G'day all,

Well with a trip to the local doc after a visit to my Chiropractor it seems that I've a small strain/tear in my AC joint due to over doing it at the gym a few weeks back. It was all my fault as I failed to warm up as I normally do.

Now I'm OK to shoot as I have nill pain when I do, but I'm only shooting my 63# BW not the "Big Boy" I've set aside that runs up there around the 80# mark.

I'm just after some input in regards to just what specific excercises one can to in the gym that'll help with beefing up the shoulders & AC joint areas to shoot well and to limit problems.

I lead an active life style nowadays after doing nothing after leaving the Army 3 years ago. I hit the gym every day if I can doing both weights and cardio.

I did read somewhere that doing push ups (I love push ups!) on a small medicene ball is tip top to strengthen your rotar cuff?

A penny for your thoughts,


AK.

Don't let the ball move. LOL If you can shoot 80# I think your strong eneough. Just maintain  what you have.

Al, gots no advice, I just shoot every day and have for many,many years.

Danny

Thanks lads. I'm kinda just wanting to look after my shoulders is all. Just to maintain really on what I have.


AK.

Al,

I am sure there are some on here or maybe even at you gym who can tell you the exercises you might want to do.

Myself, I just warm up a bit before shooting. I am going on 58 years old and for many years shot 70-80# bows. I can still draw and shoot that weight but have dropped down to 60-64# bows just because I shoot them better. Never had a problem with my shoulders from shooting, but like you I buggered one up when I was younger lifting weights. Had some therapy and decided I did not want to lift anymore. Shoulder has been fine but everyonce in a while it gets a bit sore If I overdo it.

Danny

Do a search on the internet for "prehab". It's a type of weight training that strength trainers/ weightlifters do to protect themselves before something goes wrong. If you can't find anything send me a pm and I'll give you the name of a site that will have info.

Al, I don't remember the issue but Don Thomas had an article in a TBM about shoulder stretches and exercises specifically for trad bow shooters.  If you can't find it or don't have it let me know and I will round it up and get it to you.  Joseph

Al - if you do a shoulder search on that 'other' site, there is a thread up there at the moment on exactly this topic.

I have written there what keeps me in the game - otherwise I would be buggered.  

Save me repeating it all have a read, you will find it very helpful.

If you don't get any satisfaction with the specific excersises (from this thread) shoot me a p/m.  

When I was living in Thailand (up until early 07), I shot and hunted in the jungle most days for the two years I was living there .  I over did it a bit on my shoulder.  A doctor friend I have in Chiangmai took me to the physio at his hospital.

They gave me specific exercises which were very good.  If you need them I can rummage around and find them - I think I still have them somewhere.

However have a read on the other thread and see what I do now.  That will keep you in the game I am sure.

Cheers - Sutto

I've had excellent luck with the exercises using this guy's shoulder exercises:  http://www.ericcressey.com/articles.html
Read his "Shoulder Saver" articles and other articles as well.

Al,

I tore mine all up about three years ago.  It was so bad that I had my little finger and the one next to it go numb.

A personal trainer is the one that fixed me up the most besides the cortisone shot.  Here is what he had me do.

He had me take a little weight of 1.5 kilo and hold it in my hand of the hurt shoulder.  Then you stick your elbow straight out from your shoulder with your hand/weight straight up in the air so that there is a 90 degree bend at the shoulder and at the elbow.  Your arm should be in the position it would be with the end of a pull up.  Now slowly rotate your hand forward with out letting the elbow move in any direction.  You only bring your hand down a little bit.  Imagining a clock face you would go from 12 to 9.  The elbow has to stay in the outwardly most spot/stationary and it helped me to do it in the mirror.

I hope this helps you it really helped me.  I always do this now about 12 times with just my fist and no weight before I shoot to warm up a little.

Check this website out. I used one of these after Rotator cuff surgery. They do work. Good luck.

www.Bowfit.com

Al, search on the internet for exercises called "internal rotation" and "external rotation".  These are exercise that are usually performed with those rubber bands attached to a stationary object.  They work wonderfully and is what I've been using since hurting my shoulder at work.  

You could also try to find a book called "Core Performance".  It focuses on unstable exercises for all parts of your body.  It makes you stronger and more stable in your hips, knees, lower back, core, shoulders, etc...  It does all this without adding much muscle mass, so you stay strong and flexible.  Great book, just don't let all the mumbo jumbo overwhelm you, read it through once or twice and the routines won't look so intimidating...Mike

Thanks so much fellas, I'll do so homework on the subject. As my mate said to me the other week, you only have one body, and it's your best investment you'll own.


AK.

Exercise, conditioning, and warming up will all help, but... Most of these shoulder problems are due to microscopic tears in ligaments and tendons caused by chronic overuse with high load forces. The best way to keep your shoulders in shape down the line is to reduce the draw weight of your bow. Most of us shoot more bow than we need to. I've been lucky so far (my one disaster was a neck injury, not a shoulder problem), but I have dropped my draw weight about #10 for most hunting circumstances (with no subsequent problems in the field). No exercise program can completely prevent the overuse injuries that lead to chronic rotator cuff failure. Don

About 15 years ago, while I was shooting 3D a lot, a bunch of us started shooting (at) the 50-yard practice target after completing the course. It was near my point-on, so I held the bow longer than normal while aiming. In those days I was shooting about 65#.

When I got ready to leave, I started to roll up my truck window and it felt like I had been stabbed with an ice pick in my left shoulder. I couldn't shoot my bow for about a month after that, and I haven't been the same since in that shoulder. I now shoot lower poundage less often and maintain OK. I still have trouble washing my back in the shower.

If you're not careful, those heavy bows will hurt you.

I had a small tear in my rotator cuff quite awhile ago.  The thing that helped the most for me were a series of excercises using sugical tubing.  I haven't had any trouble since, but it sure scared me at the time.  I thought my archery days were over, at least with trad gear.  
I know you love your heavy bows Al, but Don T. makes a good point.  Although you are plenty strong enough to handle them now, there could be a severe price to pay down the road.  Lighter bowes are certainly easier on your joints.  And for most hunting situations, the additional benefits of shooting more than 60# or so are fairly negligible.

I'll go to the other "side" for a sec.

After the fact, I learned I'd torn the rotator cuff on my right shoulder. That was January 4th 6 years ago.  I went to one doc after another...orthopedic guys..had an MRI and they just sent me to PT.

Thankfully, I went to school with thePT and he knows I work very hard at getting better... I was backsliding.

He suggested I ask for a dye MRI. I did. And walla..it was torn.

I went 8 months living on Alleve and only sleeping 2 hrs till the pain would wake me. I was still able to shoot... dunno why but I was.

Once I had surgery, it was a bear to get back, but I was shooting my hunting weight bow in 2 full months. Just made sure I KNEW the line between pain and re-injury and dind't cross it.

I'd say get a good MRI or Dye MRI to find out for sure... could've saved me 8 months of sheer agony... and not lost 3/4th of our bow season!

IMO, Core Performance Essentials is a better book than the first book.  Which means it's very good.  It is, in fact, the core (yuk, yuk) of my strength training.

I paid big $$ on Amazon for a text on rotator cuff injury prevention, and it's been worth it.

In addition to what has been posted, G. Fred had a good article in TBM a year or two back on strength training, and Rob DiStefano's Instinctive Archer CD's have good articles both on stretching and Strength.

Might be a bit radical line of thought here, but, what does the doctor say?

Killdeer  :confused:    

I am with Mark,

Bow fit works for me, you can work up with that.  I have the one that goes up to 100#

But of course I also have a Total Gym.

I have had problems with shoulders because of my occupation earlier, but I have cut back in my poundage, and I am comfortable and adjusted for that.

Carl