Author Topic: exercises to improve your shooting  (Read 2141 times)

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Offline banjoman

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exercises to improve your shooting
« on: June 06, 2010, 02:28:30 PM »
I am a newbie to this Bow hunting thing. Short of shooting the dickens out of it are there any exercises that you guys do to improve your shooting and form or to make drawing and holdimg any easier? Thanks for your input
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Offline Big Nasty

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Re: exercises to improve your shooting
« Reply #1 on: June 06, 2010, 09:15:07 PM »
I don't know where to find it but there is a rubber band type thing. It simulates drawing a bow, and works the muscles in use when drawing. The only reason I know is because a buddy of mine got one after a shoulder surgery so he could get back to the stand in time for the season.
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Offline dukkillr

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Re: exercises to improve your shooting
« Reply #2 on: June 07, 2010, 05:16:21 AM »
Why wouldn't you just shoot, "the dickens" out of the thing?  That's what I do.  Also, if you can, find a place to bowfish.  You'll shoot more in a good afternoon of bowfishing than you will in the rest of the fall deer hunts in your life added together.

Shoulders, back, and core trunk muscles are what you need to be a good archer.  Anything you do to strengthen them will help. 

Offline 41 mag

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Re: exercises to improve your shooting
« Reply #3 on: June 07, 2010, 05:01:01 PM »
There is a bungi cord thing which helps to get your form, but here are some basic exercise routines which might help.

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=268266&highlight=Muscle+toner

Myself, I am a mechanic and get plenty of stretching and pulling exercise from wrenches. The bow is pretty relaxing to me even at 70#.

hope this helps.

Offline streak

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Re: exercises to improve your shooting
« Reply #4 on: June 07, 2010, 06:40:49 PM »
Banjoman,
Do a search for " Bowfit" it is a good exercise item for archers! I have two of them.
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Offline Savage .250

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Re: exercises to improve your shooting
« Reply #5 on: June 09, 2010, 05:02:05 AM »
Practice........Practice.......Practice!     I used to fire off a 100 arrows a night in my back year. Course I had a target.   :)     I felt fit and my mechanics were always in play.   
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Offline banjoman

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Re: exercises to improve your shooting
« Reply #6 on: June 09, 2010, 01:21:54 PM »
Thanks for the input. I know shooting it is my best choice but with all the crazy hours i've been working just looking for something to do after dark or in what little spare time i have at this time...
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Offline dukkillr

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Re: exercises to improve your shooting
« Reply #7 on: June 09, 2010, 05:33:41 PM »
Thanks for the input. I know shooting it is my best choice but with all the crazy hours i've been working just looking for something to do after dark or in what little spare time i have at this time...

Shoot in your garage or a room with no kids or animals in it.  Form does not need distance from target...  I shoot in my garage during the winter.

Offline streak

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Re: exercises to improve your shooting
« Reply #8 on: June 09, 2010, 06:42:23 PM »
Once again look at the " BOwfit" as you can get it in varying poundages for your workout! Using this will build up your arm strength to where pulling your bow and holding it on target for an accurate shot really makes shooting more enjoyable! Also if you happen to have a second bow or can borrow one that is 10-20 pounds heavier pull than your present bow you can pull back on this bow without an arrow
and then ease the bow back into its normal strung position. This can be done about 6-10 times each day until your muscles become accustom to this weight of bow. Then shooting your regular bow will become very smooth and accurate.
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Offline 41 mag

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Re: exercises to improve your shooting
« Reply #9 on: June 12, 2010, 12:24:23 AM »
Quote
you can pull back on this bow without an arrow
and then ease the bow back into its normal strung position.

If your shooting any compound bow, the above is something you NEVER want to do. This is the easiest way to blow one apart with a slip of the fingers or trip of a release.

Dry firing can warp cams, split limbs, bend axles and sorted other issues even with just one slip up. If in doubt do a search on it, and you will see some pretty nasty results. 

Offline streak

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Re: exercises to improve your shooting
« Reply #10 on: June 12, 2010, 10:12:53 AM »
Quote
you can pull back on this bow without an arrow
and then ease the bow back into its normal strung position.

If your shooting any compound bow, the above is something you NEVER want to do. This is the easiest way to blow one apart with a slip of the fingers or trip of a release.

Dry firing can warp cams, split limbs, bend axles and sorted other issues even with just one slip up. If in doubt do a search on it, and you will see some pretty nasty results. 

!0-4! On that 41mag!
I should have clarified that the above exercise that I suggested is for shooting "traditional bows".
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Offline six_gunz

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Re: exercises to improve your shooting
« Reply #11 on: June 20, 2010, 10:22:48 PM »
Bowfit is ok, I bought a couple different weight range models for my wife. Getting out and shooting your bow on a daily basis helps greatly. Both the Bowfit and shooting your bow is only strengthening one shoulder and puts your body out of balance. To have true balance and form you must strengthen both sides. You wouldn't just do arm curls with your right arm would you?

If you really want acheive then start free weight strength training. Military Press, shoulder shrugs, shoulder dumbell fly's, upright rows.....those are exercises that will work primarily your shoulders/traps, but you work your back when pulling back your bow as well, so you need to strengthen it too.

I recommend something to work all your major muscle groups.
1) Bench Press, works out your chest, shoulders, triceps
2) Seated Miltary Press, works out your shoulders, trapazoids
3) Bent over Rows, works out your back, shoulders, traps, biceps
4) Tricep curls, isolated work out for triceps
5) Squats, works out every major upper leg muscle
6) Deadlifts, works out every major upper leg, buttocks, upper/lower back & trap muscle
Any extra time add some bicep curls and any of the other shoulder exercises above.

Figure out what your 1 rep max is for the 6 lifts above and do 3-5 reps with 90% of your 1 rep max and then another set of 3-5 reps with 10% less than your first set. Do this 5 times a week with no more than 1 day rest in between workouts. Increase your weight weekly and you'll gain strength at an unbelieveable rate and soon be able to pull back high weight bows like they're toys.

I work 10-12hr days, with and hour drive there and an hour drive home, and still manage to strength lift an hour a day 5 times a week.....and I'm married with 4 kids.

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Offline streak

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Re: exercises to improve your shooting
« Reply #12 on: June 21, 2010, 09:25:52 AM »
The " Bowfit" intructions that it comes with illustrate a good all around workout for both shoulders as well as other necessary muscles for shooting the bow. There is also a video which illustrates the various exercises that can be done using the " Bowfit".
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Offline 41 mag

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Re: exercises to improve your shooting
« Reply #13 on: June 21, 2010, 01:47:56 PM »
Quote
Both the Bowfit and shooting your bow is only strengthening one shoulder and puts your body out of balance.

Just get you a bow for both sides then you double your fun while you shoot.  :D

Offline six_gunz

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Re: exercises to improve your shooting
« Reply #14 on: June 26, 2010, 08:14:55 AM »
Quote
Both the Bowfit and shooting your bow is only strengthening one shoulder and puts your body out of balance.

Just get you a bow for both sides then you double your fun while you shoot.  :D

I actually could probably do that. I'm ambidextrious, among doing other things both handed, I've shot rifles/pistols both RH & LH. 
Only problem with that now since I've aged some....I can't see crud with my left eye ;)
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Offline 41 mag

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Re: exercises to improve your shooting
« Reply #15 on: June 27, 2010, 10:57:38 AM »
My older bow is a Tomkat from Bowtech set to 70#.

Well last week after work I decided to shoot it left handed, and actually surprised myself at how well I did with it. The only issue was the following 3-4 days of sore muscles in both the arm and in my rib area from drawing it.  :'(

Might back it down some just to play with a few more times. I doubt the sweet wife is going to take me getting another one anytime soon.  ;D ;D

Offline Glockfan

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Re: exercises to improve your shooting
« Reply #16 on: June 28, 2010, 08:08:56 AM »
Do pushups... sounds pretty basic, but you're working all of the muscles you need in your chest shoulders and back. Do 2-3 sets to failure each night/and-or/morning and you wont have any trouble at all pulling that bow back and holding it with ease.

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Offline six_gunz

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Re: exercises to improve your shooting
« Reply #17 on: July 11, 2010, 08:08:19 PM »
Do pushups... sounds pretty basic, but you're working all of the muscles you need in your chest shoulders and back. Do 2-3 sets to failure each night/and-or/morning and you wont have any trouble at all pulling that bow back and holding it with ease.
-dcary7


Going to failure builds muscle and not strength! Look at any great strength training athletes workout routine and you'll see they NEVER go to failure.....it's a proven fact.
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Offline Cheesehead_67

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Re: exercises to improve your shooting
« Reply #18 on: July 13, 2010, 05:18:13 AM »
I found that if I shoot my long bow regularily it helps me with my compound. I know it sounds strange but if I do this I can pull back my compound and be rock solid at my anchor point.

Offline Glockfan

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Re: exercises to improve your shooting
« Reply #19 on: July 18, 2010, 07:19:31 PM »
Do pushups... sounds pretty basic, but you're working all of the muscles you need in your chest shoulders and back. Do 2-3 sets to failure each night/and-or/morning and you wont have any trouble at all pulling that bow back and holding it with ease.
-dcary7


Going to failure builds muscle and not strength! Look at any great strength training athletes workout routine and you'll see they NEVER go to failure.....it's a proven fact.

This could be so... but if that is the case.. why can I now do about twice as many as when I first started doing them? lol.. I don't lift free weights anymore and my bench actually has increased from the last time I maxxed out when I was lifting free weights regularly.  All I do is push-ups/sit-ups/dips/pullups and variations of them and I would say my strength and mass has gone up noticeably, but to each their own I suppose.. everyone is different..as a general rule you could be right.. this has just been working for me. My mentality is that if you have a set number you're trying to reach each time it is easy to plateau and not push yourself to do more when you can.. and also you can get discouraged easily if you can't do as much as the day before. Often times as a person is getting stronger, while in the midst of their workout routines their lifts will actually go down some until they are FULLY recovered when they will see the gains. Besides you're muscles don't know if you're pulling 60# or 80#... or if you're doing 20 pushups or 75.. mentally you just know when they hurt or are straining. So as stated.. you could be right, but this is what I do and it works best for me.

with that being said...doing a few sets of pushups each morning and night consistently I think would achieve the results you want.
Good Luck