Hi.
As a beginner, I would like to know if there's any guide/book/website about how to train my fingers/hand/palm so that I can be able to perform better, use my finger separately and gain the muscles I miss
Maybe the trick is just practicing and the finger will learn accordingly… (thinking out loud)

Anyone has some input on this?

I had long slim fingers before I started off with magic. But after years of being in the craft my fingers put on some muscles. They now have more flexibilities, strength and usefulness.

I guess it is the practices with a myriad of things, effects, routines, techniques, etc that got my fingers to where it is today.

There might be some books that someone else can suggest. I do not know any. Sorry I could not help.

I don't think there is any reason to give your fingers a workout through any kind of training apparatus. Instead I agree that practicing the actual sleights/moves/techniques will train those muscles you actually need to perform them well. Train them to do exactly what you want them to do instead of just gaining strength.

For years music stores have sold those hand and finger training devices to novice guitar players. But I don't think any actual guitar heroes have actually used them.

This has been discussed before here btw, so you might get lucky and find some reading on it if you search. Not always easy to make the search feature of these forums cooperate.

There are a lot of hand and finger exercises you can do. I especially like ones that the left and right sections of the brain. This is perfect for magic. Try making a thumbs up with one hand and a big "OK" with the other hand, a circle with your first finger and thumb with the rest of your fingers pointing up. Then switch, the thumbs up hand makes an "OK" and the OK makes a thumbs up. This is from a Javanese hand dance. I think magicians could learn a lot from the hand dances. I would direct you to a book but I learned these from my tai instructor.

By tai I mean Tai Chi.

It seems to me like most of the sleights when repetitively (and correctly) practiced, will help you form a muscle memory. Exercise apparatus will help build strength, but muscle memory will only be developed with actual sleight of hand practice. Your hand muscles will become accustomed to the positions and grips so that they, in time will feel natural.

My sleights can still use a massive amount of work (I feel like they always will), but I can notice a marked increase in the ease of some sleights as compared to when I first started. Like everyone here says, practice is the best way.

-Vinny

Thanks for all this advice

So, forget working out, and go practicing
The thumbs up and OK stuff is great BTW.

Yes, practicing is the way to go. The more you can do the better your fingers become.

I am not sure how useful or it is really necessary, but a magic shop in Japan, Gin Japan is selling a set of 5 stainless steel plate for finger workouts, you can check it here:

http://www.ginjapan.com/eg/products/psp.htm

They look pretty well polished, but the price tag seems pretty high. But who knows, it may be useful for somebody. I don't own a set, but one of my friend said it does help improving his skills on card flourishes.

Try this off of my site. http://www.tabmantables.com/cowling.html
Ray

Hi!

If my memories are good, I think De'Vo has some tips on Xtreme Beginnerz http://www.xtremehandz.com/catalog/item/1177533/2120683.htm

Good luck!

Dan and Dave also have a couple of finger exercises on the Trilogy if memory serves me right.

You can find a couple of DVDs and books at

http://www.handhealth.com/

great stuff.

Thanks to all of you for the links, very useful!!!

http://www.tabmantables.com/cowling.html is very cool, and I'll probably find a lor of interesting things in the XtremeHandZ DVD that can relate to card manipulation.

All of you are awesome!

Me too I found that just practicing the sleights will effectively build the muscles in your hands; especially for the classic palm.



I have quite skinny fingers and I noticed my knuckles make me have so-called "windows" between the proximal phalanges, especially of the index and middle finger. It makes it very hard not to flash the coin when in finger palm. Does/did anyone of you have the same problem? Does it go away when muscle builds?

Yes they can go away when the muscles build up. My "windows" allow a "fly" to pass through when I started and anything finger palmed flashes. But now each fingers have their own biceps, triceps, pectorals, etc. LOL.

Please don't over do the practices, otherwise you have ten thumbs instead. And the fingers can go for the Mr. Olympia body building contest. LOL. Sorry could not resist throwing out this joke.

Work on the mechanics and techniques and in time you would see the differences.
.

I should take some pictures to get before/after shots for later
I have the "window" too, no way I can palm a card right now without flashing it.

You would be surprise at the before/after shots.

Perhaps, years later, we have a finger muscle building contest LOL.

And even later we would end up as governor of california (Sorry I had to make this one)

Thanks for the advice. I'm looking forward to my fingers' biceps ;-).