Shoulder Endurance and Strength Exercise- Vitruvian Man Shoulder Exerc

[Malarkey]

Shoulder strength and endurance is vital to the sport of shooting. If you have ever spent some significant time at the range or at a match you can definitely notice the fatigue and possibly soreness the next day. Generally a 30min shooting session with constant re-holstering and un-holstering can put a lot of torque on the deltoids as your elbow draws out to the side to grip your weapon. Now imagine this scenario. There is a local match on Saturday. To prepare for this match you dry fire practice Monday-Friday for 15-30min. Hit the range on Friday for a hour to test out your loads and sights. Then run 6-8 stages at your local match lasting 3-4 hours. Sunday you practice what you did wrong for 30min-1hr....you get the point. If you want your body to keep on running you need to make sure you build up the right areas. Your shoulders (deltoids) are activated during every motion in shooting. It is imperative to have good shoulder endurance to maintain and progress to the next level of training.

Here is a simple exercise that you can do at home in combination with your dry-fire practice or next time you make it out to the gym.

• Start with a 2.5lb-5lb weight in one hand and extend your arm out in front of your body with your palm facing towards the opposite side of your body. This is your "neurtal point".
  
• "Imagine that you are in the center of a clock"
  
• Keeping your arm extended, lift your arm straight up 90 degrees from the starting point(12 oclock), and then return it back to the neutral point.
  
• Then move your arm "up" and "out" 45 degrees down from first point (10:30) and return to the neutral point.
  
• You do the same thing to 9 oclock, 7:30, 6:00, 5:30, 3:00 and 1:30 for a total of 8 movements.
  
• Keep your palm facing the opposite side of your body with each movement.
  
• Go all the way around, hitting each point and returning to the middle 3 full times and then switch hands. Start light with the weight and work your way up.
  

Here are some pictures for reference, sorry for the dumb look on my face. Just got done with a kettlebell circuit and i was starving!

[Round_Gun_Shooter]

Thanks for posting. Having been on crutches all winter so far, my shoulders are taking a beating. These look good and I will be trying them along with my band exercises.

[atbarr]

Thanks for this information Chase. I've had my right shoulder replaced twice, and I'm right handed. I use a 3 lb. weight doing similar exercises every other day. I use a 5 lb. weight to simulate doing a mag release.

[Malarkey]

Thanks for posting. Having been on crutches all winter so far, my shoulders are taking a beating. These look good and I will be trying them along with my band exercises.

Thanks for this information Chase. I've had my right shoulder replaced twice, and I'm right handed. I use a 3 lb. weight doing similar exercises every other day. I use a 5 lb. weight to simulate doing a mag release.

I am glad to hear you all are recovering well. If you noticed that this is similar to your rehab exercises, it is because it is geared to be basic so anyone is able to jump in and be able to complete the exercise. It is also very specific in scope to the physical demands of action shooting as it keeps the elbows in extension or close to it as you would be when you hold a gun. I may actually modify it a little and on the downward motion of the dominant side have the arm come to the side, elbow flex past 90 as if to simulate a draw, but that may be a little much.

Glad to hear you all enjoy it! i know i practiced about 5-8 rotations on each side and my shoulders were feeling it for sure.