Fitness activities that have helped your shooting and related?

[CountryGent]

Being physically fit, naturally, has a multiplicity of benefits, so no need to rehash such. However, has there been any particular fitness activities, sports, disciplines, et al., that has directly benefited your shooting? Be it competition, hunting, occupational, recreational, etc.?

Cheers.

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[IndyPrepper]

Just weight training.

You should be able to load a 30rd mag in an AR, hold it by the grip and extend the weight straight arm out for 1-2 minutes....that's 7 - 8 1/2 lbs depending on the build.

Lifting weights progressively 2-3 times a week will change everything about your daily habits. Just my $.02

 

[homeuser6]

 

[nammac]

Absolutely some level of weight work, need to keep those weapons steady when acquiring targets. And I agree, grip training, for grip strength. There's another type of grip training that exercises the fingers individually, good for trigger control.

Cardio work to ensure stability post exertion or post adrenaline dump. I bike fairly regularly. And will be more now that marathon season is starting for the wife. I'm the trainer/coach and am responsible for pacing her, so I get to do up to 22 miles at a time, hilly terrain, making it pretty demanding for this ole fart.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

In terms of edc defense for me mental fitness is most important. Practicing imagined real world scenarios every time you go shooting and shooting in such a way that it is no different than you would in real world situation. If you have practiced a real world confrontation 1000-2000 times in your mind and and executed it at the range then when the real thing comes you are most likely to respond the same way. That's why I never really practice relaxed slow fire. I don't want to train to shoot in one way and then all of a sudden have to shoot in a totally different way "when the red flag flies" (nod to Col Cooper). Physical fitness tbh would be meaningless if you can't respond correctly in the highest stress situation. The acorn cop guy is a worst case scenario example of fear controlling him rather than responding confidently and correctly in the face of fear. Being in control and confident may also mean choosing to not shoot when appropriate (and therefore avoiding jail) vs shooting out of fear.

Forearm, arm, shoulder grip strength is important for pistol for sure. Rob laethum is the best in the world and he is not a whole body fitness guy at all. But he has a strong grip so gun doesn't move when he pulls the trigger. Also he's practiced millions of rounds and the best techniques. I did see him in a video once try to move gun side to side on a student and that student practices grappling so his arms and grip were really, really, strong. Laetham said that's the best he's ever seen as far as holding the gun firmly/steady. He did a cool demo where that guy was holding the gun on target in a firm grip. Rob took a magic marker and slammed (ie huge jerk) the guy's trigger as hard as he could. All shots were on target cuz gun did not move when the gun fired even in that worst possible "jerk the trigger" example. All imo.

 

[TTSX]

 

[ScottInPDX]

I'll echo the weightlifting comments and add swimming. Not only is it excellent cardio, the breath control benefits are hard to overstate.

It's also accessible to almost everyone, regardless of current physical condition or disabilities. Overweight? Bad back? Knees worn to a nub because you had to do ruck marches on asphalt when you were stationed on a tiny little base without adequate training areas for an infantry regiment and the VA says your knees are bad enough to give you a disability rating but not bad enough to do anything else? Go swim!

 

[ZA_Survivalist]

I second what @IndyPrepper said,
Weight lifting helps everything in life.

 

[dangerranger60]

as an old guy I can still hold a full gallon of milk at full arm extension, I can still lift and load a V8 short block, I can hold a dime between the handles of the spring grip exercisers for more than a min. But I have to keep working on cardio. DR

 

[IndyPrepper]

I can still lift and load a V8 short block

Now that brings back memories...almost as bad as bench pressing a TH400 up to mate my 350 in a GMC2500. As me now I know

 

[JDubDub]

Depends on the shooting activity. Bench work doesn't need much physical conditioning. Run-and-gun activities are A whole different thing. I'm an avid mtn biker, so I get a huge amount of aerobic exercise- about 3k miles/year. Very helpful for more the active shooting hobbies. I get a fair amount of upper body exercise from clearing snow, hauling firewood and trail building depending on the season. Holding a rifle at full extension is nothing compared to using a roof rake to clear a foot of snow. The ones I have to force myself to do are stretching and hand strength workouts. The deep squat video that someone else posted has some truth.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Not shooting related...but hunting related....

Steps....
Every September...the school steps really get to me...however by October...I do 'em with ease.
Which comes in handy for hunting season...since that is mostly hiking with a cool gun...
Andy

 

[OldBroad44]

I mess around with 5 lb. barbells so I can more easily handle the heavy .44 mag revolvers I like. That was necessary even when I was a middle aged broad. Its essential now that I'm 78.

 

[quneur]

I do a workout that is pretty hard and takes a lot of effort and I do it while driving. The steps are:

1. Release the steering wheel with your left hand before making a turn.
2. Move your hand and arm down to the turn indicator lever.
3. Push the lever down to turn left or push it up to turn right til it clicks.
4. Move hand up and reestablish grip on steering wheel.
5. Make turn.

Its a demanding workout that takes discipline. For most people, its unbearably hard and will forgo it. The people who follow this regiment usually do this while sitting.