I'll start by saying...Getting old sucks!!! I turned 39 last Friday. What the heck are the 40's going to have in store for me? I guess when you make a living with your body, it eventually wears out.
I went to my Orthopedic Surgeon today, and scheduled a MRI for my right shoulder for this Thursday. For any of you that missed it, I injured my shoulder...ironicly...at the gym trying to get in better shape for bow season. I'm hoping the MRI shows that therapy will correct my problem, and not have to deal with surgery. What's my problem you might ask? I went to draw my longbow (57# @ 28") on Sunday and could only get the string back 6" tops. I was completely floored, and thought someone was playing a bad joke on me.
So I just got off the phone with Kevin, from RER Bows, and have a set of longbow limbs on order that are 45# @ 28". He promised me the prettiest waterfall babinga I have ever set my eyes on. Well, that should be pretty easy, because I have never seen any before. I looked it up online, and he is correct, that wood is simply stunning. It will be a perfect addition to my bacote and bloodwood LXR riser.
Now the waiting and the taking it easy begins.
Oh yeah, one final thought...If you are at the gym and Sammy Hagar starts playing into the headphones, don't think you can automatically jump your shoulder workout 50# without there being any problems down the road.
Swallowing the thought of going back to 45# wasn't easy, but that being my only option, the choice is very clear. And for anything I ever plan on hunting, 45# should be more than adequit. If I ever need to go to a heavier bow, I have 2 sets of limbs waiting for my arrival.
Hope you heal quick bro!
Mike I had shoulder problems about 5 years ago Dr. thought partially torn rotartor cuff. I ended up not shooting for about you don't want to here this about a year to avoid surgery. Give plenty of time to really heal. It does not bother me whe I shoot now. I usually shoot about 53# bows. Good luck and fast recovery.
Mike, I am 64 and got I ordered a new bow last year and had it made for 45#. I did it to save my body, and have never enjoyed shooting as much. With the new bows, woods and carbon arrows this bow will kill anything I may hunt. You are not "going back" when you go to 45#. I often wonder what the Native Americans shot for #'s. I know some guys who cannot shot anymore and I often wonder if they regret shooting the macho man heavy bows. Perhaps that was not why they shot them, perhaps thinking that heavy meant better penetration...but todays bows and arrows do not need heavy #'s. Good luck and you are smart to take care of your body. You will see 45# will be fun.
I just turned the Big 40 in December and feel it already. I hope you heal up and are ready to wack a nice buck this fall.
As one that shot some super heavies in his youth, I'm glad I did. It was fun! Lucked out on shoulders not giving out but still shoot 43-52 strictly because I "figured out" that all of em of legal weight work about as well as any and I flat shoot more accurately.
Wishing you luck on the MRI. One coming up myself. After an auto accident crushing three vertabrae in the 70s it's all catching up with me now. Multiple disks about to go, little "cushion" left. It effects about everything I attempt.
It's the hoofing it out to the woods and standing or sitting for any length of time that gets to me. My job on cement, stairs and steel platforms may be in trouble. Not a great thing at this time of my life at age 59 this fall nor in this economy.
I can still shoot the heavy bows but not well and enjoy my "lighter" ones. Recall if you will that in the 60s a HUGE part of the bows sold were 45 lbs. A quick look at the bows in the auction confirms this for those not old enough to recall that time frame.
Id not be afraid to hunt anything in the US with my "heavier" 52lb bows and proper arrow weight and heads. The 43lb for deer has yet to fail me weight wise in several bows.
They worked back several decades and still work now, probably even better now even though they dont need to. My two bows date 1957 and 58. The one 52 is a new purchase and still waiting on it. In 66inch, I dont think the weight will be real noticable. (my opinion only) Also swapping bows for a bamboo backed all wood bow for fun and games that will be about the same at 52 at my draw with a longbow.
I cannot imagine NEEDING more weight and bet the 43 will get the nod more often than the other two heavier ones for hunting together. Each day the choice is made on a whim, lol.
Ive gotten pass throughs (something else not "NEEDED") with 43lb bows and while some feel they may be limiting in range for hunting, I tend to disagree.
As all of us know it's more arrow placement and a sharp head that beats all other factors combined together that puts venison on the table regularly.
God Bless and prayers for you and yours.
39? You sure as heck don't want to see pushing 60!!LOL You got a while before you really need to start worrying!
Hey Mike,I also experienced the same problems about ten years ago when I turned 40.I had about a 3 month layoff then started back with a 30# bow.I am a pipefitter by trade and also feel three decades plus of abuse.After about 9 months I was shooting 45# to 50#.I rarely shoot heavier than 52# these days and feel lucky I still can.Take it slow and you will be good to go.glen
LOL .. not for your pain , but I hate to tell ya but it doesn't get easier
You'll do fine! I just hope you won't need surgery. I'll remember that the next time Hagar comes on lol. My 49@28 LX is a screamer so I'm sure you'll have no problems. I was surprised at how well it performs.
Good luck with the mri and post photos when you get your limbs!
Hi Mike!
My hunting partner banged his knee on a skiing accident 8 months before our moose hunt a few years ago. He had to have ACL repair. A few years before that was a different injury...doing some high-flying trapeze move off a diving board. He fell over a boulder outside my home a couple years ago, and darned near wrecked his whitetail season in progress.
I think you'll get through this...
:thumbsup:
Here is something to think about. My problem, impingement. The tendon swells and doesn't slide back and forth on the collar bone well. The problem, DIET COKE. Yes, diet coke, maybe 16 or 24oz a day. The aspartame artifical sweetner turns to formaldahyde in you gut and reduces the lubrication in the joint, also when the sweet hits your tongue, you body shoots insulin in to take care of the sugar that is not there. If you eat diet yogurt, diet pop, whatever, avoid aspartame. If I had a little less ethics, I would find a good lawyer. My joints have never felt better, just 4 weeks off the crap. Turned 50 this year and dropped down to around 52 lbs from 65 lbs. I may get a 70lb bow if the turnaround continues. Look on the internet to verify my claims. Get diet pop out of your diet. LF
Hang in there Mike. Better now than in October. Just think how steady you'll hold that 45#er when your healed up. Rock steady and deadly!!
Ok, Jack Benny...39...geeze... well, since whenever you celebrated 39, you've BEEN IN your 40th year...don't celebrate one till you've passed thru it....so you're already into your 40th!
Getting in shape has such hazards...round is a shape!! :)
If you let it heal and can induce patience as a patient, you should be able to work this thru w/out surgery unless it totally torn.
I had a 3 corner tear and nothing helped but full surgery... made a huge difference after the healing was done...
LF, wow..diet soda? Does all that? Dang! Knew there was a reason to keep the sugar! :) That is interesting!
Hang in there Mike! These things will happen to the best of us buddy... Listen to the doctor when you review Thursday's results. At the time I bought your Wesley I was having serious tennis elbow tendinitis in my left (bow) arm. I figured my left arm was going to be a repeat of my right arm and surgery was imminent. After MRI's, x-rays and two cortisone shots, the orthopedic doctor prescribed 6 weeks of physical therapy as a last ditch (insurance)effort before surgery. It was a God's blessing that my therapist was a young graduate from college that was very progressive in "her" diagnosis... It turned out that my problem (which appeared overnight) was actually due to my C4 vertebrae pinching nerves and getting progressively worse by the day. After a few weeks of therapy and a few weeks away from the Hill, I got better. Your mileage may vary, but none the less, you're in my thoughts and prayers! PM me if you want more info.
Sure hope you will be just fine Mike.
None of us can escape aging, but hopefully we can resist feeble.
Hi mike hang in there and take it easy to heal properly. As a 50+ age group member who still shoots bows in the high 50# to mid 60# i would suggest start a dedicated routine to work on small stabilizer muscles in your shoulders and back. One group to look toward for help outside of the medical community is the RKC's (russian kettlebell certified instructors) and those who work with joint mobility.
Mark
63 here. Does not get easier unless you make wise choices in all, even small things. Age and maturity can actually make you better and more consistent. Let the path open before you and do not force it. Do not give in or up. I shoot 54# at my draw and love it.
63 here. Does not get easier unless you make wise choices in all, even small things. Age and maturity can actually make you better and more consistent. Let the path open before you and do not force it. Do not give in or up. I shoot 54# at my draw and love it.
Good luck Mike with rehab.Be patient,Fall is a ways off and I know you got a descent buck picked out allready.You should be ready by then.forty five #s is enough anyday with a perfect flying arrow and razor sharp head.
I have gotten over multiple injuries where I could not shoot a bow and am still shooting.Higher reps,strict form and less weight at the Gym will keep you going until your 80s.Your still a Spring chicken man.
I cant drive 55.
Good luck to you Mike! Lower poundage is the only way to get back!
55 now and blew both rotators out in my early to mid 40's about 2 years apart . Had both of them cut on and shot my 67# Widow for many years afterward. You will be ok. I still shoot mid 50-61 now, just go with what Doc says. Luckily my doc was a trad guy and took real good care of me.
I was having shoulder issues... pain, clicking, clunking, etc. as well as wrist, elbow, and knee issues, and didn't shoot more than a handful of arrows over the course of a year or so. I was blaming the shoulder thing on the heavy bows I was shooting... that wasn't it. I changed my diet, big time, initially to lose weight, and no longer eat anything with artificial sweeteners(aspartame is NASTY stuff and should be illegal), sugar, grains, and very little dairy. I also completely avoid any processed foods and pay attention to the kinds of fats I eat, trying now to keep trans and saturated fats low and the omega 6 to omega 3 ratio as even as possible.
I also started working out and I think that's helping my shoulder too... lotta pushups, pullups, etc.
My shoulder issues, in fact, ALL my joint issues, have vanished. I'm SO glad I didn't go to a doctor.
Do a search on diet, nutrition, inflammation, autoimmunity, etc.
Mike I'll be 70 in July,had back surgery a year ago,normally shoot in the mid to high fifties. Dropped down to 45 this past year and really enjoy the weight,no problems with penetration took an eight point last year in Indiana dressed weight 190
After 40 the years start adding up like dog-years! 45# will do just fine.
Sorry to hear that bro! I am 42 and it sucks to actually have to strech out before doing anything so I dont pull something. I had a bad bout of bow elbow and couldnt shoot for awhile ended up needed shots last year. Try some Metalica for hitting the weight pile for better results. :biglaugh: Prayers for a speedy recovery.
Andrew
Keep in mind your body has its own work out agenda. You cant make up for lost time. My advice to you is to go work on your cardio, abs and lower body. That will make your whole body strong and will pump up your testosterone. Believe it or not but working one thing will strengthen the rest of you. I know a lot of body builders who work through plateaus in their upper body routine by hitting their legs hard(body building is a little more popular in my native Philadelphia then traditional archery.)And yo... Van Hagar is nothing to hurt yourself to. Now road house blues by the doors, thats a song to tear your cuff on. Good luck bud. Keep us posted.
Heal up, Mike.
39? You were 7 when I got married. I started having an affair with rheumatoid arthritis when I was 45 and have had one knee "rebushed" because of it so far. My knuckles look like snakes that swallowed chicken eggs. There are mornings it just isn't worth chewing through the restraints and those "120 arrow days" with a 65# bow that I used to shrug off now leave me feeling like a stepped on spider the next day. Even though they are now 60 arrows with a 55# bow.
Some joker also has been messing with the iron sights on my flintlock, too. There are three front blades and the rear looks like it's made of steel-wool instead of sharply filed iron.
Well from all the responses, it looks like I am in good company. Hopefully it's not as bad as I am thinking. I will just keep thinking the worst and pray for the best.
Healed a lot of this joint tissue stuff with prolo-therapy. Solved back, shoulder, and elbow stuff with no surgery and just weeks of treatment. There is a reason pro athletes are now using it. My Dr. works for KU medical center. This is NOT alternative stuff- just an under utilized treatment that makes little money for physicians or pharmaceuticals. It is now being recognized by many physicians.
Check it out: http://www.neurofascial.com/
Sorry to hear about your shoulders & hope things work out for you.
I too used to be the heavy bow freak but it was with compounds w/ maybe 50% let off but now I think I've gotten smarter & stick to just 40-55# bows, figure that if I need to use something heavier I can't afford to hunt there in the first place.
Mike, look on the bright side: You had another birthday- Happy Birthday!
Hitting 50 this year and wish I felt as good as 40 again, getting old does suck. That said I'm still shooting 60# to 70# bows with no problems. But I've never trashed a shoulder or elbow doing anything else so there is no pre-existing condition to aggravate. I only shoot 30 to 50 arrows about 3 times a week so I dont over-use the muscles. Its all about pacing yourself as you get older.
This is a really interesting thread.
I've been having shoulder problems myself the last 9 months or so, same story. In the gym, working out for an elk hunt, and pop. Now my shoulder sounds like it has gravel in it and my strength and range of motion are not there. I've tried shooting a couple times since, in the 30# range and I can do it, but its very uncomfortable.
I blamed in on literally a lifetime of abusing that joint with bows. But the aspertame angle is interesting. I never was a big pop drinker, but my wife is a diet Coke addict, and I started drinking it just because it was always around. Consider me having quit, as of now.
Jared
Forgot to mention, I'm only 34, which is what made me the maddest. I figured should have a LOT of shooting left in me.
Good luck with your stuff Mike.
At 62 I shoot 40# for fun, and when deer season gets close I judo with 50-60# bows. Shooting judos is a one-at-a-time practice, and my shoulders have time to recover enough between shots so that they don't bother me. If I shoot the practice target with the heavier bows and multiple arrows, my shoulders will start to complain pretty quickly.
39, Wow, I feel lucky. At age 55, I have now dropped down to 54#. Had a muscle pull in my drawing shoulder last summer and fall. It is now feeling good. I have worked in construction for the last 35 years and feel lucky to still be in good shape without any injuries. I do best by shooting 30-40 arrows every couple days. My shoulder feels better that way than shooting only once a week.
Good luck.
Just had my MRI today. It was odd. There was nothing wrong with it, just had no idea what to expect. If it wasn't for all that noise, I probably would have fell asleep. I should know the results next Tuesday, unless they can get me in tomorrow.
I'm 44, in pretty good shape, work out some everyday, start every morning with 30 pushups, etc...and I sold or traded every bow over 50lbs. Now all my bows are 44-48lbs.
Granted, I only whitetail hunt and all my shots are under 15 yards, but with a scary sharp head and perfect arrow flight, when you hit the vitals the arrow seems to pass thru them just fine.
Personally, for the lower poundage bows, I'm leaning towards "mini" COC 4 blades over wider 2 blades. I shot a buck last year with a Steelforce Phathead. The head part is only as big as a quarter. But the arrow passed thru on a heart shot and buried into the dirt on the side of a hill that was behind the buck and the buck piled up about 70 yards away, after a great blood trail, that 4 blades often offer. I'm not sure what else anyone could ask for.
Plus, the lower poundage bows are a joy to shoot and you can practice with them all day long, if you wanted to do so.
My problem was bone spurs. Lot of clicking and pain. They had to be ground off , both looked like sharks teeth. Just sliced right through both rotators. The bad news is that they grow back!! :(
Don't give up! Age is just a stste of mind. I will be turning 69 in two weeks and I am looking forward to the upcoming deer season and shooting my bow as much as time permits. you can work your way back up in draw weight but go easy and give it time to heal. Hope things go better for you.