How long to shoot 100lbs?

[poplar600]

Currently shoot a longbow of 65lb@ 30 inches. Just got my hands on a hungarian warbow of 112lb @ 33, but a 100lb or so at 30. How much training should I expect to do before I can draw it fully? Right now I can get it to around 19 inches, and that's with a rolling shoulder technique.

[Ian.]

'I can get it to around 19 inches, and that's with a rolling shoulder technique'

It's far too heavy for you at the minute. 19" is really nothing for a shoulder technique to actually begin. Best training is to get a lighter bow one you can get to around 26" straight away and work into that.

[poplar600]

So have a while then before I'm into it. Was told 100lb isn't heavy for a warbow, and it's actually starting weight.

Making up a sort of bow strength trainer from slingshot bands.

[loon]

Got any links or explanations for that rolling shoulder technique?

I never really understood why some start with the draw arm pointing down or leaning forwards. the way that makes most sense for me is starting with arms pointing up. Seems like my left arm rotates counter clockwise a little when I try to settle the shoulder... maybe I'm doing it wrong, seems like my upper back sticks out

just work into it. maybe try rubber bands for more range of weights for less money. Scott Rodell's trad manchu archery book talked about starting with a medium weight, doing something like 3 sets of 3, and day to day increasing to 9 sets of 9 draws and then increasing weight.

Proper strength training begins with warming up and stretching out. Once warmed up, start with sets of drawing the bow five times for five sets. Rest several minutes between each set. When five sets of five can be comfortably performed, move on to six sets of six draws each, then seven of seven, and so on until reaching nine sets of nine. Once one can comfortably handle 80+ repetitions of drawing the heavy bow, one can move up to a heavier bow, beginning the process over again with five sets of five. One should build strength on both sides of the body equally. So, either alternate sides with each set or after completing working on one side of the body, work the other side an equal number of repetitions.

if only I could have the discipline, patience and time to do this.

80lbs seems to be the minimum weight for some warbow society.

[Del the cat]

There is a lot of bull spoken about about this sort of thing especially by  those who say stuff like 100# isn't much it's a starting weight.
I was young once and didn't need to warm up or any of that nonsense, but I'm older and wiser now... you can hurt yourself with a 40# bow on a cold day if you aren't warm.
Anyhow back to the question. Little and often is how to practice and you'll get there in a month assuming you are of reasonable build.
10 push ups night and morning bare minimum. And I mean proper full chest to the floor pushups, not little twitches. Elbows out wide as if in the bow. Slow on the up and the down, if you want to show off you can clap your hands when you hit the top of the up
Shoot at least 5 shots every day from the heaviest bow you can get that full warbow draw from to get the technique. Ideally have someone who can shoot 'em give you some pointers.
Remember not everyone can reach 32". My full draw under a load is about 31"...( with a tape measure I can draw 41"... which is meaningless).
One good exercise I found is lean backwards into an open doorway with your elbows out at shoulder level. Use your elbows to lever your body back and forth, slowly inch your feet further from the door way so you are leaning back more. Obviously don't fall over backwards and smash your skull.
The beauty of this exercise is you can do it almost anywhere (if you don't mind looking daft).
Do pull ups on anything you can.
Good one for the shoulders is link your fingers and imagine you have a tennis ball in your palms and roll it round the back of your head in both directions.
Even sitting at a desk you can link hands and pull 'em against each other. I once work with a guy who was into isometrics. If he was carrying an empty cardboard box he'd tense up and strain as if it was an anvil he was carrying
Like I said, little and often.
When you do try for it, warm up first on lighter bows, video yourself so you can see what you are doing.
Last thing... a bow is much easier to draw when there's an arrow* nocked (doubtless it's just psychological) but make some arrows with nocks that click onto the string nicely so that you are not worried about keeping the arrow on the string.
Don't try the heavy bow until you can get it to say 28 or more... If you try to pull a bow that's waaay too heavy you won't get far enough to use the leverage and physics... it will just be a brute force straight pull and that's the hard bit.(Like Ian said)
Don't forget to breathe in to expand the chest (some people will say breathe out) and draw up wiping your forehead with the right hand and then heaving that right elbow down and back.
Know you can do it...
It's a balance of muscle, technique, will power and a pinch of stupidity

Something like 85#@32" would be a good intermediate to practice on.
Just out of interest, your 65#@30 is prob about 35# at 19" where the 100# @ 32" would be about 50# @19"
That shows the importance of draw length... you can obviously pull more than 50#, but not when your shoulders are not coming into play which is what Ian was saying.
Del
* Drawing without an arrow is BAD, because the let down is prob more strain than the draw, much better to loose.

[Del the cat]

regarding patience disciple and time....
If you really want to do something, then you find those things.
Del
(Mine are wrapped in a dusty cloth on the top of a shelf in the garage )

[alexw]

Hey,

Basically what Del said, though if pressed to put a figure on how long, give it 6-9 months, that's my case anyway. I'm 47 and started in June last year; your mileage may vary.

85# is a very good intermediate weight before going on to 100; in retrospect I should probably have done that, but we got there.

For ideas on non-bow related exercises, with progressive increments in difficulty, requiring no equipment other than a pull up bar or readily-available equivalent, check out a book called 'Convict Conditioning' by Paul Read. That, actually, was the real game-changer for me (and pretty much compensated for going from 50@28 to 95, then 100@32 without an intermediate step).

Good luck , A

[sieddy]

I dont know anything about this subject but had to chip in to second alexw's appraisal of convict conditioning by Paul Wade. Its a great book! :-)

[alexw]

Ah yes, how to confuse the hell out of everyone in one short post. Sorry - that's meant to be Paul Wade, folks!

[make-n-break]

I'll join in on the push-ups and pull ups bandwagon. Best two exercises for draw strength in my opinion. As del stated, use your full range of motion. Three properly executed  push-ups is far more effective at building strength than 10 half assed ones. Morning and night is also a solid plan. You'll be amazed how quickly you can build strength with body weight exercises. Stick to it, one to three maximum sets of push ups and pull ups (doesn't matter if your maximum is 3 or 30 Reps, your muscles will adapt regardless if you're pushing yourself) when you wake up, and one to three more in the evening. Before you know it you'll see the draw strength rise. Consider taking a day of rest from your exercise routine after two days of exercise (train, train, rest, train, train, rest, etc) especially if you're not currently conditioned to resistance training.