Slightly odd exercise --

[resolute]

Discussion of recreational firearms shooting, and questions about possibly useful exercises, below. Guns are not to everyone's taste, and hence behind the cut.



I shoot trap -- shotguns, shooting at clay discs called pigeons -- on a league team. I also shoot pistols for fun. Both kinds of shooting are hard on my back and my forearms.

Soooooo, collective wisdom, what can I do to improve my strength and stability in those areas?

I suspect the answer to the back question is core strength, core strength core strength -- planks, sit-ups, Turkish get-ups, etc, but what are some other options? And are there any FUN forearm exercises?

I am debating simply practicing mounting my shotgun -- picking it up and holding it to my shoulder the the correct position -- over and over again using an eight-pound sledgehammer instead. That might do the trick ...

Comments

[lyorn]

Some of my friends swear by these rotation balls for wrist and forearm exercise. Not my cup of tea, though. Have you tried them?

[resolute]

No, I haven't, thank you! I'll look into it ...

[rydra_wong]

Forearm stuff -- assuming the stress is mostly coming from gripping and stabilizing your wrists:

Wrist curls and reverse curls
More fun: wrist roller!

If you've got a kettlebell, bottoms-up clean-and-press; kettlebells in general are great for grip strength and wrist stability.

If the strain is hitting your elbows as well, scroll down further in the linked entry for a couple of exercises I've found useful for warding off elbow tendonitis from climbing.

[resolute]

Ooooh, those look fun, thank you!