Heavy training bow?

[Ratatat]

Just wondering how many of you own or practice with a heavy "training" bow.  By heavy I mean heavier than your normal hunting/3d setup.  Reason I'm asking is for the last couple of years I have shot a Bob Lee takedown #50@28" (drawn 28 inches) and have recently gotten a Morrison Cheyenne 59#@28" (thanks again dirtybird).  I shoot the Morrison alright for now, but what I have really noticed is how much better I am shooting the lighter BL.  I'm thinking of buying a heavier still recurve, maybe 60-70# just to get stronger.  Thanks in advance for any and all thoughts,advice, or comments.

[Cottonwood]

I have a 60# longbow that I shoot occasionally, and also just use it to do my drawing work out.

[COMPOUNDLESS IN CONCRETE]

I sometimes sit at my bowflex and draw like I am shooting.  Doing that with both left and right arms is helping strengthen my bow arm as well as my drawing arm.

[Zog]

I did exactly what you are suggesting, and wound up liking the heavy bow better.  I shoot much better with a heavy bow; I think it forces my alignment and it definitely cleans up my release.  

So now I do the opposite . . .  I use the lighter one to exercise my shoulders and the heavy one for a better shot.

Not necessarily recommending that; just something that feels right to me.

[Raging Water]

Uh, that would be me.

I have a 102# at 28" Bama Bow that I have been working up to. After owning it a few weeks, I can now draw it to anchor. When I first got it, I could not.

It makes drawing my 85# Howard Hill Half Breed a lot easier. My 80# and my 70# Howard Hill's are even easier.

Warm up with a lighter bow first and them pull heavy.

I use the heavy bow for strength and the lighter bows for form and hunting.

[tj69]

So do I. training with 5-10 pounds more at short distances to get stronger. technique training with a lighter bow.
works good.

[eric-thor]

funny ive actually been considering gettin a heavyier bow for training . just so my 63@31" is that much easier. even three pounds makes a huge differance .id like to get a heavy'r recurve for training . as with training as much draw weight as i can keep good form.and not an oz. more.

[eric-thor]

sorry... first i should say that a very light bow is invaluable to learning what a good form is .synce you dont need to focus on holding. the stress of holding and exessive form learning with much less or no fatigue.

[Raging Water]

Eric,

I got a call from a guy wanting to sell me a 150# recurve.

Crazy!!!!!!!

[eric-thor]

i bet theres blood in the water. and you drew i buddy.

whem i get set up and start building bows ill make you a 200# ...lmao better get back in the gym my friend.

[eric-thor]

what ever happend with those AD carbons you orderd you never got back to me .

[LongStick64]

I actually think you can improve by working out smarter. I jumped to a 75lb bow simply by concentrating on chin ups, deep pushups, clean and press and dead lifts. I also continued to shoot with solid form, drawing with my back muscles, focusing on solid back tension, using the formaster to ingrain that into my form. Believe me it all adds up.

[Ratatat]

Thanks again!!!

[wisconsin wood butcher]

i use a heavy therapy rubber band to work the muscles on both sides. take the band in front with both hands and open allthe way [untill you cant open your arms anywider with out resistance]it has helped with stability

[OVERDRAWING]

I'm 53 years old. For 28 years I shot FITA rounds (old Olympic round) competitively. When I first started we were shooting aluminum arrows, dacron strings and wood core fiberglass limbs so for men the poundages we were shooting went from about 45# up to something over 50#. Most shooters then were just shooting arrows for training but a few of us decided we might gain an edge by doing strength training. During that time and now, staying in the right kind of shape really helps my shooting. I don't consider myself a "natural" shooter. For me to shoot well I really have to work at it. I retired from shooting competitively in 2000 and I thought I could drop all the stength training I had been doing for years....I was wrong! Part of my strength training has included working with a bow that is about 10 pounds heavier than what I want to shoot. I do find that I have to "adjust" myself after shooting more poundage but it only seems to take me a couple of ends to get back in my groove. Reading some of John Schultz's books I found that John and his brother regularly worked out with heavier bows at Howard Hill's house. Sounds like using heavier bows to shoot better is not a very new thing. As long as someone doesn't have trouble with rotator cuff problems or other physical problems they should be OK. From my experience it is very important to do warm up activities before you work out and practice shooting and also when done working out or shooting again do some cool down activities. I have several friends that I used to shoot with competitively that damaged themselves and can either no longer shoot at all or they have to restrict their shooting activities. Remember the old addage "no pain no gain" but the part of that phrase you don't hear is "too much pain, no brain".

[Raging Water]

I shot my 85# Half Breed to today at a 3 D shoot. I didn't shoot very well but that is okay.

In two weeks, there will be a two day Traditional Competitive shoot. I will probably use a 55# Longbow and 60# recurve then. So, training with my 85# will make 55# easy.

I won't win but I feel it will help me be a little more competitive with the better shooters.

[BUFF]

Just the opposite is true for me. I practice all week with a light weight bow (55#)
then hunt with a 74#. it seems if my form and release is good with the target weight then it is even better with the hunting weight.

[brinkwolf]

That's what my big Ferguson Royal Safari is for. Same with me that when I first got it I could only draw it about half way but now can pull it to anchor and shoot it for awhile. It makes shooting the lighter bows so much easier.

[LoneWolf73]

For sure. Usually just pull it back (70#) both right and left side. It keeps my bow shooting muscles in shape for shooting bows 62# and under.