Chase2:
Doing pushups and dips will help to build up your upper body strength, but has little effect on the muscles that actually do the work of pulling your bow back. The muscles involved in pulling your bow back are the rear deltoids, rhomboids, and the latissimus dorsi muscles. To build up the rear delts and rhomboids, one of the best weight-lifting exercises is the one-handed row. This is done utilizing a benchpress bench and a dumbbell. Start off light so that you can perfect your form before adding weight. Standing at the side of the bench with your shoulders perpendicular to the bench, place your left knee and left hand on the bench. This will put your back parallel to the floor. Grab the dumbbell with your right hand and slowly raise it straight up so that your elbow is pointing toward the ceiling. This will put the dumbbell close to your side when you have reached the top of the exercise. Then, slowly lower the weight until your arm is fully extended. Do this for 10-12 repetitions and no more that 3 sets to begin with, making sure to keep the weight light until you've got the form down. Keep your back straight and level with the floor during this exercise. Repeat the exercise utilizing the left arm to lift the weight. To build up the latissimus dorsi muscles, it's hard to beat seated rows. This needs to be done on a cable machine at the gym, so you could probably ask one of the employees or other weight lifters to help you with this one. Just remember, you pull the bow back with your back muscles, not your chest or arms, to any large degree. Hope this helps.