Shooting a rifle offhand for 80-160 shots off a concrete pad is hard on your back.... it's an unnatural position, which usually manifests itself in lower back pain....

Being older than Pe Ell, shooting long matches seriously bothers me, even making me think about quitting again, until a physical therapist turned me on to this: Simple bent knee crunches and a "bridge lift" (a strange exercise on your back with bent knees, hands at your side palm down, then lifting your pelvis and hips as high as you can toward the ceiling in a "screw the sky" motion....), reps of 10-20 alternating, have done away with, or greatly moderated, my lower back pain..... kept me pain free through a the Conard, so I is a believer...... gonna do them four or five times a day....three sets each..... What do you do to deal with the issue?

Is there a video of this anywhere? I do not exactly understand the motion you are describing.
Edit: Ok, I read it again. Supine position. Opposite motion of crunch?

Here ya go....

https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=b ... mp=yhs-002

or this....

http://www.wikihow.com/Perform-the-Bridge-Exercise

Great tip! Combine the competitiveness of the match (my first at Pe Ell) and hours on subpar airline seats, something had to give: my scores and my back (my scores are just my excuse).

This match was an awesome experience. Those I met were great people, and I'm certain that those I didn't meet are just as great. I've gotta thank Jose Luis Rodriguez, aka Doc Joe, and Marco Sanchez, for convincing me to go. I look forward to next year's match.

By the way, River Bend Diner is hands-down the best oysters I've had in the Americas!

-Profe'

Glad you came out prof. And yes, those oysters are the best. I don't understand why folks get together on Friday night anywhere else.

Because oysters are great... bait.

Muscle relaxer 3 times a day, when mine gets out of control.

Are we going to have to start drug testing at matches?

SteveD wrote:Are we going to have to start drug testing at matches?

With some of us especially, that could get complicated.

I found tequila is a great back muscle relaxer. Just sayin....

So. If drug testing for performance enhancing drugs is in our future, will the blue pill be just cause for disqualification from a silhouette match?

I find the DVD set Physiology and Fitness by Dean Hodgkin to be of great help for both general fitness and specific problem areas. Available from the Great Courses there are 36 thirty minute lectures. It includes both specific exercises and the rationale behind each workout. He discuses and demonstrates stabilization of the core muscles that are very important in shooting. Sometimes the DVD set is on sale. As an aging shooter I appreciate all the help I can get.

dhatch wrote:So. If drug testing for performance enhancing drugs is in our future, will the blue pill be just cause for disqualification from a silhouette match?

What blue pill is that? Like Lipitor or something?