| I have to admit that every year I promise myself to start shooting
my bow on a regular schedule by at least late spring or early summer.
Starting early would give me time to strengthen and condition my muscles,
sharpen my skills, and ultimately make me a better shooter and a more deadly
hunter. On top of that, I love to shoot - so getting started early
would be great fun. This was the year I would keep my promise!
Bowfit - Being Drawn
Release Style
Bowfit - Being Drawn
Finger Style
However ... spring turkey season was so long and I had to get up so
early that my archery practice "just couldn't" start then - but I knew
I'd start soon. Next, summer was here and I had all those home chores
to do, plus it was ridiculously hot and heat just doesn't put me in the
mood to start practicing - but I knew I'd start very soon.
We took some short family vacations next, but since my wife always looks
disgusted when I start loading up my archery stuff when I'm supposed to
be spending time with the family, I didn't get to shoot during the vacations.
Next??.Holy Heck! - the kids are going back to school soon. It's
only about 6 weeks till bow season! I've waited just as long to start as
I did last year! When I finally did get started it was already getting
dark earlier, and getting home late from work didn't let me practice as
often as I should have.
Sound familiar? I'm sure it did to the inventors of BowFit, so
they came up with a device to get your archery muscles in shape regardless
of all the excuses listed above!
BowFit is an archery exerciser that is compact enough that you can
keep it in your desk drawer at work, and inexpensive enough that you can
leave one at work and buy another one for home. In my opinion,
its beauty is that it is simple and compact, yet effective. It allows
you to exercise at lunchtime while at work, in the evenings after it is
dark, or even in the car (if you make your wife drive to your favorite
family outing).
Its primary component is a latex tube that provides the resistance needed
during exercising. The tube has a handle at one end and a nylon loop
at the other. Both the handle and the loop can be moved to different
positions on the tubing, thereby allowing BowFit to be configured in many
ways.
Since an archer that is also a physical therapist designed BowFit, he
didn't limit it to one simple exercise. In fact, BowFit provides
more than 10 different exercises - all of which are designed specifically
to strengthen and condition the parts of the body used in archery.
For example, the first exercise that I tried was the "Bow Draw";.
In this one you grip the Bow Fit handle like you would your bow handle,
slip the nylon loop around your wrist like a concho style release, and
stretch the tubing just like you would draw your bow.
"Draw weight" - can be increased by bringing the handle and loop closer
to one another before drawing, by doubling or tripling the tubing itself,
or by ordering tubing with higher resistance (three resistance levels are
available). Conversely, starting the draw with the handle and loop
farther apart will reduce draw weight. The nylon loop can also be
pulled with your fingertips instead of your wrist if you are a finger shooter.
Other exercises are described and illustrated in the directions that
accompany Bow Fit include: Backward Shoulder Pull; Shoulder Outward Rotation;
Forward Shoulder; Elbow Extension; Elbow Curl; Lawnmower Pull (I plan to
use this one to strengthen my arm for jerking the massive rack of my 2002
buck over a downed treetop?.I hope). Others include: Lateral Shoulder
lift; Wrist curl (palm up) and Wrist curl (palm down).
I tried them all, and was impressed that you definitely could feel that
totally different muscle groups were being worked upon when you switched
from one configuration to the next. The illustrations were clear,
and it was quick and straightforward to switch from one exercise to another.
I would start with low to medium tension to get familiar with each exercise
and warm up a little, then would increase the resistance to the point where
your muscles would shake after multiple repetitions. Instructions
on proper technique and timing are included in the instructions.
I also appreciated that exercises with BowFit are very unlikely to injure
a muscle, joint or other body part. Unlike dead weights, you can
"leave go" or "let down" the BowFit quickly at any time since there are
no weights to smash your ankles or crush your skull !
As mentioned in the instructions, it makes sense to wear safety glasses
when using the BowFit. Since you are stretching a powerful band that
is often pointed right at your eyes, if you slip or something breaks, it
would be like shooting yourself in the face with a slingshot!
It's no surprise that I still enjoy shooting my bow more than stretching
the BowFit. But, BowFit gives me the chance to prepare for shooting
at times and in places that I could never use my bow. If you use
it religiously, I really think it will improve your abilities when you
pick up your favorite toy ... your bow.
Ratings:
Design /Durability/Ruggedness: 4.5 of 5
Simple yet effective design. There is not much to go wrong with
the BowFit except that the tubing might age (especially if left in the
sunlight). Replacement tubing is available.
Appearance 4.5 of 5
Packaging/Instructions: 5 of 5
As always, illustrations clarified what would have been difficult to
describe in words.
Value: 5 of 5
For the archer a BowFit will probably do most of what a BowFlex would
(exercise machine sold on TV). The monthly payment might even be
the same ... except BowFit is paid for in 1 month versus about 2
or 3 years for the BowFlex!
For information on these and other products
contact:
BOWFIT
PO
Box 507
Preston,
ID 83263-0507
(Toll
Free ) 888-757-5541
Email:
bowfit@juno.com
Web Site: www.BOWFIT.com |
