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8 Fun Ways to play Pokemon Go + Exercise in Toronto

This is basically a sequel to my previous post from July regarding Pokemon Go:

Pokemon Go as a Workout Plan - How to get the Most Exercise and the Most Pokemon.

Since then Pokemon Go has continued to grow and thrive as a game / competitive sport. It is basically getting nerds and common people to go exercise and compete against each other, so yes, it is definitely a competitive sport. Hence the old adage:

"All it takes is for one person to lose an eye and it becomes a competitive sport."

Losing an eye isn't the issue. People have died playing this game. Usually from not paying attention to where they were walking. So pay attention to where you are going!

But to be fair, people also die while texting, driving while distracted by food, crossing the street while their cellphone is in their pocket and it just happens to have the game open. The game is probably no more unsafe than say window shopping with friends or other innocent activities.

Speaking of which here are 8 Fun Ways to play Pokemon Go + Exercise in Toronto and you will note I have chosen to list ways which are also safe.

#1. Visit the Roundhouse Park train yard near CN Tower / Steam Whistle Brewery.

Known as Roundhouse Park it is brimming with Pokestops (and quite a few Ponytas, so if you need to catch a Ponyta that is a good place to do it). A five-six minute walk around the park hits 10 different Pokestops without ever having to cross a street or put yourself in danger. Thus you can literally just walk in circles for 30 minutes and collect approx. 60 Pokestops.

Also you get a bonus every time you hit 10 unique Pokestops in a row, so this is a good place to do that. The bonus gives double items (minimum 6, maximum 10) and rewards 100 XP instead of 50.

In addition there is also free samples at Steam Whistle, the railway museum to visit, Ripley's Aquarium just north of there, and lots of old trains to look at.


#2. Visit Edward Gardens in East York, Toronto / Bring your bicycle!

Home to many exotic plants, lots of squirrels and other wildlife, Edward Gardens also has 25 Pokestops. A great place to walk or bicycle.

There are many different trails and paths inside Edward Gardens, and it doesn't matter which routes you take you will always find lots of Pokestops and lots of interesting things to look at. I ended up spending a lot of time during my last visit just doing photography.

If you walk south from Edward Gardens there are trails going all the way to Sunnybrook Park and eventually E. T. Seton Park. So also a good place to hit some Pokestops and then go for a long hike afterwards.

Edward Gardens is a great place to feed squirrels and pet them. They have some very friendly squirrels there. The video below is one I made during my last visit.



#3. Graffiti Alley in Downtown Toronto.

If artwork is more something that interests take a walk / bicycle ride / skateboard / rollerblades down to some of the graffiti filled alleyways in downtown Toronto.

Between Augusta and Spadina, just south of Queen Street, is Graffiti Alley. That alleyway and many of the alleyways in downtown Toronto are rife with Pokestops. Exploring the back alleys also keeps you away from cars and motorists, which are the bane of Pokemon Go players.


#4. Archery at E. T. Seton Park in East York.

If you are into archery, the archery range at E. T. Seton Park is also a Pokestop. You can shoot a round of arrows and then collect a Pokestop. Shoot a round, catch a Nidoran. Shoot a round, collect Pokestop again. You won't be hitting a huge number of Pokestops, but you will have a lot of fun doing archery.

Archery also involves a lot of walking (to collect the arrows after each round of shooting) so as a bonus you will get some walking done.

If you don't have your own archery equipment you can also get archery lessons.

#5. Catch an Onix in Downsview Park.

Downsview Park has many things you can do there, whether you prefer to walk or bicycle - but one of the things you can do is to look for Onix, one of those rare hard to find Pokemon. Onix has a tendency to appear near the west end of the park, towards Downsview Dells and Northwood Park. If you explore all 3 areas you will likely spot an Onix.


#6. Take up Bird-Watching

If bird-watching (or "birding") is something you have always wanted to do, here is your chance. You can walk around, take photos of birds with your phone, capture Pokemon, hit Pokestops, borrow books about birdwatching from the library (since libraries are often Pokestops), and basically become a great birder and have fun during the process.

In my mind someone should invent a phone app game similar to Pokemon Go, which encourages players to capture photos of birds to add to their collection. For people into birdwatching, it would be a fun game.

A good place to see both birds and hit lots of Pokestops (and a few gyms) is Moccasin Trail Park. The park is home to many historical plaques (like the one below), nature plaques about the local wildlife, and the above mentioned Pokestops / gyms. Also a great place for a bicycle ride / skateboarding / fishing.


#7. Take up Fishing.

There are plenty of different places to go fishing in Toronto. Along lake-shore there are many Pokestops and places to go fishing. There are also a great number of parks in Toronto where the fishing is pretty good. Moccasin Trail Park is one, but you can also go to High Park - which has a good number of Pokestops and an abundance of places where you can sit and collect items while waiting for the fish to bite.

When fishing I recommend getting up once in awhile and switching locations or even taking a break from fishing to walk around and enjoy the other things the parks in Toronto have to offer.

#8. Horseback Riding at Sunnybrook Park.

Okay maybe I am just biased here because I really like horses, but it seems to me that spending your time riding horses and either playing the game while on horseback, or playing the game when you are relaxing in Sunnybrook Park, is a good thing.

Also Sunnybrook Park is a good place to catch Eevees and a variety of water Pokemon.


There you go! 8 ways to have fun playing Pokemon Go, do it safely, and get exercise in the process.

Not satisfied? Leave a comment asking for more and I shall do another post like this. You will need to subscribe to receive the notification.

Shots going to the left, center-shot arrowrests

Q

"Hey Charles,

I noticed I have to kind of aim to the right of the target in order to get my arrows any where near the target.

Is it because I'm not perfectly aligned with the object I'm trying to shoot at? Does it have something to do with forced perspective?"

- Gordon M.

A

Hey Gordon!

What kind of arrowrest did you get?

Unless you are plucking, canting or making some other kind of form mistake, chances are likely your arrowrest is not center-shot, and you will have to aim a little to the side when using that style of arrowrest.

There is no such thing as "a perfect arrowrest", but there are a wide variety of arrowrest designs with varying degrees of how center shot / accurate they are.

Sincerely,
Charles Moffat
CardioTrek.ca


Round 2


"The one I got has one of those flippers on it."

- Gordon M.


Hey Gordon!

This one correct?

You have two choices:
  1. You can deliberately aim to the right a bit.
  2. You can deliberately cant to the right a bit. Try to cant the same amount each time once you find the correct amount of canting.
Feel free to experiment with both methods to find the method you like best.

In the future you might also decide to get an arrowrest that has a more center-shot design, but for now the flipper will work.

If you have additional questions let me know.

Sincerely,
Charles Moffat
CardioTrek.ca



Update

"Thanks Charles. That's the one.

I'll experiment with canting."

- Gordon M.

More Than Medication: 5 Antidepressants Doctors Need to Prescribe

Guest Post by Dan Chabert

Depression is the most common mental illness in America, and while prescription medication is necessary for some individuals experiencing depression, there are natural ways to help ease these symptoms that should be included as part of a treatment plan.

We all know eating well, working out, and getting enough sleep are part of a healthy lifestyle, but these cornerstones of wellness have a direct effect not only on our appearance and how our bodies function; they greatly impact the brain and our mood.

Here are 5 natural antidepressants to try before turning to prescription medication, or to supplement alongside it:


Meditation/Mindfulness

Meditation is a simple concept on the surface; be still, focus on your breath, keep your brain and thoughts in the moment. But only recently has the practice been adopted into mainstream society, no longer seen as something exclusively for Buddhist monks. The health benefits range from lowered blood pressure and improved heart health to a boosted immune system. So why is this such a powerful antidepressant?

Meditation focuses on being mindful of your current thoughts and emotions. When the mind wanders - as it will - the purpose of meditation is to recognize the thought without judgement, and let it go. Because of this, people experiencing depression and anxiety can learn to stop the cycle of negative thoughts as opposed to letting them spiral.

As Stacy Lu explains in her cover story in American Psychological Association, “A review Madhav Goyal, MD wrote...looked at different types of mindfulness meditation among 47 studies, finding that it had the same moderate effect on treating depression as medication, and had moderate effects on anxiety and pain as well.”

While medication can have side effects, there are no negative side effects or harm in trying meditation alone or alongside other treatments. It takes practice, but now that it’s gaining popularity there are not only classes offered at yoga studios across the country, there are plenty of apps to get you started.

Sleep

When we sleep, our bodies reset, and energy is restored. While one night of too little - or too much - sleep won’t throw you out of whack, chronic sleep deviations lead to fatigue and irritability, which directly affect your mood. Because of this, poor sleep can even lead to depression.

Sleep is a natural mood regulator, so getting your sleep patterns on track can improve symptoms of depression, and hopefully stave it off in the first place. Here are a few tips to getting better sleep:

  • Set a bedtime alarm for 8-9 hours before you need to get up.
  • Sleep with an eye mask or blackout blinds and ear plugs.
  • Avoid caffeine at least 6 hours before bed.
  • An hour before bed, allow yourself time to unwind and set the mood for bed; no email, brush your teeth, wash your face with warm water. Avoid rushing around.
  • Keep a consistent bedtime and wake up time.

Exercise

Regular exercise has been shown to provide mood enhancing qualities, and in one 1999 study, was shown to have similar effects as antidepressant medications.

“ About 60%–70% of the people in all three groups could no longer be classed as having major depression. In fact, group scores on two rating scales of depression were essentially the same. This suggests that for those who need or wish to avoid drugs, exercise might be an acceptable substitute for antidepressants.” - Harvard Health Publications

What’s more is a follow up study to this, showed the effects of exercise to last longer than those of the medications!

To reap the mental boost of exercise, you don’t need to sign up for a marathon or spend hours at the gym. Exercising at a moderate intensity for 30 minutes most days of the week will not only give you a host of benefits, from weight control and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, to increased strength of muscles and bones, it’s enough to boost your mood and mental health.

There’s no one way to exercise. Find something you enjoy - long walks outside, a zumba class at a local gym, and/or a body weight routine you can do at home - to ensure you’ll stick with it and look forward to the experience!

Having a Hobby

Creative flow - that state where you’re so absorbed in what you’re doing you lose track of time and other thoughts float away - has similar effects of meditation, which as we’ve seen can improve symptoms of depression.

When your mind and body are engaged in a leisurely and enjoyable activity, the brain releases dopamine, triggering the reward and pleasure center of the brain. Even 15 minutes can calm the mind and relax the body. Don’t have a hobby? Think of activities you enjoyed as a child and revisit them as an adult. Coloring, knitting, puzzles, or writing are all activities easily accessible
that do not require extensive training, if any at all.

Healthy Diet

Food can be either medicine or poison; it’s up to you. Our bodies react to what we fuel them with, and this has an affect on the brain and our mood. Pumping ourselves full of processed junk, caffeine, and alcohol won’t just give you a stomach ache, it will put your blood sugar out of balance and deplete your serotonin.

By getting the nutrients your body needs, you will keep your energy levels in a balanced normal range, and promote overall wellness, making activities like exercise and stressful situations easier to manage.

You don’t have to become a nutritionist to improve your eating habits. Focus on eating enough to fuel your day, but not so much you are stuffed. Make real food a priority, limiting junk and overly processed products. Whole grains, lean meat/protein, fresh vegetables and fruit along with healthy fats like olive oil, nuts, and avocado, will give you energy and the vitamins and minerals you need to feel your best.

Writer’s Bio: Dan Chabert

Writing from Copenhagen, Denmark, Dan is an entrepreneur, husband and ultramarathon distance runner. He has been featured on running blogs all over the world.

Exercise Quotes Directory and Overview

In years past I posted numerous Exercise Quotes pages, mostly as a resource to help people to motivate themselves. The quotes on various pages are from a variety of people, including celebrities, athletes, scholars, philosophers, politicians and more.

Before and After Photo
2012

Motivational Exercise Quotes - March 2012

Motivational Exercise Quotes - April 2012

Motivational Exercise Quotes - October 2012

Hard Work Motivational Quotes - November 2012

Motivational Exercise Quotes, Part 1 - November 2012

Motivational Exercise Quotes, Part 2 - November 2012

Motivational Quotes - December 2012

Popular Before and After Photo
2013

Motivational Exercise Quotes for New Years - January 2013

Motivational Exercise Quotes, Part 1 - January 2013 - This one is so popular it is currently one of the top 10 most popular posts on Cardio Trek. I think it is largely due to the before and after photo of the redheaded woman [shown on the right].

Motivational Exercise Quotes, Part 2 -  January 2013

Motivational Exercise Quotes -  February 2013

Bruce Lee
Motivational Exercise Quotes - March 2013

Motivational Exercise Quotes -  April 2013

Motivational Exercise Quotes - May 2013

Motivational Exercise Quotes - June 2013

Motivational Exercise Quotes + Bruce Lee Quotes - July 2013

"One must eat to live, not live to eat." - Moliere.
Motivational Exercise Quotes - August 2013

Food Motivation Quotes - August 2013

Motivational Exercise Quotes - September 2013

Motivational Exercise Quotes - October 2013

Motivational Exercise Quotes - November 2013

Motivational Exercise Quotes - December 2013

Robin Williams
2014

Weight Loss Motivational Quotes - January 2014

Motivational Exercise Quotes - February 2014

10 Exercise Quotes by Women - March 2014

Motivational Exercise Quotes - April 2014

Motivational Exercise Quotes + Im Dong-Hyun - May 2014

Motivational Weight Loss Quotes - June 2014

Motivational Exercise Quotes + World Cup Quotes - July 2014

12 Archery Quotes to Help Motivate Beginner Archers - August 2014

Motivational Exercise Quotes + Robin Williams Quotes - September 2014

Funny Quote about Exercise and Fat - September 2014

Exercise Quotes Hall of Fame - November 2014 : This was the last of the series of Motivational Exercise Quotes. I was basically running out of quotes to use. After this point I rarely posted exercise quotes and focused on other topics.

Lou Ferrigno and Arnold Schwarzenegger
2015

Pumping Iron, 1977 Documentary + Arnold Schwarzenegger Quotes - October 2015

Pumping Iron is a fascinating documentary and a glimpse into the world of bodybuilding. Within the documentary are numerous quotes and comments by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno and other body builders who were popular during the late 1970s.

Muhammad Ali
2016

Post #700 + Exercise Quotes - April 2016

Muhammad Ali is dead, boxing legend, age 74 - June 2016

A Journey with Pebbles in your Shoes - June 2016

A surprising number of celebrities have died in 2016 so far. I hope there is no more, but such a hope is done in vain I am afraid.

How does too much brace height affect the trajectory of the arrow?

Q


"Hey Charles,


Probably a dumb question.


How does having too much brace height on your bow affect the trajectory of your shots?"

- Gordon M.

A


Hey Gordon!

Too much or too little brace height hurts the arrow speed, and arrow speed consequently affects the length of the arc of the arrow, the power and accuracy of the shot. It really comes down to the speed of the bowstring and how quickly it stops on the ideal location. The arrow only leaves the bowstring when the bowstring reverses its forward momentum and goes backwards instead. So yes, it definitely affects the arc and trajectory.

To illustrate this in terms of physics, think of three cars accelerating in a drag race and then slamming on the breaks, with each of the three cars trying to stop at a specific line on the race track.
  • The first car speeds up, but then stops too soon, not achieving its full potential speed. On a bow, this hurts arrow speed because it never reaches its full speed.
  • The second car speeds up, but stops too late. It did go very fast, but on a bow that means the bowstring went too far forward because the bowstring was too slack, and that process causes it to slow down on the forward thrust and then bounce backwards in a sluggish manner.
  • The third car speeds up, reaches optimal speed, and then stops at the ideal spot. On a bow, this means the arrow leaves the bowstring at an optimal time to maximize its speed.
There is also a sound difference. If you experiment with different brace heights you will discover that the three different brace heights will cause the bowstring to make noticeably different sounds. A good brace height should make more of a solid thrum sound, whereas incorrect brace heights will sound more twangy.

Notes

You should be able to find the precise brace height for your bow online and then measure it with a ruler or a Bow T-Square, but when a ruler is unavailable you can also use the "Rule of Thumb Method" I showed you previously.

Measuring Brace Height with a Bow T-Square
Rule of Thumb Brace Height
Some archers also file or use sandpaper on the nocks so that they leave the bowstring faster and more smoothly, in an effort to increase arrow speed by a few feet per second (fps).

If you have additional questions feel free to ask.

Have a great Thanksgiving weekend!

Sincerely,
Charles Moffat
CardioTrek.ca



UPDATE

"Wow, definitely made a huge difference now that it's at the recommended brace height."

 - Gordon M.

Arrow Length Question + Archery Testimonial

Q

Have a quick question regarding purchasing arrows.  How long should your arrows be with respect to your draw length?  Should they be the same length or should they be a little longer than your draw length?"

Kind regards,

Gordon M.

A

Hey Gordon!

One inch longer than the draw length is very common.

Some people have a habit (or like having the option) of overdrawing the bow and go for two inches past their normal draw length.

Some people also try to save weight (to increase speed slightly) by having only half an inch past their draw length.

Happy Shooting! Let me know if you have any additional questions.

Sincerely,
Charles Moffat
CardioTrek.ca

Note

Various cultures also historically used really long arrows for bowfishing or for hunting birds. The really long arrows would be easier to find / would float in the water, making their retrieval easier. In some cases the arrows would be almost as long as the bow or even longer than the bow itself.

Bowfishing from a Riverboat
Wai Wai Bowfisherman

Bird Hunting in the Amazon



Archery Testimonial

Had an awesome time learning archery the past month, the lessons had a good balance between formal and chill atmosphere.  Learned a lot about how to safely and properly handle the bow, but more importantly also about the proper ettiquette shooting at a public range; because nobody wants to be 'that guy'.

- Gordon M.

A Six Month Plan to Lose 10 Pounds using 6 Minute Exercises

Lets pretend you currently weigh 200 lbs and you want to lose 10 lbs over a 6 month period (or 20 lbs over the course of a year). What would you need to do to accomplish that using purely exercise and no changes to your diet?

Well, first lets look at the math.

10 lbs is the equivalent of 35,000 calories.

Divided up into 6 months, that is a goal of losing 5833.33 calories per month. Or 194.44 calories per day.

If you go for a simple 6 minute walk during which you walk 0.5 km, a person who weighs 200 lbs will burn 37 calories. (Admittedly that is a fairly slow and leisurely walk.)

The person in question would need to do that same walk 157.65 times per month to burn the necessary calories to meet their monthly goal. That would be roughly 5.25 walks per day.

So a 6 minute leisurely walk just isn't going to cut it.

But a slightly faster pace and more time, 30 minutes walking 2.7 km, that would burn 200 calories.

A significantly faster pace, jogging for 15 minutes a distance of 2.0 km, that would burn 188 calories. Counting the Afterburn Effect, it would end up being over 200 calories.

However if the goal is to get the Afterburn Effect, then you would actually get the best results with the least amount of effort by using Interval Training.

Sample Interval Training Routine

1 minute running or jogging, followed by 5 minutes of walking.
1 minute running or jogging, followed by 5 minutes of walking.
1 minute running or jogging, followed by 5 minutes of walking.
1 minute running or jogging, followed by 5 minutes of walking.
1 minute running or jogging, followed by 5 minutes of walking.

So the person is getting in 5 minutes of running/jogging, which gets the heart pounding hard, following by light exercise in the form of walking. By spacing it out into intervals it causes a combination of multiple hormonal releases and multiple triggers of the fat burning Afterburn Effect. Interval Training is also easier for people who lack stamina and endurance, and over time they can change the routine to add more time jogging and less time walking. As a result they are burning fat, and building endurance so that they will later be able to burn fat at a faster rate.

The above routine would burn over 250 calories, plus a bonus amount depending on the Afterburn Effect. In theory they could do less time, 25 minutes instead of 30, and still be burning the 200 calories per day.

So what about 6 Minute Cardio Routines?

Well, you are not going to burn 200 calories in six minutes. That is basically impossible. Even the most intense exercise won't be able to burn 200 calories in six minutes.

But a 200 lb person jumping rope (fast) for six minutes will burn 108 calories. That means that if a person did that twice per day (once in the morning, once in the afternoon/evening) they could burn 216 calories per day.

So it is possible to break the 200 calories per day mark by doing 6 minute cardio exercises, but you would need to choose a very intense exercise and most people will not be able to do an intense exercise for 6 minutes straight.

Other intense exercises and the calories burned for a 200 lb person:
  • 6 minutes of Jumping Jacks, approx. 73 calories.
  • 6 minutes of Sprinting/Running 8 mph, approx. 122 calories.
  • 6 minutes of Kettlebell Training, varies on the weight of the kettlebell. Approx. 90 calories.
  • 6 minutes of Kickboxing, approx. 90 calories.
  • 6 minutes of Cycling, approx. 103 calories.
  • 6 minutes of Rowing Machine, approx. 79 calories.
  • 6 minutes of Stair Climbing, approx. 64 calories.
Notice something about all of the above exercises? They are all exercises that use both the legs and arms. Want to know what else burns lots of calories? Swimming.

Here are the same numbers but for different kinds of swimming exercises, again calculated for a person who weighs 200 lbs:
  • 6 minutes of Leisure Swimming : 71 calories
  • 6 minutes of Backstroke : 82.5 calories
  • 6 minutes of Front Crawl (Slow) : 82.5 calories
  • 6 minutes of Breaststroke : 118 calories
  • 6 minutes of Front Crawl (Fast) : 131 calories
  • 6 minutes of Butterfly : 131 calories
So if a person really loves swimming, this is certainly an option. Doing the 6-minute Butterfly exercise 300 times over 150 days (5 months) would burn 39,300 calories or 11.2 lbs. Doable? It really depends on how much you love swimming.


What about dieting?

After seeing the amount of exercising many people may be thinking "Hmm, maybe I should just diet instead."

In which case you will want to reduce your daily intake of calories to a more reasonable level. Your best bet is to be calorie counting, as that multiplies your chances of success. Aim to be consuming 200 calories less than the normal amount of calories you need per day, which means you will be burning fat stores instead. So if your body burns 1800 calories per day, aim to eat only 1600 per day.

So yes, dieting is certainly an option.

Or you could do both, diet and exercise. The combination of both is a surefire way of burning more calories than you are consuming. It really depends how much you want to lose and over what time period. Trying to burn 10 lbs in 1 month is possible, but would be extremely grueling. Doing the same amount, but spread over 6 months is much more reasonable.

Happy Exercising!

Archery, Aiming and Glasses Vs Contacts

Today one of my archery students was having a problem with the contact in the eye that he aims with. He used to wear glasses, but has made the switch to contacts. His contact was making his eye itchy and dry, and this was interfering with his ability to aim.

The quality of his aim today was thus suffering.

Logically, today would have been a good day for him to switch back to his glasses.

So does that make glasses better than contacts when it comes to aiming?

Not necessarily. The problem with glasses is that they will sometimes shift on your nose, thus shifting the magnification you are using to aim. Ideally, if the glasses were always perched on the same part of your nose then it would be okay, so the trick then is for glasses-wearers to adjust their glasses before a shot, and make a habit of doing it before shots.

Contacts, assuming that the user's eyes are not dry / irritated, thus would normally be superior. There are certainly pros and cons to both.

GADGET NOTE

There are also "Archery Sport Glasses", which are designed to give the user a greater focus / magnification so they can more clearly see where they are aiming, without squinting or straining their eyes. The lenses can also be adjusted to full sun or low light conditions. Some people consider "Archery Sport Glasses" to be cheating, akin to using other kinds of archery gadgets, and thus they might not be allowed at some kinds of archery competitions. It is more common to see them at compound archery competitions, which are very "pro gadgets" in the first place.


Recurve Bows, Brands and Models

During a recent email conversation with a new archer who is shopping for archery equipment, I recommended the Samick Sage because of its reliability and the many excellent reviews it has received in recent years. But I also mentioned that I could "recommend a variety of other brands / models if you want to see a wider range of companies and styles."

To which he responded: "Good I asked you, it would be definitely interesting to see other brands / models, more importantly it would be nice to know the difference."

Hence why I am now writing the post you see below, to showcase some of the other brands and models that are available when it comes to recurve bows designed for beginners (adults). Note - If anyone wants to see a similar list of Youth / Children's bows, post a comment at the bottom and I shall make another list in the future just for you.

The Samick Sage is a bit like the Ford F-150. It is economical and has everything you expect to see in a recurve bow made for a beginner. All the normal bells and whistles for a sum of $150 CDN.

Samick Sage Recurve Bow
But Samick is not the only manufacturer out there. They are just one of many. A recurve bow is a recurve bow is a recurve bow. They are all more or less similar, with slight differences in materials, shapes, lengths, level of quality, and prices.

PRICES LISTED BELOW MAY VARY ON WHERE YOU ARE PURCHASING.
Since many manufacturers list equipment in USD prices, the
exchange rate can cause prices in CDN to vary dramatically.

The PSE Razorback and the Jandao Recuve

If these two bows look similar it is because they are both made in the same factory and look exactly the same. Just different brand names on them. Both cost about $100 USD. They are nothing special and are basically a very cheap introductory recurve bow. I am not even going to bother showing a photo of one. The Samick Polaris falls into the same category of cheap beginner bows, with very similar looks to the Razorback/Jandao.

The PSE Blackhawk, Ghost, Mustang, and Talon

Unlike the Razorback mentioned above, these bows are worth showing. They're all pretty bows and have histories of receiving excellent reviews, the Blackhawk ($260 USD) most of all. The Mustang is $220 USD, the Ghost is $250 USD, and the Talon is $235 USD. I think the Ghost is the prettiest of the bunch, but the Blackhawk has some impressive pedigree/reviews so it is difficult to ignore.

Above: PSE Blackhawk
Above: PSE Ghost

Above: PSE Mustang
Above: PSE Talon

The Martin Poplar, Martin Willow and Martin Cypress

The following are three takedown wooden recurve bows, all made by Martin Archery: Poplar, $130 USD; Willow, $200 USD, + the Martin Cypress, $250 USD. Of the three the Cypress is nicest and prettiest, shown below. Design and features wise, the Cypress is Similar to the Samick Red Stag (shown further below).

Above: Martin Cypress

The Samick Red Stag

If the Samick Sage doesn't interest you, there are also other bows made by Samick which might interest you instead. The Samick Red Stag is one such bow, or rather, three. There is the takedown recurve, the one-piece recurve, and a longbow version (prices for all three versions vary between $200 USD to $300 USD). There is a downside to the Red Stag however, it is not drilled for any kind of accessories. It is meant for traditional fur rests only. It is also a bit noisy, so you will want to consider getting dampeners / string silencers.

Samick also offers a variety of similar bows, like the Lightning Nighthawk, Squall, Phantom, Phoenix II, Leopard II, Volcano, Stingray, and similar models which are designed more for looks.


The Martin Jaguar, Martin Sabre and Martin Panther

The following are three non-traditional takedown bow models, all made by Martin, which some similar design features. The Martin Jaguar is the most basic model at $200 USD, the Martin Sabre is a more advanced model at $250 USD, and the Martin Panther is $300 USD. (There has also been sales in the past for $150, $200 and $250 respectively.) As recurve bows go they fill a niche market of people who are less attracted to wood and want something that is either camouflage or "Darth Vader Black".

In recent years they have also come out with Jaguar Elite (weighing 2.6 lbs) and the Jaguar BF (blue for bowfishing).

Martin Jaguar

Martin Jaguar BF

The Bear Grizzly

The photo below doesn't just show any Bear Grizzly. That is my Bear Grizzly, which I got years ago and even named it "Seahawk". At $380 USD the Grizzly has decorated the shelves of many archers' homes for decades now. The basic design hasn't changed much since the 1950s and these days they are made with "FutureWood", a wood polymer blend that makes the wood tougher and protects from water damage.

Bear Archery also sells a variety of other recurve bows and longbows worth looking at, but the Grizzly is the model that I personally fell in love with.



The Martin Independence

It used to be that Martin had a wide range of recurve bows with a variety of different designs. They made very pretty bows like the Martin Dream Catcher, the Gail Martin, the X-150 / X-200, and so forth. Just Google "Martin Dream Catcher" and see how pretty that bow is and you will understand why some of the older models are arguably better when it came looks.

But all of those models have been discontinued, leaving only the more popular models like the Martin Hunter and Martin Mamba, for which they have jacked the prices up to $630 USD for the Hunter and $600 for the Mamba...

Now keeping in mind the Martin Mamba and Martin Hunter are widely regarded to be two very good bows for their price range, which might explain why Martin has been jacking up their prices in recent years. If they cannot meet the demand because it is so popular, it is time to raise prices.

The Martin Independence (shown on the right) however is basically one of the cheaper models now available, for $400 USD, and it is a very pretty bow.

Stylistically it is similar to a Martin Mamba, but without certain design features that make the Mamba more time consuming and expensive to make.

That was the whole principle behind the old X-200 and X-150 models. They were faster and cheaper to make because the designs were simpler.

However $400 seems like a steep price to pay for the bow, especially when you can go on eBay and buy an older X-150 or X-200 for considerably less. Remember my comments up above about the Ford F-150? Well the Martin X-150 / X-200 was basically Martin's answer to what archers needed: An inexpensive recurve bow that was well made and lasts a long time.

Yesterday I met up with two people who both had X-200s and I joked that I should buy one too and we could start a X-200 Owners Club. Ha!

Browsing eBay can be an excellent way to get a nice quality bow for significantly less than what you would pay for a brand new one. However there are downsides. Finding the poundage you want will be much trickier, the bow may not be in mint condition and have problems, and lastly other people be bidding against you - which can inflate the price and you could end up in a bidding war. So buyer beware.



Note - Now this is not a complete list of manufacturers available. Bear, Martin, PSE, Samick are just a handful of the more popular companies available out there. They are the Fords, GMCs, and Chryslers of the archery world. I haven't even touched on European manufacturers like Ragim, Border Archery, etc. I also limited myself mostly to the so-called traditional style recurves, the ones that are more ideal for beginners due to their price range. I ignored the proverbial Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini type companies, because frankly those are out of the price range of most people (see the brief mention of Blacktail Bows below).



CONCLUSIONS: A recurve bow is a recurve bow is a recurve bow...

There are obvious huge price differences mentioned above, from the $150 CDN Samick Sage, to the $630 USD Martin Hunter. The sky is the limit when it comes to how much a person is willing to spend on a bow.

A quick tour of blacktailbows.com for example will make your jaw drop at the artistry of some truly exquisite and beautifully decorated bows. Their bows don't sell for mere hundreds, they are thousands of dollars each. See the image on the right to see what I mean.

And then there are antique bows or rare bows that belong in a museum, in which case they can become well nigh priceless.

But if the sky is the limit, how do you know which bow is right for you?

Honestly, you don't. It is like going to the dog pound and trying to pick out a puppy. You don't know which puppy is the right puppy for you, you just pick one based on its size, shape and demeanor and hope it falls in love with you just as much as you fall with it.

Having a really beautiful bow like a Blacktail doesn't mean you are going to be more accurate with it. It is just as likely that the bow will end up decorating a wall and collecting dust, because your favourite bow will end up being the one you are most comfortable shooting with and you get the most enjoyment out of shooting.

Thus you won't necessarily know you've fallen in love with a particular bow until after you've shot it many times, perhaps even given it a name, and gotten very used to shooting it. If someone sees the bow, likes the looks of it and offers to buy it off you would you sell the bow that you love so much? Probably not.

It would be like selling man's best friend. You love that little guy. You take him everywhere with you. And when you find that bow you will never want to let it go. You may buy and collect other bows over time (I am up to 27 bows currently...), but the bows you love you will never sell.

Where to get archery lessons west of Toronto?

Q

"Hello,

I am living in Oakville and that location is too far away from me. Do you give [archery] lessons at  other locations [closer to Oakville]?

Thanks,
C"
A

Hey C!
Sadly, no. There is a shortage of archery ranges in your region and I am not in the habit of traveling that far to teach.

OCCS is closer to you, located near 403 and Burnhamthorpe Road in Mississauga.

They have an indoor range and teach group archery lessons, although they might not be teaching the style of archery you are looking for - they only teach Olympic style, whereas I teach all 5 major styles of archery (since Craig referred you to me I am guessing you are hoping to learn how to shoot compound). I cannot comment on the quality of the instructors, but they are certainly closer to where you live.

See http://www.classicalsport.com/archery-adults
Barefoot Bushcraft in the Niagara region (Allanport Road) is actually further away from you, but might suit you better if you are in the habit of going to the Niagara region.

Barefoot Bushcraft Outdoor Archery Range
BB has two instructors, Wolf who teaches longbow / traditional bows / bushcraft, and Britt who teaches compound. So depending on which you are interested in learning they could help you as well. Lessons with either Wolf or Britt are more likely to be one-on-one lessons. They run their own private archery range which is outdoors.

See http://www.barefootbushcraft.ca/services/archery-lessons/

Those are the only two locations I currently know of that are out your way. I recommend you shop around for instructors in the Hamilton, Burlington and Milton area. Chances are there are archery instructors out that way that I have never heard of who will be able to instruct you in the style of archery you are looking for.

[Disclaimer - I have no affiliation with either of the above two organizations, nor have I been paid to advertise them. I simply enjoy promoting the sport of archery.]

If you still want lessons out this direction, let me know and we can begin scheduling.
Best of luck!

Sincerely,
Charles Moffat
CardioTrek.ca

Bowstring Flaying, should I worry about it?

Q

"My bowstring is flaying a bit on the tips. Should I be worried about it?"

A

Hello!

Not really. Bowstrings are designed to be multiple times stronger than the bow itself. A few strands flaying is not a big concern.

Individual strands have their own weight allowance. Eg. 20 to 40 lbs per strand. So if your bowstring has 16 strands and they can withstand 40 lbs per strand then its max weight is theoretically 640. Since strands can flay / snap it is desirable to have a max weight that is many multiples of the bow's weight.

If two strands flay the bowstring is still usable because it still has 560 left. If half of the strands flay it is probably time for a new bowstring.

The individual strength of strands can vary wildly between the type of material. Some materials might only be 20 lbs per strand, 25, 30, etc. So for example a particular brand might only be 20 lbs per strand, but might also be physically lighter, and/or more/less likely to stretch. With 16 strands that bowstring would be able to withstand 320 lbs, which is still abundantly more than the bow itself, but might have the advantages of less weight and stretching less.

Flemish Twist Bowstring
To save weight / add speed some archers will also make 14, 12 or 10 strand bowstrings. Thinner bowstrings means it will require more serving for the nocks.

Most archers prefer to have a robust bowstring that lasts a long time, hence why 14 and 16 strands are the most common. Some will even do 18 or 20 strands just to make the bowstring more robust and take the slower arrow speed as a trade off. (Crossbow bowstrings typically use between 24 and 30 strands, although the actual amount may vary on the crossbow manufacturer and model.)

You may also notice differences in sound, arrow flight accuracy, nock looseness/tightness, bowstring stretchiness effecting brace height, how easily strands flay, and differences between the types of materials you are using (dacron, fastflight, more traditional materials).

For those people who want to gain extra speed / accuracy they may want to consider learning how to make their own bowstrings using better quality materials so they can learn how to optimize speed by lowering the physical weight of the bowstring. If you do decide to do that, a good place to start is to learn how to make a Flemish Twist bowstring.

Happy Shooting!


How dangerous are crossbows?

My condolences go out to the families of the three people murdered in Scarborough around 1 PM today with a crossbow. For more details about that incident read Triple Crossbow Homicide in Scarborough.

I was contacted earlier today by the radio station Newstalk 1010, which had a number of questions about crossbows. The discussion sparked a number of frequently asked questions about crossbows, however the conversation was relatively short and I don't feel like we covered all the FAQ people would possibly like to know. To allay the concerns of my fellow Torontonians here are some frequently asked questions and the corresponding answers.

How dangerous are crossbows?
In short, very dangerous. Hunters in Ontario commonly use them for shooting black bears, elk, moose and large game. So they are very lethal.
How easy is it to buy a crossbow?
Very easy, provided you are over 18 years of age. They are available at most hunting/fishing stores, and can even be purchased at Canadian Tire or Walmart or similar stores. I doubt that some stores like Walmart even routinely check for ID when people are purchasing crossbows, because the staff working there may not know the laws about selling crossbows to minors.
How powerful are crossbows?
The minimum poundage for a hunting crossbow in Ontario, by law, is 150 lbs of force. Which is a lot of kinetic energy when you compare to other types of bows. For example if someone was shooting a normal bow (compound bow, recurve bow, longbow, etc) then the minimum legal requirement is 39.7 lbs when hunting deer or smaller game. For larger game like elk, moose and black bear the minimum is 48.5 lbs. So when you compare to normal bows, crossbows are incredibly powerful.

Anything smaller than 150 lbs is considered to be a "youth crossbow" and is illegal to hunt with. Some crossbows are exceptionally powerful, like the "Excalibur Matrix 405", which has a 290 lb draw weight and a speed of 405 feet per second when firing 350 grain crossbow bolts. Note, there is no legal limit on how powerful crossbows can be. Hypothetically a hunter could use a ballista to hunt deer.
How easy is it to make your own crossbow?
These days, very easy. If a person had a 3D printer they could print the stock needed to make the crossbow, and then they would just need to attach a bow of somekind to the front, made out of wood or high tensile steel or a steel alloy. (Modern crossbows are usually made out of metal.) Failing that a person could also just build their own out of wood and metal, total cost would be less than $50 for all the parts. The hardest part to make would be the trigger mechanism.
How fast or slow is it to load and reload a crossbow?
This is the Achilles heel of crossbows. Typically, they are VERY SLOW to reload. A typical modern crossbow in the hands of an experienced crossbow enthusiast could be reloaded perhaps twice per minute using a foot stirrup and a cocking rope. Three times per minute if it was a very light poundage crossbow and/or the person operating it was quite strong. A slower but easier method would be to use a windlass handcrank, in which case expect perhaps 1 shot per minute. Using a windlass crank is more common with any of the really heavy poundage crossbows, like the one shown below.

Excalibur Windlass Crank
How do crossbows compare to other kinds of weapons?
Due to their slowness, crossbows are not the greatest weapons. They are easy to use, as any person can basically purchase one, practice with it a few times and learn most of what they need to know to be able to competently shoot one. However due to their slow speed, they have historically done poorly when compared to other weapons. There are a number of historical battles during which large numbers of French crossbowmen were utterly decimated by a comparatively small number of English longbowmen simply because the longbows could be quickly reloaded and fired with ease, whereas the crossbows took a ridiculously long time to reload. You would think based on sheer numbers the French would have won those battles, but they underestimated how quickly English longbowmen could reload and how slow their own forces were at reloading.

A crossbow would be a very slow and inefficient weapon to use in close combat. Compared to other kinds of weapons, if being used in close combat, an axe, a sword or even a hatchet or dagger would be a more efficient weapon. For example, in January 1969 in Buffalo Narrows Saskatchewan 7 people were massacred with an axe. It is one of the largest massacres in Canadian history that didn't involve firearms. It makes you realize just how much firearms play a role in large massacres, such as the École Polytechnique massacre in 1989 which killed 15 people, using a semi-automatic rifle and a hunting knife.

As a sniper weapon, the crossbow excels. It made Swiss crossbowman William Tell famous after he was forced to shoot an apple off of his son's head, and later escaped and used the same crossbow to assassinate the Austrian reeve Gessler - an act which sparked the Swiss rebellion and eventually the creation of the Swiss Confederation.
Should crossbows be restricted or banned or require a license to purchase?
They already face the restriction of age to purchase a crossbow, but it would be worthless to try and require a license for crossbows. It is difficult to estimate how many crossbows are in Ontario, but if perhaps 1% of people in Ontario owned a crossbow it would be 136,000 crossbows - and most of them are probably collecting dust in basements, closets, attics, garages, etc. Some people may have even forgotten they have one. That would be 100s of thousands of people for the province to try and regulate for a hunting tool that is mostly used only for hunting, and hunters typically are not fond of change and would protest strongly against any proposed restrictions, bans or licenses for crossbows.

European nobility tried to ban the crossbow during the Middle Ages, with little success. At the time it was considered to be too easy of a weapon to manufacture and thus also made it really easy to assassinate nobility, hence why they tried to ban it. Their attempts to do so didn't really work however and the popularity of crossbows later waned with the advent of firearms.

Ontario would face the same problem. Crossbows are simply far too easy to manufacture. Especially these days with 3D printers that could make the stock and then it just needs the bow and trigger mechanism. Trying to ban them would be useless as criminals with evil intent would always find a way to purchase or make their own weapons regardless, hence the current problem with 3D printed firearms.
Conclusions
Yes, crossbows are dangerous. But they are a bad choice to be used as a close quarters weapon and typically are very slow to reload when compared to firearms or even other kinds of bows. As details of today's massacre are revealed we learn that it took the murderer 5 minutes to load and reload and kill the three people in the garage and injure a fourth person by stabbing him. That lengthy time leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Why did the people not simply rush him while he was reloading? What other weapons did he have handy? Did he have a handgun on him too, but chose to use the crossbow because it was quieter? Why did none of the neighbours who heard the screaming come and investigate the cause of the screaming? Why did the murderer choose to use a crossbow when other weapons are faster and more efficient? What was their motive for committing the murders? Why did they also leave a suspicious package down at a condo at Queens Quay and what was inside the package? Explosives?

There are way too many unanswered questions at this time. We hope that police can release more details about this incident soon and that it is hopefully an isolated incident.

My condolences go out to the families of the three people murdered. All life is sacred.
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!

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