Workout exercises: Improve your archery shooting

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I'm Isaac Murphy and at the moment I am a student. I took up archery as a hobby about 3 years ago and built this blog to share some of the things I have learned and to help those starting out in this sport. Check out my bio here

Why Should You Do Archery Exercises?

While you may have a bow for shooting, using a specially designed bow will help increase the draw weight. That is why archery exercises are essential as it helps to build the upper body to shoot further.

With the training bow, you can adjust, it over 60 pounds that helps you to move past your 30-pound beginner’s bow to use a heavy-duty bow.

You can find custom-built recurve to compound bows with a draw weight of up to 100 pounds. Working out combined with the device, you will notice an increase in the poundage making it able to draw the bowstring.

Another benefit of archery is that you will lose weight when combining your archery workout with your strength training and a healthy diet.

Therefore, if you are struggling to pull a 30lb bow, the strength exercises for archery can help.

Archery Stretches to Warm Up

Before starting any form of archery exercises, you need to stretch five essential muscles.

Working the Latissimus Dorsi

Place your feet shoulder-width apart with your arms at the side.
Always keep the arms in a straight line and raise them upwards over the head slowly.
Do this ten times while extending the range of moving backward and forward each time.

Triceps Stretch

Do this stretch standing or seated. Lift your left arm keeping it straight over the head and bend the hand backward, touching the left shoulder. Place the palms of your right hand underneath the left elbow and apply force backward. Do the same with the opposite arm as well.

Side Wrist Pull to Strengthen Rhomboids

Stand by placing the feet shoulder-width apart. Extend the left arm out straight in front of you. Take the right hand and grab the left wrist by pulling it to the right across the body. Repeat by doing the same on the right side.

Side Neck Stretch to Strengthen Trapezius

Relax the shoulders while standing with your feet apart. Keep looking forward and bend your head to the right shoulder slowly. With the right hand, gently assist with the motion and do the same on the left side.

Front Deltoid Stretch

While holding your back and shoulders straight, keep the arms relaxed at the sides? Start rotating both arms slowly behind you can clasp the hands. Bring them up until you feel it stretching while holding for a couple of seconds. Repeat this up to seven times and do not lock the elbows.

Stretches to Improve Your Anchoring, Draw, and Form

Shoulder Stretches

With shoulder stretches, it helps extend your chest and shoulder muscles before it gets tired from drawing the bow all the time.

Start by reaching the arms behind the back and grasp them together.
Keep your arms extended in the position.
Now lift the arms as high as you can.
You will feel the muscles stretching across the shoulders and chest (but do not overdo it.)
After 15-seconds, release the hands.

If you are not able to do this with your arms, you can use a stretch-band or towel instead. Do these for up to ten reps. Now that you have warmed up the upper body, you can also do specific training. With this form of exercise it is the only time you will draw your bow without using the arrow.

Exercises to provide proper shoulder alignment and position

With these workouts, you need to make sure you do it at a full draw, or replace the bow with a stretching band.

Training for Anchoring:

Start with the set-up position and aim at the target using no arrow.
Now draw the bow back into the anchoring position and hold the bow up for up to five seconds.
Return to the first position and repeat it for ten reps in sets of five with a four-minute rest in between the sets.

Form Training:

Start with the setup position and aim at the target without using an arrow.
Now draw the bow back into the anchoring position and aim the bow for 30-seconds at the target.
During the hold position, concentrate on your form and stance. If you find you cannot hold it this long lower the weight. If you can grasp it for longer than 45-seconds, raise the poundage.
Do three sets of 10 reps with a rest of two minutes in between groupings.

Training to Help With Your Draw:

For this exercise, you need to use an arrow and aim at the target.

Start with the setup position and aim at the target.
Draw the bowstring as usual by planting the anchors.
Keep pulling the string back about one centimeter keeping in place the anchor.
Feel the draw expanding as it stretches the muscles.
Hold this position for ten seconds and repeat.
You can do six reps with five sets and take a two-minute break in between.

Important Archery Muscle Strength Training

So what are functional exercises for archery to build strength and your condition? To answer the question firstly archery does not need loads of cardiovascular fitness. What you do need is muscular endurance for archery. Therefore, to shoot at your full potential, you can do the following archery exercises. Furthermore, to answer the next question, “What are good archery exercises I can do at home?” You can do all these workouts in the comfort of your home. On the other hand, another question always asked is, “What are good core exercises for archery?” All of the exercises mentioned here will work all your core muscles as well.

Push-Ups

Get yourself into the correct push-up pose.
Now focus on pushing down while dispersing your shoulder blades away from one another.
Now do a push-up while keeping the shoulders together.
Once back up make sure your shoulders spread apart before repeating the exercise.
Start slow and work it up to ten reps in sets of three with taking breaks in between.

Incline Lateral Raises Using Dumbbells

Using a work surface or standing with your back straight get into a 45° incline position.
Keep the arms bent, holding the weights in your palms facing each other.
Now pinch the shoulder blades together and bring the arms up.
Do not forget to hold the shoulder blades together as you come back up.
Keep repeating the exercise to tighten the core.
You can do eight reps in sets of four using the dumbbells.

Dumbbell Row using One Arm

If you can get to a gym, another great way to strengthen the upper body is with a rowing machine. Alternatively, you can also do the following:

Get into an incline position while standing to hold onto a table or bench to give you one hand support.
Now pull the dumbbell up to hip height and let it down by extending the arm.
You will feel it stretching across the blades of the shoulder.
Repeat the exercise while keeping the back straight to tighten the core muscles as well.
Now switch arms after doing eight reps.

All of the above exercises build upper body, core muscles and helps increase draw weight as well.

Final Thoughts

The strength and workout exercises will help you become an archer athlete. Add these workouts to your routine.

Furthermore, if you are too busy to do all of them, you can always pick one or two to do a day. The fantastic thing is you can always choose another one to workout with the following day.

Furthermore, we recommend you look at the Training Bow to help with strengthening your draw quicker. #ad