How to Blend Fitness and Shooting

Practicing how I play has delivered great success in my life. It’s no different with archery. While flinging arrows at a target is fun just about any way you slice it, we like to make sure it serves our ultimate goal.

You’re training for that one moment in the wild when you’re deep in the mountains, your legs are screaming, your heart’s pounding, and you’ve got one shot to make it count. Hunting isn’t just about marksmanship. It’s about being ready, physically and mentally, for whatever the backcountry throws at you.

I’ll do my best here to outline how we combine fitness and shooting to prepare for real hunting situations. Whether you're climbing after elk in the high country or moving through thick woods after whitetails, the goal is the same—be prepared.

Start with the Basics: Nail Your Form

Whether you’re shooting a bow, rifle, or handgun, it all starts with mechanics. But a lot of people misunderstand what I mean. We firmly believe in focusing on the fundamentals of shooting before you start running laps or hauling heavy packs to mimic a hunt. I don’t believe in adding stress until you’ve put in the time to shoot well.

It reminds me of teaching lifts at Mayhem. You don’t walk in and grab a loaded bar. You slow it down and learn how to move the right way. Same thing here. Go to the range. Talk to someone who knows what they’re doing. Make sure your gear fits, your release is smooth, and your grip feels right.

This isn’t about looking cool on camera or rushing through arrows. It’s about knowing your shot is solid even when you’re cold, tired, or out of breath. When that moment comes, you’ll be ready—not guessing.

Adding Chaos: Train Like You Hunt

In the field, you’re never taking a shot fresh as a daisy. You’ve been hiking for hours, maybe climbing a ridge, with a pack that feels heavier with every step. Your heart’s thumping, adrenaline’s spiking, and that buck or bull is staring you down. That’s the moment we all train for, so that’s why we do what we like to call “adding a little chaos” to our training.

The goal is to make shooting under stress second nature. The same reason why I spent years drilling muscle-ups or snatches until they’re automatic when my goal was to win the CrossFit Games. We want our shooting to be so ingrained that we can pull it off even when our brain is screaming and our body is spent.

Here are a couple of ways we do it.

Cardio + Shooting: Get Your Heart Pumping

Try this workout to mimic the grind of a hunt:

8 Rounds For Time:400m ruck (30 lb for guys, 20 lb for gals) 1 arrow from 20–40 yards

This should get your heart rate up to 150-160 BPM, forcing you to steady your breathing and focus while your body’s begging for a break. It’s not about hitting the X every time; it’s about building the confidence to shoot well when you’re gassed.

After enough rounds, a shot at 120 BPM feels like a walk in the park. Plus, you’ll get better at controlling your breathing and grip under pressure, which is half the battle in the field.

Strength + Shooting: Train Your Brain

Sometimes it’s not just about cardio, it’s about mental toughness. Heavy lifts can fry your central nervous system, mimicking the mental fog of a long day in the mountains. Here’s a go-to:

6 Rounds (1 every 90 seconds):3 deadlifts at 80% of your max 1 arrow from 20–40 yards

This isn’t about getting your heart rate sky-high; it's about dealing with the mental haze that comes from taxing your body. It’s like trying to focus after packing 10 miles with a heavy load. Your brain’s tired, but your shooting form still needs to show up.

One thing we always want to watch is heavy shoulder work or high-rep pressing before shooting. Tired shoulders can mess with your draw or aim, and we don’t want to build bad habits. Treat shooting like a skill progression: start with clean form, then add light stress, then cardio, and finally heavier lifts, but always be smart about it.

Why This Matters

Let’s be real: every hunter misses sometimes. I’ve been there, and if you hunt long enough, you will too. But as hunters, we’ve got a responsibility to make those misses as rare as possible. We’re not chasing personal records or bragging rights, we're dealing with life and death. A clean shot respects the animal and the hunt.

You can’t perfectly recreate the adrenaline of a bull elk bugling at 20 yards, but you can train in ways that push your limits. Fatigue, shaky hands, a racing heart—those things can be part of your training. The more you put yourself in uncomfortable situations now, the better chance you have of showing up when it counts.

Final Shots

If you want to be ready for hunting season, approach your shooting like any serious skill—it takes time and effort to build consistency. Start with the basics, then challenge yourself in tough conditions. That might mean shooting after a long ruck or when your heart’s still pounding from a hard workout. At Mayhem Hunt, fitness is part of the process, but the goal is simple: be prepared to take the shot, make it count, and carry out what you worked for.

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