Posted: 7/4/2010 12:57:13 PM EDT
|
I am skinny as a rail and still have issues shooting offhand due to poor upper body strength. I figured what's a better way to get into shape than to use a 10 lbs rifle as a bar bell. And I'll be damned, it's working.  50 overhead presses a day, 50 curls a day, pushups and situps, and I'm getting into shape again.  I highly recommend it to my fellow wimps out there.  |
|
You and about 10 million GI's and Marine's used the very same technique,
of course it works. God knows how many old filmclips and movies I've seen of the good guys doing this very same thing; watch "The Sands of Iwo Jima" starring the Duke as an example right off the top of my head. |
|
Quoted:
I am skinny as a rail and still have issues shooting offhand due to poor upper body strength. I figured what's a better way to get into shape than to use a 10 lbs rifle as a bar bell. And I'll be damned, it's working.
50 overhead presses a day, 50 curls a day, pushups and situps, and I'm getting into shape again.
I highly recommend it to my fellow wimps out there. It worked for me. |
|
Quoted:
Holding the Garand for a long time with one arm? Been there, done that. 
http://media.ar15.com/media/viewFile.html?i=19852 which one is you?> |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Holding the Garand for a long time with one arm? Been there, done that.
http://media.ar15.com/media/viewFile.html?i=19852 which one is you?> Pink jacket, I think.
|
|
Upper body strength has very little to do with offhand. A successful position relies on structure, not strength. I know a very petite girl who just shot a 198 offhand. Hell I'm old and frail and have shot a 197 .
If you want to improve your offhand: Dryfire, dryfire and then dryfire some more with the rifle you are going to compete with. Don't settle for anything but a center x when you break the shot!!! DO NOT pull the trigger unless it is EXACTLY in the middle. Anything else re-enforces bad habits and you will not improve!! It doesn't matter if you have to take the gun down 20 times for one properly executed shot. Consider the rifle's balance. Some people need less than the full weights(me), others need a front or rear bias Last, most importantly, it is all about focus and decision making. Nothing else should be in your mind except the front sight picture. If it does not look good, take it down and start over. At least let up and rebreath and get back to it. Hope this helps. You can IM me for any other questions or post them here. I have coached some very successful juniors 
|
|
After shot number 5, my arm starts to feel it. After shot number 10, it's starting to shake a little. My offhand position is such that my elbow digs into my rib cage. My body is too long to really put my elbow into my hip. Also, I usually don't use a real high power shooting position when shooting 3-gun or other such activities involving speed at short range. And I'm sick of being a wimp. I figure doing a ton of reps with a small weight is better than doing a few reps with a heavy weight. ETA: I have a pretty good understanding of high power shooting positions. That said, I need a lot of practice. It's different than shooting smallbore. I am also really wimpy, and am sick of being wimpy. Shit, holding my trumpet up for 8 hours straight is exhausting.  |
|
I'm a skinny guy too and it doesn't affect my offhand too much. I also can only get my elbow and upper arm against my rib cage, not my hip.
Practice practice practice. I do a lot of practice with a 10/22 with tech sights and green mountain barrel, at 50 yards on targets from ray-vin.com I suppose it can't hurt to be in better shape though. A friend called me "athletic skinny". I do try to exercise every other day with push-ups and sit ups and so on. Try this program and you'll notice the strength gain afterwards One Hundred Push-Ups |