I went from January to June without any shooting, due to a medical problem. Before that I had worked my way up to shooting a 45# bow from 30-35# bows. Due to back problems I usually shoot lighter bows anyway, but I want to be able to go back up to 45# bows or heavier at times. I started in again at 25-30# bows when I could resume shooting, and have been working my way up in weight. I've gotten to 43#s at times, but it's difficult to maintain strength and shoot well with bows over 35#s, even now.

What's the best way to increase strength for shooting? I shoot 4-5 days a week for 30-75 minutes. Shoot heavier bows? Lift weights? Specific exercises? A bow exercise device? Any suggestions are appreciated. I'm losing patience!

Thanks,

Shandor

If you're doing any physical therapy, ask the therapist.

I like the Bowfit.

https://www.3riversarchery.com/bowfit-archery-exercise-tool.html

Use it any place/time. I like to slide the nylon loop up my arm, above/behind the elbow. Just pulling back with the back muscles only. You won't develop much power with the single band *but* it really isolates the back muscles and allows you to develop the proper 'feel' of a good draw.

Also, use this, or any similar, on both sides, to build balance into your fitness/strength routine - you can even draw your bows back off-hand.

I like rows as an exorcise for archery.Its similar to pulling a bow.Thier are dumbbell rows which allow for a full range of motion.Or barbell rows,T bar rows or seated cable rows.Less range of motion on the last 3.Excellant for the drawing arm.They will work out most the back muscles

Lat pulldows or chin-ups are always good.Chinups are hard though for most folks.I think rows would be the exorcise I would concentrate on really.

I think bench press and pushups are also pretty good for the bow arm and stabilizing muscles of the bowarm,shoulder and chest.

You can exorcise with your bow without shooting an arrow.Treat it like a weight training device.

Their is an exorcise piece of equipment called bow fit I believe.

Their are also rubber tubes that can be purchased of varying poundages that can be used to replicate pulling a bow.

I worked my way up to 90#s when I was younger.I trained a lot in those days.

You might shoot every other day to allow yourself to recuperate more fully.I saw you shot 5 days a week for 30 to 75 minutes.But I am not sure how many arrows you shoot which in a more important # to me than time.Recovery and the amount of shots that's reasonable depend on age and general fitness.

I shot over 200 shots a day year round in my mid 30s with heavier bows.I had time on my hands and was very serious about Archery/hunting.I was near peek condition after years of training.I could never do that now and would not even try it.I shoot every other day and maybe 60 arrows and much lighter bows.30 arrows per session.Two times a day

I am 55 years old.I still workout pretty religiously.

Stretch bands have worked for me after a long layoff to build up from shooting bows of lower weight. The rubber stretch bands are very inexpensive too, and can be bought at almost any store like Walmart or Target.

Learned to use them with a trainer that used to shoot a bow. He would have me hook one end to one of the weight machines and pull back then do an opposite arm exercise. Would repeat about five reps at ten pulls for each rep alternating the two different band exercises. Using the bands as well as shooting as often as possible with the heavier bows will get you there. Just don't over do the shooting with the heavier bows at first or you could have some soreness before you know it.

How old are you? Like stated already, you might have to shoot every other day, as hard as that is. Maybe you can sneak a few arrows in on "off" days. Do you do any full body workouts?

Low draw weight and shoot as much as you can stand to Work your draw weight up as you feel comfy Like lifting weights After i tore my shoulder cup its super important to me anyway to do some good stretching everyday before anything and including bow shooting

I know it dounds little funny but theres a great(and pretty to boot)young lady on the ole youtube thst combines yoga and archery ; 0 Hanna Gart,,,,,,Karma Tales,,look her up she has some great ways to loosen ya up oriented towards loose'n arrows

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=31KxB2DU7fE

get a bow you can draw comfortably. draw the bow and hold the weight at your anchor point. You can do this for a period of time rest and repeat or until muscular failure then rest and repeat. don't underestimate static exercises they work.

It just takes time. Keep at it and stretch too

Rest days are also very important

It just takes time. Keep at it and stretch too

Rest days are also very important

There are thousands of fitness methods to gain strength. Archery specific strength is the exact same thing as overall physical strength.

The important thing is to do them. Pick something and do it. You dont need any physical device to gain strength. There are dozens (hundreds?) of exercises you can do to help your bow arm and string side strength. Get out there and do them.

Thanks everyone. I did leave out some info. I'm 63. I shoot 30 to 50 arrows in a session. Maybe more sometimes but I lose count. I walk a lot up and down hills where I live and do a number of chores on our remote property, but I try not to lift more than 30#s b/c of my back. Two compression fractures. The mid to lower back muscles are very strong and too tight b/c of the fractures. In fact I can shoot b/c it doesn't affect the lower back area that much. Actually helps it. Like Paul Bunyan, I'm on a progressive weight training program with a golden retriever pup who is now over 70#s at almost 8 months. LOL! I don't lift him but playing, wrestling and walking with him is a work out of sorts!

Many good suggestions here. Elastic bands, holding the bow at draw, and others sound good. I'll do some of them. I've already gotten to the sore point and had to stop for a couple of days. Soreness doesn't bother me if it helps, but alternating days might be a good idea.

Shandor

Rowing machine is like a treadmill for your upper body. Go easy to warm up and then as hard as you see fit. You can get a real good workout including cardio with fifteen to twenty minutes on a rowing machine. Do that every other day for a month and drawing your bow will be easier.

Off topic. One of the big downsides of the machine age is older guys frequently get soft flabby powerless and even feminine because they quit using their upper bodies and never do any physical work. This drops the T level. This is even common amongst young men that should be at the peak of studliness. Two hundred years ago there were no fat softies. Men had to work to get by.

Good advises here. I will add one: Inhale while you draw the bow. Breathing is as important as raw muscles.

That's correct Bob. Except 200 years ago the average of an adult male was 37 years old. It is tough to stay in shape, but it can also be fun.

Idk bud I guess everyone's different. I've lifted my whole life and recently underwent surgery. Could not do anything physical for 6 weeks. That ended in August. I normally shoot a 63 lb bow. Thankfully it's a takedown and between friends bows, etc I started at 42. Shot that bow for weeks and eventually shot a 45 pounder. Than a 47, now I'm in the 50s and can pull the 63 back further than my anchor. (Just wanted to see if I could draw it deep). I shoot pretty much non stop. It's something I've always loved to do so prob 5/6 times a day for sometimes 45 mins. Sometimes for only 20. I'm home so have time. Also I've been hitting the weights. It's all coming together for me but I'm just a physical guy. I'd say just shoot and lift more. Not necessarily meaning more weight, just do it more til it becomes easier than jump up. Side note physical therapy has limitations. Keep pushing on your own and continue to recover without relying on them as a primary healer. Not saying don't use them but just realize you can do more at your speed and that'll only speed things up. Notice I said your speed. Not saying over push.

I went through a shoulder injury some years back and all I did was to take the lightest bow I owned and hold it at full draw as long as I could. When I was comfortable with that I progressed to a heavier bow and so on.

A physical therapist did wonders for me. The lady I used was a good one. I was trying to avoid surgery for a torn rotator cuff. Last year I could not pull my bow. I shot all summer and am hunting again. You may want to check with one and tell the therapist what your issue is. It could behoove you to go for a few sessions even if you have to pay out of pocket. The therapist can teach you excercises to do at home. I cannot say enough about a good physical therapist.

Depends on what YOU can do. I think it's not so much about strength as it is FLEXIBILITY. Work on stretching, warming up, limbering up.Many people don't warm up before exercise and find it much more difficult and or painful to do work/exercise than if they did do it. My father was like that. I tried to show him how to stretch and warm up but he thought it was silly. He had back problems from just doing things cold and over exerting himself. I find I feel better/stronger If I'm ready for the exercise. I just do a little stretching, lifting small weights, standing push-ups. Anything you can do will help get the muscles warmed up and limber.

Having just gone through the same process in the past two months. Here is what I did.

I used to shoot a 58# recurve and had a 55# Selfbow and could not even pull them and shoot them at full draw, not even once. Also had pain in the elbow joint.

So got a 30# Samick for my birthday and I would pull it 12 times to anchor (or at least try to) rest for a minute and do that again up until I could do it 36 times in one session.

Then started shooting. First time it was about 30 shots and I was getting tired and stopped. Later on the day I was able to shoot again about 20-30 arrows. Took a break the next day and repeat, the goal was to shoot 2-3 times a day no more than I could do so with good form.

After a couple of months I started out with the 58# bow and basically I shot both. I would shoot the 30# in the morning, maybe 60-80 times and the 58# at first just 8-12#, rest a day. Now I am shooting the 58# about 30 times a session and goal is to get to a couple sessions a day, and continue to increase the number.

I will at the end of a session force myself to pull the last few shots and hold it longer than normal, where my normal hold is a second to two I try to count to five on the last 4.

Seems to be working, but your mileage may vary.

Thanks everyone. A lot of good ideas. I didn't shoot b/c of a double hernia then surgery and recovery. That's fixed. My upper back and shoulders are fine; my mid and low back have chronic pain and tension from fractures. I saw a physical therapist after getting out of the hospital with the fractures but since then I see a chiropractor regularly who just works on muscles. I can't do a lot of the regular exercises and stretching causes back spasms. We're all different, huh?

I've started doing static draws and holding the draw longer when I've had enough fun shooting. I also am alternating shooting lighter bows more, with heavier bows with fewer arrows, and some days nothing at all. And progressing in bow weight as I can. So I'm putting together several suggestions. Some days are worse, some days are better, than others. It's good to see many of you have done it!

Shandor

I don't hardly ever shoot during hunting season , that's from sept.to jan other than shooting at game or get bored and shoot at pinecone or something. But I do keep some bands here in the house that I pull on sometimes when I watch tv. That keeps me loose and strong,

Last several years I have only shot a few arrow here and there. The past year almost no arrows. I started back off shooting about 45# 3 weeks ago, still only shooting about a dozen arrows a few times a week. I am up to 55# now but still not comfortable with it. I need to get up to 70# for next years flight shoot, I have about 10 months.

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