Muscles used to draw bow

[Huckleberry Hound]

Which specific muscles are used in drawing a bow? I want to focus on weight training those specific muscles.

 

[RosinBag]

I personally don’t think any exercise trains your shooting muscles. I think you just need to shoot. I know monsters in the gym that can’t draw 65 pounds and shoot with women who shoot 60 all day. The good thing is you get to shoot your bow.

 

[Huckleberry Hound]

Yeah, shooting is good, but when im out at sea for a month or two at a stretch, its not an option, so im looking to figure out specific muscles i could work with dumbbells that will help.

 

[Beendare]

My take;
I think most weight training guys do stuff for the large muscle groups...so bent over rowing with dumbbells or cable pulls...that kind of stuff is good. BUT...It is the small muscle groups controlling fine motor control that really help you be a better archer....at least IME.

Heck just about anyone can pull a 70# compound.....but the fine motor skills of holding your bow at arms length....and holding that bow rock steady IS accuracy.

So I like doing exercises that help with that. I do other exercises with those rubber bands [be careful you don't Harry Reid yourself!] to keep the small muscles in my shoulder in sync- rotator cuff type stuff.

Try this; take a light dumbbell 10#,15#,and hold it out at arms length like its your bow. Now practice raising it and holding it perfectly steady for a 5 count, then lower and raise again. The goal is to keep that thing rock steady for long 5 counts or more...not to try to get to 50#. Another good one is to make slow circles and stop at arms length.

I did find weight training to help after elbow surgery....but surprisingly it was my core that benefitted most for drawing and holding a stick bow.


...

 

[Tman24]

Your traps are the primary muscle for drawing a bow. Bent over row with dumbbells would help. Also side dumbbell raises for your bow hand. A bow trainer would help too.

 

[Huckleberry Hound]

Your traps are the primary muscle for drawing a bow. Bent over row with dumbbells would help. Also side dumbbell raises for your bow hand. A bow trainer would help too.

I just got a bow trainer. Ill be bringing it out to sea with me. Just looking at what else i can do. Some weight lifting wouldnt hurt even for general strength, but if i can do specific things to help with my shooting, all the better.

 

[willfrye027]

I just got a bow trainer. Ill be bringing it out to sea with me. Just looking at what else i can do. Some weight lifting wouldnt hurt even for general strength, but if i can do specific things to help with my shooting, all the better.

I’ve noticed when Im doing a lot of pushups and pull-ups my accuracy improves. Probably core strength related.

 

[Sportsman]

Can't beat deadlifts, shoulder presses, pull-ups, push-ups, bent over rows and other upper body large group exercises. How easy those are depends on the size of the ship.

I have the same question as you for more specific training but I'm just working upper body in general. I would combine that with the bow trainer.

 

[*zap*]

Shoulder and back muscles with support from core.

 

[CLibka]

check out dudley's youtube. He has a couple videos about this very topic. If I remember right he does one with his son that talks specifically about the exact muscles that need the focus.

 

[Huckleberry Hound]

check out dudley's youtube. He has a couple videos about this very topic. If I remember right he does one with his son that talks specifically about the exact muscles that need the focus.

Got a link?

 

[CLibka]

Got a link?

He's got a ton. Start here maybe and work your way up?

 

[307]

Train movements, not muscles.

Upper body pull (horizontal and vertical), upper body push (horizontal and vertical), anti rotation trunk would be most specific to archery.

 

[*zap*]

If you can do a pull up bar lever you should be good to go.....

 

[Blackcow]

Look up scapular retraction exercises. They're the ones a p.t. will have you do. A few friends have had rotator cuff injuries from shooting and those are what the therapists had them doing. I do them now. They hit the rhomboids and lower traps. Helps with both your drawing arm and bow side.

 

[5MilesBack]

I’ve noticed when Im doing a lot of pushups and pull-ups my accuracy improves.

I can't even do a single pushup right now because of a pain inside the outside/back of my right shoulder (bow arm), yet I can shoot my 75lb bow all day long without even feeling that. Even twisting a stubborn jar lid just about brings me to my knees from that pain. It's a little odd. Unfortunately, my lifting has taken a hit because of that pain though so I just shoot the bow.

 

[Jbehredt]

I can't even do a single pushup right now because of a pain inside the outside/back of my right shoulder (bow arm), yet I can shoot my 75lb bow all day long without even feeling that. Even twisting a stubborn jar lid just about brings me to my knees from that pain. It's a little odd. Unfortunately, my lifting has taken a hit because of that pain though so I just shoot the bow.

Try dead hanging if you have a pull up bar. My pain was in the front of my shoulder but a couple Drs on the YouTube indicated it could be impingement that could be helped my opening the area with hanging. A week later pain free and lifting normally. That’s from not being able to do a push-up.

 

[taggart_lumpy]

If you have an adjustable upright cable machine you can set the pulley to the height where you would hold your bow. hold the pulley in a v shape just like holding your bow with your arm extended. grab onto the ball/caribiner with your other hand and “draw” just like you normally would. i’m sure you could use this as a main exercise but i’ve mainly noticed it helps my hold time tremendously and keeping tension in my back.

 

[LongWayAround]

I have a modified upright row that I like for upper back muscles.

Stand, holding an EZ bar at arms length against your thighs.
Lean forward about 15 degrees.
Keeping your wrists straight, drive the elbows up and back.
When your armpit makes a 90 degree angle with your torso, squeeze the shoulder blades together.

If you can't do the motion in a smooth arc, reduce the weight.

Cable face pulls and the old dumbbell/kettlebell iron cross are good for the upper back and shoulders as well.

Pulling your elbows low towards the hips will hit more of your lats and posterior deltoids. Pulling higher will use more of the lower traps and teres groups. Higher still will mostly utilize the upper traps.

Drawing the bow is also a push, involving the chest, triceps, and anterior deltoid.

Personally, I feel like my middle delt is a weak point when holding at full draw...

Also, the trap bar deadlift and zercher dumbbell squat are two movements that I feel are under appreciated for full body strength.

 

[OXN939]

To answer your question in the simplest form, upper back- this is comprised of a complicated series of muscles that include your Trapezius, Rhomboids, Teres major and minor, Lats and Infraspinatus. All of these are trained by bent rows.

What I'd emphasize is that drawing the bow is the least important physical ability from an accuracy perspective. At the time the arrow is released, by far the most crucial moment in time, all of the aforementioned muscle groups are doing little more than holding what they have; the deltoids, triceps and trapezius muscles of your bow hand are the really important ones directing the POI of your arrow.

Don't skip shoulder day.