Rebuild back muscles

[Henry Howard]

Hi Yall!
I may be entering this message twice, I entered it a few hours ago but it never showed up - - It will probably show up both times now.
Several months ago I spent a long stint in the hospital and I lost all of my strength.
I'm 59 years old and when I went in I weighed 195 lbs.
When I got out I weighed 155 lbs.
I'm back up to 165 lbs. now but I can't seem to regain the strength it takes for me to pull my bow back.
I have an old Jennings "Carbon express" that is rated for 80 lbs.
I usually shot it at 70 to 75 lbs.
It is a flat shootin booger at 70 lbs.
I could use one pin for ranges between 20 and 40 yards with just a little guess work on both ends.
I have two pins on it now and they are as close together as they will go.
It has always been a little hard to pull if you weren't used to it even at lighter weights.
Anyway - I really miss shooting my bow and I don't want to go to a crossbow.
I have been lifting lite weight dumbells and I just don't seem to be making any progress.
I just can pull 50 lbs. and the bow limbs are loosened up more than is recommended already.
I don't dare shoot it like this - just pull it and let down.
Any suggestions will be welcomed.
Thanks
Henry

[CHAVEZ CHAVEZ]

HENRY,

u could try military press with a light wieght number and low reps at first then eventually work your way up,to more wieght. u can do this on machine wieght system or a ( bench , chair, bed , ) just sit on
the edge and lift your d-bells over your head. this will also work your shoulders. triceps, upper & lower
back. also u can sit or stand and twist side to side ( torso ) or lay on your back and twist your upper and lowerbody oppisite ways.also u can do rows butt u would probablyhave to a gym for ( this one ) also ucould do sqauts with just a wieght bar across your shoulders.u can look it up on internet , ( back exercise) take care!!!!

[beeell]

If you have week back muscles, DO NOT do any twisting especially with weight! Your best excersize with weight is to sit in a chair, lean forward all the way over, and pull the weight up as far as you can. Then, Stand upright, and pull the weight up to your chest. If you have a gym at your disposal, do lat pull downs also. Do three to five sets of 8 to 12 reps. If the last set isn't getting some burn by the 8th rep, you should move up in weight. Don't excersize each muscle group every day with weights, you won't give the muscle enough time to regenerate. Do back and shoulders one day, then legs the next then chest and tris, etc. Abdominal muscles are not designed the same. Do sit ups every day to help stengthen your core, which will also help with you bow shooting. Pulling back 70 lbs on one side causes a lot of tourque, and a strong mid-section is a must.

[Henry Howard]

Hi
Thanks for the good info.
It is very frustrating not being able to shoot my bow.
I never realized I would miss it so much.
That old Jennings Carbon Extreme XLR has always been hard to break over.
It takes some getting used to.
I've had friends who I know were generally stronger than me that couldn't break it over to the valley, at least not without some twisting and grunting.
I'm working on my legs, especially my thighs.
It's a suprise to most people that you use your thigh muscles so much to pull a bow.
I'll try some of your suggestions to strengthen my lower back and I need to work on my upper back muscles and shoulders and neck.
One of the worst injuries I,ve done to myself with a bow is practicing too long and getting too tired and I pulled my neck muscles.
Bummer!
I was down for quite a while with that one.
Well, again, thanks for your input
Henry Howard
Arkansas

[bubba101st]

Along with lite weight training and streching and tightening up your core, you might want to look at the cam on your bow. If the cam is too hard pulling it can be harder to do than with a softer cam. I was loking at a new bow the other day set at 60#. I pulled about 12 different bows. There was one, no I don't remember which one, that was way harder to pull than the others because of the cam. I only shoot around 60 to 65# due to some shoulder problems I have. I still get good speed with 400 grain arrows I shoot out of my 05 Jaguar Mag Dyna cam. The smooth cam is what does it for me. Remember it could be worse. I am nearly half your age (31) and have to be really careful of what i pull because of my shoulder. In the future I may have to switch to a left hand bow. I hope not. If you are still not seeing any improvement talk to you Dr. and go see a pysical threapist. That is what got my shoulder to pull and hold a bow. Good luck.

[Henry Howard]

Hey Bubba101st
You are right about the extreme cams and I might need to look at other cams (which means another bow)
Last year I pulled a Mathews set for 70lbs. and it pulled like mine set at 50lbs.
Things have come a long way since I bought that Jennings.
It's time for an upgrade and when I feel like i'm ready - I'm going shopping.
There are other bows out there that pull just as easily as the Mathews, I just don't know which ones yet.
I'm sure Mathews is a great bow but boy are they proud of them.
The one I looked at was 700.00 - bare bow.
By the time I added all the peripherals it would be 1000.00 bucks.
Thanks for the input.
Henry Howard
Arkansas

[bubba101st]

I know. I bought a Martin Jaguar package that came ready to shoot. It has the Dyna cam and is really smooth. At $300 and some change it was what i could afford and get set up for me in the time I had before the season opened. You may want something a little higher end and that is fine. I would not over look Martin. They are all great shooting bows and the price is good. Most of the "Gold Series" bows come in packages and are ready to shoot. I would go to a dealer and pull/shoot them. But the newer cams are easier to shoot for the most part. The dealer should be able to tell you what the smoother cams are and the bows that would fit your style. The other thing that you need to remember is that it doesnt take a 70#er to kill a deer or an elk.
Good luck.

[Henry Howard]

Hello again Bubba101st
I've come to the conclusion through reading the various magazines and talking to a few folks that a 70lb max. bow is plenty enough.
When I bought the Jennings many moons ago people like Dan Fitzgerald and others were spouting the high poundage stuff.
The last time I saw anything about him, he had succumbed to the same malady - old age.
He was pulling considerably less poundage.
I don't know exactly how old he is but we were in Nam at about the same time.
Thanks for the advice and I'll try to keep an open mind about the bow and gear to buy until I've looked - - a lot.
Thanks again
Henry Howard
Arkansas

[bubba101st]

First , thanks for your service and welcome home. I was in the 101st AB AA. I still believe that needs to be said to you boys that fought an unpopular war in an unpopular time.
Good luck in shopping for a new bow. Get mended up for the season.

[airborne]

Sorry to hear that you had such a bad streak of health. Take your time recovering. A lot of guys have given you some good advise. Just make sure you check with your doctor before beginning an exercise program. If you have access to a gym, use their coaches and spoters. I just bought a new bow last week. It draws max at 74# I used to draw 60# and this bow felt about the same. It is a Darton, built in MI. This is my second one and I am very pleased. The cost was $500. I would stack this bow up against a Matthews any day. Good bows are good bows. Shop around and try several bows. Now is the time to buy. The more you practice, the strongeryou will get. If for some reason you are not able to shoot a bow, the cross bow is not the end of the world. Not being able to hunt would surely be close though. We all wish you a speedy recovery.

[Arkansas Hawk]

Hi airborne
Thanks for the input.
I've heard of "Darton" for years and they are a good, reputable builder of quality bows.
I,ve tried on a Mathews once and it was great but - - WOW! - - are they proud of them.
Bare bow 700.00.
I've had a Bear polar something years ago (four wheels and cams) --- a Bear Whitetail II @ 70# and now I'm shooting a Bear/Jennings Carbon Extreme.
I'm kind of hooked on Bear equipment as you can see.
I can't find a dealer right handy here in Northeast Arkansas that sells Bear stuff and I'm afraid to order a bow from Cabelas because it might not feel right and I doubt if they would take it back just because I didn't like the way it felt.
There is a Darton dealer in Jonesboro (about an hour from here) and I have a friend whose father got a Darton from them and loves it. About $1000.00 loaded, quiver, sights, rest, stabilizer, peep sight installed, loop and release and Sims string leeches - a reasonable price for all that. (They also tuned it up just for his body configuration and all, they even paper tuned it and got all that set.
His son says it shoots like a dream for his dad.
So, I'll just keep plugging away and try not to hurt my lower back while I get my shoulder strength back.
Again, thanks for the advice
Henry Howard
PS I changed my ID to Arkansas Hawk ( an old nickname I used to have )
March 29,2006 0800 hrs

[airborne]

I know what you mean. My first two bows were bear bows. I didn't want to change either, but for some reason speed became important. I shopped around and was sticker shocked by the new bows. I really don't know why Darton stood out. I think it was the speed for the price. I researched the company and looked for postings about how well built they are. Now to the point... It is ok to make a change. Drive that hour to the dealer. Try the bows. You seemed happy with the speed of your Bear and you may find out that with todays technology, you can have the same speed at a lot lower draw weight.
I think that when I'm done with this post, I'll call Darton and become a spokesman, Ha Ha. Take care.

PS. Like I had said, My bow was $500 and it came with string leeches and limb savers. Your friend must have added a lot of expensive toys. The risers are drilled to accomadate several types of add ons.

Like the rest and sight from your Bear.

[Flatcoat1]

Henry,
I too had some trouble last year with some surgery - a full inner discectomy of L4- L5. Doctor told my wife and son that I was NOT to hunt for the rest of the year. I lost all hunting from Oct 1 to Jan 15th - finally conviinced my wife that I was good to go squirrel hunting - with a little help from my physical therapist. If you can afford a PT, they can show you the best exercises. Mine understood what I wanted because I told him what I wanted to get back to. It takes time - start small and progress evenly. (Start fast and you may do more damage.) Good luck.

[Arkansas Hawk]

Thanks airborne and Flatcoat1
Yes airborne, my friends dad did add all new and top of the line stuff to his bow.
He is a few years younger than me but I got the impression that this was going to be his last coumpound bow.
I initially thought that he had paid an awfull lot but my friend said the stuff he got was expensive - probably more than necessary.
And yes also to the idea that these new bows will most likely get faster speeds with less poundage.
To Flatcoat1
I'm coming to the conclusion that I am going to need some professional help to get back up to speed.
My lower back is giving me some problems now.
I'm no hypochondriac but these problems all stem from my event.
My doctor says I'm expecting too much too soon.
Bummer.
Some small progress tho - I can pull my bow at 50 lbs now (with some twisting and grunting)
Not but a couple of times and I give out but, progress anyway.
Thanks to everyone for their input.
It is always appreciated and things are looking up.
I'll be ready for October 1st.
Henry Howard -
Arkansas Hawk

[bubba101st]

I checked on a few things that might help you in the future. I took a look at our reg's in Washington. The letoff has to be no more than 65% unless you are a disabled hunter. This means that you are disabled, of a certian age, or or have suffered an injury that hampers your shooting ablility. I would look into that kind of law in your own state and see what you can come up with.

[Goshawk]

Airborne, I wud like tro know the model of your Darton, that you say draws well..i have the same problem getting back from Hosp. stay..

[legotp456]

cabela sells the BOWFIT what is basically a giant rubber band that is designed to keep your shoulder in shape in the off season, it might be a good way to get the stength back as it will allow you to work the exact muscles you need to draw the bow. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/standard-pod-wrapped.jsp?id=0004832&navCount=9&parentId=cat600816&masterpathid=&navAction=push&cmCat=MainCatcat21424-cat600308-cat600816_TGP&parentType=index&indexId=cat600816&rid=

Tony

[HounDawger]

I Have been a Blacksmith all my live so. Rebuilding back muscles. Is common ground to me .
This may sound silly be its really works. Kick boxing . I did 'nt belive it at first. but it has helped me soooo. much it works & sterenghts all those muscle groups. plus its allways full of good looking Women. good luck