Lifting Weights For shooters.

[tj3006]

I used to be a pretty strong little guy.
   Nothing tremendous but for example on my 40th Birthday , I weighed 165 lbs and Benched 245 lbs Twice. I am now 62 And weigh about 175, and would not attempt to bench 175, cause i would hurt myself.  I Wrecked my right Bicep tendon, which weakened my right are some, less than you might thing but some.
   And now that I have a red dot on my SS Bisley .41 mag.  I can see how much I shake when i hold it in a shooting position.  It is all steel of course and pretty heavy.
So , I dug out a pair of 10 lb dumbbells' and started raising them in front of me in a similar fashion to holding a revolver. I raise  5 times , then raise  and  cock my wrist like I was holding a revolver,( or as close as I can,) then hold it for 5 seconds.  So far I am doing 2 sets of this, so I don't wind up to sore to put my pants on.
   I will report in a few days if it seems to have helped any ...tj

[tdbarton]

As someone who did dumb grunt stuff for a little while…body-weight exercises are your friend.

[AxeHandle]

Shot my best 35 years ago while lifting heavier weights. These days I lift to condition and maintain strength.

[bula]

Done carefully , it should be a good thing. Do let us know. 

[rangersedge]

Long ago when I was young, single, and had more time... I used to hold dumbells at arm's length and slowly trace the window frames (keeping top of one end in line with frame). Rest a bit and start over if wavers outside the frame. Do all the window frames in the room with one hand, then the other. Build up weights as you get stronger. Harder than it sounds at first.

Not sure if good idea but seemed to help... Haven't done that for a long time...

[gregs]

Work up slowly so you don't end up with tendonitus on the elbow joint. Had a wicked case when I started shooting 10m AP and took 3-4 months to heal and would come back with s vengence if overworked during that petiod.

[bradshaw]

Used weights in high school, not much after. Appreciate the strength my primitive training built. Made a discovery at Camp Perry with M1 Garand National Match. The High Power rifle championships extended more than two weeks. Must have pumped some iron before the matches. At the start, I could feel the tension in the muscles, which did not conduce to the smoothest SQUEEZE & FOLLOW THROUGH. Over the first week, shooting tightened as relaxation seeped into muscle. This was a profound discovery and lead to another personal revelation: DEEP BREATHING oxygenates muscle along with the eyes, which are the first organ in the human body to go into OXYGEN DEBT.

More shots are lost at the trigger than through a skewed sight picture. Put it this way, a tremor on the trigger throws a shot further off course than a jilted sight picture. Which gives a muscle spasm a hell of a run at the trigger. I learned to BREATHE MARKSMANSHIP. Muscle tone and strength give anyone an edge over a dilapidated body in any kinetic situation. Oxygen & tone extend the period of smoothness. Smoothness covers follow through.

I wrestle enough iron, wood, and heavy things without going near barbells. Anyone whose work is sedentary should benefit from physical exertion, which includes weights. STRETCHING before and after, especially before forceful exertion, warms synovia to cushion joints. Explained to me this way by an important modern dancer: Cold synovial fluid communicates impact. Warm synovial fluid absorbs impact. Not just muscle, tendon, ligament want to be warmed up, joint lubrication wants to be warmed up, too.
David Bradshaw

[Snyd]

Oct 18, 2021 15:58:10 GMT -5 tj3006 said:

I used to be a pretty strong little guy.
   Nothing tremendous but for example on my 40th Birthday , I weighed 165 lbs and Benched 245 lbs Twice. I am now 62 And weigh about 175, and would not attempt to bench 175, cause i would hurt myself.  I Wrecked my right Bicep tendon, which weakened my right are some, less than you might thing but some.
   And now that I have a red dot on my SS Bisley .41 mag.  I can see how much I shake when i hold it in a shooting position.  It is all steel of course and pretty heavy.
So , I dug out a pair of 10 lb dumbbells' and started raising them in front of me in a similar fashion to holding a revolver. I raise  5 times , then raise  and  cock my wrist like I was holding a revolver,( or as close as I can,) then hold it for 5 seconds.  So far I am doing 2 sets of this, so I don't wind up to sore to put my pants on.
   I will report in a few days if it seems to have helped any ...tj

Try some Arnold Presses with those light weights.

[ezekiel38]

I heartily concur with Mr. Bradshaw. Many times it is the autonomic nervous system that demands a "trigger release" to solve oxygen deprivation, henceforth a jerk. I'm 75 and still shoot acceptable groups but I use 10-15 lb barbells for arms and shoulders with many reps. My score is +20 points better with exercise and breathing techniques than just shooting cold.

[taffin]

65 YEARS AGO I COULD LIFT 500 POUNDS; NOW I CAN BARELY LIFT A FORK.

[Snyd]

Oct 20, 2021 11:31:31 GMT -5 taffin said:

65 YEARS AGO I COULD LIFT 500 POUNDS; NOW I CAN BARELY LIFT A FORK.

oofta... You must have been a Powerlifter? I have a good friend who was a Powerlifter in the Army. He just had a knee replacement. He wore em out liftin.

[taffin]

ACTUALLY I WAS 17 AND WORKING UNLOADING HEAVY FREIGHT. I COULD LIFT 5- 100 POUND BARS OF PIG LEAD STACKED ON TOP OF EACH OTHER. AND CARRY A TWO HUNDRED POUND KEG OF NAILS OF THREE FLIGHTS OF STAIRS---EVERYTHING CHANGES!!

[edk]

I am 61 and spent the day stripping 8 squares of asphalt shingles from a roof. If I have to lift weights before I shoot I might quit...

[golfswithwolves]

Pumping aluminum is fun- twelve ounce curls.

[tj3006]

so far i would say the light weight lifting has helped steady my hold a little. I am sure it has. Mr. Bradshaw's suggestion is a great one but i do that all the time anyway. (I Have asthma)...tj




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