Excercises For Metal Detecting?

G'day all,

Does anyone know of some good exercises that can be done to condition yourself for swinging a metal detector? ower:
I have tried searching the forum and internet but there isn't a whole lot out there. Some easy exercises that could be done before going out metal detecting would help extend the time you could detect.

Thanks
Pecky

Pecky said:

G'day all,

Does anyone know of some good exercises that can be done to condition yourself for swinging a metal detector? ower:
I have tried searching the forum and internet but there isn't a whole lot out there. Some easy exercises that could be done before going out metal detecting would help extend the time you could detect.

Thanks
Pecky

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Pecky, If you own a detector than the best thing is to use it for short periods often. I can be working hard all week at manual labour and consider myself fit, that is until I swing the detector for a few hours. It's a different exercise to most things in the way you carry a weight extended out in front. The first few days of a trip are hard work but after about two weeks out detecting I can usually go all day. I don't know of anything better than the real thing. Phil

Buy a whipper snipper .

It won't kill ya.... I'd still do it even without a shoulder (somehow )
If it starts getting sore rest
if it gets sore pretty quick all the time rest longer.
drink milk in recovery.... as they say a glass of milk = a nice juicy steak when it comes to building muscle..... and muscle is made during sleep after the pain of exercise(so take that milk in the evening for the best results ).
good luck with the big muscles... and welcome aboard.

Do some stretches before heading off from your vehicle/camp.

Arms down each side extending as much as possible.

Hands on hips twist left and right.

Touch your toes.

Stretch your legs, place your leg extended in front and stretch your arm and hold your ankle.

Stretch each arm across your chest. Extended each arm and rotate clockwise and anti clockwise.

Do a repetition of each exercise and hold for 5 to 10 seconds.

For toning your upper body muscles hold a weight (3 to 5 kilograms or whats comfortable and increases over time) out in front of you with both arms extended. Lift and lower. This can be done any time, at home during your lunch break etc. Toning your upper body muscles will help you equally pre start stretching will also help your time using your detector.

RM Outback said:

Do some stretches before heading off from your vehicle/camp.

Arms down each side extending as much as possible.

Hands on hips twist left and right.

Touch your toes.

Stretch your legs, place your leg extended in front and stretch your arm and hold your ankle.

Stretch each arm across your chest. Extended each arm and rotate clockwise and anti clockwise.

Do a repetition of each exercise and hold for 5 to 10 seconds.

For toning your upper body muscles hold a weight (3 to 5 kilograms or whats comfortable and increases over time) out in front of you with both arms extended. Lift and lower. This can be done any time, at home during your lunch break etc. Toning your upper body muscles will help you equally pre start stretching will also help your time using your detector.

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Or just do the Hokey Cokey for a bit :lol:

I usually drink 6 pack. Loosens me up real good.

Helps water the bushes as well!?

Thanks everyone, some really good ideas there that I will surely try.

Moneybox - its nice to know it gets easier with time, I only went out for a day and was sore for a week.

Silver - I wasn't aware that milk was so good for muscles, I will have my bedtime drink.

RM Outback - thats just the sort of thing I'm after, thanks (though touching the toes might be a bit of a challenge).

cheers
Pecky

Touch your toes! Good one RM Outback. I haven't beeb able to touch mine standing up for years?????????

If touching your toes is a problem (which it is for many, me included) do it sitting down like I do layful:

not so much an excercise but I suggest putting quite a bit of time into sorting out detector balance as this is more important than gross weight ( which is still v important).

1) put your coil on the detector and then cup your hand under the shaft and move it along until the detector balances horizontal.

2)Is your bungee connected to the shaft close to this point? If not then move it to this point, try it out and then move it up or down an inch or two until you find the spot you like best. When properly supported by the bungee you dont have much force at all on your arm.

3) repeat for different coils and mark the shaft for each.

I have 3 bungee attachments at about 50mm intervals to cover sadie, 14 evo and 18 elite.

Get the detector balance right and you might not need much excercise

Gees RM, I'll watch you while I have a bundy or 3. :Y:

limpalot said:

Gees RM, I'll watch you while I have a bundy or 3. :Y:

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Like I said mate, whilst I'm in my chair :lol: :beer: ya better bring a 6 pack so I can share 3 with ya layful:

In all seriousness my detailed post will serve some people well and something we should do.

Let's not high jack Pecky's thread with references to having a swill or 2 (which I love layful It's a genuine thread and a very worthy one :Y: I'll back it in if you give it a go it'll serve you well :beer:

Hang on a minute while I tone up with my next 6 pack :lol:, couldn't help myself :lol:

if you have a 7000 chuck a 19inch coil on it a swing for about 100m a few times per day. you will defiantly start toning your upper body with it!

Get one of those hand weights from a gym store & while your watching TV hold it out in front of you like holding the detector, start with the ads then rest. You can walk around the yard also & gradually build up the weight.

Thanks again everyone.

Nothing wrong with keeping the fluids up layful:

With regard to XLOOX post about balancing the detector I thought of that before I went out and made a spreader for the harness and had the SDC hanging off the centre of that with a bungee. I fiddled with the tension and position of the bungee on the shaft of the detector to get it so the detector was hanging in the right orientation hands-off. It didnt need much force to swing the detector but I still got sore. I probably overdid it on the first day as I was so excited which is why I asked what exercises I could do at home to get in condition.

My spreader saved my arms hurting too much but I was suffering with a pain in my sternum for a few days afterwards, especially if I had to sneeze or cough.

Cheers
Pecky

Maybe this is off topic, but do any of you ever switch swinging arms throughout the day?

I can understand the reasoning for a spreader to even out the load on shoulders but I find, as you did, that the cross load between straps to be uncomfortable. A flash harness will fix that if you want to go that way.

Alternatively you can adjust your swing:

The detector coil swing arc centres on your right elbow (assuming you are right handed) and if you have your bungee connected to the towards the top of your right shoulder strap then the force is in line when the detector is straight ahead.

As you swing further away from the centreline the more effort you need to make and if you have a bungee it is actually worse as it is trying to pull you back to the centre line. The answer is to reduce the swing arc you are trying to make.

You will find that keeping your upper arm vertical rather than reaching forward or sideways to extend your swing will result in much less fatigue.

You might then need to make extra passes to cover the same area but that is no bad thing !

Ultimately each to their own as far as bungee setup goes.

Actually - on the topic of reaching forward - is your shaft length setup correctly. too short and you have to reach forward & down, too long and you ghave to raise your elbow...

BrokeInBendigo said:

Maybe this is off topic, but do any of you ever switch swinging arms throughout the day?

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I do I swap multiple times a day to stop my hip or shoulders from aching. I'm swinging for at least 5-6hrs at a time