Is anyone here a climber?

[Linds33]

My BF and I recently decided that we wanted to try our hands at climbing (rock climbing). We have decided to try out a climbing gym that is close to our house as we don't have any mountains near us that we can climb on a regular basis. Since we love mountaineering, hiking and camping, we figured climbing would probably be a good step for us and will add some activities that we can partake in on our vacations.

For those of you whole climb, what sort of workotus do you do to help with your climbing? Any advice? We have both done climbing walls at different gyms a few times but this is our first time going to a climbing gym and taking it seriously.

[hilaryclaire]

Happy to find another climber on here. Climbing has been a great way for me over the past few years to help keep myself in shape - - particularly because it's all too easy for me to neglect my upper body.

I'm not going to include anything super specific in this response, because for me, my favorite way to keep myself in climbing shape is just by climbing. I feel like going once a week shows progress really slowly, but going 2x a week makes a huge difference. I usually climb for 2-3 hours...which is pretty much climbing until I'm too tired to do any more. 3x a week is great too, although I find it contributes to some pain/wearing on my body, particularly tendinitis. Also, it can be an expensive habit.

Bouldering is also a great way to improve your climbing, and sometimes climbing gyms offer discounted day rates if all you're going to do is boulder. Bouldering condenses climbing routes, I feel like. Sometimes in top-roping routes, there are moves during the climb that are pretty much just filler. This isn't the case during boulder routes - - since at my gym, they're usually only 5-6 moves long, every move counts.

Aside from just climbing/bouldering, there are lots of specific exercises to get your body in better shape for it. Check out the forums on rockclimbing.com for some specifics. There is a ton of info on there. I mainly stick to doing sit-ups and assisted pull-ups (or unassisted if you're buffer than me, ha) to help my climbing. Lots of climbers use a campus-board, but it takes a while to build up the strength for it to be safe to even try that. Even at the height of my climbing-regimen, I only used the campus board to hang, not to go up and down.

As a female, don't underestimate the importance of core and lower-body strength. I've been climbing off and on for give or take 3 years now, and I *still* can't do a pull-up from a dead hang, but I consider myself a reasonably good climber. It's all about technique, and how you position your body so that you can move upward without just pulling up with your arms. You'll get so tired, so fast, if you only climb with your arms. Doing yoga and/or pilates or other exercises that help condition your core muscles and improve your balance is very helpful for climbing strength.

I hope this is helpful and that you enjoy climbing! It's super fun...and if you get in good enough shape and can find some people (maybe through your climbing gym) that have gear you should definitely go climbing outside sometime. It's totally different, beautiful, exhausting, and fun.




My BF and I recently decided that we wanted to try our hands at climbing (rock climbing). We have decided to try out a climbing gym that is close to our house as we don't have any mountains near us that we can climb on a regular basis. Since we love mountaineering, hiking and camping, we figured climbing would probably be a good step for us and will add some activities that we can partake in on our vacations.

For those of you whole climb, what sort of workotus do you do to help with your climbing? Any advice? We have both done climbing walls at different gyms a few times but this is our first time going to a climbing gym and taking it seriously.

[brasuca6]

Lots and lots of pullups. If you can throw a towel or obi over a bar and work on those, I'd recommend that. I've found grip is key (for me), so anything that helps with that as well.

[noahfor]

My BF and I recently decided that we wanted to try our hands at climbing (rock climbing). We have decided to try out a climbing gym that is close to our house as we don't have any mountains near us that we can climb on a regular basis. Since we love mountaineering, hiking and camping, we figured climbing would probably be a good step for us and will add some activities that we can partake in on our vacations.

For those of you whole climb, what sort of workotus do you do to help with your climbing? Any advice? We have both done climbing walls at different gyms a few times but this is our first time going to a climbing gym and taking it seriously.

I would just boulder as much as possible without getting injured. Always warm up. I spend about 30 minutes just warming up - starting out climbing the easiest stuff possible, and gradually progressing up to my max level, but not so gradually that I tire myself out. Going every other day has been working pretty well for me and my girlfriend. I also think losing as much unnecessary body mass as possible is beneficial. Also, strengthening the 'core' is probably good.

One other thing that I think is pretty important is having the mindset that you can get very good very fast, despite what other people say or think is possible. Don't think that problems or routes are out of your range or impossible if they are not, but also be reasonable.

[discdoggie]

As the difficulty of climb increases, success becomes less and less about brute strength and more and more about skill. Good decision making for finger and foot holds, being able to "eye" a hold, steady nerves.


<<<<No pro by far but can lead a solid 5.9 and follow a 5.11 plus.


Good luck and have fun!

[wmagoo]

My BF and I recently decided that we wanted to try our hands at climbing (rock climbing). We have decided to try out a climbing gym that is close to our house as we don't have any mountains near us that we can climb on a regular basis. Since we love mountaineering, hiking and camping, we figured climbing would probably be a good step for us and will add some activities that we can partake in on our vacations.

For those of you whole climb, what sort of workotus do you do to help with your climbing? Any advice? We have both done climbing walls at different gyms a few times but this is our first time going to a climbing gym and taking it seriously.

Training with a hangboard can be beneficial both to grip strength and core strength. and BTW, mountainproject.com has an awesome database of climbing routes all around the country.

[discdoggie]

Actually, after the last poster bumped this and I re-read the original post, I want to add to mine. I've never been on a rock wall. All of my climbing has been on real live granite. The rock walls I've seen, all of the hands and foot holds are very obvious; placed there purposely. There will be more "strength" in that. When you get on on to real rock, all that stuff disappears. :) It's a whole different world. Try it as soon as you get a chance. Oh, but make sure at least one in your party is reasonably accomplished. For safety resaons and all that. ;)

[Linds33]

Actually, after the last poster bumped this and I re-read the original post, I want to add to mine. I've never been on a rock wall. All of my climbing has been on real live granite. The rock walls I've seen, all of the hands and foot holds are very obvious; placed there purposely. There will be more "strength" in that. When you get on on to real rock, all that stuff disappears. :) It's a whole different world. Try it as soon as you get a chance. Oh, but make sure at least one in your party is reasonably accomplished. For safety resaons and all that. ;)

Thank you all for the good advice! I do need to do some core work as I believe that a weaker core and posterior chain has been the cause of some of my back problems as well (sitting all day doesn't help either).

Out goal is to do actual cimbing on granite and/or ice. At the moment living in North Texas, we don't have many natural options available to us that are not at least a 3 or 4 hours drive. I wanted to start at a climving gym just so i could get the hang of learning all the knots and technicalities in a controlled environment.

I wish that we lived somewhere with more climbing options closer to home.

Wmago - Thanks for the link to that website!

[mmater]

Thank you all for the good advice! I do need to do some core work as I believe that a weaker core and posterior chain has been the cause of some of my back problems as well (sitting all day doesn't help either).

Out goal is to do actual cimbing on granite and/or ice. At the moment living in North Texas, we don't have many natural options available to us that are not at least a 3 or 4 hours drive. I wanted to start at a climving gym just so i could get the hang of learning all the knots and technicalities in a controlled environment.

I wish that we lived somewhere with more climbing options closer to home.

Wmago - Thanks for the link to that website!

To answer your original question as some have already said, CLIMB!!!! I love climbing and wish I had even a gym here in Lubbock, TX but I don't. I made some seriously good gains back in the day when I hit a climbing gym in Maryland 1-2 times a week. Honestly, nothing in a regular gym can compare to the physicality of climbing. It is total body with technique, again, it's AWESOME!!!!

Added note: If you have the dough to put up a climbing wall in your garage or backyard or anywhere, I am super jealous first off. Secondly, you can post on climbing websites to regions near you for some good climbers to come set routes for you. Not all commercial "fake" climbing wall holds are obvious and just require brute strength. You can get people to set some pretty crazy routes that come close to mimicking the real thing.

Oh and ditto on the hangboard idea. You have no idea how weak your grip strength is until you get your hands on one of those. Best of luck to you. I will just keep dreaming of livin in an area where I can climb. lol.