Excercises for holding steady?

[loworange88]

So aside from shoulder raises, what are some other exercises that I can do to strengthen up the muscles that allow me to hold my bow steady for a longer time? Holding the draw isn't really the issue. Holding the pin steady time after time is. Any input is appreciated.

Edited August 18, 2013 by loworange88

[Cabin Fever]

I would think the best exercise for this would be to just practice with your bow over and over again.

[chiefbkt]

I do between 300-500 wide grip pull-ups and push-ups a week. Seems to help.

[loworange88]

I would think the best exercise for this would be to just practice with your bow over and over again.

 

Agreed.  Unfortunately, living in the burbs with neighbors on all sides, and young children....my time to shoot is limited, maybe 1 or 2 times a week if I'm lucky.  Basement and garage are not long enough either, or I'd have a short indoor range.

[Early]

300-500 wide grip pullups.....Sounds IMPOSSIBLE!!!  And, would have no benefit with regard to holding a bow up.  (Let's see....500/week would be 70+/day.....I don't think so!)

[2012_taco]

I learned a few years ago that you don't need to worry about holding the pins steady, just put your pin on the target and then concentrate on just the target, your subconscious mind will put the pin on target. I started practicing this technic and almost instantly my groups improved.

[chiefbkt]

300-500 wide grip pullups.....Sounds IMPOSSIBLE!!!  And, would have no benefit with regard to holding a bow up.  (Let's see....500/week would be 70+/day.....I don't think so!)

I don't see why it wouldn't help.  After all you are using your back and shoulder muscles to draw and hold your bow, unless I am mistaken.

 

Why is it impossible?  I am 30, work out 5-6 days a week for 15-25 minutes.  We do super sets of 5-10 x 10 sets pull ups followed by push ups (3-4 times a week).  Every Wednesday we do 100 pull ups and 200 push ups with about 10 second brakes between, takes about 25 minutes.  Just because you can't do it, doesn't make it IMPOSSIBLE.  

[fasteddie]

Your pin should just float almost in a figure 8 and at the proper moment you release the arrow .

[Early]

A pull up to be a pull up must start with both shoulders and elbows fully extended. Then pull up until chin is over the bar ... return to starting position ... and repeat. 100 in 25 minutes while also doing 200 legitimate push ups ... I bet you can't do it ... with me doing the counting!

Neither the latissimus dorsi, nor the pectoralis muscles work to hold the bow or other weight at shoulder height. Deltoids do....!!

[deerpassion]

In addition to your shoulder raises both out front and to the side, you should concentrate on your rotator cuff which is chiefly responsible for holding your joint steady (internal /external rotation exer) as well as shoulders shrugs for upper and middle trap, and then rows for middle trap and rhomboids which are your chief muscles for drawing back and holding your release arm steady ... I'm a second year physical therapy student n I use my bow hunting as a way to remember certain shoulder mechanics for class lol...

[deerpassion]

A pull up to be a pull up must start with both shoulders and elbows fully extended. Then pull up until chin is over the bar ... return to starting position ... and repeat. 100 in 25 minutes while also doing 200 legitimate push ups ... I bet you can't do it ... with me doing the counting!

Neither the latissimus dorsi, nor the pectoralis muscles work to hold the bow or other weight at shoulder height. Deltoids do....!!

Not entirely true early, latts are an accessory muscle in this case supporting middle trap and rhomboids ... Ur right about pec though , no advantage to that..

[cdmckane]

Sheer strength won't help you, but it sure as hell won't hure.  As a former member of the Army Marksmanship Unit, I can tell you it's impossible to hold your sights completely still without a solid rest, regardless of how many pull/push ups you do a week.  The same principles hold true from gun to bow,  The harder you try to hold your sights still off-hand, the more they'll move.  Bowhunting is offhand hunting through and through.  The key is to focus on your sights and pull the trigger (release the arrow) with the same sight picture every time. It also helps to pull the trigger at the same point in your breath cycle every time.  The easiest way to do that is to exhale and hold for three seconds once you've acquired your desired sight picture.

[chiefbkt]

Must be the deltoids don't get worked out during those exercises...huh.  We work out at 11 am in Syracuse, come join us.  We always need someone to keep time.  

[ELMER J. FUDD]

This is kind of funny. I had a dream last night that I was bowhunting and the bucks were everywhere. I drew my bow almost 10 times, it was as if the bow was too weak. I even shot my friend and he pulled the arrow out and threw it at me. Today my back hurts only in the middle on the right side. It's a good sore though, just only in one spot. I remember waking up from the dream too. Needless to say I finally took my bow out today.

[BizCT]

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

[Elmo]

Lateral Flys and Standing Front Should Flys.  Youtube them up and you'll see them.  What you can do is use a very light weight and then hold it for a few seconds every time you lift up on your rep.

 

To draw, I use the cable machines and stimulate drawing back a bow by doing a modified soft of cable machine back row exercise.  I also turn my body to the side as if I'm pulling a bow.  I switch sides and do both sides.  Even though I shoot right handed, I'm one of those paranoid guys that don't want to look distorted.  When I was a kid, my right deltoid looks visibly bigger than my left because I was playing baseball so much.

 

Another great thing to do for you office guys if resistance bands.  They're tiny and you can throw them in your bag or pocket.  Then while seated in your office, you can hold up the band like it's a bow and pull on it while you're in the middle of a conference call.

[Doewhacker]

 

This is kind of funny. I had a dream last night that I was bowhunting and the bucks were everywhere. I drew my bow almost 10 times, it was as if the bow was too weak. I even shot my friend and he pulled the arrow out and threw it at me. Today my back hurts only in the middle on the right side. It's a good sore though, just only in one spot. I remember waking up from the dream too. Needless to say I finally took my bow out today.

 

I will remember this if you try to shoot me this year.

[josephmrtn]

300-500 wide grip pullups.....Sounds IMPOSSIBLE!!!  And, would have no benefit with regard to holding a bow up.  (Let's see....500/week would be 70+/day.....I don't think so!)

NOT TRUE!

i did 70 pushups last eve.. 1 set or 20 and 5 sets of 10... also did 140 situps in sets of 20

 

I don't see why it wouldn't help.  After all you are using your back and shoulder muscles to draw and hold your bow, unless I am mistaken.

 

Why is it impossible?  I am 30, work out 5-6 days a week for 15-25 minutes.  We do super sets of 5-10 x 10 sets pull ups followed by push ups (3-4 times a week).  Every Wednesday we do 100 pull ups and 200 push ups with about 10 second brakes between, takes about 25 minutes.  Just because you can't do it, doesn't make it IMPOSSIBLE.  

+1

wow your ahead of me in this game!!!

AMEN bro!!!

[Doc]

Wouldn't you think that the best way to strengthen bow-shooting muscles would be to shoot the bow?

 

Also, regarding a dead steady aim, I really don't know anybody who can do that off-hand with a gun or a bow. Most successful archery target shooters use a controlled motion type of aiming. Somebody above basically said that already, and I believe they are absolutely correct.

[phade]

Rowing machine...

 

There are a few bow-specific exercise bands. I have one and forget who made on AT. But, I really liked it. I wish I could find where it was last.

[thphm]

Wouldn't you think that the best way to strengthen bow-shooting muscles would be to shoot the bow?

 

Also, regarding a dead steady aim, I really don't know anybody who can do that off-hand with a gun or a bow. Most successful archery target shooters use a controlled motion type of aiming. Somebody above basically said that already, and I believe they are absolutely correct.

 

I start with a lighter draw weight bow first week, then switch to my regular bow or bows after that,shoot 10 shots a day then work up to 50 a day.

[Early]

Chief and Joseph.....Dream on!!!!!

[phade]

Lateral Flys and Standing Front Should Flys.  Youtube them up and you'll see them.  What you can do is use a very light weight and then hold it for a few seconds every time you lift up on your rep.

 

To draw, I use the cable machines and stimulate drawing back a bow by doing a modified soft of cable machine back row exercise.  I also turn my body to the side as if I'm pulling a bow.  I switch sides and do both sides.  Even though I shoot right handed, I'm one of those paranoid guys that don't want to look distorted.  When I was a kid, my right deltoid looks visibly bigger than my left because I was playing baseball so much.

 

Another great thing to do for you office guys if resistance bands.  They're tiny and you can throw them in your bag or pocket.  Then while seated in your office, you can hold up the band like it's a bow and pull on it while you're in the middle of a conference call.

 

We had kids like that often, but it was from hay work during the summer on the farms.

[josephmrtn]

Chief and Joseph.....Dream on!!!!!

Hey we might be weird but hunting isnt the only thing in our lives... its first of course tho! lol

[Elmo]

Chief and Joseph.....Dream on!!!!!

 

I'm going to speculate that many of those knocking on Chief and Joseph are old and never worked out in their life.  300-500 pushups/pullups a week is very obtainable.

 

I use to do 50 push ups non-stop each time I want a real workout.  My max was 78 and I consider myself to be average.  My friend who use to fight in martial art competitions competitively use to do 100 push ups in one set.  Of course that was when I was in my teens and my 20's.  Can't do that now as I haven't been back at the gym regularly in almost 2 years but I'll probably take me a couple of months of serious gym time to get back to the level chief described.  The pulls ups would give me trouble as I could never do more than 20 at a time and right now, I have a tough time squeezing out 8 a set.  Still, if I did 3 sets of 8 a day once in the morning, then another in the evening, that's 48 in one day.  7 days, that's 336.  And that's at me right now in my worst shape.

 

Note:  I know this is a bad comparison but I also have a friend who has is currently locked up.  He does 200 pull ups (5 sets of 20 wide grip and 5 sets of 20 close grip) each and every day and that's not even his work out.  He hits the weight room when he wants to work out.