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Training for heavy bow shooting
Yeomanbowman:
I believe the fastest way to up your draw weight is through specific training. The idea of moving up bows in about ten pound increments is the traditional way and has a certain aesthetic appeal. However, it is expensive unless one makes ones own tackle. I've done it by both methods in conjunction. I should say that I have, in the past, done a lot of weight training for contact sports and could pull an 80 pound bow (albeit without much style) from the word go. l won't claim my method's necessarily safe, if you want that shoot a 45Lb'er!
Here goes..
First obtain some means of simulating a bow (I don't think pulleys really cut it as they do not facilitate a fluid draw). here's my bow exerciser and I know it looks like the unholy alliance between a hospital bed and a compound.
http://s138.photobucket.com/albums/q280/yeomanbowman/?action=view¤t=Dscn7141.flv
Here are the images of the 'bow exerciser'. It's 6' long and 40mm wide. These are the springs from 'Morris Springs' http://www.morrissprings.co.uk/extension.html. Go for the ones with longest extension or use shock cord.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q280/yeomanbowman/Dscn7118.jpg
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q280/yeomanbowman/Dscn7117.jpg
Protocol
Basically warm up with a lightweight for 15 draws or reps. Over 3 sets increase this weight until it's around 80# (for example) and your nice and warm in the shoulders. Now the heavy stuff begins-put on 100# and rep this weight SMOOTHLY one after another and holding art full draw for as MANY times as possible in good form. In the next few weeks, when you can get 12 reps out add more resistance and try and build the reps back up to 12. Continue this process.
Points to remember
Only do this once a week tops, less if you have shot heavy recently
Small increments can be added with bungee cords
Pre-load the springs to get a more realistic F/D curve.
If you're still sore don't train
Place an arrow/dowel in the bow marked at 32 with a tape stop to ensure full draws.
The same sort of thing can be done holding looped shock-cord, so I'm told.
Hope this helps,
Jeremy
D. Tiller:
Jeremy, might want to try drawing like the guys do on the Englishwarbow.com sight. Watch some of the videos there. I think it will be even easier for you to draw in the style they are doing it in. From what I'm seeing your doing all your drawing with your left arm. The other ways seem to even it out a lot more across the upper body.
I like the setup for training. Looks a lot more fun than just lifting weights.
David T
markinengland:
I am not huge or small but I find it is not too difficult to draw a 100 bow. It helps if the bow is long and doesn't stack. You need a very different drawing style to that used on a lighter bow. The body and chest needs to be IN the bow. Using this whole body style I can draw a bow twice the draw weight on one I would use in the style I use for field archery that uses a more static arm/shoulder draw style. I have found that there is a very real difference between a long 100lb bow I can draw and a 120lb stacking bow that I can't.
Mark in England
duffontap:
Jeremy,
Thanks for this contribution. I'm going to make up a machine like that ASAP. I thought it was interesting that you say to only do this once a week. In medieval England they were only required to shoot once a week and I've often thought this was ideal for building up to high weights. Giving your body lots of time to recover and build muscle.
LOL David,
Yeomanbowman can draw 155# with proper, fluid form. He's one of a few people in the world who can do that. Last I heard you were hoping to work your way up to half of that? ;D ;D ;D
J. D. Duff
SimonUK:
What a great contraption! I'd thought of something similar using weights, but as you say it wouldn't replicate a bow very well.
Have you been tempted to shoot an arrow out of it?
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