wanna draw 50# like it is 30#???

[brumski]

ok guys,i'm new to archery (six months) i've gone from a 30# bow to 50# bow, realised my mistake!! bought a 40# bow,practised with the two heavier bows!! with limited success!!, dug out the much maligned 30#er, well it's sooo comfy!! i could hold full draw for a fortnight!! and so accurate!. so, not wanting to buy any more bows!!!! is there any way i can practise drawing heavier weights without buying another bow??. when i started, 30# was a big deal!!. i want 50# (not such a big weight )as easy as the 30#.

brumski

[TheFatboy]

The only two ways to have 50# become less of a deal, is to either pull it a lot, or to practice with something heavier. That's pretty much it, I'm afraid!

[McDave]

The tendency when first learning to draw the bow is to use the arm muscles, which is fine at the beginning of the draw.  However, to hold the bow effortlessly at full draw, you need to transfer the weight to the back muscles as you draw the bow.  When you learn how to do this, you will have an "Aha!" moment, and it will be much easier to hold at full draw.

The feeling of holding with the back muscles is not easy to describe or teach, but your shoulder blades should be drawn together at full draw.  There should be no tension in your forearm or drawing hand.  It should feel as if a chain is connecting your elbow with your string fingers.  Your drawing hand should be flat, and not cupped.  Your drawing forearm should be in line with the arrow, viewed from above, at full draw.

It helps some people to feel their back muscles if they hold an arrow at eye level, with both hands holding the arrow, a few inches separating the hands.  Try to pull the arrow apart, and notice the feeling in your back, which is what you want to replicate when drawing the bow.

[brumski]

dave,i'm doing the back muscle thing (i know this coz my shoulder blade/back muscles ache like mad)i'm probly looking for a gym type routine,  i can draw the 50# ok but i know the bow is in charge of me!! not the other way round!!, just wondered if perhaps a bullworker (70's contraption!!) or such like might help?.
thanks for the input guys.

brumski

[whitebuffalo]

pushups

[xtrema312]

I think they make some kind of bow exercise gadget.  I would think one arm dumbbell pull ups.  Lean over a bench or chair and brace off that with your bow hand.  Now pull a dumbbell weight off the floor and back like it is your string.  If you want to work on you hand and string arm so it is really a lot more like pulling a bow you could probably tie a string on to the ends over the weights and pull with your fingers.  I would think this would help, but the problem is you also need to strengthen your bow arm and all those stability muscles.  I would start shooting the 40# bow.  When you start to shoot that well sell or trade the 30 to get a 45.  Then get back on the 50.  Work you way up 5# at a time.  I would also shoot the 50 some along the way if you can draw it smooth without injury.  Lower numbers of heavier weights build muscle faster than a lot of reps with a light weight.

[ka]

When i shoot my 55lb bow and then go back to my 46lb target bow it seems i can hold the 46lb forever!!

[smokin joe]

The cable row at any good gym will make your upper back very strong. Google the term "cable row{" and you will see the exercise. Then you just have to put in the time in the gym. Try to increase the weight you use by a couple of pounds a week.

[TheFatboy]

Brumski,

No need for fancy exercises here. The best way to get better at doing something, is to do it alot. If you wish to pull a 50# bow with little effort, you are to continously pull, hold, pull, hold, etc. Now, doing exercises like pullups or dumbbell row will definetely help you, no doubt about that, but is totally not necessary. My advice is (and I may not know much about archery, but what I do know is how to build size and strength), that you find something (possibly a band or a cable), equal to maybe 55-60#. You start out the "workout" by pulling this weight as many times as you can, concentrating on each rep. Breathe once or twice in between. Then - after having a few minutes break, of course - pick up your bow, and pull it like you just pulled the heavier alternative. You will notice how it will feel much easier to pull, as you've just pulled something heavier. After not so many workouts, you will be able to do more and more reps. You can increase difficulty by holding and squeezing a bit longer on each rep, or whatever does the job for you. Quality of reps > quantity of reps.

Bottom line is... you wanna pull a certain poundage with ease, you are to practice first with heavier weights to prime the central nervous system, move down to the given poundage, and just pull that bow. There's not much more to it.

 

[McDave]

Quite a few archers suffer from shoulder injuries.  I assume this is a result of two things.  First, pulling bows that are too heavy for the shooter's shoulder.  "Too heavy" is relative, of course; some people can pull 90# bows with no injury, while others get shoulder injury from much lighter weight bows.  The second thing is that pulling bows works only certain muscles in each shoulder, overworking some and underworking others, leading to an out-of-balance condition.  If we would shoot both right and left-handed bows an equal amount of time, it might help, but few of us want to do that.

Before I got serious about archery, I was a rock climber and so was able to crank off a lot of pullups.  When I started shooting bows, I was able to pull a 65# bow fairly easily, and I never really wanted to pull any heavier bow than that.  Maybe since I never tried to work up to a heavier bow, I haven't had any shoulder injuries, but I think if I were going to do that, I would probably want a balanced exercise program that would work all my major and minor shoulder muscles.  And I would want to be tuned in to my body, so if I started getting shoulder pains, I wouldn't do things that would aggravate them.

[SHOOTO8S]

Originally posted by McDave:
The tendency when first learning to draw the bow is to use the arm muscles, which is fine at the beginning of the draw.  However, to hold the bow effortlessly at full draw, you need to transfer the weight to the back muscles as you draw the bow.  When you learn how to do this, you will have an "Aha!" moment, and it will be much easier to hold at full draw.

The feeling of holding with the back muscles is not easy to describe or teach, but your shoulder blades should be drawn together at full draw.  There should be no tension in your forearm or drawing hand.  It should feel as if a chain is connecting your elbow with your string fingers.  Your drawing hand should be flat, and not cupped.  Your drawing forearm should be in line with the arrow, viewed from above, at full draw.

It helps some people to feel their back muscles if they hold an arrow at eye level, with both hands holding the arrow, a few inches separating the hands.  Try to pull the arrow apart, and notice the feeling in your back, which is what you want to replicate when drawing the bow.

Excellent post Dave!

[TheFatboy]

Dave,

I, myself, shift between pulling with both left and right hand, when I'm exercising with the bow. This will not only help balancing out as you say, but also train both rotary cuffs equally, making both shoulders stronger.

You having been a rock climber is definetely a major advantage, with your fingers, shoulders and back already being well-conditioned. A single exercise like pullups, would help the regular archer alot.

I'd say that that most shoulder injuries come from either lack of decent warm-up, or shooting too many times a week, thereby overreaching. And then, sometimes, you're just unlucky.

[faustus]

There is also the Bowfit Archery Workout System.
Its an exerciser that has helped me to build up my back muscles. I am now shooting a 50# longbow ...

 http://www.3riversarchery.com/product.asp?i=799X

[BobCo 1965]

I agree it is much easier to hold with the back muscles, however, I do not believe that the shoulder blades should be squeezed together. If the bow arm is reaching toward the target with the palm,  the bow arm side scapula is forward, tension is kept in the bow arm tricept. The draw side scapula should be moved toward the spine and is downward.

[dragon rider]

BobCo, I sort of agree with you and sort of don't.  I find that my best shots occur when my bow side scapula is pulled toward my spine and locked before I complete my draw, and then the draw side scapula is pulled in toward my spine and "locked in."  So I agree that the two shouldn't go toward the spine simultaneously, but if I don't lock the bow side down my bow hand wanders around too much which adversely affects both aim and follow through.

Brumski, My other suggestion, on the exercise point, in addition to the several good ones above, is that if you have access to a rowing machine, use it.  It'll strengthen your shoulders, both at the same time, build your legs and give you a good cardio workout at the same time.  

Last but certainly not least, why do you want a 50# bow anyway?  A well placed shot from a 40# bow is a lot more effective than a shaky shot from a 50# bow.

[brumski]

thank you all, for the input, much food for thought!!. dragon, firstly, i now own a 50# longbow sooo quiet compared with my recurve (recurves!!), also i intend to hunt in bulgaria, and i just want to cover any issues that might arise bow poundage wise. many thanks.

brumski

[Davo]

pushups in multiple positions, angles and elevations. every other night.

[tarponnut]

If you get a Bowfit buy the "safari grade" one.
I use it to warm up before shooting and when I can't shoot.
I also like the single arm bent rows(with a dumbell).Pull-ups are a great exercise but few can do them(In the USMC, I did 27 in row once, the thought of trying half that makes me cringe now)
Remember to give your muscles a day to recover between workouts.

[RajunCajun]

as said pushups

[TheFatboy]

Bowfit looks like a great tool. Pushups, as already mentioned, will help to add shoulder stability and help build strength and mass in your chest and triceps.