Q "Can I leave my longbow strung up all the time? I have heard that it damages the wood over time, but I have also heard of some manufacturers claiming that it is okay to leave their bows strung up all the time. What should I be doing?" - James R.
A
Hello James!
No, I definitely do not recommend that you leave your longbow strung all the time. If left strung the pressure the bow is under while strung will cause the wood to slowly become weaker, making your bow less powerful - and less accurate - over time. Keeping a bow strung for long periods could also damage the wood permanently so that when it is finally used it could just snap.
This is also true for recurve bows - both traditional recurve bows and Olympic style - and it also true for shortbows / horsebows as well.
There are of course exceptions. eg. Compound bows have to be left strung up all the time. Many crossbows are also left strung up all the time too.
There is a company called "Primal Gear" that makes a metal folding longbow which can be left strung up all the time as well - it is made out of high tensile steel-alloy however. However since it is a folding bow, it kind of defeats the purpose if you left it strung up all the time. Unstring it and fold that puppy up.
When in doubt I strongly recommend keeping your bow unstrung whenever you are not using it. It lengthens the lifespan of the bow and keeps it strong.
When storing your bow(s) I recommend storing them either flat (on a table, shelf or rack) or using a vertical rack with pegs like the one shown below.
I even found you a video on YouTube that demonstrates just how much stress a strung bow is actually under when left strung. It is a surprising amount of power stored in a strung bow and that power will slowly weaken your bow if left strung for long periods of time.
Earlier today I saw a website promoting the myth that doing weight lifting exercises for your arms can help women to get "skinny arms". The website contained a list of exercises, mostly weight lifting exercises like bicep curls and body weight exercises like push ups. It made me so angry I wrote a lengthy comment on their website.
My comment below:
"Wow. Such misinformation. The exercises listed above would give people BIGGER arms, not skinny arms. I am a personal trainer and I come across misinformation like this way too often. #1. Doing weight lifting or body weight exercises will make your arms get BIGGER, not smaller, because you will be building more muscle. #2. Spot Training for Weight Loss is a MYTH. You cannot do weight training with your triceps and expect your triceps to shed fat. It doesn't work that way. #3. If you want to shed fat you need to be doing cardio. Jogging, swimming, cycling, aerobics, etc. #4. Extra skin is normal after sudden weight loss, but there are tricks to fixing that problem - they're listed on my website."
The level of misinformation in the exercise industry boggles my mind quite often. It is due to a combination of factors:
#1. People who just plain don't know what they are talking about. They are perpetuating a myth due to sheer ignorance.
#2. Companies that are trying to sell you a product and are deliberately giving you false information in an effort to trick you into buying their product.
#3. Personal Trainers who have become so focused on one style of training that they warp, twist the truth and outright lie to their clients. Eg. Weight lifting trainers telling people that they can lose weights using weightlifting - or vice versa, cardio trainers telling people they can build lots of muscle by going jogging.
The third cause above makes me so angry because it means my own industry is partly to blame for the misinformation. It not that my fellow colleagues are stupid or anything, they are simply doing math: more clients = more money, and men who can easily be tricked into thinking weightlifting sheds fat is an easy way to get more clients. It is basically preying on the gullible and/or the ignorant.
But for a website that isn't actually selling anything, that is just posting free information (or free misinformation) what is the purpose of that? They don't make any extra money off perpetuating a myth. Unless they were selling a product I wasn't aware of, or maybe it was the advertising on the website - which implies that their primary goal is to keep their advertisers happy, not to inform the public.
And so to summarize:
Weightlifting and resistance training builds lots of muscle. It will not give you skinny arms. Spot Training to build muscle does actually work, but it only works for building muscle - not for shedding fat.
Cardio exercises shed fat. So if you are looking to shed the extra arm fat, you need to be thinking of a full body workout like jogging or swimming.
Spot Training to remove fat in specific areas is a myth. You can build muscle in specific spots, but you cannot shed fat in that manner.
If your goal is to do BOTH, to build muscle and shed fat at the same time you need to be doing a combination of both cardio and weightlifting. Eg. 15 minutes of weightlifting and a 15 minute jog every day.
FACT - 30 minutes of exercise per day is approx. 2% of your day, but that 30 minutes of exercise can make a big difference towards your exercise goals.
During the past year I have been working on my forthcoming book on recreational archery and compiling various chapters. However for those of you who cannot wait for the book to come out, have a look below at samples of my past writing on the topic of the archery.
Arrow Splitting String Down Middle
Below is a list of 12 archery posts on CardioTrek.ca ranked by their popularity (excluding archery lesson testimonials).
On the topic of recreational archery I feel that is archery at its purest form. The sheer joy of archery for archery's sake. No compound gadgetry or Olympic gadgetry, no confusing hunting or competing with the sport of archery, just archery in its most natural form without anything added or subtracted.
Earlier this week I was named "Athlete of the Week" by CityTV News, not because of any great deed in terms of competition, nor for any feat of bowhunting skill, but for my interest in furthering recreational archery as a sport. Yes, I teach archery - but I don't limit myself solely to bowhunting or solely to people who want to compete in archery. My goal is much simpler: To promote archery as a whole, both as a pastime and as a recreational sport.
The CityTV news clip made reference to my ability to shoot at moving targets and shooting while walking, but I do many other things too. For example in my personal practice I routinely practice shooting at many different distances, sometimes while also shooting at moving targets. Such practices force my brain to work over time, to force myself to concentrate on the task at hand.
In my most recent personal practices I have taken to shooting at tiny moving targets, the size of a bottle cap. Or other similar targets so small most archers wouldn't even attempt to shoot at a moving target that small. Such practice causes me to go into a semi-meditative state as I study the moving target and determine how best to hit it. Part of it is timing, other parts are things like aiming (finely honed aiming), perfect form, perfect release, etc.
Bullseye on Plastic Bottle Cap
If you are looking for archery lessons in Toronto or if you want to add your name to the waiting list of people who want a copy of my upcoming book, send me an email. Sometime in the future I will also be adding a form for people who want to pre-order my archery book*.
* Note - Technically it will be my 2nd archery book. The 1st archery book I wrote was a book of zen poetry on the topic of zen archery and is titled "Dreaming of Zen Archery", which is available on Kobo.
On several occasions I have been contacted by men who are into MMA (so-called "Mixed Martial Arts") who are looking for a trainer who trains MMA fighters.
Every time someone contacts me for this particular specialized kind of sports training I laugh. Not so much because it is funny, but for several reasons.
#1. I actively make fun of the "sport" of "Mixed Martial Arts". I don't consider it to be a real sport compared to boxing, for example. It is not a "Martial Art" either. Visually speaking, it is an activity wherein one man jumps on the other man, they wrestle and then the one on the top start punching (if you can call those punches) the one on the bottom. There is almost no fighting skill required either, as MMA has the same level of technique utilized by chimps or gorillas fighting each other - or little kids fighting in a schoolyard. No noticeable skill. Just brute force. It is a sport for gorillas and like minded individuals.
Boxing on the other hand is a sport for gentlemen (in a broad sense of the term). Boxing has rules (no punching below the belt, no kidney punches, etc) and your goal in a boxing match is to score more points (hits) than your opponent. The sport of professional boxing therefore has seen many upsets over the years as savvy boxers will focus on scoring more points than their opponent, and win the match through points. Winning a match via KO (Knock Out) doesn't actually mean the opponent was knocked out cold. It simply means they didn't get back on their feet before the count of 10. There is also a TKO (Technical Knock Out), which is when the ring physician declares that one or more fighters are not healthy enough to continue.
Thus someone contacting me asking for MMA training is a bit like contacting a vegan and asking for tips on how to fry bacon. You are asking the wrong person!
#2. Why is the person contacting me not contacting someone who specializes in training MMA fighters? Wouldn't it make more sense to hire a professional MMA coach or perhaps a former MMA champion who has retired and might be tempted to start coaching?
This is what I mean by Specialized Personal Training. You contact someone who is a Specialist in the field you are seeking to learn about, because they are an expert in that field and you will learn far more from them than you would from someone who is not an expert in that field.
It would be like contacting a piano teacher and asking them to teach you how to play the bagpipes. It just doesn't make any sense. I laugh because again, for a separate reason, you are asking the wrong person!
#3. Several of the people who contacted me asking for MMA training were clearly amateurs trying to get into MMA fighting - and clearly had no clue what they were doing. Thus the visual image of a complete amateur getting beat up on the floor gorilla-style was inherently funny to me.
#4. The phenomenon of MMA in North America is pretty much limited to the type of gorilla-minded individuals who think what they are seeing is entertainment. You get the same level of entertainment watching actual gorillas fight. It is always the same thing too. The two gorillas attack each other. One gorilla realizes he is outmatched and tries to keep his distance. Eventually their struggle back and forth meets a climax when the two gorillas roll on the ground and one gorilla pounds the other. Don't believe me? Search for "gorillas fighting" on YouTube and then compare what you see to MMA videos. Any time people mention MMA I laugh, either aloud or in my head. MMA is basically a joke.
If you want to be entertained more, try watching the recent Planet of the Apes movies. The fight scene between Cesar and Koba will suffice.
Specialized Personal Training
There are many kinds of personal trainers - and no two trainers are completely alike. For example:
Weight Loss Personal Trainers (sole focus on cardio exercises).
Weight Loss Personal Trainers / Nutritionists (similar, but heavier focus on diet).
Sports Trainers / Coaches for Specific Sports (eg. boxing trainer, Olympic skiing coach, figure skating coach, marathon coach, football coach, etc).
Muscle Gain Personal Trainer (sole focus on weight lifting).
Body Building Personal Trainer (sole focus on weight lifting, with an eye for competitive bodybuilding).
Powerlifting Personal Trainer (sole focus on competitive weight lifting).
Examples of Specialized Personal Trainers in Toronto
In Alphabetical Order
Briar Munro - Holistic fitness for women. Charles Moffat - Archery instructor and general fitness personal trainer. Dena Ryde - Pre and post-natal personal trainer for soon-to-be moms and new moms. Gary Roberts - Former pro-hockey player turned personal trainer. Only trains young hockey players.
Greg Hetherington - Former pro-football player turned personal trainer. If your goal is football or rugby, he is your guy. Joanna Zdrojewska - Olympic weight lifting trainer.
Joel N.M. Kerr, Dr. - Rehab personal trainer.
Kathleen Trotter - Weight loss and general fitness personal trainer.
Lyzabeth Lopez - Gymnastics, aerobics and body shaping. Melissa Wessel - Strength training for women.
Nick Vernelli - Olympic weight lifting trainer. Sarah Davis - General fitness personal trainer. Steve Ashalou - Sports therapist / massage therapist and weight loss personal trainer.
Toronto has many other personal trainers, but you have to realize that each one has their specialties. Don't waste your time with a personal trainer who is doing something other than what you actually want to be doing.
So for example if you are looking for a MMA coach, contact a MMA coach. If you are looking for an archery instructor or general fitness, contact me. I also teach boxing, swimming and ice skating depending on the season.
Adrenaline Highs are powerful and can be used to boost energy levels / burn calories in an effort to lose weight. But attaining that adrenaline high while exercising can be tricky. So here are 10 ways to possibly attain an adrenaline high by doing something exciting.
Please note that all of the activities listed below are things you can do in Toronto. If it isn't possible to do it in Toronto, I am not listing it.
#1. Axe Throwing
Honestly, this is a really good sport for getting rid of some calories and get rid of some of your aggressive feelings while you are at it too.
In Toronto there are several locations that can help you if you want to try axe throwing:
BATL Axe Throwing | The Home of Axe Throwing
batlgrounds.com
Bad Axe Throwing | Where Axe Throwing Lives
https://badaxethrowing.com
Please note that I have no affiliation with either of these companies. I cannot speak to the quality of their service or safety standards.
#2. Mountain Biking
To do this you will need a mountain bike - preferably a good one, so don't go to any Canadian Tire or a store that doesn't specialize in mountain bikes. Instead go to a store that actually specializes in mountain bikes.
Below is a list of the Top 10 Mountain Bike Stores in Toronto, listed alphabetically:
Broadway Cycle / The Bike Depot
Cyclemotive
Cycle Solutions
D'Ornellas
Dukes Cycle
Gears
Liberty Street Cyclery
Silent Sports
Sporting Life Bikes
Sweet Pete's
#3. Rock Climbing Indoors
With safety harnesses you might not feel that this is too dangerous, but with a healthy fear of heights you will still get a shot of adrenaline. Below is a list of indoor rock climbing gyms in Toronto:
The Rock Oasis
Boulderz Climbing Centre
Joe Rockhead's Indoor Rock Climbing
Toronto Climbing Academy
True North Climbing Inc.
#4. Dancing + Music!
Combine music with dance, and regardless of whether you do this at home or at a dance studio, or at a dance club you can get that extra boost of adrenaline.
#5. LARPing (Live Action Roleplaying)
Okay, hanging out with nerds who fight with sponge swords may sound like over-the-top geek to you, but running around with swords is surprisingly good exercise and really burns a lot of calories in a hurry. There are numerous locations / organizations in the GTA that have LARPing events, usually on weekends. Pick one and get involved.
#6. Archery Tag
Similar to LARPing, Archery Tag offers teenagers and people in their 20s / 30s a chance to run around and shoot their friends with foam tipped arrows. Toronto has multiple locations that offer archery tag. The location I recommend is Battle Sports in North York. See http://battlesports.ca/
#7. Play Zombie Tag
Hire a makeup artist (or a friend who is awesome with makeup) for a day, invite lots of friends to a large park, and then run around and bite your friends. [No actual inviting involved, instead you are supposed to "hug" them without tackling them.]
Toronto also has lots of zombie survivalist groups, the Toronto Zombie Walk, and other events / organizations you can join to meet more people who are interested in zombies.
#8. Parkour and/or Freerunning
Last but not least, Toronto also has various organizations (clubs, schools, etc) devoted to the arts of parkour and freerunning. You can basically just pick one and get into the sport of running, jumping, hurdling over obstacles.
I was hoping to find several locations, but the following was the only one I could find that has its own website.
July is basically the middle of Summer and it is a really good time of year to be doing cardio exercises outdoors. Some of these you can do any time of year, but why not July?!
Thus here are 8 Fun Cardio Exercises that are perfect for the month of July.
The Pan Am Games are coming to Toronto this month and will take place from July 10th to July 26th. The Parapan Am Games will also be in Toronto, August 7th to 15th. The sports involved in the Pan Am Games are as follows:
Archery (70 meter Olympic style archery only, no field archery, no flight archery, no equestrian archery)
Athletics (includes all the track and fields events such as running, hurdles, discus, javelin, shot put, high jump, long jump, etc)
Badminton
Baseball
Basketball
Beach Volleyball (seriously, beach volleyball is a separate sport from regular volleyball)
BMX (as a separate category from cycling)
Bowling (why is billiards, darts and lawn darts not considered sports if bowling is included?)
Boxing
Canoe / Kayak Slalom
Canoe / Kayak Sprint
Cycling - Road
Cycling - Track
Diving
Equestrian (just horse jumping, no horse racing for some strange reason)
Fencing
Field Hockey (as if we couldn't find an ice rink to have a normal hockey game in Toronto...)
Football (World Football, or as Americans call it "Soccer")
Golf
Gymnastics - Artistic
Gymnastics - Rhythmic
Handball (it is like a cross between hockey and basketball)
Judo
Karate
Modern Pentathlon
Mountain Bike (why isn't that considered to be a cycling event?)
Open Water Swimming
Racquetball
Roller - Figure Skating (wait, wait, wait... figure skating? But no ice hockey???)
Roller - Speed Skating
Rowing
Rugby Sevens
Sailing (small sailboats that are built for speed, in other words a sport only rich people can do, although you could say that about many of the other sports listed here - like horse jumping)
Shooting (rifles, but why not crossbows too? Crossbows at least require more exercise to load.)
Softball (baseball with bigger balls)
Squash
Swimming (for speed that is, including many different styles of swimming)
Synchronized Swimming
Table Tennis
Taekwondo
Tennis (another sport for rich people who have their own tennis courts)
Trampoline
Triathlon
Volleyball
Water Polo (but not normal polo, the kind you play with horses - although admittedly polo is another sport for rich people)
Waterski & Wakeboard
Weightlifting
Wrestling (Olympic style wrestling, not the American version with play-acting and steroids)
I am ever amazed as to how certain "sports" get into these large scale events like the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games, etc. I do therefore have some criticisms, on this and other topics.
#1. Some sports just aren't that popular, so why are they included?
Are there really that many people who play handball or water polo? I think not.
#2. Some sports aren't really sports in the normal sense.
eg. Shooting or Bowling, yes, I get it they do require some physical strength to do them - but they're not exactly something you break a sweat doing. Worst case scenario you might get a sore trigger finger or sore bowling fingers. And if shooting and bowling are sports, why not darts, lawn darts, billiards, or the biathlon (shooting and skiing)?
#3. Sometimes it feels like they are just inventing new sports.
Waterski, Wakeboard, Trampoline, Kayak Shalom or Sprint... if these are sports why not also:
Surfing
Windsurfing
Dolphin Riding (no seriously, if we have horse jumping, why not dolphin riding?)
Rock Climbing
Skydiving
Team Paintball
Team Archery Tag
Snorkeling
#4. Some sports are really just aimed at rich people.
Golf, tennis and sailing are three good examples of sports that are mostly only done by rich people. Equestrian horse jumping and any other sport involving horses also falls into this (as would Dolphin Riding...)
#5. What if a Parapan Athlete wants to compete in the normal Pan Am games?
This is an idea that has always made me wonder. For example lets say a man is missing a leg, but wants to be in horse jumping? His single leg might be a minor disadvantage when it comes to riding the horse, but you could also argue that he weighs less and the horse might be able to perform better with a lighter rider.
Same goes with golf. Do you really need two working legs to play golf? I think not.
Shooting rifles? Sure, they just need one good eye and a trigger finger.
Archery? Same deal. No reason why a person in a wheelchair cannot achieve greatness as an archer.
Fencing? A person with one arm only needs one arm to do fencing. In the video below you see a French citizen who is missing part of their arm.
So in conclusion always remember that the sports during the Pan Am Games (and the Olympics and other similar events) are the result of a committee voting on feedback from not the athletes themselves, but from sponsors. Sponsorship money is really what it comes down to.
The same thing goes for the athletes. The necessary time needed to practice a sport, train, eat properly, the cost of coaches and traveling to competitions is often the result of money from sponsors. If sponsors were sponsoring equestrian archery for example, then that would likely be a sport at the Pan Am Games.
In the world of competitive sports, it really all comes back to the issue of sponsors and money.
If you can think of a sport that should be included, leave a comment below.
If you have comments on the issue of money in sports, absolutely leave a comment about that too.
The photos on the right is of a woman who gradually lost 88 lbs in 1 year through a combination of diet and exercise.
She didn't use any fancy diets or any special exercise program. She simply made an effort to eat healthier, watch her calorie intake, and she exercised more often.
That was it.
88 lbs in 52 weeks.
It is really more a matter of math, determination and knowing it can be done. In other words motivation to stick with the healthy diet and to keep exercising regularly was the primary reason she succeeded. Had she adopted a defeatist attitude of "this is impossible" or "I will never succeed" then she would have failed simply because she had no confidence in her own ability to succeed.
Lets say you have two twins who are identical in every way except the way they think, and these two twins agree to have a marathon race (42.195 km or 26.22 miles).
The first twin thinks "I can do this, all I have to is run slightly faster at the beginning than my twin does and then keep ahead of them the rest of the race."
The second twin thinks "I don't think I can even run 5 km, let alone 42 km. I might as well just quit now. Even if I try I only have a 50% chance of winning anyway, so why bother?"
Obviously the first twin is the one who will likely succeed simply because they have set a positive goal for themselves and have even worked out a strategy for staying ahead. The second twin will likely give up the moment their more positively thinking rival sprints ahead at the beginning.
The correct response to that situation is to set a goal of "I am going to keep pace right beside him the whole race and at the end I am going to sprint and pass him."
Thus knowing you can succeed through perseverance and positive thinking can make a big difference.
I also mentioned math earlier.
88 lbs in 52 weeks means she was losing approx. 1.69 lbs per week. One pound of fat equals 3500 calories, so she needs to burn or reduce 5915 calories in one week. Almost 6000 calories per week.
Or more concisely 845 calories per day.
If she adopts a diet of 1600 calories per day (a reduction of 400 from the 2000+ calories she is normally getting) and then spends 90 minutes per day exercising in an effort to shed an extra 445 calories, yes, it can be done.
Note - She doesn't have to burn a whole 445 calories from 1 exercise. By doing cardio activities she could trigger the Afterburn Effect and end up burning 25% to 100% more calories than normal. eg. If she burns 300 calories by doing High Intensity Interval Training, she might trigger the Afterburn Effect and burn an extra 200 or 300 calories. The Afterburn Effect is triggered whenever a person's blood sugar goes below a certain point and their heart rate is elevated due to intense exercise, thus triggering a fat burning effect that lasts up to 48 hours after the exercise is over.
Thus any person who adopts a more intense exercise routine will burn more calories simply because they are triggering the Afterburn Effect.
The beauty of the Afterburn Effect is that the fat being burned makes the person feel even more energetic, and it is addictive. The heightened level of energy makes the person want to do it again every day and the next thing they know they are exercising religiously every day, chasing that energy high. It is basically a fat burning induced sugar high.
Craving sugar? Go do an intense exercise and note the feeling of excitement and invigoration you feel afterwards. That is the Afterburn Effect burning fat and the feeling it gives you.
Positive thinking combined with positive reinforcement of getting a sugar high off exercising every day can have a dramatic weight loss effect on a person. It can change their life completely.
It can change your life completely too. All you have to do is try, keep trying, and keep doing it. When you see the results you will know it is working.
From June 26th to 30th I will be away on vacation - hiking, fishing and camping - and will not be answering emails very quickly during that time period.
The location I will be hiking will be along the Niagara Escarpment of Ontario, which has many cliffs, rocky outcroppings, waterfalls and other sights. Below is a map showing waterfalls that dot the landscape along the Niagara Escarpment.
One of my personal favourites to visit is Hilton Falls near Milton, Ontario - not because it is the closest to Toronto, but because you can walk both on top of the falls and also behind the waterfalls. To get to Hilton Falls it is a roughly 20 minute hike through the woods from the parking lot.
Walking along the top of the waterfalls, close to the edge
At the base of the waterfalls
Behind the waterfalls
There are many places within a quick drive from Toronto where people can go to exercise, go hiking, cycling, swimming and many other activities.
Yesterday I split an arrow while I was shooting at a paper target of a turkey. It was a solid cluster of three arrows so tight they were touching, but unfortunately the middle arrow broke the shaft of the arrow below it and scratched the side of the arrow above it.
Below - The bottom arrow in the cluster that broke from being hit by the middle arrow.
Earlier today I did an interview with CityTV for an upcoming spot where I am being honoured with the title "Athlete of the Week".
Following the interview I was doing some personal practice and split another arrow, this time on a moving target (moving bottle in the wind). Unfortunately the cameraman was gone and wasn't there to film the feat. Oh well. Here are some photos.
And lest we not forget Saturday, when I shot 4 arrows into a supertight cluster where they were all touching. I liked that cluster so much I made a video of it.
My apologies for the sound quality, it was windy at the time.
These are just recent feats from Saturday, Sunday and today. Feats which unfortunately means it is time for me to buy more arrows. Just 30 minutes ago I contacted my local supplier and ordered 24 more arrows.
Call it the downside of hitting your own arrows - I have to buy new arrows regularly.
On the 17th (last Wednesday) I split a string down the middle.
Two weeks ago I had a supertight arrow cluster that came out the back of an old target butt that is due to be replaced.
At the end of March I was practicing on a box suspended and blowing in the wind on a snowy day and got the supertight cluster of 3 arrows shown in the video below.
And I could go back further, back to an earlier post when I first Robin Hooded an arrow on a moving target last year and determined that I need a new challenge.
To see more arrow clusters / split arrows read Arrow Clustering at Work, which I wrote in October last year.
"Thanks so much, the lessons were so fun you're a great teacher." - Natalie B.
"Thank you again for the wonderful archery lessons and also for being so accommodating after my husband broke his leg in 2014 and rescheduling us for 2015. It was a huge wait, but he really appreciated the extra time so he could heal properly. [I offered them a choice between a refund or we could reschedule for a much later date.]
Regarding the lessons we found the lecture on proper form very helpful and your insights into what we were doing wrong and how best to fix it made a huge difference. We learned a lot during our lessons. Good luck to you in the future and we hope to see you again." - Beth and John N.
"Thank you for the archery lessons you gave us in May. It made a huge difference in our shooting form. Sammy is now competing in high school archery competitions and I am coaching him. I look forward to reading your archery book when it comes out but in the meantime I am reading that website you recommended." - Maximilian S. and Sammy S.
Note - The website Maximilian is referring to is "A Blog for Archery Coaches" by Steve Ruis, which I highly recommend for anyone who is coaching archery.
"Thanks again for the archery lessons! We are recommending you to our friends so expect their emails soon."
So here it is! 10 MORE Weightlifting Tips for Archers!
#1. Proper Weightlifting Shoes, AKA Flats
What you might not know is that the shoe industry makes specific styles of shoes for weightlifters that allow them to build muscle faster when doing specific exercises. Indeed there is a bit of an argument within the weightlifting community as to which is better: Flats or Raised Heels.
Basically all you need to know is that there are pros and cons to both flats and raised heel shoes for weightlifters. All weightlifting shoes (regardless of whether they are flat or raised heel) are designed to have better traction to avoid slippage, a hard sole, and a snug fit. Where the two schools of thought differ is what activities the shoes are being used for:
Raised Heels are better for front squats, back squats, and Olympic style lifts and squats.
Flats are better for deadlifts, barbell rolls, wide stance squats, and basically everything else.
I should note also that for archery purposes, flats are best. If you are curious about why flats are best I recommend reading Steve Ruis' blog post on the topic of Leaning In, during which he rightly bashes crosstrainers (which I despise) and extolls the benefits of wearing flats.
#2. Learn Proper Form
The principle of learning proper form applies in weightlifting just like it does in archery. Whatever exercise you are doing please learn the proper way to safely do that exercise because: A. It builds muscle faster and B. It prevents injuries.
For example lets say you are doing a Back Dumbbell Row (an exercise which targets your rhomoids, deltoids and triceps) you need to be doing it properly.
To do a Back Dumbbell Row start by kneeling down on an exercise ball (or sofa or chair or bench) with the opposing arm holding onto a dumbbell. Slowly bring the dumbbell upwards to your chest keeping your elbow tight as possible into your body. Slowly bring the weight back down to the starting position.
A good starting weight to use for this exercise is 15 lbs.
#3. Learn Many Different Exercises
Don't limit yourself to just 1 to 3 exercises. Research new exercises and learn how to do them properly too. For example learn other versions of exercises that are similar, like the Front Dumbbell Row shown below:
Other exercises archers should try include:
Chin Ups or Reverse Grip Chin Ups
Close Grip Pulldowns
Dumbbell Bent Over Row
Exercise Band Standing Back Row
Lat Pulldown
One Arm Row
Power Clean / Hang Clean
Seated Row
Standing Row
Straight Arm Pulldowns
T-Bar Rows
#4. Invest in Quality Equipment that is Versatile
Just like you do with archery, invest in equipment you can use and keep using because of their versatility. Dumbbells for example are very versatile and can be used for hundreds of different exercises. Exercise balls in contrast are comparatively limited in terms of the number of things they can be used for and arguably are completely unnecessary when a chair, stool, pillow or other device could be substituted. Spend your money wisely on versatile equipment.
Also avoid buying cheap junk that breaks easily. Exercise balls can get punctured, a dumbbell in contrast is very difficult to break.
#5. Even Things Out
Don't just exercise the one body part like Homer Simpson did in that one episode. Work both sides of your body evenly. For archery purposes you might think you can get away with only exercising the one side, but trust me, you actually need both.
#6. Skip Anything Too Good To Be True
If a weightlifting gadget or supplement sounds like it is too good to be true, then it is. Don't waste your time or money on gadgets or supplements making ridiculous claims. The companies selling such products make their livings by selling to gullible suckers. Don't be a sucker.
#7. Supplements Only Help If Used Properly
Whey protein and Creatine supplements will help you to build muscle faster, but only if you are using them properly in the correct proportions for the amount of exercise you are actually getting. If you are only exercising for tiny amounts and then gorging yourself on whey protein, you are not going to get all the benefits you were dreaming of. Eat healthy, use minimal amounts of supplements, don't overdo it.
#8. Safety = Use Common Sense
You know the saying "Common sense is very uncommon." ? Well if it seems like a bad idea, then you probably should NOT do it. A lot of weightlifting accidents happen when people try to lift things that are way beyond their ability to lift and properly control.
The same thing goes in archery, as you should already be aware. Don't try to pull a bow you know you can't handle and hold steady properly.
#9. Get a Spotter
Honestly, having someone watch what you are doing is incredibly important for safety - especially with the heavy weights. If you drop it, cannot handle it, you could potentially hurt yourself or even kill yourself by accident.
#10. Try Bodyweight Exercises like Yoga or Gymnastics
Many different kinds of exercises utilize bodyweight instead of using dumbbells, barbells, etc. Yoga for example is very effective for using your bodyweight to give you the physical challenge of lifting your own body. Gymnastic exercises are also good for building the necessary strength.
If you have been shooting for a long time and start getting tired you will start to experience fatigue in your bow shoulder which will cause inconsistent shots.
When your shoulder gets tired your arrows will start making lines on the target - often perfectly straight diagonal lines like the image below. The shots below were performed by a student on June 2nd and I felt it was such a perfect example of shoulder fatigue that it deserved a photo.
What is happening in the photo above is the person is making almost no mistakes and the only problem they are experiencing is shoulder fatigue - and possibly inconsistent full draw.
This means the way to correct this problem is two fold:
#1. Take a break and relax. Your shoulder needs some time to recuperate.
#2. When shooting try to perfect your full draw so you are using more back muscles on your upper back (rhomboids) and less shoulder muscles (deltoids). Your back muscles should be tense and your bow shoulder should be relatively relaxed. (If you are unclear about the anatomical terms for muscles see Anatomical Terms for Athletes.)
Having stronger shoulder muscles does help, but it is not a cure. Ideally you need to be using your back muscles to be pulling the bow and stronger back muscles will do the most to help steady the bow. Thus if you are encountering this problem regularly you may want to consider regular exercises designed to make your rhomboids stronger (and to a lesser extent, stronger deltoids).
Pushups are a good example of an exercise that will target both your rhomboids and deltoids (and as a bonus, your triceps and pecs).
If you have dumbbells handy you can also do the exercise below to help strengthen the appropriate muscles. Like pushups, the exercise below will also target your rhomboids, deltoids and triceps. Because you are leaning forward it will also target your lower back too (traps).
If you are making no mistakes at all, you are not fatigued, and the wind is not a factor (low and steady wind) then you should be getting super tight clusters of arrows. Or even better, split your own arrow.
I shot the cluster of arrows below on June 3rd while doing some personal archery practice. The target butt was so soft the arrows were penetrating right out the back of the target butt in a nicely grouped cluster roughly the size of a Canadian quarter.
Evidently I should be shooting at a different location of the target to avoid having my arrows penetrating so deep, but there was a target at that location on the opposite side of the target butt that was "just begging to be shot".
In the background on the 2nd target butt you can see an empty water bottle dangling from a string tied to a broken arrow. If you are familiar with my practice of shooting at moving targets then you may have read my previous post from August 2014 wherein I Robin Hooded (split) an arrow on a moving target. See Robin Hooding a Moving Target.
Hot Tip for Shooting at Moving Targets - Learn how to Gap Shoot.
If you are new to archery then chances are likely you are making lots of mistakes that you don't know about. Below are five tips to help you shoot better. Want more tips? Sign up for archery lessons in Toronto.
#1. Make sure you are using your dominant eye for aiming.
Check by reading Dominant Eye for Archery. Using the wrong eye is very often a reason for people to be shooting improperly. Just because you are right handed does not mean you are right eye dominant.
#2. Get a bow you can actually pull properly.
If you cannot pull the bow properly then it is obviously too hard for you. Get a bow you can pull easily and hold steady for at least 10 seconds.
#3. Pull with your forearm in line with the arrow.
If you pull with your forearm in a straight line with the arrow you are using your muscles more efficiently. You will be able to pull more because your back muscles (rhomboids) will be doing most of the work. If you are pulling with your forearm on an angle then your arm is going to shake like crazy.
#4. Don't squeeze the bow with your bow hand.
Squeezing the bow is completely unnecessary and will only cause you to torque your hand during shots - often causing the arrow to go off to the side. Learn to relax your hand completely. Squeezing the bow handle too much is a very common beginners mistake, but if you learn to just relax your fingers and thumb you will have much more accurate shots. Some archers also wear a strap on their hand or wrist to prevent themselves from accidentally dropping the bow while relaxing their hand.
#5. Stand up straight.
Bad posture is going to make for lots of bad shots during archery practice. Practice standing up straight while shooting. Also practice proper posture when standing, sitting and other activities too so your posture improves even when you are not doing archery.
Want to learn lots more? If you live in Toronto you can sign up for archery lessons, or if you do not live in the GTA please read more of the archery tips available on CardioTrek.ca for free.
#2. Take your dog to the beach - go swimming and play frisbee!
#3. Doggie Weightlifting - this is you lifting your dog up in an affectionate manner and rubbing their belly, then setting them back down, and repeat. You dog will think it is a game.
Sometime in the next 3 days Cardio Trek will have its 1 millionth visitor to CardioTrek.ca. On Sunday May 31st the website surpassed 995,000 visitors and judging by the May average of 1765 visitors per day CardioTrek.ca should break the 1,000,000 mark sometime on June 3rd.
Not bad for a company that has only been around since December 2011.
Now you might ask why do we have so many visitors?
Well there is multiple answers to that question, so here goes:
#1. Cardio Trek has over 550 pages of unique content providing advice on topics ranging from weight loss, muscle growth / weight lifting, cardio exercises, as well as sports advice on topics ranging from swimming to boxing to archery, and lastly dietary / nutritional advice. And all of the advice located on CardioTrek.ca is FREE to access.
#2. Cardio Trek is home to Toronto's "best archery instructor" according to the testimonials of archery students - and archery's popularity is growing so fast we are in constant demand for archery lessons in Toronto.
#3. Cardio Trek also offers a number of unique / bizarre exercises and tips that only a handful of other websites talk about - including nose exercises for people who have suffered nose injuries or simply want to change the appearance of their nose, and also advice on how to reduce saggy skin after extreme weight loss / pregnancy. Those two topics are two of the most popular topics on CardioTrek.ca.
#4. If you Google 'cardio personal trainer toronto' then CardioTrek.ca is the #1 personal training website that comes up in the results. CardioTrek.ca is also #2 too. CardioTrek.ca is #1 or in the top 10 for a variety of different topics. So kudos to the quality of our website and our marketing efforts. (Although truth be told we don't really advertise much any more. We get most of our advertising from word of mouth.) Some topics we are not so hot at (eg. CardioTrek.ca is #27 if you Google 'weight lifting personal trainer toronto'), but that just means we need to work harder on those topics.
#5. We make a special effort to make Cardio Trek fun to read - whether it be via personal insights, the occasional joke, or the hundreds of inspirational quotes we have posted in the hopes of inspiring people who are looking for a little extra motivation to eat healthy, exercise harder, and have fun while doing so.
So in other words we have great FREE information, an amazing personal trainer / sports trainer, unique articles that are both interesting and fun to read, and a healthy dose of quality writing. Huzzah!
Here is a virtual toast* to the next million visitors!
"Charles made learning archery an enjoyable experience. He is very knowledgeable and has the ability to pinpoint areas where a student needs help in his patient and witty style. I bought my first bow and accessories after a couple of lessons with Charles, and has learned much more in subsequent lessons. There are a lot of tips and pointers online, but only a knowledgeable instructor like Charles is able to observe and correct your mistakes individually. Getting the basics right in archery is extremely important as bad habits are difficult to get rid of.
Charles made the learning process fun and enjoyable - the hallmark of a great instructor! I would highly recommend Charles to anyone who wishes to learn archery in Toronto."
- Tim C.
"I took three archery lessons with Charles from Cardio Trek and can honestly say I enjoyed every lesson and learned a lot each time. I strongly recommend anyone looking for an archery instructor consider getting lessons from Charles. The first lesson included a safety lecture, eye dominance test and a lecture on proper form - which Charles explained in a very thorough and easy to understand manner. By the end of the first lecture I was getting clusters of arrows near the bullseye. Subsequent lessons focused on fine-tuning my form and aim so my clusters of arrows were tighter and more on target. I had no idea when I started archery it would be so difficult, but I am very happy that I got an instructor like Charles who really knows how to break down issues like form and explain the physics of why people make mistakes when shooting. I went away with a new appreciation for physics and human physiology. Thank you again for all of your help." - Sandy R.
"Thanks for the archery lessons and all the equipment advice. You are the best! My girlfriend and I will be recommending you to our friends. :)" - Jeremiah D.
Getting kids involved with archery at a young age is a great way to get them interested in the Great Outdoors - and off the sofa.
However keeping kids interested and motivated can sometimes be tricky, even with a sport as engaging as archery. Thus one way to get them more motivated is to introduce games so they are more motivated to try harder.
#1. Bowling for Cups
Cans work equally well for this activity but the concept is simple enough. The more cups or cans you knock over the more points you get.
#2. Shooting Balloons
Makes a nice satisfying sound when they get hit. If they are getting hit too easily move them further back, or if they are too difficult to hit then move them closer. The balloons are not reusable like cups or cans are, so you will want to make them just hard enough to hit so that your kids have to pay attention to what they are doing to actually hit them with an arrow.
#3. Hit the Foam Ball
Below is a foam/rubber target ball usually used by hunters for practicing shooting at different distances. For kids however you can substitute a cheap foam ball or for extra challenge, a tennis ball. The goal is to hit the ball at different distances and learn how to adjust your aim regardless of the distance you are shooting.
#4. Bow-Making Contest + Flight Archery
For added fun you can also have a wooden bow making contest - for this activity your kids should be 10 years or older and have some experience with carving knives. As parents you will want to supervise this activity and help them using any of the more dangerous woodworking tools. eg. Don't let your kids use a skilsaw or band saw by themselves. But a draw knife, hand saw, rasp or sandpaper would be okay tools for them to learn how to use.
Their goal during this contest is to make a bow out of wood or bamboo or PVC that can shoot really far - flight archery is a good measurement of whether their bow is any good. Making a stickbow, bamboo bow or PVC bow is ridiculously easy, but to get it to shoot really far is the true challenge because that requires the bow to be "fast on the cast".
Tip #1 - Thick limbed bows are sluggish and slow. Bow-making is an artform wherein you have to learn how much thinness will make the bow shoot faster, but still provide good power / prevent breaking.
Tip #2. Top and bottom limbs need to be tillered evenly so they both bend the same amount, in the same places, and bounce back at the same speed. One limb slower than the other will make your arrows fly slower.
Even for adults with some woodworking skills making a quality bow is a challenge. If you are interested in bow-making try reading The Traditional Bowyer's Bible - Volume I. There are 4 volumes, but the first volume covers all of the basics.
Note - For the purpose of the above activity try using store-bought arrows on your homemade bows. Arrow-making is a challenge by itself.
#5. Tic Tac Toe Archery
Tic Tac Toe is a very easy game and all you really need is a target and two sets of arrows that are different colours.
Other games that are more for adults are: Poker Archery, Dart Board Archery, Battleship Archery (you can see their ships on the board, but can you hit them?), Clue Archery, Chess Archery and more.
Please be advised that there may be delays responding to emails as I am currently on vacation visiting family, plus I have made plans to go bowfishing while visiting the countryside.
If you are looking archery lessons in Toronto or my other services as a sports trainer / personal trainer send me an email and I shall respond as soon as I am able.
If you want to learn more about bowfishing I recommend reading the following websites:
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!
