or reduce these problems is by keeping fit. Strong muscles can withhold more strain. tvcameramen.com spoke to Eyal, a sports trainer at the Holiday Inn Hotel gym.
Before you start exercising you should consult an expert to show you exactly which exercises to do and how to do them. WRONG TRAINING IS WORSE THAN NO TRAINING!
Q: What kind of exercises should a cameraman do?
A: The cameraman has to do exercises for the shoulders. He or she needs to work with weights and do some stretching for the back and for the shoulders in order to make them stronger. Do work for the totois, the back totois, the back and especially the lower back. For example if you sit for a long time the lower back will suffer. So you have to do exercises for the lower back as well. For the cameraman it is very good to work on the shoulder muscles. The camera is very heavy and this can cause a problem. I would personally choose to work with some weights. Not too heavy ones – and work with them. Push-ups are very important and also when you go swimming the butterfly style is very good for the shoulders.
Q: Do you have experience with people who have a problem because they put pressure only on one side of their body?
A: Oh yes, it is very important to get a balance with the weights. You have to use the same weight for both sides. You take like 3 kg in one hand and 3 kg in the other hand. And you work on your shoulders. It is all about symmetric work. If you do the same work for the same muscles on each side they will have the same strength.
Q: If a cameraman holds the heavy camera all the time on one shoulder, isn’t this shoulder automatically stronger?
A: Yes of course. If the cameraman carries the camera all the time on the right shoulder then this shoulder is already stronger than the left one. Then you need to work with some weights at home in order to strengthen the left shoulder and get your balance back. But you always work with the same weights on both sides and do the same exercises. This is very important for the lower and the upper back. Never add more weights to the weaker side. The weights should be equal.
Q: How can a shoulder problem influence the rest of your body?
A: It will give you a problem in the lower back. If you have the camera on your right shoulder, or the left one, it will always give you a lower back problem.
Q: What can a cameraman do, if he comes home and he's got pain in his back or shoulder?
A: Stretching! Only stretching! I tell everybody who trains all the time, before you do the exercises you have to stretch, and after you are done you have to stretch as well. This is very important for the muscles. If you don’t warm the muscles up before you start to exercise, they will give you problems. And I tell everybody the best thing to do is swimming! Swimming is very good for the shoulders. It’s the best thing you can do!
Q: What should people know about exercising?
A: First you start using light weights, like 0.5 kg, and then as you progress and get stronger you can use 1.5 Kg, then 3 kg then 4 kg and so on. You have to make sure to hold your body in the right position, otherwise you can damage your other muscles. You can also do some exercises with springs (Expander), this too is very good for your shoulders!
Q: When a cameraman is on assignment and he doesn’t have the tools like weights to train with, what kind of exercises can he do?
A: Push-ups are good! During push-ups breathing is very important. When you push yourself up you have to breath out. When you are going down, you breathe in.
Q: How can somebody know when to stop?
A: You feel it in the body!
Q: How long have you to warm up before you start exercises?
A: Between 5 to 7 minutes!
Q: If somebody feels pain, should he stop or continue?
A: For the first time it is normal to feel pain. It should be less the second time. NO PAIN NO GAIN!!! as they say. But if you really feel pain continuously, then something is not right. It is very important that before you start doing anything on our own at home, you consult a trainer to show you exactly which exercises to do and how to do them. You shouldn’t start totally on your own. If you do the wrong exercises you can get bad problems with your back, arms and neck. WRONG TRAINING IS WORSE THAN NO TRAINING!
Eyal studied for four years at the Wingate Sport Centre for professionals and now works full time as a fitness trainer at the Holiday Inn Hotel. He also does special training for basketball, tennis and soccer athletes.
