Work up to war bow weight

[dogface]

First, settle an arguement, I patiaking in a shooting activety not mentioned here with a good friend. The weight was 85 lbs, and 90 on what we were shooting. and the distance was FAR ! Ant way english long bows came up the there weight was discussed. When I sed they pilled 90 to 100+ pounds I was told that I was crazy and that pulling that more then once by a man would cause injurey and most folks could only do that with wheels on there bow.  Sacond, Pilling the weight I am on the "not mentioned" I injured myself. I am trying to work up into the war bow weights so that I may build and shoot them with you guys. I watched a fellow who was fetured in a historey channel show and (no offence) he diddent look like a huge buff guy, and he was flinging lots of arrows off of what looked like a big heavy bow. Are there videos or books that show the process of building the body for shooting big heavy bows ? I just cant wait to show up with my warbow and scaile and fling one after the other for thees guys, and the muscle building and toneing wont hert the other facets of archery I enjoy. Thanks much in advance for the input.

[stevesjem]

Hi Dogface
My name is Steve Stratton and I was the archer featured on the warriors program on the history channel, I am not a big man, I only weigh in at 11.5stone but I have practiced to the point where I can comfortably shoot bows of 120lb and over, if is not about being really strong, it is all about technique.
Where do you live? If I can help you please pm me
Cheers
Steve

[african man]

Dogface     PM  Heavybow  ( Marlon ) he has some realy good training programs that will help you get into heavy war bows

Chris 

[alanesq]

My experience is that pulling a heavy bow is loading your bones/tendons/joints etc. in a way which it has not had to deal with before so it takes a good while for your body to get used to this
so at first its not so much about your strength as it is about getting your body to get used to this

when I first started trying to pull bows over 100lb I could really feel my collar bone and joints were being loaded close to breaking point and I had to be very careful not to over do it but now after many, many months building up I can try to pull a bow too heavy for me and put every drop of strength I can find into trying to get it back and my joints etc. dont complain at all

Also, other forms of archer they expect to draw a bow back with ease and so the idea of really putting a lot of effort into drawing a bow is totally alien.  Once you get over this and realise that drawing a warbow is more like weight training than a relaxing afternoon out, then you find you can draw a much heavier bow than you though :-)

[jb.68]

Also, other forms of archer they expect to draw a bow back with ease and so the idea of really putting a lot of effort into drawing a bow is totally alien.  Once you get over this and realise that drawing a warbow is more like weight training than a relaxing afternoon out, then you find you can draw a much heavier bow than you though :-)

I think you are quite right there Alan. It is very hard for some of them to understand why anyone would want to shoot anything over 40lb.... Oh well, each to their own eh?

jb

[Badger]

I get very frustrated trying to draw heavy bows, I am 60 now and not quite as strong as when I was younger but I never could really get a heavy bow back and I have always been a well above average strength person. I have seen guys on here that weigh no more than 140# drawing over 100# and they are really skinny guys. It just amazes me. Steve

[Jaro]

When I shot my old bickerstaffe bow, or that bow by Marc st Luis, I was only 10 stone - that is 63-65 kg. I have wen slightly up now with weight, but I havent done any serious shooting for a while due to old finger injury. I have also sold most of my tackle when I was buying my house.
Anyway, this is my favorite picture now, showing that there is no need to be awfully muscular



The bow is 105/30" and it does solid 190 m with standart. The guy - Janek is something like 65 kilos too, only he is tall and wirry.

Jaro

[peasant1381]

Hello Dogface.
Just have look at the videos on youtube and you'll soon be able to learn the technique. Then it's like Alan said- approach it the same way as you would weight training and you'll do it no worries.

[nick1346]

Just take your time. Easier said than done, we all struggle and strain only latter to wish we hadn't. By that I mean study the available videos and get the technique correct on lighter bows then go for higher weights. As for 'working up' well there are no short cuts, some exercises will help but they must be seen as aids not as a substitute to shooting a bow. Shoot the bow and then work your body in that order of preference. I'm still working on it now

[nickf]

I first thought 85pounds would be around my max, so I made a 'very heavy' 78# hazel bow for trainings purpose. Then anothre 92# hazel bow, since it wasn't all that heavy to draw. Both were too short to be drawn to the full 32" sadly. I decided to make some 32" draw bows, from ash. The logs hadn't been dried enough, and a week after I cut them they already shot their first arrows. Being wet they took more set than wanted, but I had my bbi already in the works. their 90pound drawweight seemed pretty nice to train with, and I did 3times 4 sessions of 15 draws in the next week. After that I had my 115# bbi finished, and some dry draws, and some shooting, I can draw it pretty easily by now.

I haven't shot it quite much, all this happened in the last 3 months, due problems with the nocks, strings and arrows I couldn't shoot it for a while, but kept drawing it without release. last sunday I shot it, and I must say those 115# were pretty much. I shot 3 arrows, grabbed them, and shot them back, using 2 sticks as 'targets'. After like 40 shots my accuracy started to decrease dramatically, I couldn't get the third arrow fully drawn or hit the target. the first 2 arrows went okay, but after 80shots, my left elbow and shoulders hurt to much to continue, and I just couldn't draw the bow anymore.

shot it today again, and everything went way smoother. got a 130pounder in the works, and I bet I can draw it already, but I gotto see how things work out.

my advice for you is;

get a lighter warbow, around 80# (if very long, and a smooth draw, 90# isn't too much either), and find out how to shoot in the bow.  Shoot it twice, or three times a week, try to shoot 3 arrows , gather them, and shoot them again. don't want to shoot more than 50 arrows since it isn't going to do any good, better wait 2 days and shoot again.

within a couple of weeks you'll notice you can draw way more. Get a heavier, say 100# bow, and keep shooting it. Keep doing this until you can't go heavier.

you don't need to be an arnold schwarzenegger, as Jaro said.
I'm like 73" tall, weight 160#, and I'm 16years old. Shooting 115# warbows

I lifted weights for like 18months, and this helped me pretty much. If you fitness, or lift weights, you might want to train your back a little more, some good exercises are
wide chinning
dumbel rows
rowing machine

Nick

[SteveO]

 I would advise anyone who wants to work up to a heavy draw weight bow to do so, but not to neglect the weak side while you're at it. I shot an 85 lb hunting bow for several years. I built up to that weight without a great deal of difficulty, being young at the time, and had no issues shooting it for fairly extensive sessions on a regular basis. Later in life I developed upper back problems which my chiropractor attributes to a twisted spine caused by the muscles on the drawing side being so much stronger than those on the other side. You can even see it on an x-ray. It would take twice the work and about 4 times the dedication to actually do one's build up both right and left handed, but it might prevent problems later.

 If I could actually HIT anything left handed, it wouldn't be so bad, but my halfhearted attempts to work on the weak side with a smaller bow have generally fizzled after a short time. I've read articles by guys who can shoot the same bow either left or right handed, which allows one to shoot about 270 degrees without moving around in a tree stand. Those folks may develop bow related problems but I bet it won't be spine twist.

[nickf]

I just noticed my long reply full of wisdom.

It all about one thing,

JUST GETTING STARTED

my first attempt at a really heavy bow (70#) failed, my second one was increedibly heavy, 78#. after that I made a 90pounder, and I couldn't believe myself drawing it. ONly shot that 90pounder once, drew it quite often, then I made 2 more 90pounders and my fave; the 115#.

I'm just into the real shooting, wich happened in the last few weeks, and after 4 days of shooting, I'm getting really easy with it. your first draws will be heavy, but just make some ugly, massive bows for training, draw them a little, and make a heavy 'real' bow. shoot it regularry, and you'll laugh about your earlier 'archievements'.

I'm already thinking about doubling that 'really heavy 70#'. more or less at least, I got a 130# in the planning. bet it will give them arrows some range!
...and yes, that won't be my fave shooter, but a strength-gainer and show-off bow :p

Nick

[tomato]

Good Topic for use beginners.
Hello Everone! Names Tom and I am a 22yr old Englishmen in Goregous Queensland Aus.
What advice would you say to a 58kg fellow wanting to get a heavier pound Bow?
currently loose a arrow form a 50lb ash bow.... is it asking to much to try and pull a 70lb or 80lb bow? is this even festible?
The Goal is to shoot a 100lb Yew Bow.
All advice and comments weclome.

[Loki]

Hi Tom,
First thing you need to do is read up on the medieval style of drawing the bow,you have to bend your body into the bow to shoot the higher draw weights.To practice that technique you'll need to have a full compass bow tillered to 32",there's no point spending a lot of cash on a yew bow to practice with,go for a cheaper laminated bow first.

I'll PM you some links.

[Davepim]

Hi Tom,
First thing you need to do is read up on the medieval style of drawing the bow,you have to bend your body into the bow to shoot the higher draw weights.To practice that technique you'll need to have a full compass bow tillered to 32",there's no point spending a lot of cash on a yew bow to practice with,go for a cheaper laminated bow first.

I'll PM you some links.

I'm with you there Loki!
      I've been lucky since I build my own self yew bows, so can work up through increasing draw weights relatively cheaply. Drawing almost ANY bow correctly will strengthen back muscles and tendons, but it would be hard to go straight from a 40lb bow to a 100lb bow in one step.

Dave