What types of strength training for bowhunting?

[Carroll B]

I haven't shot a bow in over 40 years.  I find that I just don't get to spend enough time in the woods hunting white tails even using the regular gun season plus muzzleloader season.  My son has bowhunts and normally takes 1-2 each year using his bow.  I figured I might as well spend some more time hunting with my son and the only way I see to do that is getting into bowhunting.  I tried to draw his 70 pound bow and couldn't.  What types of strength training can I start to help me?  I will probably buy a bow that is in the 50-60 pound range and will have 9 months to practice before the 2005 season.

[New Hampshire]

I can tell ya what Ive been doing to keep myself kinda up and up till the new bow arrives.  I use a heavy book (for me it was a cabelas special edition, hardbound master catalog) and do lifts with my arms starting at my side, then I lift to a vertical position straight out to the side.  Ive also been doing the same only raisning to a verticle right in front of me.  I dont do a lot of it really because Ive got pretty good upper body strength to begin with.  When I first started shooting my old Pearson it was set at 60lbs and only has about 40% let-off.  I could manage shooting close to 70 or 80 shots before I started really feeling the effects.  Thats why I decided to try a little more strengthening of those back arm muscles.
Brian M.

[longwinters]

Back muscles are very important when drawing a bow.  People usually don't realize this and try to just use their arms.  Really the best way to build up those muscles,at home, is to draw a bow repeatedly.  Start at a low weight that you can handle and over weeks/months increase the draw weight.  Be sure to draw right handed and left handed so that your muscles build up equally or else you can end up with pulled muscles etc... Each time you draw the bow back to anchor hold it and squeeze your shoulder blades together so that you get used to the feel of using those shoulder/back muscles.  Hold for a few seconds and then slowly let down.  

Long

[Graybeard]

Carroll B, you have requested e-mail notification of new posts to this thread. BUT you have an invalid e-mail address on file at GBO. Either correct your e-mail address or stop asking for e-mail notice and fix it on this thread SOON.