Best way to regain strength for drawing back bow.

JakeH · May 21, 2015

Hey guys, last year I had a surgery to help me lose weight, at the time I was at 400 LBS, glad to say that I have lost 190 LBS and feel great, the only problem is that I have lost a lot of muscle and strength as a result.

I was wondering what is the best way to re-build my strength to pull my bow back, I hadn't realized how much I had lost until I tried to shoot my bow and had a hard time with it. LOL

Any advise would be appreciated.

Jake H. BIG BONE HUNTING Page on Facebook.

Boskee · May 22, 2015

Go to Walmart and buy some of the rubber bands with handles in the sporting goods dept. and do exercises with them. You can find shoulder strengthening exercises on the web. They have numerous weights in the bands so you can work up and use multiple bands as you progress. Turn your bow all the way down and practice shooting it a little each day into a target. If you have too much weight with your limbs turned down you can buy a new set of lower weight limbs or buy one of the newer bows with bigger weight adjustment range. If you had shoulder surgery you'd be doing the same thing. You'll be surprised how quick it comes back but you have to work at it. It's like physical therapy. Good luck!

Founder · May 22, 2015

Agree. I use the rubber band exercise things that my wife has and never uses. I use them just as I'm drawing my bow. Pull back, hold for 20 seconds, then rest. I do 4-5-6-7 or so sets before bed.

If you have an old bow that you can crank up the draw weight on, do that. Crank it and draw and hold it back for 20 second sets. In a week or so your muscles will adapt to that strain and drawing your shooting bow will be easy. Muscle endurance will just come with more and more use of the muscles.

Increase the hold time and set numbers as summer progresses.

Brian Latturner
MonsterMuleys.com
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trophyhunter · May 25, 2015

+2 great advice suggested above.

At that lower poundage try shooting a comfortable draw weight and increasing a few shots every session. Don't turn up the bow until you can get up to around 40 shots per session. Then turn it up one turn and start the process all over again. I suggest this in conjunction with other strengthing excercises because the muscles you need to strengthen most are your archery shooting muscles . Take your time and don't over do it and injure yourself.

If you need to order lower poundage limbs do it. For a long time the worlds record P&Y Bull elk was shot with a 46 lb. Bow.

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trophyhunter · May 25, 2015

Also as your building your strength after you turn your bow way down. As you are rebuilding your strength. Just concentrate on reps, building your muscles back and just shoot a bunch at 20yds. It's all about just shooting to rebuild your strength. Where ever you end up come hunting season. I would suggest focusing on the muscles then about a month before hunting season. You will know where you are at draw weight so that is when I would re sight in the rest of your pins for your current status. JMO......

Good shoot'n you will get there but it will take time and lots of lower poundage shoot'n.

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DW · May 27, 2015

All great advice and congrats on droppin the lbs! You gotta feel like a new man!?

JakeH · May 28, 2015

Thanks everyone, I am now thinking I may have just tore a muscle in my bicep, about a month ago when I first pulled my bow out to shoot I think I injured my arm due to it being to much weight, and instead of setting it down and letting it heal, I cranked the bow all the way down and continued shoot the rest of the night. I think this further agitated the injury and it is taking longer to heal. I still get a sharp pain in my drawing arm when trying to pull back the bow in my usual form with my elbow up, but if I adjust and keep my elbow down I can get it back and hold it fine.

DW, thanks, actually feel like I got a full grown man off my back. lol
Here is a comparison, these photos were taken a few days from being 1 year apart back in march.

Jake H. BIG BONE HUNTING Page on Facebook.

GOutes · Jun 28, 2015

Where in your arm is it? Down by the crease of your elbow joint or in the front of the shoulder?

slickhunter · Sep 17, 2015

First off, congrats on your achievement, thats awesome

Second, go see a doc to make sure you did not tear your labrum or rotate cuff

I did the above a while back, after getting artho-surgery to repair the tear, PT included using therabands. Check out their websites, they have some good info on excercises using bands