EXERCISES & TRAINING

shoulder strength for archery – causes of archery injuries

shoulder strength for archery – proper archery form

shoulder strength for archery – proper archery warmups

shoulder strength for archery – archery exercises

accubows pyramid archery workout

Archery Exercises

Archery is a fun and entertaining sport but it requires strength, stability, and focus. To improve shot accuracy and avoid injuries, you need to incorporate archery exercises into your life.

Archery uses a multitude of upper body muscles, such as the chest, shoulders, back, biceps, and triceps. Our recommended archery workout plan will enhance your mental and physical capabilities so you can improve your form, and ultimately, your game.

If you enjoy archery, bow hunting, or bow fishing, doing these exercises for archery will help you develop the skills necessary to become an expert archer. These archery workouts are for everyone, from children to adults and beginners to experienced archers.

Setting Up for Archery Exercises to Increase Draw Weight

Before starting any strength training for archery, always warm up and get the blood flowing into your muscle groups. To do this, roll out against a wall with a tennis ball or lacrosse ball, paying particular attention to your traps, lats, shoulders, back, and chest.

Continue with basic arm movements to warm up your shoulders. Perform small forward and back circles, rotators, reverse
flies, mock jumping jacks, and front raises. Then, do the same motions with light dumbbells. The next step is to perform archery stretches with a resistance band on a high bar or low bar, with a focus on your lats to maintain mobility.

Exercises for Bow Hunting and Archery

Some of the best archery exercises are shoulder exercises that give you a full range of motion and work all of your deltoid muscles. Some of the top shoulder exercises for archery include:

● Shoulder presses lying face down on an inclined bench
● Standing arnold presses
● Seated front raises with palms facing up
● Lateral side raises with a resistance band or dumbbell

These exercises are fantastic for increasing shoulder, rear delt, and trap stability.

Some other helpful archery exercises include:

● Single arm dumbbell rows
● Push ups
● Chest press with resistance bands
● Tricep press with resistance bands
● Planks

AccuBow’s Pyramid Workout

The pyramid workout for archers is a progressive overload training method that combines precision, stability, strength, and proprioception – which is the connection between the mind and the muscles. To begin the pyramid exercise, grab your very own AccuBow and point the laser at a small target with very little resistance.

Once your muscles start to fail and the laser bounces outside the target, increase resistance by 15% and move on to a slightly bigger target. Once you've failed, up the resistance by 15% once more before switching to your biggest target. This archery exercise will boost your stamina and concentration as well as your shooting proficiency and accuracy.

Benefits of Archery Exercises

These workouts for archers help you develop a powerful upper body by focusing on the muscles used to draw, hold, and fire your bow. Our workouts for bow hunting strengthen your core and shoulders, allowing you to draw heavier bows and shoot more powerful shots.

So if you want to improve your archery skills, incorporate this archery workout routine in between archery sessions, and start witnessing incredible results!

ARCHERY STRENGTH EXERCISES

Archery uses several main muscles of your body. Archery strength training gives you the necessary power to draw the bow back and hold it still as you aim down the sights. Below are a few productive archery strength exercises that can build your muscles for success.

Dumbbell Lateral Raises

This exercise hits the deltoid muscles located at the top of your shoulders. These muscles are used when you pull the bow back and aim. To do dumbbell lateral raises, you will need two dumbbells. You should stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Your palms should be facing your sides. With little to no bend at your elbow, slowly raise the dumbbells up along your sides until they are at your shoulder. Slowly lower them back down and repeat.

Rowing Machine

A rowing machine can help strengthen your deltoids, latissimus dorsi, and triceps. To get started, sit down firmly in the seat. Place your feet in the footholds and hold onto the handle with both hands. As you pull the handle, extend your legs and push away—similar to a squat. Make sure your back is straight as you complete this exercise.

Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension

Simple yet beneficial, this archery strength training exercise will help you build your triceps muscles, which will help you hold and draw your bow. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Grasp the top of a singular dumbbell with your palms facing upward. Using both hands, raise the dumbbell up over your head. Slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head and raise it back up.

These are just some exercises that will help you increase your strength. There are also a number of archery tools to get the most out of your strength training. AccuBow‘s training devices, for example, are great tools that help you build strength and power. With drive and dedication, you will be able to see the results you want in no time!

ARCHERY SHOULDER EXERCISES

Archery can put a lot of stress on your shoulder muscles. Strengthening the muscles in your shoulders can reduce the risk of injury. We have put together a few archery shoulder exercises that will help keep you healthy.

Single Arm Cable Internal Rotation

Use a weight machine with a single handle. The arm closest to the cable is the one that will be worked out. Place a rolled cloth under your armpit, grab the cable handle, and hold it 90 degrees to your chest. Slowly turn your arm so that your fist touches your chest. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.

Single Arm Cable External Rotation

To do the single arm cable external rotation exercise, you will need a weight machine with a single handle. First, place a rolled cloth underneath your armpit. Grab the handle with the arm furthest away from the machine. While holding the handle, slowly move your forearm away from your body. Keep going until your fist is parallel to your body. Slowly return your arm to its original starting position and repeat.

Resistance Band Pull Apart

For this exercise, you’ll need a resistance band. Take hold of the band with both of your hands. Begin with your hands close together. Slowly pull your hands laterally until your arms are almost fully extended. Return to your original position and repeat.

Using Archery Simulation Tools

While you recover from an injury, there are several archery rehab devices that you can use to help strengthen your shoulder muscles. A resistance band can be used to simulate an archer’s pulling motion. Simply take the band and draw it back as you would your bow. Hold this position for about 5 to 10 seconds. Release the band and repeat. Another tool is the AccuBow. This revolutionary tool is perfect for those seeking to strengthen their shoulder muscles or rehab an injury.

Even though you may be sidelined with an injury, you can still work on your craft. Give these archery shoulder pain exercises a try today!

OVERCOMING TARGET PANIC

Target panic can occur in even the most experienced archer. This usually stems from the early stages of learning how to shoot a bow. Many archers are told to squeeze the trigger once the pin is in the middle. However, it can be difficult to hold the pin on the target while simultaneously dealing with a release aid. More often than not, archers unconsciously fall into the routine of touching the trigger as soon as the sight moves over their target, which can result in a shaky miss. Poor accuracy can greatly affect your confidence. As you continue to build up the misses, you slowly integrate the wrong form or technique into your shooting routine. This can be catastrophic for an archer. Overcoming target panic as quickly as possible is vital to avoid falling into a shooting slump. Below, we listed a few target panic solutions and tips to help!

Blind Shooting

Your eyes can cause you to release early. Blind shooting can help eliminate target panic. Use a blindfold or just close your eyes as you shoot; this will help you focus on how shooting feels. You should stand close to a target to avoid missing–we recommend standing 2-3 yards away. Blind shooting can help archers overcome their target panic. However, for some it may only be a mere bandage and not a complete solution.

Change Your Release

Another target panic solution can be to change release styles. The goal here is to retrain yourself in order to eliminate any bad habits that you may have formed.

Training Bows

A training bow, such as AccuBow, can help you overcome target panic. It works on your release without the use of arrows. You can also practice in your home, making it an ideal purchase for any archer looking to get over their target panic.

Target panic can be a frustrating experience. Try these target panic tips and solutions to see if they can make the change you are looking for.