Age heavy poundage, and shoulder problems?

[Mojostick]

Warming up and fitness has nothing to do with bone spurs or impingement. Here's a decent link for some education on the matter...
 http://www.bosshin.com/impingement_and_cuff/#what

[Alan Coe]

50 years old and still shooting 80#, no problem.

And yes, I have a bum shoulder from an old sports injury. Shooting a bow does not aggravate the injury.

Alan

[chanumpa]

Im 51 and have dropped down to 55#s.I still have a nice 60# bow and can still shoot it,but not as well.Have found that 4 or 5 pounds less is a bunch of difference.My prob.is that Im still working concrete all the time.It can really put the hurt on me in the summer time pouring 10 to 20 yards of mud per day.

[rkelly]

Notice what njoco posted.  (Lower grip bothers his shoulder less.)  My doctor said rotator cuff damage is a position thing.  Lower grip would mean a lower shoulder. And I can agree on that!  Lower shoulder feels better on my 73 year old bow shoulders.

[Terry Green]

I dind't read any of the other post....but its not all just 'conditioning'....you need to know HOW do draw a bow properly.  Most folks that get injured shooting bows don't know how to properly draw one.

[Russ Clagett]

Terry....that's interesting...can you talk a little more about that....?

Just not sure what you mean...

thanks!

[Terry Green]

Drawing with the method of 'muscling the bow' is the most common error.  Drawing with arms and with bow shoulder lot in alignment.

Bone on Bone structure drawing with the back and not the arms with good alignment at the beginning of the draw and ending in proper alignment at the end of the draw.

Come over to the shooters forum....lots of info over there.

[centaur]

I'm 65, and I'm comfortably shooting 55#. I bought a 70# bow not long ago as a workout bow, but it didn't take long to figure out that was too much bow for me. I shot 70# when in my 30s and 40s.

[ddauler]

This is good stuff I been at this for almost 30 years this is the first year I have had shoulder problems will be 51 in March. I run lift weights and stay in shape so that ain't the issue. My CV joint on my drawing arm keeps getting sore. I finally decided to drop down in bow weight. I don't know if this is an over use injury or from a tumble I took in the woods. Anyway at least for now its 47 lbs been shooting 56-69 for ever but not getting any younger.

[beendare]

I'm 55 and- knock on wood- can still shoot plenty and even throw 300 pitches a couple times a week to my sons baseball team at BP.

 I'm a big believer in warming up well and doing rotator cuff exercises with a pulley machine at the gym or bungee- get that joint lubed up good before doing anything. I also lift weights but more rep stuff not heavy, with smooth full motion not initial hard push. I'm no medical pro but feel the shoulder is similar to a knee in respect to keeping all of the muscle groups tuned around it helps with proper function.

[paradocs]

Will be 52 this year, 5'6", 135. Shot 62-65# for years. Dropped to 57# in my early 40s, then to 47-50# about 5 years ago.  I can still draw the heavy ones...in shirtsleeves....in the summertime.   But all dressed up, after 3 hours sitting' at sub-freezing temps?  Not so much.  The little 58" 48# longbow I shoot now throws 580 grains at around 160 fps, with a whisper.  You'd have a tough time convincing me I'm poorly armed.

[Igor]

I'm 60 in march 5'9" 170lbs....I shoot up to 70lbs (work out longbow) but I'm in decent condition and work at it 3/5 times per week with a varity of workouts including resistant training - Cardio/low impact - swimming...My knees are shot from wrestling and soccer but the rest of my joints are good.... I go a little slower but still keep it going which I think is the key....what I seem to notice most is I lose conditioning faster and it takes longer to get back so consistancy is a real factor.


><>>
Glenn

[twistedlim]

I started with a 62# zipper recurve a dozen or so years ago.  At the ripe old age of 53 I now shoot between 45-50 lbs.  I do not necessarily shoot a lower poundage because of age, but rather I think I have become smarter.  It would have been much better for me to start at 45 lbs but coming from shooting a 65lb wheeled bow it was hard to wrap my head around going so low in weight.  Knowlege about arrow weight, front of center performance and shooting style have all lead me down the road to lighter bows.

[GreyGoose]

I don't think my heavier bows cause shoulder problems, but occasionally my shoulder problems make it impossible to shoot my heavier bows.

[Orion]

I'll be 67 soon and am now shooting bows in the mid-50s, not because of any shoulder problems. I just got weaker and don't shoot as much as I used to.  Up until about 5-6 years ago, I shot in the 60-65# range.  Can still shoot that weight, but not very comfortable doing it, and my accuracy quickly drops off as I tire. Never shot heavier than 70#. Never had shoulder problems and still don't.

[Jack Rehacek]

Do you guys think we have more shoulder problems shootihg trad bows than the guys shooting compounds? I had surgury one my left shoulder last may and now my right shoulder is starting to hurt.I can only pull 42lbs now,all my hunting bows are 56lbs. It sucks not being able to practice enough like I used to.

[M60gunner]

I also wonder about the lower grip on the bow being easier on the shoulders. Anyone else have any thoughts or evidence that this may be so? I shoot both longbows and recurves and find it easier to shoot a 60lb. longbow than a 60lb. recurve. I am 67+ years old.

[beagles]

68 years old and done with heavy bows. shooting through deer with 42# Predator. don't need any more blown out body parts.

[Steelhead]

I think the lower style grip may facilitate a more even pressure through the hand and wrist.So it may very well be less stressful to some ergonomically with shoulder problems possibly?Who are more sensitive.It may even reduce some handshock traveling up the arm into the shoulder joint.I think its  stronger.Bone structurally speaking.Than a high wrist style grip

I think you should listen to your body as far as what weight or poundage you should be shooting as you get older and how much shooting you should be doing.

You may require more rest between shooting days.As your recovery ability will not be as good as when in your prime.If your overtrianed your asking for a potential injury.You may want to shoot less arrows per session as well and make those count.

I think you may very well be able to extend your shooting  of the bow into your later years and avoid nagging physical issues if you shoot a lighter bow as you get into your late 40s and 50s and avoid injuries or just overuse issues.

We all have diffeernt levels of fitness,different inherant abilities due to our bone structure,bone size,ligament and tendon size and strength and muscle strength/tone.

So some guys are just gonna need to shoot lighter weights than others.

Even a light physical fitness regimen is gonna help an archer avoid injuries to the shoulder joint.Lateral raises and other shoulder exorcises are gonna help.I think high reps and good form are appropriate.A warmup routine like mentioned above similar to what pitchers always do before pitching would be appropriate for an archer as well.

I like Terry's comments above  about using correct form to minimize stress to this critical joint.Bone on bone and correct allignment throughout the draw cycle.

I used to shoot 65-70#s.But am shooting 45-50#s at 30 inches these days.I am 50 years young.

i have not been shooting any bows heavy or otherwise, I hurt my left, my left shoulder yesterday learning Campanas Del Alba.    I got it to being it was mostly mezmerized, now today i cannot even play  Just goes to show, one can hurt themselves with a light bow as well as a heavy one, if I can do it with a guitar. I never once hurt my shoulders shooting 90 pound bows when I was younger, or it least it did not seem like it at the time, but there must be wear and tear that I was not aware of.  Right now I wish that I listened to John Schulz and had never gone over 55 pounds.