SAN ANTONIO — At Mission Ridge Range and Academy, you can get your workout back on target with archery.
Preston Andrus is the archery instructor. He said you’ll get an upper-body workout drawing a bow.
“Archery is going to work your lats, delts and triceps the most,” Andrus said. “After about 30 shots into my set, I start to feel the fatigue.”
During competition season, Andrus practices consistently to sharpen his skills.
“I feel sore just about every day,” Andrus said. “Now I do have to supplement at the gym a little bit as it has me a little uneven on my drawing side, but, it's one of my favorite exercises to do.”
In one session, you can burn anywhere from 150 to 300 calories.
“I enjoy the challenge that it brings mentally as well as physically,” Andrus said. “It takes a lot of focus and repetition to make sure that every shot happens the same way.”
Andrus has years of experience in archery, but he said it doesn’t take long for a beginner to get the hang of it.
“Most shooters that I deal with, in one or two lessons, will be able to practice very proficiently on their own and gain some real knowledge on it,” Andrus said.
Rafe Corley is the director of retail at Mission Ridge. He said they’ll help you get started.
“You essentially come in, you get to choose a bow and we fit it to you,” Corley said. “We have professionals on the counter, they get everything you need, give you all the education you need and then we have a range for you to come in and start getting some bull's eyes in.”
Corley said beginners and experienced shooters are welcome.
“If you’re looking to hunt, you're looking to just have fun, you want to come in and just kind of work out those muscles, it really is just a fantastic place to have some camaraderie and really interact with others that are just looking to do the same thing,” Corley said.
If you want to hit the range, it’s $10 an hour. You can also get a private lesson for $50. Group classes cost $40 to $45 per person. To learn more about Mission Ridge Range and Academy, click here.