Climbing - Fitness Tips for Novice Climbers
Climbing, whatever your preferred style, is a strenuous activity. That is, after all, why so many pursue and enjoy it. Pushing yourself to the limit is a big part of the thrill. But doing that is only rational when you've prepared your body properly. Otherwise, it's just self-inflicted punishment.
The foremost thing to do before any climb is to warm up and stretch. That's even more important than it is for a regular workout. Climbing uses every muscle in the body and most of them very hard. Grabbing a hold with two fingers to support or (still harder) raise most of your body weight puts tremendous strain on fingers, wrists and arm muscles.
Doing that with cold, tight muscles is a guarantee of a variety of problems, such as ligament strain, cubital fossa and other medical conditions. That can happen anyway, but lengthening and limbering the muscles gradually before major effort is key to minimizing the odds of damage.
Do at least 10-15 minutes of gentle aerobic exercise on top of stretching routines. You don't want to use up energy excessively that you'll need for the climb. But getting the heart rate up oxygenates the tissues, which helps get muscles limber, removes toxins and helps prepare them for high effort.
Building strength is key in several ways. You'll need a good grip, the ability to pull yourself up with minimal assistance from the legs and alternatively the power to push yourself up with the legs without much arm assistance. Being able to hang with one hand for several minutes or longer is basic to most effective climbing, not to mention safety.
Wrist curls, free lifts, pull-ups and bench presses are all big helps here. Static hangs are a great way to built up strength. Wrist rotations help develop the forearm muscles essential to climbing. Bench presses build chest muscles that support the limbs.
There will be many times when your body is not supporting itself straight up and down. Reaching over for a crack or ledge not directly above you is commonplace. Moving your body toward one takes oblique muscles. Stomach muscles, deltoids and latissimus dorsi also come into play.
Twists and crunches while hanging from a horizontal bar will help develop those. Stomach muscles help support the body, along with the all-important back muscles. It's no accident that experienced climbers are lean and ripped.
Shoulder muscles are another essential. When you pull up, or even just hang, your fingers, wrist and forearm experience high strain. But shoulder muscles support that effort. Lateral lifts with small weights help, along with still more pull-ups.
Apart from specific strength building exercises, overall fitness is important. Endurance, flexibility and balance are as important as sheer power. You'll be outside working against gravity for long periods. It's vital to be able to go the distance, even more so when the distance is vertical.
Running, pilates and other general fitness routines can all help. Ask the experts at your local climbing gym for guidance.
