Main Discussion Area > English Warbow
Strength exercises
Swamp Bow:
Hi all,
I'm working toward a 120#+ warbow. It will be a while before I end up with what I want since I am starting with a 60+/- Victorian style longbow and I will make the next level bow as I outgrow whatever the current bow(s) I'm using at the time. I'll be going nice and slow since I've had a touch of rotator issues in the past, nothing serious as it turned out, but I want to make sure I don't resurrect long buried demons. What kind of exercises can I do to strengthen my body in order to draw the heavier bows. Also can someone point me toward "proper" draw technique info for a war bow. I'm a visual learner, so prefer something with photos or illustrations along with written descriptions, but I'll take whatever I can get. I have no problem with going through 4-5 bows to do this. I figure that a two year goal should be attainable. Thanks
Swamp
adb:
Do some google searching, and also youtube. There are some excellent vids. You'll get better and stronger at shooting, by doing more shooting. Work your way up slowly to avoid injury. There is a good short vid on youtube called: distance shooting with an english warbow... check it out.
Swamp Bow:
Thanks adb.
I'll dig a bit deeper. I've seen some really nice footage, but had not seen anything that explained what was happening. I'll check out that vid. I wasn't sure if shooting lighter bows (40#-55#) would let me get away with stuff that will hurt me if I try to bump it up even a little at a time. Plus I see no reason to reinvent this particular wheel. plenty of other wheel that still need that. I'm at the point where I don't even know the right questions to ask. You know how it is, in six months, I'll realize that if I had asked "that" question I'd have saved myself a lot of trouble. :-\ Thanks again.
Swamp
Del the cat:
Dunno if you are old enough to remember the old Bullworker chest expanders?...Charles Atlas and all that stuff?
There is a trick to pulling them and it's simialr for a longbow. Start with both hands down near your your belt buckle, pull your arms up, back and away from each other, breathing in, expanding your chest and pushing it out in one big smooth expansive movement. Some do a simialr technique but starting with the hands high. I start low as having the arrow pointing down is safer.
Both arms shoulders etc work together. None of this holding the bow and pulling the string back nonsense...
Anyhow, you could get/make/find a chest expander... make one from old inner tube.
Del
(Usual terms conditions and disclaimers apply!)
swimbill:
Besides just shooting I would recommend doing upper back and shoulder exercises. Low row, upright rows, and shoulder presses will strengthen the muscles you use during drawing. These could be done with barbells, dumbbells, or stretch cords.
swimbill
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