getting fit for archery.
 

What is the best exercise to get ready for archery season. (pullin back the bow with ease):)

Hit the gym and work back and shoulders.

Especially back... Pulldowns, Bent over rows, T bar rows, Dumbell rows, any rowing exercise, and of course chin ups.

Shoulders... presses and lateral raises

The best is to shoot your bow year round. It's not all about pulling the bow either. That's the easy part. You have to train the brain as well because once you have the bow at full draw it's 90% a mental game.

Of course the gym doesn't hurt anything either. It takes more than arm, shoulder, and back muscles to be able to shoot effectively. It's just like putting up a building. You start with a sound foundation and for shooting that means starting from the bottom and working your way up.

Great post!!! I agree 100%, I know guys that are "monsters" in a weight room, but give them a bow, and it challenges muscles in a different way, and after shooting a bow 20-30x, they are struggling. It's much more about MUSCLE MEMORY, and specific muscle training than some specific "workout."

Exactly! Plus, shooting year round will make you a better shot. No matter how good a workout may be, it won't make you a better shot.

Ok but I want to pull 65-70 pounds on my bow and I can do it once or twice but then im beat. I work out at least once a day and have been for a couple years, and I have a very strong upper body but I still struggle with the 65-70 poundage is there a exercise I can do to make the needed muscles stronger? Just strong enough that I can pull the bow back, then I will go out and throw some arrows to build up the rest of the needed strength. I just have never needed or worked the archer muscles before.
Thanks

If you work out, you know that muscle failure is as far as you can go, and gives your muscles the most workout. Use the bow as your weight set... Use good drawing technique(high elbow) and allow the back muscles to do the work, not the shoulders... Most guys don't draw with their elbow in the best position. Do it and you will get stronger.

Ok sweet!! thanks

Hang a pulley on the wall and run a rope through it. Weights on one side and a handle like on a water ski rope on the other. Start light with your bow hand against the wall and draw the handle to your anchor point. You must simulate the draw to get the most out of it. Do reps of 12 and 3-5 sets every other day. I have had guys at the gym benching 400lbs having a tough time with my 70# bow.

Or shoot every other day 30-40 shots cranking up your bow every so often and that will help too.

In a nut shell here is what I am 100% positive about your situation.

You bought a bow that has too much draw weight for you. Period!!!!! Now whether you chose this on your own or with the advice of another, you got too much bow.

This happens to a pretty large segment of people who bowhunt. They don't know any better and usually are younger people with a higher level of testosterone than us older guys. Don't feel too bad about it. It's almost the norm. Testosterone gets in our brain and jiggles our ego around, forcing us to throw common sense out the window.

Lack of experience is part of it, too. We THINK we are stronger than we really are. Bigger is better. More draw weight is better. 70# kills better than 60#, etc, etc, etc. Peer pressure, maybe?

Some might disagree with me, but I honestly think you should see about gettting lighter limbsfor your present bow or trade for another or whatever options your dealer might allow you. I think you should get a bow with a weight range 10# less than what you have now. In other words, if you have a 70#er then get 60#.

You can develop the muscles for drawing and holding a bow, but you have to be able to shoot the bow repetitively to do so. You should be able to draw and aim no less than 50 times before you start to feel some fatigue. That's how your muscles will develop memory which will eventually lead to more strength. However, you may never be able to shoot 70# so don't be ashamed of such. Archery or bowhunting is a sport of accuracy, not brute strength. At present you may be on your way to shoulder injuries which could ruin your archery career before it gets off the ground.

If you wanna work on using back tension, draw your bow with both hands (RH & LH). You'll learn, real quick, how to use your back muscles.

Try to shoot the bow year round, curls, seated rows, tricep extensions, and bench press. Good luck Genesis!
BigBuck95:fighting0007:

There's no substitute better than the real thing. To start,turn down the weight and practice drawing and holding without actually shooting. Draw,hold, let down. . . draw, hold, let down . . . draw, hold, let down . . . etc. Do 3-4 sets of 10. You will be surprised how quickly you can begin to incrementally crank up the weight. As you get comfortable with each increased weight every week or so, give it another 1/2 turn until you get to the weight you want to use and continue to practice with that weight so you don't lose what you developed.

To SUPPLIMENT that, add in bentover dumbell laterals and a standing version of the same exercise using cables or resistance bands. That, bentover rows and seated rows should have you reaching your goal pretty quickly.

Look, a 60-70# bow is not overkill. Most of the archers out there today are shooting between 65-70#. It's not like you are trying to pull 125#.

My advice is shoot every other day. I have a Hoyt Trykon at 72 lbs. I can easily pull it back and shoot 100 shots a day. Well at least I could. I just took it out the other day since November when I got my deer. Getting ready for 3-D shooting season. I shot 10 shots and was done. I actually struggled a little bit the first couple of pulls. the best thing to do is shoot every other day, and you will get those muscles built. If need be, crank down the poundage until you can easily pull it, then crank it up just a little. Shoot some more, crank it up a little more, shoot some more....etc until you get the poundage you want.

Also don't know if your wife/parents/landlord will like this, but I put a target in my basement at 7 yards. If I can't get to the range, I shoot in the house. Focusing on my draw, my locking point, my release hand, my bow hand. All the little things you need to get down to make a good shot.

I heard somewhere that the best test for the proper draw weight is this:

A) Sit on the floor with your legs out in front.
B) Draw back your bow w/o lifting it skyward and draw it back to shooting position.

If you can't do this then you have too much draw weight.

This is a pretty good way to figure things.

I am with BGfisher, you are shooting a bow that is too heavy for you now. Lower the draw weight and build up those muscles before jumping headlong into a heavy bow. And shoot, shoot, shoot. Shoot several hundred shots per day, it won't be too long before a 70# bow isn't too heavy.

I work construction (lots of climbing, etc.) also do quite a bit of cycling.

I shoot my Bow year round. Nothing like doing the real thing!:happy0001:

Dan

I can pull 70# easy in that position, but I only shoot 60#. I can shoot it more acurately, slower more controlled draw in all positions, and quite frankly 70# is Not needed on anything I hunt.

The 60# bows I have shot the last couple of years are pushing right at or just over 70# of KE.

I used to hunt with 90#, then went down to 80#, on to 70#, and like I said I now shoot 60# and consistently get passthroughs. My shoulders and elbows wish I had switched to 60# years ago.:wink:

Dan