Think You’re as Tough as Your Broadheads?
Contrary to the truth, we’d all like to think we’re as tough as nails, or as strong as our broadheads in this hunting example. Sure, we’re all capable of heading out on spur-of-the-moment backcountry elk hunts up a mountain range, right? Well, that’s what we tell ourselves. But when push comes to shove, could we really do it?
One thing’s for sure, the old and young alike had some major grit back in the day. There weren’t any ATVs or game carts – just horse- and man-power. We have all seen the pictures, a middle-aged man wearing a very healthy-looking mature buck like a backpack, plus carrying his firearm, hiking down a mountain. If you’ve never tried truly carrying a deer, you can’t really appreciate this.
Most of us try to physically prepare before bow hunting seasons begin, especially if it’s going to be a backcountry excursion. A few weeks before opener, we’ll walk more or start doing those pushups we always tell ourselves we should do (but don’t). But wouldn’t it make more sense to practice throughout the off-season so that we’re fully able to take a last minute hunting trip if we so choose? How would it feel to accept an invitation to the Rockies on a whim, and know you’ll be just fine?
So what does it mean to be as tough as your broadheads? Well, at G5 it means to be as strong as steel. G5’s fixed broadheads aren’t welded or assembled; they’re cast out of a solid piece of steel and machine-tooled to their final shape. Precision-cutting machinery finely hones a larger block of steel into the lean and deadly shape that you see in stores. G5 Montec broadheads come in multiple grain options, and are diamond sharpened. Think of exercise and practice as the machinery, slowly shaping you into your final and solid hunting condition. It’s a better analogy than you thought, huh?
Granted, age does play a factor here. Younger hunters will obviously find it a bit easier to bounce back from exercises and the physical toll such a hunting trip requires of the body. As a wise old man once told me, “We can still do what younger people do – it just takes us longer to recover from it.” But with diligent practice and exercise, older hunters can hold their own just fine. It’s our winter obsession with couches and delicious food that slowly creeps up on us and interferes with our ability to do these things at the drop of a hat.
If you’d like to keep yourself primed and ready for hunting next season, try adopting some of the following exercises. Add them to your routine slowly at first and continue to push yourself. If you stick with it, you’ll be the sharp and deadly steel broadhead before you know it. Remember just as practice makes perfect when it comes to shooting a bow, the same can be applied to your fitness.
The basic five exercises you should do (and do often) are squats, deadlifts, lunges, pushups, and pullups. If you can do these five, you can climb, pull, push, and anything else that you should encounter on a hunting trip. There’s really no secret formula either – just start doing as many of them as you can. Deadlifts alone work your legs, back, core, and arms pretty effectively, but the combination will do a lot more. In addition, if you’re going to be hiking in the backcountry, get used to carrying a heavy backpack on your shoulders. If not, your back, hips, and everything will feel it when you hoist it for the first time next season.