Which muscles are important for shooting?

[Mr. Gillious]

I was thinking about this question while out on a run.

I'm curious to know which muscles are important for shooting rifles/pistols while standing.

I know a lot of muscles play a role while the trigger is squeezed like your abs, back muscles, and shoulders, but if there are a couple or more muscles I can exercise to improve my offhand shooting I would like to know so that I can be more proficient and have less fatigue while shooting.

Anatomy/Physiology majors, personal trainers, physical therapists, or anyone else are strongly encouraged to chime in and give me their two cents.

[perpetual otter]

The penis.

[omgwtfbbq]

Primarily, your shoulders, biceps, and forearms. A good exercise is to hold a 10-20 pound weight (depending on personal ability) at your waist and slowly bring it up until you are holding it out at 90 degrees from your body, hold for 5 seconds and repeat.

Where able you can also lift a gun to get this result.

I know not everyone has time for the range, but at home dry-practice with an actual firearm (or inert practice gun if you have one) is the best analogue for it.


I set aside time every week to work on different gun handling skills around the house. Garage is a perfect place to practice with rifle work (unless you're a hoarder). I even sit and watch TV with my glock and two empty mags are practice reloads.

[Mr. Gillious]

Primarily, your shoulders, biceps, and forearms. A good exercise is to hold a 10-20 pound weight (depending on personal ability) at your waist and slowly bring it up until you are holding it out at 90 degrees from your body, hold for 5 seconds and repeat.

I was thinking the same thing since front deltoids are being flexed while pistol shooting. Front deltoid raises makes sense.

[artoaster]

Isolated body part training is obsolete. Can you breathe properly, relax and use your bone structure (not your musculature) and center yourself with little demand or flexing of muscle groups?

Training for power and excellent overall aerobic conditioning and good balance and posture without being overweight are more important than biceps or deltoids.

[Mr. Gillious]

Isolated body part training is obsolete. Can you breathe properly, relax and use your bone structure (not your musculature) and center yourself with little demand or flexing of muscle groups?

Training for power and excellent overall aerobic conditioning and good balance and posture without being overweight are more important than biceps or deltoids.

I totally understand you. Isolated body part exercises is an old practice.

And yes, I can stand balanced and put rounds down range. I guess I need to rephrase my question:

Which exercises make you a better shooter? What exercises will help you put more rounds on a human target while rapidly firing 25 yards or so away?

I guess what I'm really really trying to ask is: Which exercises really help with recoil control and why?

[russ69]

For offhand, the best thing to do is to be short and be a low and stable base. There are no exercises that turn a basketball player into a jockey so you are out of luck if you are tall.

[vintagearms]

Wrist/hand strength is important.

[Mr. Gillious]

If I am going to put 10 rounds on target at close range shooting pistol (good thumbs forward grip, shoulders rolled, head up, good sight alignment, isosceles shooting stance, knees slightly bent, slightly leaning forward) how do my back muscles play an important role in managing recoil?

[sjm9877]

The only thing required is the brain working correctly.

Strong muscles do not make you accurate. You should be able to shoot from any stance, any position with either hand.

Work on shooting in less than optimal conditions that is the best way to get better.

[GMG]

Don't forget the muscle between your ears.

[onethumb]

My opinion:

Core muscles provide stability for the upper body and help support your spine and shoulders. Additionally, any movement in the target requires some level of twisting in the core, and a good core will help keep these movements accurate and stable.

While this may run counter to most thinking, I would also suggest that practicing yoga may be beneficial. Body awareness, flexibility and core strength are all tenants of a yoga practice.

When I added yoga to my training regime (in college), my hockey game improved dramatically. Ice hockey requires graceful yet explosive movement and excellent body awareness and vision. I can see some similarities in shooting sports, especially 3 gun and the like.

My qualification: former college athlete, training enthusiast, current amateur athlete, degrees in both mechanical engineering and biomechanics/physiology, and a career designing medical devices, some of which have been focused on helping athletes recover from injury. I am not a personal trainer, although I have numerous good friends who are, including one who is a champion amateur body builder (ie--drug tested).

[Oliver_Charles]

***

[Mr. Gillious]

lol I don't think anyone is answering my question completely. All I hear is "oh yeah your arms are important" or "you need to just shoot in different conditions" or "becoming a good shooter is all in your head"

Imagine this, you have perfect stance and breathing. You put rounds and rounds down range and now you start to feel the fatigue in your lower back from slightly bending forward. Your forearms are feeling tight from gripping the pistol. Do you see where I'm getting at?

Please don't answer the question with "oh you don't need all this strength to be accurate". I'm not trying to be a bodybuilder or anything. If you don't need strength then a little girl should shoot the same groups I am with my 1911 over a certain period of time. right??

Strength is definitely a factor if you're USING STRENGTH to manage recoil

[jfifer]

AHAHA i lost all serious responses at "PENIS" AHAHAHHAHA