Working up in bow weight?

[BillyfromSuperior]

Its taken me around three years to get to the point that shooting 45# for an indoor winter 300 round does not kill me.
That's 10 practice and 60 for score. Its a hard standard, but its mine. I'm trying to work up to 48#. Its harder than you think.
The reason being I'm working up is because of a Black widow I ordered. 

What do you old guys like me shoot. I'm 53.

[BillyfromSuperior]

It wasn't meant as a challenge. Just looking for advice.
Like, is my shoulder going to give? Or not? Or did yours already?

[Sam McMichael]

Fortunately for me, I never had much trouble working up in weight. If you go up a lot, it will take quite a while, because you want to do it slowly to avoid injury. A three pound change ought to be simply a matter of shooting a few extra arrows at the new weight on a regular basis for a couple of weeks. Do it regularly. Don't count your progress simply by the number of times you can pull the heavier weight. Rather, concentrate on making the extra pulls with good form. Since you have had to struggle to increase a few pounds, it is valid to ask if you have had injuries in the past that impose physical limitations. If so, you probably should not necessarily try to increase. If form is a limiting factor, that can be remedied. I am 71 and started out at 45# draw. I have gone up through the 50, 59, 65, and 78# draw weights and shot them all reasonably well. However, I don't really recommend that average build guys do it. I now hunt at 53# but shoot 40# when working on form. That is an overly long way of saying that a 3# increase should not be difficult, but you still want to do it over a little time. Good luck with your quest.

[Orion]

First, I'd suggest that 53 isn't old.  Barely reached middle age. 

I agree with Sam.  You'll hardly notice a 3# increase in bow weight.  I'd also suggest that most shoulder joint problems are caused by things other than shooting a bow.  I shot heavier bows in the 60-70# range in my 50s and 60s, but am now shooting 45-50#s. Never had and still don't have shoulder problems.

Good luck with your new Widow.

[M60gunner]

Do plain old push-ups. Works both sides, both shoulders equal and your not using your arms to pull the bow. Granted some of us are blessed with no shoulder issues even pulling #65+ bows for years. I shot #70 when I was your age. Now down to 55# at 75 years old.

[Dave Lay]

Like others, I bet you can’t even notice a 3 lb increase and widow recurves draw exceptionally smooth. I’m 67 , average build and currently shooting mid to upper 50 lb now, but I shot low to mid 60’s since I was in my early 30’s , I’ve never had shoulder issues

[Car54]

Please watch this video.....
It should help you on back tension..

[Bisch]

I shoot 50# at my 29” DL. I will be 60 in February. I’m gonna keep shooting 50# till I absolutely can’t do it anymore.

Bisch

[stik&string]

If you are still in Superior, I’m an hour south of you. I have a low 60#s bow you could use for training. I found push-ups and actually training with a heavier bow (and pulling with bow arms an equal number of times) help get you ready for a jump in bow weight.

However, the few pounds you are talking might not feel like much when you get it and you may be able to just get into to it without issue.

[MnFn]

68 years old here. I started shooting at age 13 with a 40#, then 48#.  I took a few years off (Army, getting married, raising kids, etc.)  I started back up again with the 48# recurve, but pretty quickly decided  I wanted to shoot heavier so I jumped up to a 60# longbow.   Big mistake. Huge really.  Struggled and never did shot that bow very well.  I found a 60# recurve and ended up shooting it ok.

Finally came to my senses and bought a 51# Shrew Classic Hunter and liked that one a lot. Since then I have stayed with low to mid fifties.  I have had a couple of nice 55# bows but I prefer to be under that now. My two favorites are a 50# Black Widow and a 49# Stickflinger.

I had some shoulder trouble a couple years ago, but got with a good Physical Therapist and she gave me  a bunch of exercises to do and it has been great since then. No surgery!!!

Best to you Billy, take it slow and you’ll be fine. 

[pdk25]

52 years old.  I have a range of bows.  Started out with 50#@28', drawn 29.5", and could handle that fine, but a 55# bow was too much.  This was around 14 or 15 years ago.  Just started getting progressively heavier bows, and was up to controlling 100# after several years, but I had alot more time back then to work on it.  Now I shoot bows ranging from around 53-65# at my draw length 90 percent of the time for both practice and hunting, and dabble with the bows up to 80# from time to time just so it won't be as hard for me to hunt buffalo if and when I go again.  Only have one or two more of those hunts in me, then I will sell my heavier bows.  My measure of being able to handle my bows is being able to hold at full draw for 15 seconds and still execute the shot, but that is just what I do.  My bow that I have been using almost exclusively this year is a TallTines Stickflinger that is probably around 57 or 58# at my draw.  Covid hasn't bee kind to me as far as time for shooting and activity, so it will probably take me longer than I like to get used to those heavy bows again.  At any rate, I don't think it will take you very long to get used to another 3# of draw weight.  I usually went up 5# or a little over at a time as I was building up.

[Bowguy67]

I’m 53 as well and can shoot in the 60s still. As a kid I shot bows 75lbs and a compound at 90. Few years back when I had surgery I couldn’t even start drawing a bow. I bought a 42 lb widow. Couldn’t pull it back but I started w sets of as far back as I could get. Eventually one or two really tough shots led to lots more. I traded up 3 pounds perhaps at a time. Now  I’m back to 60 plus. I’m a pretty form regimented guy but in practice draw I would actually overextend some to increase difficulty. We’re not talking much anyhow but I got to where a 60 pounder was drawn to my ear so that’s a few inches and a few pounds. Not for sure if I’d actually recommend that but the going up a few pounds every little bit, shooting less than extending sessions. Your body will tell you when you had enough. Don’t let the weight control you. If it’s too much don’t do it

[GCook]

Not sure how push ups help bow drawing as it doesn't target theb ack tension muscles.
Rowing machines or just get a rubber tubing exercise tool and do the same thing at home.  Squeeze you're shoulder blades together.   
My orthopedic surgeon is an archer and that's what he recommended for me to do to get back in after shoulder rebuild and rehab.
Oh and 51lbs at my DL.  56 years old.

[Flingblade]

I'm 51 and shoot bows up to 70 lbs..  My Hill Wesley Special is 70 lbs..  Right now I am shooting and hunting with a 52 lb. Black Widow PSA.  Widows have the smoothest draw cycle of any bow I have shot and in my opinion this makes them easier to draw.  (I should add here that there are a lot of bows that I haven't had the chance to shoot).  You may be surprised when you get yours and have no problem with the extra 3 lbs. due to how smooth they draw.  To add weight I would not try to single out one muscle group to strengthen but instead work to get stronger all over.  I started a strength training program in my early 40's called "Starting Strength" by Mark Rippetoe.  Deadlifts, barbell rows and chin-ups/pull-ups are excellent for strengthening the muscles including the rhomboid muscles used in shooting a bow.  Mr. Rippetoe has many form videos available free on-line to help you get started.  The key is progressive loading which is hard to do with bows unless you have access to many different weight bows.  And it's never too late to get started; I've seen guys in their 70's still doing squats, deadlifts, overhead press, etc..  Best wishes on your strength quest!
"Strong people are harder to kill and more useful in general".  -Mark Rippetoe   

[Bowguy67]

I'm 51 and shoot bows up to 70 lbs..  My Hill Wesley Special is 70 lbs..  Right now I am shooting and hunting with a 52 lb. Black Widow PSA.  Widows have the smoothest draw cycle of any bow I have shot and in my opinion this makes them easier to draw.  (I should add here that there are a lot of bows that I haven't had the chance to shoot).  You may be surprised when you get yours and have no problem with the extra 3 lbs. due to how smooth they draw.  To add weight I would not try to single out one muscle group to strengthen but instead work to get stronger all over.  I started a strength training program in my early 40's called "Starting Strength" by Mark Rippetoe.  Deadlifts, barbell rows and chin-ups/pull-ups are excellent for strengthening the muscles including the rhomboid muscles used in shooting a bow.  Mr. Rippetoe has many form videos available free on-line to help you get started.  The key is progressive loading which is hard to do with bows unless you have access to many different weight bows.  And it's never too late to get started; I've seen guys in their 70's still doing squats, deadlifts, overhead press, etc..  Best wishes on your strength quest!
"Strong people are harder to kill and more useful in general".  -Mark Rippetoe

Interesting. Fling blade how many widows have you shot cause I feel exactly the opposite?. Never felt one that drew easy. They always seem to have a stacking feel to them imo

[Orion]

Interesting.  I haven't shot a Widow in a long while, but given that the limbs are on the belly of the riser, they flex approximately 2 inches less at full draw than a bow with back mounted limbs.  Thus, they must start out with more initial tension and/or build poundage faster (vis-a-vis a back limb mounted bow). How people react to that varies. 

[Flingblade]

Bowguy - I've shot quite a few of the Widows.  A few of the guys in my winter league shoot their longbows and I've shot those.  I stopped in to their shop in Nixa, MO a couple years ago and shot a bunch of their shop bows and have shot them at the K'zoo expo as well.  I plan to order a PSR when I am in Nixa next February.  I own a bunch of Hill bows which I love but the only other recurve I own is a Bob Lee Signature.  It's a sweet bow with the best grip in the business in my opinion but the Widows are just a little smoother on the draw.  I'd really like to shoot one of the new Bob Lee Ultimates to see how it compares to my Widow as well as my Bob Lee which I bought in '96 but as yet I haven't had the chance.

[Rustic]

I'm 66, hunted with a 45# Bear Grizzly for many yrs. Hurt my shoulder and could'nt even draw a lesser wt bow (35#). Gradually built up to a 50# Bear Montana. All I can say is, be patient, take your time...

[McDave]

I'm 76. My go to hunting bow is 47#.  Have shot an average of 50 or so arrows per day for more than 20 years, and have never had a shoulder problem.  Actually, the daily arrows I shoot are mainly from a 40# bow.  When I want to hunt, I start practicing with the 47# bow a few weeks before the hunt, but not for 50 arrows, more like 25 arrows per day.

My objective with the 40# bow is to be able to comfortably shoot all the arrows required for a tournament without straining.  My objective with the 47# bow is to put one arrow where it needs to go.

Study Arne Moe's rotational draw for a good way to avoid shoulder problems, and to maximize efficiency in drawing the bow.

I think it is better exercise to draw a bow and hold the draw for 10 seconds rather than draw and shoot the bow 10 times holding it for 1 second.  Certainly easier on your shoulders.

20 years ago, my go to hunting bow was 65#.  Now it is 47#.  Listen to your body.  Don't get stuck on something that isn't realistic anymore.

[Kokopelli]

Car54;
Thank you very much for posting that video. There is a ton of information in it. I've watched it a few times now and am learning new stuff and confirming stuff that I've suspected.
67 years old / 60# recurve. Shot a 650 / 900 round last week. Lot of room for improvement. Goal for this year is to break 725 on it.