Training for Climbing

New River Gorge

Training routines for the climbing Gym

Climbing Gyms can be a highway to adding the strength and endurance needed to crank up the grade for next season. The obvious question is how to maximize the benefits you can obtain from a gym.

Lock-Off Training - Climb an easy to moderate route (relevant to your ability). Every time you reach for the next hand-hold stop your hand about one inch from the hold. Wait five seconds (typically the belayer counts to five for you because the lactic acid will be messing with your mind), then grab the hold. Do the same for the next hold and so on.

This technique trains your 'lock-off' strength and forces you to have complete control (no dynamic moves).

Clipping Training - If clipping quickdraws is your weak suite, this is for you. Tie a ten foot (length is not critical) piece of climbing rope to your harness. The opposite end of the rope will just hang loose (you do not have a belayer).

Climb up to the height of the first quickdraw at your gym and clip this quickdraw. Traverse across the wall at this height continuously clipping the first quickdraw of other routes. Your rope will 'pull through' prior quickdraws and follow you.

Select various unique clipping scenarios including situations where you have to clip the rope on the right side of your body with your left hand and visa versa.

Down Climb - This is not a new concept but is often forgotten. Down climb routes and boulder problems. This increases strength, endurance and can come in very useful.

Traversing - Many gyms develop 50+ hold traversing boulder problems. If your gym does not have one just traverse or make your own route. This is an excellent way of increasing your endurance. Long boulder problems also force you to learn to rest and minimize energy usage.

Climb until failure - Climb a moderate route. As soon as you reach the top your partner lowers you quickly and you begin climbing immediately. Repeat until failure. Great endurance, pump session.

Other Tips - Spend at least a quarter of your time climbing your weak suite. You may be weak at sloppy holds, balancing slab climbing, powerful jug hauls, under clings, side pulls, stemming etc. The more you are comfortable with the more options you will have when climbing difficult routes.

Find a Rock Climbing Gym

Rock Climbing Gym Directory - Finds rock climbing gyms near you based on your zip code.

Mary Marmorstone (author of the yoga section) in front of Everest. Mary runs the Estes Park Yoga Studio

Yoga and Climbing

Yoga For Climbers

Brief history of Yoga

Yoga is a form of meditation that was developed in India thousands of years ago. It was originally practiced to ease the body and mind in preperation for meditation. It is still used today in many Buddist and Hindu cultures as a part of a spiritual lifestyle. Most forms of yoga taught in the Western world have lost most of the spiritual properties, but still encourage balance and harmony between the mind, body and spirit.

To some, rock climbing can be like a form of meditation. Yoga can be used to help prepare the body and mind in hopes of reaching optimal performance

Relationship between Climbing and Yoga

There are many similarities found between rock climbing and yoga. Both activities require a present state of mind, mental calmness and focus, and the desire to challenge your personal limits. Also, there are several physical requirements found in both yoga and climbing such as; balance, flexibility, core strength, body tension, and muscular endurance.

Yoga can improve your climbing

Body Awareness

Practicing yoga regularly may increase your mental and physical awareness. Yoga practices extending your awareness into all parts of your body, while harmonizing the body with the breath. This serves to strengthen your concentration, and mental focus. Yoga also teaches the concept of being mindful, and present with each movement and position.

Being a mindful and focused climber means you have the ability to direct and redirect pin point focus on the specific finger or foot placement most critical with each movement.. Yoga can help open your awareness to new elements that play a part in your climbing performance. For example, while holding a strenuous balancing yoga asana (position) you learn to use your breath to calm your mind and find your center strength and balance. This skill of breath control and mental concentration can be applied while climbing to help prevent shakiness (ex. That uncontrollable elvis leg) anxiety, tightness, and lack of focus, ultimately dooming your performance.

Breath Control

In both climbing and yoga, we often hold our breath during a crux move or when we are gripped which creates muscle tension. Muscles need oxygen to replenish their energy state. Practicing pranayama, (breath control) during yoga practice, teaches you to breath smoothly and evenly. This practice of breath control and be applied while on the rock. Being in control of your breath while climbing will prevent muscular fatigue, lactic acid accumulation in the muscles and symptoms of anxiety (ex. Rapid heart beat, hyperventilation, overheating ect.).

Mental Strength

Climbing exercises your mental strength just as much as your physical strength. Yoga does the same. It is critical in both climbing and yoga to understand the relationship between the breath, mind and body. By learning to control your breath, you can learn to calm the mind, sooth the body and remain in a relaxed, present and focused state of thought. What does this do for your climbing? It helps you conquer those mental challenges, face your fears, and expand your physical limits. Climb on!

Yoga can enhance your physical performance.

It is obvious that yoga improves balance and flexibility. Like climbing, yoga also requires core strength, static movements, and muscle tension control. Many movements in yoga are similar to those on the rock. For example, during “Half Moon” pose, you must shift your center of gravity over one leg and use one arm for balance. Keeping your weight over your feet, and moving in a slow, controlled fashion is essential for success in this pose. Similar movements are used often while climbing, such as keeping your weight over your feet and using your hands for balance, while shifting your weight from one leg to the other.

Many climbers experience overly tight hips, hamstrings and shoulders. Keeping these areas stretched and warm are essential for injury prevention, muscle balance, and optimal performance. A good yoga session will give you a complete body stretch, wringing out all tension and tightness. You will be left with free flowing joints, a mental cleanse an emotional uplift. What better way to prepare yourself for the rock!

Climbing Technique

What is the 'Barn door effect'?

The 'Barn Door' effect occurs on all overhanging terrain (walls beyond 90 degrees). When incorrect technique is used on overhanging terrain the 'Barn Door' effect will cause half of your body to twist away (like a door in a barn) from the wall likely resulting in a fall (lots of details later). If you are strong enough to 'pull through' the barn door effect you will loose a lot of strength, likely dooming your chance of a clean ascent (especially on long routes).

Where does the 'Barn Door Effect' take place?

'Barn Door' is one of the most common problems found in climbing (especially gym climbing). If you have been climbing in the gym for a while and are constantly falling off those steep climbs (even though the holds are really good) you are being effected by the barn door effect. The 'barn door effect' is especially common on overhanging terrain (walls beyond 90 degrees).

How does the 'Barn Door Effect' occur?

The diagram below has a 'Bad' climber and a 'Good' climber. The 'Bad' climber is being effected by the barn door effect. The 'Good' climber is not being effected.

Bad Climber: Almost all new climbers will attempt to use the 'Bad' climbers technique when climbing overhanging terrain. The 'Bad' climber has found two feet which he is standing on. He has a good hold (marked as B1) for his right hand. He tries to pull in and reach for the high left hand. Gravity pulls the left side of his body away from the wall (force 1).

Results on Bad Climber: As discussed earlier, always keep your arms straight. Remember that when you bend your arm you transfer the body weight from (predominately) the skeletal structure to the muscular structure. By pulling in on B1 with their right hand, the climber is using considerable amounts of force.

When the climber moves their left hand, body tension is required between the right hand and the legs to try to stop the barn door effect. This will result in fatigue of your arms, hams strings, abs and much more. The triceps, back and pectorals are creating the upward force. Combating 'Force 1' will leave you heavily fatigued, and will likely cause foot B2 to fail.

Good Climber: Good climber wants to reach for a high left hand and has a decent right hand. The climber keeps their right arm straight and will use this as a pivot point while reaching for the next hold. The climber places their left foot on a hold directly below their body. By leaning away from G1 (hand hold) the climber will be facing sideways, with their face pointing towards right.

The climber always keeps his right hand straight (minimizing the muscular strength required to complete the move). By standing up on foot G2, the climber will gain the height needed to reach the left hand hold. All the upwards force is created with your lower body, conserving your upper body's strength.

When completing this move 'Force 2' is created. 'Force 2' is created because your right hand creates and inward twisting force. The advantage over the 'Bad' climber is that Force 2 can be controlled by flagging your right foot against the wall. Flagging is when you place your foot against the wall prohibiting your body from swinging towards the wall. Flagging does not require a foot hold. Press the side of the foot against the wall and keep constant pressure to create a proper 'flag'. This will create 'Force 3' which will counteract 'Force 2'. Now that you have neutralized the twisting force (2), you can extend your left foot and go directly towards the left hand hold with ease.

Rule of Thumb

If you are reaching to a high left hold: - place your left foot on a hold - flag with your right foot - face right

If you are reaching to a high right hold: - place your right foot on a hold - flag with your left foot - face left

Advanced Notes

To maximize your reach while climbing always stand on a hold with your toes (normally your big toe). This permits you to contract your hamstring and gain height which you could not obtain if you stood on the hold with the center of your foot.

Dynos

Dyno

A complete Dyno is a move that requires you to jump and completely release all feet holds and hand holds so you can 'fly' to the next hold. Dynos are rarely required in (outside) rock climbing but are fun to practice.

'Dead Points' are moves that are dynamic but do not involve a complete release (i.e. your feet are still on the original feet holds when you reach the top hold). More about deadpoints

Clipping Technique

Clipping Technique - How to clip faster (located on the Quickdraw page).

Slopers

Sloper

Slopers are those round holds that have 'nothing to hold onto'. If you have difficulty holding onto these holds, relax, that is the point. Slopers is 50% foot work (minimizing the weight you have to hold on the sloper), 30% hand technique (how you hold the sloper, watch experienced climbers technique when holding the hold) and 20% contact strength.

Contact strength is the strength required to hold your hand in a certain position so there is maximum surface area between the hold and your hand. Contact strength takes a while to develop.

Cardio

Low weight is key to climbing and extra cardio is always a positive element. Running, biking, swimming etc. are excellent ways of obtaining this.

Weight Training

Though weight training can help, 'extra' muscle bulk will generally do more harm than good (due to the extra weight and decrease in flexibility). Many hard climbers do add weight training with medium to high reps to their training routine. I do recommend doing push-ups (or bench press) to help balance out your back muscles. Sit-ups help to gain the body tension which is required to climb overhanging routes.

Rest

Like any sport, rest is the key to increasing strength and allowing your body to repair. I do not recommend climbing more then 4 days a week (and less if you are new to the sport). If you are an addict and need your daily hit, focus on endurance (low impact, non-crimpy) climbing at least half the time. Though dynos and crimpy routes are fun they are a fast track to injuries if you do them daily.

Training Equipment

Campus Rungs

Hang Board

Campus Board

Campus Boards train finger strength and power by forcing the climber to campus (climbing a series of holds, only using your hands) a series of rungs. Rungs, shown below, are normally made of wood and come in varies depths.

Most climbers do not need to train on a campus board until they are trying to break the 5.12 (face climbing) barrier.

History: Campus Boards were developed by Wolfgang Gullich. He developed the campus board to train the strength neccessary for his route Action Directe. Wolfgang designed and built the first campus board in a gym called The Campus Center in Germany, hence the name.

Hang Board

Hang boards are pull up bar custom designed for the needs of climbers. Instead of holding onto a bar, hang boards have a variety of holds that you can use like crimpers, slopers, jugs etc, and can accommodate a variety of different pulling positions.

One of the biggest problems a climber can run into while training is working a limited amount of hand positions and thus causing tendonitis (the most common injury when training is by far to the hands due to repetitive training). A hang board helps combat that by adding a substantial amount of varied hand positions.

A Note on Injuries

Over fifty percent of injuries and overuse problems occurred in the hands, and the most common overuse syndrome was tendovaginitis of the fingers (this is from a survey conducted in "One Move Too Many" referenced on the bottom of the page). So, protect your hands by varying your hand posistions, and stopping when you start feeling discomfort or pain in your fingers.

Training Literature

One Move Too Many How to understand the injuries and overuse syndromes of rock climbing. By Thomas Hocholzer and Volker Schoeffl. Published by Petzl.

This is probably one of the best reads I've found on how to avoid injuries and treat them when they do occur. It goes over workouts, therapeutic taping, nutrition, rehabilitation ect. I highly recomend this book for anyone looking to get serious about training for climbing.

Metolious has a great 10 minute sequence for anyone at home that has a hang board or a pair of rock rings. http://www.metoliusclimbing.com/howto-10min.htm

Related Pages

• Answers to Rock Climbing Questions
• Barn Door Effect
• Campus Board
• Climbing Gear
• Climbing Technique
• Debby 2
• Dyno
• Gym Climbing Definition
• Hang Board
• Hans Florine - Fastest Solo Ascent of El Capitan - Speed Climbing
• Rock Climbing
• Yoga for Climbers