do any of you guys have a daily or weekly exercise rotuine for keep ing muscles loose and in shape between hunting seasons? if so lets hear them
Shoot a lot, then shoot some more. Just kidding, I use Kettlebells, stretch a lot, and I hear Indian clubs are very good, you can google them.
years back there was a DVD about How to Shoot Heavy Bows.
in that the guy recommended pulling a bow back to 1/4, then 1/2, then 3/4 and then full draw...hold for 5 sec at each position.
His other exercise was to snap bow back to full draw and hold for 10 sec an then s-l-o-w-l-y let down to full relax. Then switch hands! Yeah, do to the off side too!
He swore by that regimen. Don't shoot heavy bows but it helped with my weight range as well!
Shoot your bow. :dunno:
I have an old Bullworker I bought on the "Bay". And, I have an old Solid fiberglass Herters Recurve, it says #65, but feels like #80. I hold for 10 sec static-holds, like Doc-Noc wrote. It works well enough until the snow melts and I don't have to fear losing arrows.
Doc Nock has it. I like to hold for about 10 seconds at each position.
Shooting your bow is best, but if you're like me and can't shoot often, you may want to work out a bit.
I do the following exercises, once or twice a week, with at least a day's rest before working out again or shooting:
-Bent-over rows (for upper back muscles)
-Upright rows or shrugs (for trapezus)
-Arnold Press (for deltoids)
Start out with light weights, build endurance, and then move up to medium weights. Don't go ultra heavy so as not to injure yourself or get bulky muscles with less range of motion.
I just use two 25 lb dumbells. Do some situps and pushups too to exercise your core muscles - you use those for pretty well everything anyway.
There's also an Archery Fit DVD on 3 rivers archery site - that might be a good purchase.
Good old fashioned pushup's are good. Don't overlook core training.
Here's a quick clip of a couple good shoulder/upper back moves...
http://www.wellsphere.com/weight-loss-article/top-5-shoulder-exercises/15939
biceps curls is the best exercise. do light weight high repetition. chin ups too.
I got sumtin for ya. PM me if your interested. I am the strength/conditioning coach for a southern AAA football team, and that is a year-round sport here. HooYah.
A Bow Fit http://www.bowfit.com in the range of weight you shoot is a great device to have available anywhere you go. Obviously, a good all around full body exercise program is good for anyone, and bow specific strength and stretching exercises should be added to build and maintain archery fitness. There is no substitute for working the specific shooting muscles, as others here have also suggested.
Allan
QuoteOriginally posted by Gatekeeper:
Shoot your bow. :dunno:
DITTO
There is some excellent information on the "Elk-Fit Thread" currently being discussed.
If you shoot your bow right, you'll feel it the next day.
Pull ups, concentrate using your back muscles and not your arms. After a few sets to warm up I add a weight belt to increase resistence. I consider myself fortunate that at 63 I can readily do them as most guys my age have a beer gut and can't manage one let alone several sets of them. Hey...just sayin.. :-)!
During brakes and lunch.at work,I use the bowfit.