"Hi...are you still available to provide split training? I am seeking for a trainer to help me achieve the splits."
- Kamal B.
A
Hello Kamal!
I presume your email is in response to my 2013 post titled "How to do the Splits".
However I am sorry to disappoint you, I am not available to do such training right now (due to COVID), but also you don't really need a personal trainer to train yourself how to do the splits. All you really need to do is to be doing the Three Exercises listed on that page daily.
1. Each Butterfly Stretch takes 5 to 10 seconds to do and you're supposed to do 10 of them. If you take a short break between each stretch you should be able to complete 10 of them in about 5 minutes.
2. Knees and Leg Stretches take 30 to 60 seconds each and you want to do 5 for each leg, so 10 total. You shouldn't really need a break between the stretches, but if you are taking short breaks then it will take about 5 to 15 minutes to do all 10 stretches. So on average about 10 minutes.
3. The Standing Leg Stretches take 10 seconds each and you want to do 10 for each leg, so 20 total. With short breaks you should be able to do 20 stretches in about 7 minutes.
The 4th activity of course is attempting to do the splits, but I don't recommend even trying this until week 3 or 4 of consistently doing the stretches.
Now if you've been doing some math you will have noticed it only takes about 22 minutes per day to do the stretches. Thus you don't really need a personal trainer to watch you do the stretches and my minimum pay rate is for 1 hour of my time, so you'd be paying for the full hour and you'd have to do some other kind of exercises for the other 38 minutes. I would be really bored watching the stretches however as you don't really need me (or any other trainer) to help you do these particular exercises.
Many people are able to
successfully
do the splits after 30 days of doing the stretches, but obviously "mileage may vary" with this depending upon the person's commitment to remembering to do the stretches every day and their personal level of fitness / flexibility before they started doing the stretches.
I wish you luck in your journey and hope you will make the stretches part of your daily routine so you can eventually reach your goal.
There are three main types of personal trainers out there, and they can basically be organized on a triangular chart between the three styles of instructing.
1. The Exercise Buddy Personal Trainer
This type of personal trainer typically does the exercises with you. You are basically paying them just to do the exercises with you, but you're also paying them to help motivate you to exercise more.
Some clients prefer this style of personal trainer because they like the exercise buddy experience. It is more informal and friendly.
However to save money you could literally just find a real exercise buddy who has a similar schedule to you. Or several exercise buddies. Or find a group of people who like exercising together (outdoors usually).
2. The Drill Instructor Personal Trainer
Some people like having someone boss them around and tell them what to do. This doesn't necessarily mean they are shouting at you and ordering you about like a real drill instructor, but the concept is basically someone who tells you what to do (although not necessarily how to do it, see #3 below on how to do it).
Not everyone is into being bossed around all of the time, but every personal trainer has to do this at least a little bit because it is part of the whole teacher-student role to sometimes be telling people what they need to be doing.
3. The Form Oriented Personal Trainer
This type of personal trainer is focused on making sure you do the exercises correctly and is watching you to make sure you do them properly. They are also sometimes demonstrating how to do the exercises properly so you get a better idea of how to do it.
The Form Oriented instructor is really focused on teaching you the proper "how to" of each exercise, often for safety reasons so you don't hurt yourself, but also for efficiency reasons so you are getting the most out of the exercise instead of developing a sloppy form that is both inefficient, but also unsafe.
There are also legal reasons why personal trainers should focus on form and safety.
I recall years ago hearing about a "celebrity personal trainer" in the USA who was more in the drill instructor variety of personal trainer with respect to weightlifting, but she pushed her client too far physically and he ended up complaining about pain in his arms. She told him to "man up" and "no pain no gain", etc. He ended up tearing the ligaments in his arms and ended up with permanent damage to his arms, and consequently suing the personal trainer for negligence. It was wrong for her to be pushing her client so hard like that and to be ignoring safety issues. Nor are such lawsuits uncommon. Just do a search for personal trainer negligence lawsuit and you will find that a lot of personal trainers are failing to do their due diligence when it comes to safety issues with respect to form.
What about Me?
As an archery instructor (and boxing instructor, swimming instructor, and ice skating instructor) all of the sports that I teach are form oriented. Archery is extremely form oriented, but the other sports place a lot of emphasis on form too.
If I had to choose therefore I would say I am closer to being a Form Oriented instructor than the other two. Yes, I am still demonstrating things to my students, but I am certainly not the exercise buddy who is doing the exercise next to them. I spend most of my time watching the student do the tasks set for them and then correcting their mistakes. Likewise I do have to boss my students around regularly, but I also sometimes give the student the option to choose what we are doing on a particular day.
Eg. Let's say a student signs up for 10 archery lessons. The first five lessons I have a lesson plan for, but the the final 5 lessons are more dependent upon what the student wants to learn and what the student is more interested in learning. Thus I take cues from the student and customize the lessons to their needs.
I am probably somewhere in the middle, closer to average, when compared to most personal trainers, but with a stronger emphasis on the form oriented issues.
I firmly believe in the whole "safety first" mantra with respect to exercising and sports.
Take swimming for example. People need to learn how to swim in the shallow end of the pool before you toss them into the deep end of the pool and expect them to learn how to tread water. If a swimming instructor forced a swimming student into the deep end of the pool, told them to tread water, and then the student drowns I would fully expect the personal trainer to be found guilty of negligence and manslaughter. Not just sued. Imprisoned.
The "safety first" mantra never hurt anyone. But a lot of people have no doubt been hurt or died historically because they ignored safety concerns.
I hope 2021 is better. There is certainly the chance it could be worse... COVID could just be the tip of the iceberg in terms of craziness happening in 2021...
Merry Christmas! From our family to yours, we wish you a safe and joyous holiday season. Sincerely, Charles Moffat & Family CardioTrek.ca PS. And a Happy New Year in 2021!
Whether you’re someone who uses phone apps to simplify your schedule, a parent who juggles tablet time with your kids, or newly working-from-home, modern life has much of our daily life centered around a computer screen. Finding ways to stay active while at home can be hard but with the right posture and practices getting that exercise at home is easier than you think. In fact, the best adjustments you can make will be while sitting right in front of your screen!
Remember to always consult your doctor before introducing any new exercises to your routine or if you’re experiencing any pain or discomfort. All of the exercises and recommendations mentioned here should be low-effort and easy to modify, so you shouldn’t experience any pain while performing them. If you do, stop immediately and seek the opinion of a medical professional.
Proper Posture
First things first, consider how you’re sitting right now. If you’re sitting at a desk, how’s your posture? Are your shoulders rolled forward or are they situated over your hips? Is your back hunched or are you sitting up straight? If you’re using your phone and standing or sitting in a recliner, is your neck crooked or are you giving it enough support?
These kinds of positions can cause tension to accumulate in your body throughout the day, especially if you spend long hours sitting in one spot. Take short breaks every hour or so to think about how you’re positioned and do some of these quick exercises to give your muscles a break and reset your posture.
Neck and Shoulders
Stretching your neck and shoulder muscles will help relieve tension that can cause headaches. Start by very gently dropping your chin down and rolling your head from shoulder to shoulder, keeping your chin against your chest. Try and keep your shoulders relaxed and down while you do this. Don’t over-extend or roll your head past the half-circle of your shoulders otherwise, you could put too much strain on your cervical spine.
Sit up straight and shrug your shoulders up and down, extending the top of your shoulders straight up towards your ears. Pull your shoulder blades together behind your back before relaxing them again.
Eyes
Your eyes are a muscle just like your neck and your shoulders, so make sure to give them a stretch when you take a break too. Spend time focusing on something other than a screen for at least five minutes every hour. Try focusing your eyes together, first to the left and then the right. Then up and down, and finally in a clockwise circle and then a counterclockwise circle.
Wrists
When you think about posture your hands might not be the first thing that comes to mind, but it’s important to remember to stretch your wrists too if you use the computer a lot. Loosen your wrists and shake your hands out very lightly to release the tension. Raise your arms, lifting your hands so your palms are facing each other, and gently press your palms together. Press and release several times to give your wrists a light stretch.
Picking up the Pace
Stretching and maintaining posture will help with long-term wellness, but you can also get your heart rate going in front of your desk or while sitting on the couch. Taking cardio breaks will keep your blood circulating and the exercise could even help with productivity. The best part is you can do most of these while waiting for a screen to load, listening in on a conference call, or even while watching a favourite movie again and again.
Seated Exercise
While sitting upright, lift one leg until it is parallel with the floor and hold it for ten seconds before gently lowering it back down. Then do the same with the other leg. You can increase the number of repetitions as you build your strength, and if you need a challenge you can even add an ankle weight or loop a bag on your foot for some added heft.
Doing this same exercise but with no weights, a bent knee, and a little extra speed will help get your heart rate going. Make sure to keep your spine straight so you’re targeting your abdominal and leg muscles and not straining your back.
Standing Exercise
Using the edge of a desk or the back of a chair (not a rolling one!) to brace yourself, you can do a standing push-up to give your upper body a workout. Put your arms about shoulder-width apart and move your feet back until you’re at an incline, palms firmly on the desk. Breathe out and gently lower yourself as far as you can towards the desk before pushing yourself back up. Don’t lock your elbows or lower yourself further than is comfortable--you don’t want any unnecessary strain on your joints.
The “invisible” jump rope is a great low-impact cardio exercise since all you’ll need is yourself and a small space to be able to run in place. Imagine that you’re holding a jump rope--yes, this is also a thought exercise--and skip rope. It’s that simple. Try alternating footwork, jumping on only your left or only your right foot, or changing your pace. However you do it, it’ll get you up and out of your chair and you don’t have to worry about accidentally flinging a jump rope at your computer.
The Extras
Some gadgets that can encourage you to be active in front of your screen and that may genuinely help, like standing desks, pedal machines, and yoga balls. But before you throw money at a solution you’re not sure you’ll like, try making some of these simple adjustments first. The hardest part of starting a routine is making something a habit, so the most important thing to do is stick to it. You don’t have to do it perfectly every time, you just have to do it.
"Hey
fellow archer! I saw your post and was wondering if you had any advice.
I'm looking to get a new recurve but not sure where to buy them. Do you
know any good online places or do you get them in person?
I'm
looking to replace my 60" recurve. I got two of mine from an antique
store and one is still going but barely. I ordered a horsebow for my
wife but I really want something closer to what I saw in your post. Not
a huge fan of take downs. Sorry, I don't know a lot of archers I can
ask."
Jarin H.
A
I usually buy my bows in person from stores in Toronto, but I also buy vintage bows off eBay.
Basically Bows Archery
Canada Archery Online
Both of those locations accept online orders.
Buying
vintage bows on eBay is trickier because you're taking a risk, but you
can mitigate the risks by only looking at bows where they have 12 to 20
photos of the bow from every angle so you know if the bow has any
damage.
I would NEVER
buy an eBay bow if it has very few photos of it (or the photos are of
low quality) and you cannot tell if the bow limbs are straight /
undamaged.
I also sometimes buy archery equipment (but never bows) off of Amazon. The problem with Amazon is I don't exactly trust the third party sellers on Amazon, whereas with eBay I know that I am deliberately buying a vintage bow and that it is used, and it comes with the territory. Amazon in contrast doesn't sell used/vintage bows.
Other websites to consider:
3riversarchery.com
lancasterarchery.com
I have browsed those websites many times, but never actually ordered from them. Given the choices I usually buy locally as much as possible. Due to COVID/Coronavirus I get that many people these days might prefer to order online, but it is important to note that both Basically Bows Archery and Canada Archery Online do accept online orders. (BBA basically ONLY accepts online orders and pickups currently. The owner Gary doesn't allow people to come in the store and browse any more.)
So it is still possible to shop locally and order online.
Happy Shooting!
Sincerely, Charles Moffat CardioTrek.ca
Below is a circa 1974 Shakespeare Sierra Model X18 which I recently shot on November 7th.
I got the vintage recurve bow for xmas in 2018, but it sat on the shelf for almost 2 years because I kept delaying getting a new bowstring for it. I finally got a new fleming twist bowstring and a new arrow rest (from CAO) for it recently and took it to the range to do some shooting. Despite being a vintage bow it shoots beautifully, and it looks like it is practically brand new.
Every year some silly person brings a pumpkin to the archery range, makes a mess shooting at the pumpkin, and then leaves their stinky mess behind.
Also they make a huge mess on their arrows and then have to clean their arrows with rubbing alcohol, otherwise their arrows will smell like rotting pumpkins.
There is a better however!
And it is reasonably frugal...
#1. Halloween Skull from the Dollar Store
Your local dollar store sells a wide variety of Halloween items which makes for a fun (and less messy) archery target. It doesn't have to be a skull, but that is certainly an option. It could even be a glow in the dark skeleton suitable for night shooting.
#2. Zombie Archery Target
Sometimes your local archery stores sell a variety of zombie themed archery targets. Below is a zombie pizza man. They're pretty inexpensive too.
#3. Old Halloween Decorations
Chances are likely you have some old Halloween decorations you should throw out. But before you throw them out, why not reuse them as an archery target?
#4. Halloween Archery Target
Print out the following Halloween Archery Target using your printer or take it to Staples / Kinkos to print out a larger poster.
Want to improve your archery form and accuracy? Pay attention to these 4 tips that will help to improve your form/accuracy.
Also see my old post from March titled "4 Ways to Improve Your Archery Form". If you read both then that is 8 tips on how to improve your form / accuracy.
1. Align your Torso / Bellybutton to 90 Degrees
It may sound weird, but when you begin pulling back you want your bellybutton to be aligned so it is 90 degrees away from the target. Doing this aligns your torso and allows you to use your upper back muscles (rhomboids) more efficiently, and it allows you to relax your shoulders more.
If you don't do this it results in your shoulders being more stressed and that extra strain on your bow shoulder will often result in a midshot "arm jerk" that will cause your arrow to go to the side. This is obviously bad for accuracy.
Likewise if your drawing shoulder isn't relaxed you are more likely to get a backwards pluck when you release, which will typically make your arrow go higher to the side.
Lastly, if you're not aligned then you aren't using consistent back power. You want to be using consistent back power with your rhomboids so that your arrows are shot with the same amount of power each time.
2. Keep your Drawing Fingers Perpendicular
Avoid drawing back the bowstring with your fingers on a diagonal angle. What you want is to keep them perpendicular so that they release evenly. If they're on a diagonal angle then you will release the bowstring unevenly, often resulting in the arrow flying in a "whale tailing" or "porpoising" manner, which reduces accuracy. The bowstring during the release will also make a more "snappy" sound and will sound weird.
3. Pull your Fingers Evenly
Often beginners will put less power on their third finger on their drawing hand. This likewise effects having an even release. What you need to do is pay attention to giving the third finger and little extra power so it matches the other two fingers.
Beginners aren't used to using the third finger so much and it is weaker compared to the other two fingers, but there is an exercise you can do to increase the strength in your third finger: Snap your third finger 50 times per day on days you are not doing archery. (Hand grips don't work to build muscle in your fingers, that is more for forearm strength. You want to target building muscle in your third finger.)
4. Three Fingers is Stronger than Two
Beginners sometimes try to shoot with just two fingers, because that is what little kids do... Or maybe they saw it in a poorly made movie... What you want to do is use three fingers and half your fingertips. Do not pull to the joints because that will result in more plucking during your releases and can also lead to joint pain in your fingers.
Have you ever done an archery shot and it just felt wrong for some unknown reason?
This is the point when I tell students to just start over. The saying goes "If it feels wrong, just start over."
The execution of a shot should feel normal/natural. If something feels weird, odd, off... Just start over.
You could be doing everything you can think of technically correct, in terms of technique, but if something feels off - even if it is purely mental - I will still argue it is better to start over than to shoot a shot that feels wrong.
It is possible that an archery could be doing something weird with their neck or shoulders and they become aware that something feels off. They wouldn't necessarily notice that something is a bit off if it is something unusual that isn't on their normal checklist of things to do before releasing a shot.
Technique Vs Good Habits
Ideally what archers want to do is to chip away at their bad habits and replace them with good habits. You do this by fostering techniques (and technical knowledge of form) so that you can add it to the checklist of things you do before performing a shot.
Being aware of the technical issues of form is necessary to become self-aware of your form. You don't necessarily need to know the name of what you are doing correctly/wrong, it is more important that you simply know the issue exists and can add it to the things you are checking before shooting.
As an archer's form technique improves likewise they start to develop more good habits, habits which eventually effectively replace technique and you stop consciously thinking about it because it is "just habit".
The problem exists however when an archer persists in a bad habit because they're not aware of it. If they're aware of it then they can consciously work to correct the bad habit, but if they're not aware of it at all then they are hampering their progress because they don't know what they are doing wrong.
If an archer doesn't know what they are doing wrong that is a good time to consult an archery instructor or ask a fellow archer to watch them shoot and hopefully they will spot what they are doing wrong.
Eg. I had an Olympic archer approach me years ago who couldn't figure out why his shots were going erratically to the left. I watched him shoot just a few shots and determined he was unnecessarily tensing his anterior deltoid (also known as the front deltoid) and that this was causing his arm to jerk to the left during shots. This isn't normally a muscle archers even think about when shooting, and with beginner archers it is usually the posterior deltoid (rear deltoid) that they end up tensing by accident. He was doing the opposite and wasn't aware what he was doing wrong, he just knew that something "felt wrong".
In A Nutshell
A beginner archer learns technique, and keeps doing it until they chip away their bad habits and replace them with good habits. Learning the various aspects of form can be technically challenging, and a beginner cannot learn everything all at once. It takes time. It takes practice. Eventually, with ample time, the habits start to take over.
An experienced* archer shoots based upon feel. Everything they do when performing a shot should be based upon habit and feel. If something feels wrong then they remember the technique and double check what they might be doing wrong.
* Obviously there are different levels of experience when it comes to archery. An archer who has been shooting for 30+ years (like myself) will be shooting (and feeling) their shots differently from someone who has only been shooting for a year or two.
An "experienced archer" may have different fortes (things that they're good at). Some might be better / more experienced at shooting longer distances. Some might be more familiar with shooting at moving targets. Some might also be more versatile. My goal during my archery lessons is to give students a comprehensive knowledge of archery so that they are more versatile and can reach higher plateaus of excellence by having constant challenges.
It has been my experience that stagnation happens when an archer stops looking for challenges and is no longer pushing themselves to get better. There is nothing necessarily wrong with this. Some archers are simply content with their current level of skill and want to maintain it through practice, and if they happen to get better over time due to regular practice then they are content with that too.
I would argue therefore that sometimes even so-called "experienced archers" should try to challenge themselves / learn new things in order to become better archers.
The learning process only ever reaches a plateau when you stop trying to reach new heights.
Then
I showed them to Gary at Basically Bows, and he ended up finding a
supplier who makes the same gloves with a different company logo on
them. You can see the gloves on his website at https://basically-bows1.webnode.com/accessories/,
but you will need to make an appointment and go to his physical shop if you
want to purchase. He does apparently do online orders too, so you could just order over the phone or via email.
Historically,
before I got the archery winter gloves from Merlin, I would just cut three fingers
off a cheap pair of gloves from the Dollarama and then shoot like that.
GOT AN ARCHERY QUESTION???
JUST EMAIL cardiotrek@gmail.com AND I SHALL ANSWER IT FOR YOU.
In theory you can, but it is a problem of how safely can you do it.
If
you own a farm, a cabin in the woods, or a similar large property
nobody is going to complain about you shooting on your own property in a
safe and reasonable manner.
If you own a property in a town or
city you need to be taking precautions to make certain what you are
doing is still being done in a safe manner. Eg. Higher fences, using
some kind of a backstop, shooting on a downward angle so the arrow is
certain to be hitting the ground or the backstop, etc.
Now we
could imagine if you don't do these things what might happen, but
instead I am going to tell the story of an incident which was told to me
via word-of-mouth by another archer.
It involves a 12-year-old
boy shooting a youth compound bow (depending upon the poundage youth
compound bows can still be used for hunting and are still deadly) in his
parents' lane way near the garage beside their suburban home. The father
meanwhile was cleaning the backyard and while the son normally shot in
the backyard in a safe manner due to the backyard being busy the father
gave his son permission to shoot in the lane way, but he wasn't
supervising what his son was actually doing.
What happened next is a bit predictable.
The
child began shooting in an increasingly reckless manner. He started
shooting from further away, walking into the street and shooting across
the street and into the lane way. He also started shooting higher and
eventually nearly straight up to see where the arrow would land. One of
the neighbours complained, asking the child to please shoot in a safer
manner.
The father still wasn't paying attention and was unaware
his son was shooting so recklessly. He was also unaware of the exchange
with the neighbour.
The son ignored the neighbour and continued
to shoot in this dangerous manner. Eventually one of his arrows came
down and hit a passing motorist's car in the front windshield, giving
the driver quite the fright and causing hundreds of dollars in damages.
The driver, under the impression that the child had shot at his car deliberately, immediately called the police.
Police
arrived to find the driver in a shouting match with the father, with
the driver wanting to be paid for the damages to his car and threatening
to sue, plus accusing the son of attempted murder.
The neighbour
stepped in and gave a statement to the police, confirming that it had
been accidental, but that the son had been behaving in a reckless manner
by shooting arrows straight up, etc.
Police then arrested the
father (not the son) for Reckless Endangerment with a Firearm, and fined
him $4000. They also confiscated the compound bow and arrows as
evidence and took photographs of the crime scene/damages.
The
father tried to initially plead ignorance of the law, claiming he didn't
know it was illegal, but ignorance of the law is not a defense. If someone accidentally kills someone due to negligence or by behaving recklessly they are still considered to be guilty in the eyes of the law even if they claim that they didn't know that being negligent or reckless was illegal. Why? Because it is common sense that if you're doing something dangerous that someone could get hurt. He
later pleaded guilty, served one month in prison, paid the $4000 fine,
and was forced to pay for the damages to the driver's car.
The
son received a weapons ban, prohibiting him from owning any kind of
firearms. It is unknown when or whether the weapons ban would expire*.
* I looked it up. In Ontario a weapons ban is 10 years for a first offense. For life if it is a second offense.
The father was lucky he didn't get sued and his son was lucky not to be charged with something worse.
Assuming
that the son doesn't get into additional trouble in the future, he
would be allowed to own weapons when he reaches the age of 22.
Now
this is admittedly an extreme example of why people need to be careful.
Shooting in the backyard is certainly safer than shooting in the front
yard, and any children shooting should definitely be supervised.
After
hearing this story I tried looking it up to see if it was the media,
but it was not. Instead I found similar stories, usually involving
people getting injured or killed. Which I kind of understand why those
stories would get more media attention. "If it bleeds it leads" and so
forth. A damaged car doesn't seem that newsworthy in comparison.
And
certainly this doesn't happen very often because most people have
common sense, but it does happen and there are reasons why Reckless
Endangerment with a Firearm carries a prison sentence and a fine, and
likewise there are reasons why bows and crossbows are considered to be
firearms in the eyes of the law.
So yes, it is entirely possible to do archery in your backyard. But you need to do so with a degree of caution because bows are legally considered to be firearms.
I know of multiple people who do archery in their backyards or on their private property. Most archers have built their own mini archery range in such circumstances, not just for safety reasons, but also because they don't want to damage or lose arrows.
You're not limited to your backyard either. Some people build a private range in their garage, in their basement, or even in their attic like the photo on the above right. Owning a large property is certainly ideal, but for those who don't having a small space in their attic or similar location is what works for them.
I have also heard of people renting a tractor trailer or a storage unit and building a private archery range inside such a space.
At this time I am still accepting new archery students, but I am being pickier about who I am accepting with respect to students.
Depending upon what happens with future lockdowns I may end up suspending lessons until after any such lockdown. I am expecting the schools to get shutdown any day now because it is obvious that the province of Ontario has not figured out a safe way to reopen schools.
If they shut down the schools but maintain Stage Three then I will continue to offer lessons. If the province decides to do another big lockdown, going back to the same conditions we had in March then any remaining lessons might end up being delayed until Spring 2021.
Knowing this I totally get why some potential archery students might just decide to delay their archery lessons until 2021 in the first place... Whilst some others might prefer to have them now because they're hoping to learn archery for hunting purposes, in which case the argument is the sooner-the-better. A percentage of my students these days want to learn bowhunting because they're worried about the COVID shutdowns causing the equivalent of the Great Depression and food shortages.
Basically everyone has their own reasons for learning archery. Some people are just bored of being at home all of the time because they work from home these days and they just want to get outside and do something fun.
Fun and potentially useful? Yep, good to go.
Of course there is also the people who just have always wanted to do archery and they just keep procrastinating. Always a new excuse for procrastinators. If you're a procrastinator then you're probably thinking of an excuse right now while reading this.
But if you cannot think of a good excuse maybe now is the time to do.
My new article for Archery Focus Magazine is now available as of September 1st 2020. The topic is "Archery Trick Shooting". Unfortunately I am not posting it here. You will just have to visit the Archery Focus website and read it there.
Also kudos to fellow Toronto archer Crispin Duenas for his review of the BOWdometer.
An one year subscription to Archery Focus Magazine is $32 USD and gets you access to their back catalogue of magazines. Learn more by visiting archeryfocusmagazine.com.
Happy Shooting!
PS. You can also view my past articles for Archery Focus Magazine in the following issues:
"Marketing Strategies for Archery Coaches", July 2017.
"A Lesson in Adaptive Archery", July 2018.
"Teaching Archery Through Narratives", November 2018.
"Rinehart Target Balls (and Alternatives)", January 2020.
After the lesson today I noticed the last joint (closest
to the tip) of my middle finger is quite sore. I noticed the same thing
the last time I shot with my new glove, bow, etc. Is this normal for a
new glove or is it an indication of something
wrong, either with my form or the glove?
Regards,
-Brian H."
A
Hey Brian!
That happens sometimes when the
glove is either not protecting the fingers enough or the person is not
used to pulling a higher poundage.
In your case
however I did notice that you sometimes pulled the bowstring unevenly,
wherein your middle finger was usually about half an inch further across
the bowstring and the bowstring was then on the joint itself (as
opposed to halfway on the fingertips). You were only doing it with your
middle finger (and you didn't always do it so at the time I wasn't too worried about it because I felt you would eventually stop doing it) and you are not experiencing pain in any other fingers,
correct? In the future I recommend making an effort to only use half
your fingertips and see if that solves the problem.
You
may recall me saying "Half your fingertips is twice as accurate." In
this case however it could also be "Half your fingertips is twice as
accurate, but also less painful." Half your fingertips also reduces the chances of plucking the bowstring during the release. Definitely something to build into a positive habit.
"Can I ask you an archery question for research/my thesis?
Okay so I’m writing a thesis about gender and gender
presentations in warrior women. I argue that gender is a construct and
that objects should not be gendered when they are tools in one’s art of
being a warrior, but my professor countered that bows and archery are
more associated with women than men (not meant to offend anyone just
looking for answers) is that true? Where does that come from?
To
me, when I think of archers I think of famous ones like Green Arrow,
Robin Hood, and Legolas...Are there other archers in literature that you
can think of that identify as a woman besides Susan Pevensie that would
dominate the symbol of archers?"
- J. E. T.
A
Gender is indeed a construct, much in the same way that
identity is a social construct. Or Zodiac signs is a superstitious
construct.
With respect
to archery it is predominantly a male sport. For example, with respect
to my local archery range, men make up over 80% of the archery range's
users, and that the "regulars" are even more male dominated, making up
at least 90% of the frequent users.
Archery
is a sport requiring strength and endurance. Far too often non-archers
are expecting the sport to be easy, and they are not at all prepared for
how difficult or strength intensive this sport is.
Part
of this misconception is the fault of mass media, Hollywood, and the
types of body types depicted in films, television and literature. People
see these depictions in a variety of media and then perpetuate the
false idea that archers are a specific body type. Eg. Skinny Legolas.
There
are a variety of films during the past 30 years wherein skinny female
characters are depicted as archers. This depiction is a double edged
sword: It creates the stereotype that skinny women are ideally suited
for archery, promotes archery to women, but also pushes the idea that
women are unsuited to hand-to-hand melee.
While
I appreciate and applaud that Hollywood is pushing the idea of more
women in archery, it is coming at the expense of saying women are
unsuitable for using axes, lances, swords or a variety of other medieval
era weaponry, while simultaneously pushing the idea that archery is not
a sport of strength and endurance.
This
all comes back to depictions of body types in my opinion. Eg. Try to
think of a film that depicts a female archer as not being skinny. I
cannot name one. Hollywood depicts female archers as being ballerina
skinny (and usually Caucasian, Asian, or giant blue alien, but that is
another topic entirely).
In
reality archers are all kinds of body types, but there is one
commonality with respect to experienced archers - They are all strong
and have built up their back muscles so that they can pull higher
poundage bows. Some archers started being reasonably strong, and then
became stronger as they built up their rhomboids, deltoids and other
muscles used for archery. Some were weaker, but built up the muscle
groups over time. Even older archers are often surprisingly robust and
strong for their age.
Thus
even if an archer started as being skinny or overweight, after 20 years
of doing the sport regularly they're going to have a more robust
stature because they've built up the muscle groups.
This
strength factor doesn't mean that women cannot excel at archery
however. While women are certainly a minority, I have met plenty of
women who excel at archery.
Eg.
Back in March (a week before COVID shut everything down) I had the
pleasure of teaching a dancer in her 40s who has what I would describe
as having an Amazonian body type. Certainly more in the direction of an
athlete, which was an asset and she did very well during her first
lesson. You can see a video of her on my Cardio Trek YouTube channel.
Her lessons are supposed to resume this Autumn.
So
does having more of a Tom Boy / Amazonian / athletic physique help when
doing archery? Absolutely it helps. It is a sport of strength and
endurance after all. However that doesn't mean it is only body type that
can excel at archery. An archer who is overweight can excel just as
easily if they build up the needed muscle groups, and likewise a skinny
will become stronger over time.
With respect to archers of literature like Green Arrow, Robin Hood and Legolas there is definitely one missing:
Hercules.
Now you might think "Wait, Hercules did archery?"
Indeed he did. He was supposedly extremely good at archery, owing to his demigod strength.
Here's another: Odysseus / Ulysses.
Ulysses
returned after 20 years of fighting Trojans & being lost at sea to
find his kingdom in turmoil and suitors trying to marry his wife and
take his kingdom. But his wife was very smart. She said she would only
marry a man who could string her husband's bow. All the suitors tried
and failed. They weren't strong enough. Then Ulysses, now an old man in
disguise, asked to try. He strung his bow easily and killed all the
suitors. There is a lovely clip of this scene on YouTube wherein actor
Kirk Douglas plays Ulysses in the scene from the 1954 film.
So what is Greek female equivalent of Hercules or Ulysses?
Atalanta, and to some extent the Amazons.
Atalanta
was abandoned on a mountain and raised by bears. Away from the social
constructs of her fellow Greeks. The Greek myth makers clearly
understood that femininity is a social construct and apparently believed
that the only way a woman could grow to maturity without such
constructs was to be raised in the wild by animals.
The
Amazons it is now believed was one part myth and one part based on the
Scythians (or the forebears of the Scythians), who were a nomadic group
of hunters from Asia Minor wherein men and women both hunted, often from
horseback, and they perfected the Scythian bow, which is a very complex
recurve-decurve-recurve shape. As such they were phenomenal archers. It
is small surprise that the Greeks mythologized such encounters with any
warrior-women they encountered from Scythia as they were doubtlessly
deadly with the bow.
Obviously I could keep going. I could probably write a nonfiction book on this subject.
So
yes, in conclusion the idea that archery is strongly associated with
women (and a skinny body type) is a stereotype perpetuated by the media.
Largely due to Hollywood and anyone influenced by that false narrative.
Archery is still very much a male dominated sport, it is a sport
requiring strength and not agility (despite what Dungeons and Dragons
would have people believe).
I
would also assert that gender identity is not a factor in archery.
People can identify as whatever gender they want to, it will make zero
difference when you hand them a high poundage bow and ask them to pull
it.
Anyone wishing to
disagree can come to my local archery range and I will hand them a 50 lb
Browning Wasp recurve bow, at which point we shall see if their
perceptions of archery being "easy" or not requiring strength is
remotely accurate. If they can't pull it I will give them a "much
easier" 24 lb Ragim Matrix recurve bow. And if they still cannot pull
that I will swap out the limbs for 18 lbs.
I
have been teaching archery for almost 12 years now. Beginners are
continually surprised at how physically exhausting the sport is. It is
the reason why my lessons are 90 minutes long. Two hours is too long.
People get tired and start making more mistakes close to the 90 minute
mark.
There is a reason
why I have blog posts on my website pertaining to weight training
exercises specifically aimed at archers, so they can build more muscle
in the needed areas of their body faster.
It
truly is a sport of strength and endurance. Anyone who has fallen for
the Hollywood fantasy that it is not... They're just perpetuating the
false narrative.
My
apologies if this is a bit of a rant. Archery is a lifestyle for me. I
have been practicing the sport for over 31 years. Teaching for almost 12
years. My wife shoots. My 3-year-old son shoots. I write both fiction
and nonfiction about archery. I am very passionate about promoting the
virtues of the sport and it annoys me that there are so many false
perceptions of it.
I
recommend including my entire email in your appendices for your
professor to peruse. If they have any questions or follow up they can
address it to cardiotrek@gmail.com.
"Hello! My wife weighs 115 lbs and isn't very big. What kind of bow should I get her for getting into archery? Matt M."
A
Hey Matt!
Her weight isn't the biggest concern, her height and strength are bigger factors. I am guessing she is petite?
Start her on a low poundage bow, like a 15 to 20 lb
recurve. I recommend a 3 piece recurve where she can get more powerful
limbs later so she can build more muscle as she progresses.
If
she is short you should also consider a youth bow. Some of my adult
archery students who are closer to 5 feet tall need to use a youth bow,
so if your wife is 5'2" or shorter this is an option, otherwise she may
have clearance issues with the bowstring rubbing against her side.
"Thank you very much. This has been a big help. She is 5'3" so I am probably gonna go with a 3 piece so I can get her stronger limbs when she improves.
I was thinking the Samick Sage for her, but I'm worried the riser might be to big for her hands any other good starters you can recommend?"
Due to her height try to find something in the 48 to 58 inches range. The bigger the bow the more likely she will have clearance issues. 60 to 66 inches might be too big and have clearance issues with the bowstring.
I no longer offer pairs/couples or groups of 3 lessons. All lessons are now one-on-one. Older archery students from 2019 or earlier who are returning for more lessons get a discount. Ask for details.
Please be advised that I no longer offer evening time slots.
Ask about my 10% Seniors Discount if you are over 65. Ask about my
10% Veterans Discount if you are a former or current member of the
Canadian Armed Forces. (Discounts are not cumulative.)
Email cardiotrek@gmail.com to Schedule a Lesson.
Notice
Anyone who previously purchased an Archery Gift Voucher for single, pairs or group lessons will still have their gift voucher honoured and as previously announced I have extended the expiration date for Gift Vouchers due to COVID19 throwing a wrench into the scheduling of lessons during 2020. See Gift Voucher Extension of Expiry for more details.
Anyone wishing to purchase Archery Gift Vouchers can still do so and the expiration date is similarly extended, but they can only purchase gift vouchers for one-on-one lessons at this time. No pairs or group lessons.
Purchased new arrows yesterday for archery lessons.
There is something about unboxing brand new arrows that always brings a smile to my face. They are shiny, perfect, pristine...
It is very satisfying.
And these arrows should hopefully last a long time.
In other news I have resumed teaching archery lessons, as of today (July 3rd), but I am limiting the number of archery lessons I am willing to teach and invoking the following new rules due to COVID.
#1. All lessons will be conducted using physical distancing of 6+ feet.
#2. No more couples or group lessons. All lessons going forward will be taught one-on-one.
#3. Equipment will be cleaned before and after lessons. Possibly also during lessons.
#4. No more 30% deposits. Students booking lessons must pay the full amount in advance. This is prevent cash being handled by both the instructor and student(s).
#5. Students will be expected to fetch and clean arrows themselves during the lessons. No more will the instructor be fetching arrows and then handing them to the student between shots.
#6. Instructor will only be available to teach a limited number of lessons / students per month. This will apply to all lessons being taught in July and August. September and October will have more availability.
#7. Additional rules may be applied based on circumstances.
If you want to book Archery Lessons in Toronto or have any questions please email cardiotrek@gmail.com.
#1. No more different rates for weekdays and weekends. One rate regardless of the day of the week.
#2. No more pairs/couples or groups of 3 lessons. All lessons going forward are one-on-one. Doesn't that mean I am making less money? Yes, yes it does. Teaching 2 or 3 students at once is definitely more profitable, but due to COVID I will no longer be teaching any kind of pairs/group lessons.
#3. Compared to my old weekday rate my prices are going up by $10 per lesson. Compared to my weekend rate my prices are going down by roughly $20 per lesson. The new base price for a single lesson is $70.
#4. In previous years due to sheer demand I charged a 50% premium for weekend lessons, hence the price differences listed above for the older rates. Due to COVID19 the demand has pretty much disappeared. Not a lot of people are looking for archery lessons any more.
REPOSTING THIS. I GET A LOT OF MY FOOD FROM BRUCE COUNTY.
If you live in Canada and care about eating healthy food you should repost it too. :( CM
Doug Ford.
The name brings fear to the minds of many people in Ontario.
Doug
Ford is the Premier of Ontario, and he is a jerk. A real nasty jerk. He
wants to dump nuclear waste in Bruce County, close to the town of
Teeswater. The Teeswater River (and the underground aquifer beneath the
region) supplies the drinking water to:
Tens of thousands of people.
Dairy cows.
Water for agricultural farming (corn, potatoes, soy beans and more).
Water for Aquafina bottled water.
Cattle, pigs, turkeys and
chickens. Bruce County is the Beef Capital of North America, but it also
produces a lot of other meat products.
If you live Ontario you've eaten food many times from
Bruce County. Guaranteed. You've drank the milk. You've eaten the
cheese. You've eaten beef, pork, turkey and chicken. You've eaten the
corn, the potatoes, the soy products. You've drank Aquafina water.
Even
if you are a vegan and don't eat milk and dairy, you should still care
where your soy products and other vegetables are grown and where your
bottled water comes from.
And that is why you should care.
If you care about what you eat, then you should protect what you eat. Learn more at:
If you think of working out like building a house, then squats would be like pouring the foundation.
Squats are an essential move to help strengthen your lower body, and they help fortify the base for all the rest of your movements. Squats are a crucial move not only because they work so many different muscles, but also because the muscles they build work to balance your body when you are doing other exercises, thus benefiting your exercise routine for the rest of your body.
Thus if you are going running, why not do 20 squats first?
If you are starting a weight lifting workout, why not do 20 squats first?
Yoga? 20 squats first.
Some people swear by stretching before a workout, some people are against stretching because the stretching can sometimes cause sports injuries because people overdo the stretching. But 20 squats is not a huge number and they will certainly help to build the muscle groups that you will be using often.
They also cost zero equipment. So squats rank high on the frugal exercises.
There are also many kinds of squats. You are not limited to one kind. Just pick your favourite and add it to the start of your workout.
Anyone who has an older Gift Voucher for Archery Lessons from Cardio Trek which was set to expiry during 2020 can still redeem their Gift Voucher in 2021.
I am extending all such older gift vouchers which would be expiring at any time during 2020 so that they now expiry in December 2021. (I may amend this later if the Covid Crisis + Lockdown lasts into 2021, although I doubt that will happen. I am currently expecting to be teaching archery lessons as soon as September 2020.)
2. New Expiry Policy
Where previously Gift Vouchers had an expiry of 18 months, giving recipients a sum of 1.5 years to redeem the gift voucher before it expires, starting immediately new Gift Vouchers will now have a 30 month (2.5 years) period before they expire. That should cover the duration of the COVID Lockdown and then some extra.
Notes
If anyone has any questions about Archery Lesson Gift Vouchers feel free to ask by emailing cardiotrek@gmail.com.
If you are really anxious to begin learning archery NOW I can recommend the following:
"Precision Archery", an impressively good book by Steve Ruis and Claudia Stevenson.
"Archery Focus Magazine", edited by Steve Ruis (with articles by myself and other archers).
Today is the first Saturday in May. Next week, the Saturday, will be International Archery Day.
International Archery Day (also known as "National Archery Day" in the USA) is observed annually on the second Saturday in May. The date was chosen because it is usually fairly good weather and it doesn't interfere with any popular holidays or events (eg. Mother's Day).
One of the oldest sports still in existence, archery has been around for tens of thousands of years, with some of the oldest bows ever found dating back to 8,000 to 9,000 BC. The oldest bow thus far found is an elm Holmegaard bow dated to 9,000 BC and was found in Denmark.
Cave drawings, other artifacts and similar stone age depictions are dated much further back, suggesting that archery is significantly older. At least 65,000 years old.
When celebrating International Archery Day it is traditional to invite a friend to try archery out for the first time. So get out there, invite a friend to try archery (or learn archery yourself) and enjoy one of the oldest sports known to mankind.
International Archery Day falls on the following dates in upcoming years:
Looking to sign up for archery lessons, boxing lessons, swimming lessons, ice skating lessons or personal training sessions? Start by emailing cardiotrek@gmail.com and lets talk fitness!
