Can casting build arm strength?

[Brookie]

Ill be honest I dont have very strong arm muscles at all. I have strong triceps but thats it. I was wondering if casting is a good way to help build muscle. I am also getting into fly fishing and im wondering if that would help as well.

[jdw174]

In my case at the end of a day's worth of casting/pitching lures, it leads to sore shoulders :    Lately I've been having trouble with my wrist and have to make all my casts two-handed.  Thank God for  two-handed handles

[Fish Man]

it may a little but not a whole lot,for me i just go to the gym for the muscles and to the pond for the fishing  

[Hookemdown.]

I think it does more at destroying your wrist, elbow, shoulder than building arm strength :'(

[Cephkiller]

I think it does more at destroying your wrist, elbow, shoulder than building arm strength :'(

Word.

Between all the pitching I did as a kid and all the fishing I've done as an adult, my right arm is nearly shot    I am not a physiologist, but I believe that casting doesn't provide enough resistance to build strength.  The repetitive and jerky motions provide plenty of torque to destroy joints, though.

[-badhabit-]

Ill be honest I dont have very strong arm muscles at all. I have strong triceps but thats it. I was wondering if casting is a good way to help build muscle. I am also getting into fly fishing and im wondering if that would help as well.

If you do anything enough it will build some type of strength & endurance. Casting will only effect certain muscles and have no effect on the rest of the arm/shoulders, etc..

Having stronger arms will help improve your fishing by your body not getting tired as easy and let you concentrate on your fishing techniques more. They sell individual dumbells at Wal-Mart of a lot of different weights cheap and all you need is one. Pick one you can curl atleast 10 times to begin with and do a few sets of ten curls and a couple of sets of ten just lifting it above your head. Do that in the morning or before you go to bed at night. You will notice an improvement in stamina after only a few weeks. Heavy weights build bulk but using & doing more reps with lighter weights will build stamina.

I'm kind of small (5'10"/150 lbs) and try to do this everyday with just 25 lb dumbells. It does work and I don't get tired from casting or fishing (except when I don't get enough sleep).

Try it and it will make long days much shorter and more enjoyable

[Catt]

badhabit is exactly right & the older you get the more important it becomes  

[Panamoka_Bassin]

I'm with the rest on this one.  Casting is not going to significantly increase any muscle (if it did, we'd have a bunch of weird looking guys around here with one HUGE arm and one little toothpick arm ).  Weights are a great idea, but aren't absolutely necessary.  Look at Mike Tyson when he was young.  He never lifted weights, all he did was push ups and sit ups.

Start yourself off with 15 or 25 of each, or whatever you can do.  After a week, increase the number by 10 or 5, and keep at it.  In only a couple weeks you'll see a marked difference in your muscle tone and size.  If you want to do an experiment, measure your arms before you start, and then 2 weeks later.  I guarantee you'll see a big difference.  BUT, you have to keep at it.  No skipping a day because you're "too tired."

Also, and this is important, stretch before and after you work out.  This will help you from feeling sore and will also give the muscles a chance to rebound.

[grimlin]

If it did all i have to tell my girl is i'm going to work out....she'd let me go everyday...lol

[bassdocktor]

I have to agree that casting all day really won't build any muscle. However, if you were looking to build some muscle while fishing reeling in a large deep diving crankbait would be a good way to build up one of you forearms.

[Blue Streak]

After 50 plus years of bass fishing at the end of the day, which comes sooner every year, I have pain in my hands, wrists, elbows, and shoulders. If it built muscles I would look like Mr. Arnold. And I won't quit.

[Nick B]

I would say it is probably builds as much muscle as masterbation, without the risk of shooting out your eye  

[FIN-S-R]

From the way my shoulders and back hurt after 8 or 10 hrs of rippin a vibe or crankin a DD22, Id say muscle is being built. I dont get the same sore results from flippin a jig or draggin a drop shot.