Climb Ready: Building Strength for a Better Climb

One of the key elements of any rock climber’s arsenal is strength. Unlike chess or bridge, you could study every rock climbing book on the planet and it won’t help you pull your body up the wall. And unlike many other sports, rock climbing requires almost every muscle in your body, especially your fingers, arms and back. The amount of strain a climber puts on their fingers, especially as you hang from a protrusion, makes finger strength especially important for the climber.

It doesn’t matter whether you are scaling the Rocky Mountains or your local climbing wall, strength and conditioning are an important factor in any sport. Few sports, however, require the physical stamina that rock climbing does. Climbers put their bodies through a grueling amount of work and they love every minute of it. There is only one way to get to the top in rock climbing and that is by literally getting to the top, and you aren’t going to get there with skinny arms and a flabby midsection.

Building the isometric strength in the climber’s fingers and dynamic strength in their arms and back will help avoid injuries and cramping during a rock climbing expedition or on the climbing wall; and nothing can be scarier than cramping up on the side of a cliff. Performing simple exercises can help build the strength and dexterity every climber needs to reach the next level.

• Stretch – Your junior high gym teacher was right for once, stretching is the most important thing a climber can do to avoid injury. After warming up for a few minutes and building a sweat stretch the muscles in your arms and back as well as every one of your fingers. Perform stretches that move your body in many different directions, because if you don’t do it now, you will on the climbing wall; and that will flat out hurt.

• Finger Strength – There are many different techniques a climber can perform to build finger strength. Some of these exercises include finger board pull ups, fingerboard dead hangs using different rock climbing holds such as the edge or 3 finger pocket and hand positions such as open hand or crimp. Using the different hand positions will increase the strength for that particular grip style.

• Back and arm Strength – Building strength in your back and arms isn’t rocket science. Performing simple exercises like push ups and pull ups are all any climber needs to strengthen these important muscles. You may want to work on your leg strength as well as you will need leg strength to pull yourself out of tricky situations from time to time.

And let’s not overlook the best way to build rock climbing power is by rock climbing. Even in the off-season climbers can visit indoor climbing walls where they can practice their grips, holds and other techniques which will keep them physically fit and mentally in the game.