Strong people are harder to kill than weak people and more useful in general.
– Mark Rippetoe

A difficult premise to argue against. The stronger I get, the more I appreciate the usefulness of it.

So if being stronger can help me shoot better, well I’m all for that. I was reading articles on Charles Poliquin’s website, and one in particular caught my eye: “Tips To Increase Firearm Shooting Accuracy“.

I’m…. not sure what to make of the article.

I’m not questioning Poliquin’s knowledge as a strength coach (his résumé). But I don’t know what he knows about shooting. Perhaps someone can enlighten me about a few things I saw in the article.

First, the article starts with this statement:

Did you know that your rotator cuff strength is a reflection of the amount of weight you can lift in the barbell bench press?

Then later in the article when suggesting exercises, 3 isolation exercises are given — with no mention of bench press. Well, if rotator cuff strength and bench press are so related, why shouldn’t people just bench press to improve their rotator cuff strength? Granted, some people may have injuries or other limiting factors, but in general it’s agreed that compound exercises, like the bench press, are overall superior for developing strength and a healthy body. Perhaps the article suggests 3 isolation exercises merely to say “here’s 3 exercises that specifically target the rotator cuff”. Still, why no mention of bench pressing as an avenue was odd.

Second, Poliquin states:

The larger the caliber of the handgun, the more the rotator cuff helps shooting accuracy. As more law enforcement agencies are switching from the 9 mm to the 0.40 and the 0.45, it’s even more important to have a strong and healthy rotator cuff. One of the reasons agencies are using larger calibers is today’s obesity epidemic. If this unhealthy trend worsens, cops will need ammo strong enough to bring down rhinos and elephants.

Um….

He’s saying that the reason LEO’s are adopting the fo-tay is because of fat people.

And if people keep getting fatter, we’re going to need to arm our LEO’s with .500 Nitro Express.

I am not sure how well he understands ballistics and the development of cartridges. And I’d LOVE to know where he got his information that the Glock 22 came about because of Grimace. 😉

So… I asked.

Hi John,
Thank you for your email and for your interest in the free articles provided at charlespoliquin.com! The articles have a list of references at the bottom, so you can refer to those. Unfortunately, I am unable to provide specific references for bits of information provided within the article.
Kind Regards,
Stephanie
Poliquin Strength Institute

I’d rather they made the effort to find out, because the claims are… questionable, in my mind. I have asked for more information, we’ll see how it goes. Frankly I’m most curious as to where the “fo-tay fo fatties” tidbit comes from. That’s a new one to me.

The article doesn’t come across as the most well-written. Nevertheless, I’ll agree with the general premise that having a strong, stable base does improve your ability to shoot. A strong grip, as influenced by forearm muscles or, as the article states, rotator cuff health, certainly plays into one’s ability to manage recoil and thus shoot better. And when it comes to shooting, especially long guns (i.e. shouldered guns), a healthy shoulder will help you manage things.

What are you waiting for? Hit the weights!