Campus Board Training: The Complete Beginner’s Guide
There are a few different types of training you can use a campus board for and deciding what to do depends on your climbing goals.
Read more...
There are a few different types of training you can use a campus board for and deciding what to do depends on your climbing goals. Campus board training is a fantastic tool for improving your climbing. The idea is to repeat basic patterns of movement on a campus board to increase your upper body strength.
It’s not as straightforward as up and down though! There are a few different types of training you can use a campus board for and deciding what to do depends on your climbing goals.
Neil Gresham Training Tips: Beginner
Training tip: offset pull-ups beat weighted pull-ups! You can carry a knotted-rope rig in your climbing bag but you rarely have 20kg and a belt on-hand!
Read more...
Training tip: offset pull-ups beat weighted pull-ups! You can carry a knotted-rope rig in your climbing bag but you rarely have 20kg and a belt on-hand! Offset pull-ups also build that simultaneous ‘push-and-pull’ strength, which is more specific to climbing than pulling with arms level. You should be capable of doing approx 12 unweighted pull-ups on a bar with arms level before trying offsets with a rope, warm-up, keep both reps and sets in the 2-6 range and you can’t go far wrong.
Training Series: Finger Strength
There are strong patterns associated with either excessively strong fingers or excessively weak ones! In this article, we’re going to have a look at some of the big areas that affect the extremes of physiology.
Read more...
There are strong patterns associated with either excessively strong fingers or excessively weak ones! In this article, we’re going to have a look at some of the big areas that affect the extremes of physiology. Now this one is a big one and it’s difficult to generalise and not focus on those few examples that we might see as exceptions to the rule. One pattern we have observed over the years is that climbers who spend long periods of time in calorie deficit, with very low body fat percentages really struggle to make significant strength gains.
The Speed Barrier
We’ve all heard the experts – the faster you climb, the less time you spend fighting fatigue, the less strenuous each pitch is on your system.
Read more...
We’ve all heard the experts – the faster you climb, the less time you spend fighting fatigue, the less strenuous each pitch is on your system. Although there are times that climbing slow and in control and resting a lot can be superior, having the option of not climbing slow is clearly a positive. This is not to say you need to quit your gym and move near one with a speed wall. You just need to climb fast.
Training: Perfect Pull-Ups for Climbing Strength
The following guidelines will break down how to do an efficient and effective pull-up, including several variations to target different muscle groups.
Read more...
The following guidelines will break down how to do an efficient and effective pull-up, including several variations to target different muscle groups. Perhaps no single training exercise elicits a more diverse range of opinions among climbers than the simple pull-up. Some swear by them while others believe they are a waste of time. So what’s the truth? Next time you’re at the gym, watch somebody doing them. Typically, the motion starts with a jolt from the shoulders that throws the body upward. The instant momentum expires at the apex of the motion, he falls abruptly, bounces at the bottom, and repeats, until collapsing in a sweaty heap, completely satisfied. This type of pull-up is fine if you’re in a drunken contest with your buddies, but it’s nearly worthless for climbing training, according to many sports-science studies and notable climbing coaches.
Training - Mix it Up
"If you always do what you have always done you will always get what you have always got”. In other words, you have the make changes to make progress.
Read more...
"If you always do what you have always done you will always get what you have always got”. In other words, you have the make changes to make progress. Don't just mix it up in your climbing think about how you can change things a little in the gym. The change is not only good for the body but it will also keep up the interest and fun of exercise. Listed below are four regular gym exercises.
Training Series: Strength and Power
Climbers all over the world have been searching out the ability to increase their strength and power for decades. We associate them with the highest levels of performance and “limit” climbing, but what are they and why do they matter?
Read more...
Climbers all over the world have been searching out the ability to increase their strength and power for decades. We associate them with the highest levels of performance and “limit” climbing, but what are they and why do they matter? Strength is commonly defined as the ability to exert force against resistance (whether that’s your own bodyweight or against an object) and in the simplest sense, it should be considered the maximal force applied in a single contraction. This of course leads to lots of questions about how you measure it, how long you measure it for and what muscles are most specific to climbing performance.
Melding Strength and Power
Power is the primary physiological need of performance rock climbing.
Read more...
Power is the primary physiological need of performance rock climbing. In sports-science terms, power is simply strength displayed with a speed component, or popularly viewed as strength x speed. Although most of our training is focused on the need for high levels of strength and stability in climbing, we understand that strength must be paired with skill, with capacity, and with power.
Hypergravity Pull-up Training for Increased Strength, Power, and Endurance
Would you like to increase your pull-muscle and lock-off strength, lunging power, and pulling endurance by 20% or more? Of course, you would!
Read more...
Would you like to increase your pull-muscle and lock-off strength, lunging power, and pulling endurance by 20% or more? Of course, you would!
Develop One-Arm & Lock-Off Strength with Uneven-Grip Pull-ups
Getting stronger is fundamental to advancing your climbing ability season over season.
Read more...
Getting stronger is fundamental to advancing your climbing ability season over season. While there is no single “magic” exercise to get you to the promised land, there are a few exercises that rise above the rest in terms of building strength that directly transfers to improved climbing performance. The Uneven-Grip Pull-Up is one such exercise.
Injury-Free Bouldering: 15 Tips to Keep You Healthy and Strong
Performing well while avoiding injury is both an art and a science. It’s not just about warming up, but getting your tactics right and developing a feel for when to push and when to back off.
Read more...
Performing well while avoiding injury is both an art and a science. It’s not just about warming up, but getting your tactics right and developing a feel for when to push and when to back off. Use this article as a checklist to ensure that you’re doing everything in your power to stay injury-free.
Neil Gresham Training Tips
Beginners should focus on technique by climbing a wide range of different styles of problems/ routes at different angles, with an initial focus on slabs and vertical walls in order to develop footwork, balance and movement
Read more...
Beginners should focus on technique by climbing a wide range of different styles of problems/ routes at different angles, with an initial focus on slabs and vertical walls in order to develop footwork, balance and movement. If you jump in at the deep end and pull hard on overhangs or fingerboards in an attempt to get strong too quickly, the least that can happen is that you’ll slow down the development of your technique and the worst is that you’ll get injured. Finger tendons should be strengthened slowly, over time, so play the long game and focus on skills, whilst building a ‘base’ of finger strength on easy and mid-grade terrain. Make a conscious effort to use a range of different holds from edges to pinches and slopers and don’t avoid the holds that feel the most awkward. Use a ‘half-crimp’ grip on edges (fingers bent at 90 degrees) and avoid full-crimping or sagging onto an open-grip. Stay clear of fingerboards for the first year-or-so, but do some supportive general strengthening for the forearms (eg wrist curls & grip exercisers). Always take a rest day after moderate/hard climbing sessions.
The Simplest Finger Training Programme
When it comes to training finger strength, there is a spectrum of programs that range from simple to complex, and it’s important to understand that there’s a time and a place for both.
Read more...
When it comes to training finger strength, there is a spectrum of programs that range from simple to complex, and it’s important to understand that there’s a time and a place for both. To make our fingers stronger, we need to develop a few very important things:
- Muscular recruitment and size
- Density in the tendons, phalanges (bones), and pulleys
- Adequate blood flow (capillary density)
- Stiffness of the entire system to exert force rapidly.
Tension Climbing
This isn’t just a list of hangboard protocols. Get ready to read. As you read, understand that I am not saying that this is “The Way”, just “A Way”.
Read more...
This isn’t just a list of hangboard protocols. Get ready to read. As you read, understand that I am not saying that this is “The Way”, just “A Way”. Luckily I have some great friends and peers who were able to help me wrangle this whole thing into a reasonable package. This isn’t just a list of hangboard protocols.
Alex Honnold's Freerider hangboard training routine
BD Athlete Alex Honnold dives into his training routine and why hangboarding was crucial for soloing El Cap.
Read more...
BD Athlete Alex Honnold dives into his training routine and why hangboarding was crucial for soloing El Cap.
Mark and Mike Anderson’s Guide to Hangboard Training
“Because your fingers are the link to the rock, finger strength is probably the most important strength you can have. Your fingers can never be strong enough.” — Jerry Moffat
Read more...
“Because your fingers are the link to the rock, finger strength is probably the most important strength you can have. Your fingers can never be strong enough.” — Jerry Moffat
Everyone could use greater finger strength – it can overcome many other weaknesses. While technical skill is incredibly important in climbing, as you improve, you will inevitably be limited by finger strength. While some routes can be finessed, there are many that simply cannot be climbed without a decent serving of brute force.
Besides the ability to pull on small holds, increased strength improves endurance as well. By raising one’s strength ceiling, a move that previously may have required 80 percent effort might only require 70 percent effort in the future, resulting in less fatigue over a sequence of moves.
Hangboard Training for Beginners: A Simple 8-Week Plan
To help you harness the power of this training tool, I’m going to walk you through the essentials of hangboarding.
Read more...
To help you harness the power of this training tool, I’m going to walk you through the essentials of hangboarding and then give you a simple 8-week beginner-friendly hangboard training program.
Fingerboard Training Guide. Maximal grip Strength and Endurance Methods and Load Training management
When we are working our maximal strength with methods that seek neural adaptations through the use of high loads, the effort level is one of the parameters that will help us monitor and adjust the load.
Read more...
When we are working our maximal strength with methods that seek neural adaptations through the use of high loads, the effort level is one of the parameters that will help us monitor and adjust the load.
Fingerboard training guide. Preliminary evaluation
We have already talked extensively about how, why and what effects do Maximal Hangs (MaxHangs) and Intermittent Hangs (IntHangs) have on grip endurance and strength. What follows is the start of a series where we will put all those results into practice.
Read more...
We have already talked extensively about how, why and what effects do Maximal Hangs (MaxHangs) and Intermittent Hangs (IntHangs) have on grip endurance and strength. What follows is the start of a series where we will put all those results into practice.
Training Pinch Grip Strength for Climbing. Are dead hangs the right way to do it?
Well, hanging directly below a board with straight arms like we do for edges and pockets is not the ideal situation. We should hang in a way that left our wrist in a natural position (15º-30º extension)
Read more...
Well, hanging directly below a board with straight arms like we do for edges and pockets is not the ideal situation. We should hang in a way that left our wrist in a natural position (15º-30º extension)
Fingerboard Training Guide
Fingerboard Training Guide (III). Program design and Periodization of MaxHangs, IntHangs and SubHangs. Samples of MaxHangs training programs
Read more...
Fingerboard Training Guide (III). Program design and Periodization of MaxHangs, IntHangs and SubHangs. Samples of MaxHangs training programs
Neil Gresham and Hangboard Guru's Fingerboarding Tips
Feeling flummoxed by the variety of information out there on fingerboard training?
Read more...
Feeling flummoxed by the variety of information out there on fingerboard training? If you need a kickstart to get into an efficient hangboard routine, this concise article by Neil Gresham should give you some food for thought...
Making Sense of Hangboard Programs
To truly decide what the best hangboard program for you is, you’ve got to know where you want to go.
Read more...
To truly decide what the best hangboard program for you is, you’ve got to know where you want to go. I’ve been asked to weigh in more than a few times on various discussions on which was the “best” method of hangboard training. Although this is much like deciding which is the best dumbbell workout, it got me thinking. For my athletes, the hangboard is simply a tool we use to prevent injury and improve strength.
Hangboard Ladder Training 1
The general gist is that you do several sets of exercise at the same load (weight), but vary the volume with each set.
Read more...
The general gist is that you do several sets of exercise at the same load (weight), but vary the volume with each set. By laddering up 1 rep, 2 reps, 3 reps, and then repeating, the athlete is forcing more volume into a workout and allowing for more adaptation potential. We picked 3, 6, and 9 second hangs to force a change in stimulus between sets.
Training: Hangboard Ladders for Finger Strength
In climbing, when your fingers fail, the rest of your body falls. Build long-term finger strength with structured hangboarding.
Read more...
In climbing, when your fingers fail, the rest of your body falls. Build long-term finger strength with structured hangboarding. Focusing on this direct connection to the rock can benefit your climbing performance greatly, and luckily, finger strength is relatively easy to train. The key with this, like any training, is to do it correctly and in the right amount, as too much can be time-consuming, boring, and possibly harmful.
Neil Gresham Training Tips: Intermediate
Intermediates shouldn’t get bogged down by attempting to target multiple energy systems precisely and a simple 2-way split will suffice for the majority.
Read more...
Intermediates shouldn’t get bogged down by attempting to target multiple energy systems precisely and a simple 2-way split will suffice for the majority. Go short with harder moves (15-30 moves) for strength-endurance and longer with easier moves (50-80 moves) for long-endurance. Do 6-8 climbs/sets for strength-endurance and 4-5 for long-endurance (in separate sessions), keep rest times roughly between work-time and twice-work-time, avoid failure until the last climb or 2 and you’ll be in the zone.
Advances in How We Look at Density Training
Advances in density training involve how you can manipulate the density of your training, where you hold the intensity constant, the training duration constant, and attempt to fit more work in with each session in a cycle.
Read more...
Advances in density training involve how you can manipulate the density of your training, where you hold the intensity constant, the training duration constant, and attempt to fit more work in with each session in a cycle. When you look at intensifying training, there are really just a few ways to make it happen, each having a different result. You can increase the volume of training, such as doing more total pitches in a climbing day. You can increase the intensity of the training, such as trying to do more difficult pitches or problems in a day.
High Load and Low Load Density Training
Density training is a staple of muscular endurance training. Instead of trying to increase the duration of your session or to add difficulty to the work sets, you instead try to fit more work at the same difficulty into a fixed amount of time.
Read more...
Density training is a staple of muscular endurance training. Instead of trying to increase the duration of your session or to add difficulty to the work sets, you instead try to fit more work at the same difficulty into a fixed amount of time. The first step is to figure out how much work you have time to do. In these sessions, I recommend you do boulder problems, though you could conceivably do a weight circuit or series of hangs or some system board work.
Climbing Training: Power Endurance
How do we train both power and endurance simultaneously, to get us to that place where we can push through the dreaded pump?
Read more...
How do we train both power and endurance simultaneously, to get us to that place where we can push through the dreaded pump? So what is power endurance exactly? Jackie explains, “Unlike endurance, where you have a manageable pump, in training power endurance you will become very pumped to the point of possibly coming off the wall. Power endurance is the ability to do many difficult moves and not get pumped”. So in essence we are training both power and endurance simultaneously, to get us to that place where we can push through the dreaded pump. What climber doesn’t want that skill? Here Jackie gives us a killer workout to help achieve just that.
Training Series: Endurance
Endurance is highly related to your ability to recover on holds and in rests. It also has an effect on how quickly you get pumped on a route.
Read more...
Endurance is highly related to your ability to recover on holds and in rests. It also has an effect on how quickly you get pumped on a route. In the simplest sense, the endurance that you have as a climber is your ability to climb constantly at a low-to-moderate level for durations over 1 minute. This will be climbing that features moves that are a long way away from your maximum bouldering level and is highly correlated with your route climbing ability — thus, the best route climbers have a good level of endurance. In addition, it’s highly related to your ability to recover on holds and in rests. It also has an effect on how quickly you get pumped on a route.
Training Series: Power Endurance
In addition to the training effect of increasing the “sustainability” of the contraction, we also want to increase the “capacity” of the muscle to operate anaerobically.
Read more...
In addition to the training effect of increasing the “sustainability” of the contraction, we also want to increase the “capacity” of the muscle to operate anaerobically. The term power endurance is one that is surrounded by quite a bit of confusion, since the climbing industry (keen climbers, coaches and training books) use a mixture of words for the same thing. At Lattice we use “aerobic power” but in the more classical textbook literature you often see “strength endurance” and interestingly the Internet is most populated by the word “power endurance.” In general, it’s best to see these terms as synonymous with each other and not get bogged down in minute differences and the semantics.
Training with Long-Duration Isometrics
In terms of your maximum climbing-specific strength and endurance, the key to breaking new ground is tricking your body with a new exercise and novel regimen that imparts a training stimulus the body is not accustomed to.
Read more...
In terms of your maximum climbing-specific strength and endurance, the key to breaking new ground is tricking your body with a new exercise and novel regimen that imparts a training stimulus the body is not accustomed to.
Objectives and Bases for Designing an Endurance Training Program in Sport Climbing
The routes we tend to associate with this quality lack a very hard crux and are usually long. For example, they are 25-30+m long, have 60-80 moves or take more than 20 minutes to ascend even when we know the moves.
Read more...
The routes we tend to associate with this quality lack a very hard crux and are usually long. For example, they are 25-30+m long, have 60-80 moves or take more than 20 minutes to ascend even when we know the moves.
Aerobic Endurance Training in Sport Climbing: Capacity. Training Load Elements: Objectives, Intensity and Volume
Basic objective: Accumulate during the training session many minutes staying on the wall, of actual climbing.
Recommended for the beginning of a cycle, lower and medium level climbers, or those who don't have much experience with training in general.
Read more...
Basic objective: Accumulate during the training session many minutes staying on the wall, of actual climbing.
Recommended for the beginning of a cycle, lower and medium level climbers, or those who don't have much experience with training in general.
Aerobic Endurance Training in Sport Climbing Capacity
You'd be right to guess that the longer the activity, the lower the average pace will be, so that we will move at a slow or very slow speed, stopping just for the time needed to choose the next hold.
Read more...
You'd be right to guess that the longer the activity, the lower the average pace will be, so that we will move at a slow or very slow speed, stopping just for the time needed to choose the next hold.
Aerobic Endurance Training in Sport Climbing Capacity
The evolution of the load, as always, must be individualized, attending to our characteristics (level, training experience, age...
Read more...
The evolution of the load, as always, must be individualized, attending to our characteristics (level, training experience, age...
More for less: what every climber wants. Capacity training with blood flow restriction
Blood flow restriction training is a technique originally created in Japan under the title Kaatsu by Yoshiaki Sato in the 1970’s. Since that time the therapy has accumulated hundreds of research papers supporting its effectiveness.
Read more...
Blood flow restriction training is a technique originally created in Japan under the title Kaatsu by Yoshiaki Sato in the 1970’s. Since that time the therapy has accumulated hundreds of research papers supporting its effectiveness. There are a dozen or so systematic reviews in the literature supporting the conclusion that adding BFRT to your training improves muscular strength and size at approximately 20-30% the usual intensity.
Improving Endurance – The Fundamental Factors
Sports science defines endurance as the ability to sustain a given power output for a prescribed duration.
Read more...
Sports science defines endurance as the ability to sustain a given power output for a prescribed duration. This can take the form of high power outputs for relatively short periods – what we might call power endurance – or it can take the form of fairly low power output over greater durations, what climbers might call pure endurance or stamina.
High / Low Training… What To Do and When.
Endurance – simply the ability to keep doing a task over and over – is something we all feel we need more of from time to time.
Read more...
Endurance – simply the ability to keep doing a task over and over – is something we all feel we need more of from time to time. The problem with gaining endurance is that there are lots of kinds of it and lots of ways to develop it. Endurance is also very specific to levels of intensity – being able to hike for hours doesn’t necessary mean you’ll do better in a 5k, even though you are on your legs and “enduring” for both.
Neil Gresham Training Tips: Top 10 2020
Check out pro-climber Neil Gresham's top 10 Training Tips for 2020 and build them into your training routine.
Read more...
Check out pro-climber Neil Gresham's top 10 Training Tips for 2020 and build them into your training routine. 1. Change your sessions - the same routines produce the same results.
2. Sharpen up your nutrition. Ditch junk and booze in favour of healthier choices but make your campaign sustainable.
3. Write down your performance goals and corresponding training goals.
4. Add some structure but not too much! A flexible training plan will boost motivation and maximise value for time.
5. Build a base of general athletic fitness first.
6. Make things hard for yourself. Do the sessions and exercises that cause you to struggle.
7. Plan how you’re going to add load progressively (ie make sessions harder over time)
8. Channel the frustration when things don’t go your way.
9. Do the boring stuff as well as the fun stuff. Start enjoying proper warm-ups and antagonist training.
10. Leave your ego in 2019. Get burnt off by better climbers and be inspired by them. Go to hard crags where you’ll get spanked, try things that you’re likely to fail on and learn from the experience.
Black Diamond Female Athlete BOOTCAMP: BABSI ZANGERL
Babsi Zangerl has unwavering climbing focus. She found value in the motivation of others and learned to listen to her body more than anything else. This is her story.
Read more...
Babsi Zangerl has unwavering climbing focus. She found value in the motivation of others and learned to listen to her body more than anything else. This is her story.
Black Diamond Female Athlete BOOTCAMP: COLETTE MCINERNEY
Colette McInerney finds a lot of motivation in climbing with women and committed to BD Bootcamp because she wants to be better. This is her story.
Read more...
Colette McInerney finds a lot of motivation in climbing with women and committed to BD Bootcamp because she wants to be better. This is her story.
Black Diamond Female Athlete BOOTCAMP: DAILA OJEDA
BD Bootcamp Daila Ojeda learned she really can commit to a training plan and realized how much she truly loves to climb outside. This is her story.
Read more...
BD Bootcamp Daila Ojeda learned she really can commit to a training plan and realized how much she truly loves to climb outside. This is her story.
20 Climbing Training Tips
Most likely we’ve all experienced a period when no matter how hard we train we just aren’t improving significantly. The number one reason for this performance plateau is that the body needs a different stimulus
Read more...
Most likely we’ve all experienced a period when no matter how hard we train we just aren’t improving significantly. The number one reason for this performance plateau is that the body needs a different stimulus. Ask yourself how long you’ve’ been doing the same training routine - same days of the week, duration, intensity, walls, climbs, routes. If you condition yourself in the gym, do you vary sets, reps, tempo and intensity? If you are feeling stale, it’s because your training is. Use shock tactics to get your body out of its comfort zone and try something else. Change the routes, walls, duration, frequency, gym training and even cross train for a short time with a different sport or activity. It’ll be tough, but it’s supposed to be. Here are 20 top tips to improving your performance.
15 Training Tips for Beginners
Much of the generic training information we encounter is prone to being very in-depth and technical and it tends to be geared towards intermediates and elites.
Read more...
Much of the generic training information we encounter is prone to being very in-depth and technical and it tends to be geared towards intermediates and elites. In fact, the requirements of a beginner have very little to do with training at all. This is not so much an article on training but how to improve in the early stages of your climbing career.
Top 5 Tips of a Pro Climber
Easy as ABC “Always be climbing”
Read more...
Easy as ABC “Always be climbing”: It’s not surprising that if you do something a lot, you’re probably going to get really good at it.
Training For Climbing Should Be Hard But Not Difficult
The author of Gimme Kraft and the coach of Alex Megos shares his secrets
Read more...
The author of Gimme Kraft and the coach of Alex Megos shares his secrets
3 Key Aspects in Training Climbers Easily Forget
Here Tom shares 3 common limiting factors for climbers, how to define them and what’s the first step in improving them!
Read more...
Here Tom shares 3 common limiting factors for climbers, how to define them and what’s the first step in improving them!
Beat the Burnout: Only Ondra Should Train Like Ondra
It’s tempting when we hear about Ondra to think that we’re not training enough, and to jack up the volume. Fact is, few people can cope with his absurd workload.
Read more...
It’s tempting when we hear about Ondra to think that we’re not training enough, and to jack up the volume. Fact is, few people can cope with his absurd workload, and resting can do more good than adding to your training—a tenet that can be particularly frustrating for climbers with limited spare time.
At the Intersection of Lifting, Climbing, and Injury Prevention
Prepare to get inspired by Tash's strength—both physical and mental.
Read more...
Prepare to get inspired by Tash's strength—both physical and mental—and read up on her pro tips for stretching, training, building strength, and recovery in our interview below.
Neil Gresham Technique And Training: Posture in Climbing
Why does posture matter in climbing? What are the advantages and pitfalls and how do we go about correcting faults?
Read more...
Why does posture matter in climbing? What are the advantages and pitfalls and how do we go about correcting faults? Climbers surely have enough to think about without adding posture to the mix! With the ever-present concerns of reading sequences, dealing with the pump and avoiding falling off, it's no surprise that posture tends to get thrown to the bottom of the priority list, and this is perhaps why so many are prone to suffering from postural issues.
Neil Gresham Technique And Training: Using Undercuts and Sidepulls
Many climbers find that they're OK at pulling straight down, but for some reason when the holds are upside down or face sideways they always seem to struggle.
Read more...
Many climbers find that they're OK at pulling straight down, but for some reason when the holds are upside down or face sideways they always seem to struggle. It's no surprise that we're prone to getting flustered when confronted by undercuts, side-pulls or 'gastons' (side-pulls that face towards your body); most routes and boulder problems are set with the majority of the holds aligned horizontally, especially in the lower-grades.
Training for Short Climbers
As a short climber, sometimes the way I do moves on routes or boulders is a lot different than what a taller person would do.
Read more...
As a short climber, sometimes the way I do moves on routes or boulders is a lot different than what a taller person would do. And let’s be honest: sometimes what I do is harder than what a normal-sized person would do. I’m about 5’0″ with a negative 1″ ape index, and what I’ve noticed is that short climbers have to move dynamically more often, lock off farther, use smaller intermediate holds, and employ oddly named contraptions like “stiffies” to get our draws on the wall.
So in light of this topic, below are the things I do to train to compensate for my height. I’m not the strongest climber in the world – that’s for sure – but all of these things have helped me climb 5.13’s and get better at bouldering indoors. If you have any other suggestions for shorties, please comment below.
Become A Better Climber Part 1
This is the first of a series of training articles and is aimed at beginners or people who are operating in the low grades and wish to improve.
Read more...
This is the first of a series of training articles and is aimed at beginners or people who are operating in the low grades and wish to improve (Approximate grade range of around UK Diff - Severe, Sport grade F3 - 4 or bouldering grade VB / UK Tech 4c).
The next articles in the series will be aimed at climbers operating at higher levels, increasing as the series progresses.
Become A Better Climber Part 2
This is the second piece in a series of training articles and is aimed at low to intermediate climbers.
Read more...
This is the second piece in a series of training articles and is aimed at low to intermediate climbers (Approximate grade range of around UK Severe to HVS, Sport grade F5 to 6b or bouldering grade V1 / UK Tech 5c).
The future articles in the series will be aimed at climbers operating at higher levels, increasing as the series progresses.
Become A Better Climber Part 3
This is the first of a series of training articles and is aimed at beginners or people who are operating in the low grades and wish to improve.
Read more...
This is the third piece in a series of training articles and is aimed at intermediate climbers (approximate grade range of around UK HVS to E1, sport grade 6a to 6b+ or bouldering grade V0 to V3.
The future articles in the series will be aimed at climbers operating at higher levels, increasing as the series progresses.
Become A Better Climber Part 4
This is the first of a series of training articles and is aimed at beginners or people who are operating in the low grades and wish to improve.
Read more...
This is the third piece in a series of training articles and is aimed at intermediate climbers (approximate grade range of around UK HVS to E1, sport grade 6a to 6b+ or bouldering grade V0 to V3.
The future articles in the series will be aimed at climbers operating at higher levels, increasing as the series progresses.
Become A Better Climber Part 5
This is the first of a series of training articles and is aimed at beginners or people who are operating in the low grades and wish to improve.
Read more...
This is the third piece in a series of training articles and is aimed at intermediate climbers (approximate grade range of around UK HVS to E1, sport grade 6a to 6b+ or bouldering grade V0 to V3.
The future articles in the series will be aimed at climbers operating at higher levels, increasing as the series progresses.