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chupa
Sep 6, 2004, 5:41 PM
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Speaking from personal experience I don't find that lighter=better in every case. When I used to climb a lot and actually train I was 6'0" and about 160lbs. I was climbing 4 days a week on average. I slacked for a while an did a few other sports but kept climbing about once every other week for about a year. I started climbing more but only about twice a week. i stopped "dieting" and eat whatever I want. Right now I weigh in at about 190lbs and my climbing performance has skyrocketed since then. At my former peak I was doing (after work) 5.13a and V9/10. Now I usually do 13a first or second try (don't spend too much time working routes anymore but I did a 13c 6th try and that's the hardest thing I've ever been on) and I do V11 rather quickly. So I think the weight thing has only been a blessing for me. The one thing I love about it most is telling people that use weight as an excuse for not getting up something they are wrong. I also have a short friend that climbs very hard (5'2") and she has never used her height as an excuse for falling. All she says is "I need to get better." Anyway...who really cares about this anyway? You can't change your body type only your body shape. Work with what you have and develop the style that works best for you. You'll start climbing better and you'll have more fun. (that is the point isn't it?)
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paulraphael
Sep 7, 2004, 5:27 PM
Post #27 of 221
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6'3", 190lbs, big ape index.
reach has always been a strength of mine (big surprise), finger strength a very slowly improving weekness.
biggest revelation lately has been that this build has very specific strengths and weaknesses, and the best thing i can do is to learn to use the strengths and avoid the weaknesses. it sounds obvious when i say it that way, but in practice it's been a new way of thinking that has helped me a lot. i used to feel guilty .. like i was cheating somehow .. when i made big reaches and skipped holds that my partner needed. now i realize that i'm just climbing smart by doing that, and using the holds that maximize technique for my build. in fact, doing it the short person's way would be very hard for me in a lot of cases because it would ball me up. it would be bad technique, not "climbing it the right way."
now i try always to "climb my height" .. which means to pay no special reverence to how a climb is normally done by people 8 inches shorter than me, but instead to reinterpret the moves in terms of where my center of gravity and my hands and feet want to be in order to be efficient. it's been liberating. climb your height!
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metakinjo
Sep 7, 2004, 5:36 PM
Post #28 of 221
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Well....I am 5'7" and wiegh 240lbs. I guess you could say that I am a bit heavy. I can climb about a 5.9 right now but I am kinda at my peak for my wieght I think. Reach sucks. But I have a lot of strength in my body and I think thats what keeps me on the wall. I will lose wieght someday, as soon as they quit making macaroni and cheese.
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basecamp
Sep 7, 2004, 5:52 PM
Post #29 of 221
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Well I'm 5'8 and about 200lbs give or take 5 lbs here and there. I just got back into climbing this year after 5 years of not climbing. When I climbed 5 years ago I was perfect, 5'7-5'8 and 125-135lbs... but I smoked then too.. helped my metabolism... I quit smoking about a year and ½ ago and gained quite a bit of weight because of it, I am also an office jockey. But since I've started climbing again the flab is disappearing, the muscles are coming back out of the fat and the weight is slightly shedding. I have full intentions of losing 20 or more lbs this winter at the gym. I am working on my exercise routine right now, because I do want to lose a lot of weight before I make a ton of muscle. I want to be back down between 140 and 150 in a year or less. I miss me!!! Anyways my reach sucks but I'm not afraid of falling so I'm fine with lunging... I like problem solving too... I love friction climbs but I live near quartzite so I only get friction when I go on vacation!!
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chronicle
Sep 7, 2004, 5:54 PM
Post #30 of 221
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5'5", 145lbs. Being short makes some routes tougher, and some routes easier. So far I haven't found height or weight as an excuse to why I couldn't do something (and I've been climbing for a while now).
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heavyb
Sep 7, 2004, 5:59 PM
Post #31 of 221
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5'9" - 240 lb. yeah, juuuust a little on the bulky side.... i really have to concentrate on footwork and not overgripping holds. much better at slab climbing but improving on the overhangs.
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heavyb
Sep 7, 2004, 6:03 PM
Post #32 of 221
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feet, feet, feet!! watch overgripping holds too. really saps the forearms.
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jumpingrock
Sep 7, 2004, 6:20 PM
Post #33 of 221
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6'4" 230lbs, I have a ripped 1 pack that I love to show off at the crag :D
I am decent at all forms of climbing. Over hanging does seem to kick my ass, as well as endurance sometimes.
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girlclimb
Sep 7, 2004, 7:24 PM
Post #34 of 221
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5'3'' 105-110
i like balancy moves like slabs, face climbs and cracks are good too especially the onse that are nice and small and fit my fingers :wink: . things requireing a good deal of brute stregth or really long reaches i could work on (not to say i can't find myown wayt o do them :) )...
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roboclimber
Sep 7, 2004, 8:16 PM
Post #35 of 221
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I am 5'11" 195 pounds. I just started training hard this year and have come to realize that technique will get me up the rock and brute force will only slow me down. I try not to overgrip holds and work balance to finesse through moves; last month I jumped on my first 11 (an 11 c) on top rope at the crag. I always thought that I would never climb above a 9, but I think body type, strength to weight ratio, and overall weight are only factors in the whole equation. Sequencing moves and maintaining balance are far more important. Daily training also seems to be the key to improving.
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maww
Sep 7, 2004, 8:43 PM
Post #36 of 221
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As someone once described me, I am a wee little person. ;) I'm barely 5'1" and roughly 105 lbs. I like longer routes and enjoy traverses. I HATE chimneys as I feel quite claustrophobic on them.
I don't have a lot of upper body strength so good foot work has been vital in helping me learn to climb over the last 6 months.
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j-tha-b
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Sep 7, 2004, 8:48 PM
Post #37 of 221
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i r ectomorph to the extreme. skinny white boy for life. only minus farmers tan and wife beater.
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omeier
Sep 7, 2004, 9:18 PM
Post #38 of 221
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6'3 and very fluctous too. My goal weight is 205 which i get over summer, but my school weight ends up dropping to about 168 or so due to stress and poor food, though i'm trying weight gainers and creatine now.
I find though that i'm better at stamina then dyno strength type moves, though that may change with my new diet.
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paulraphael
Sep 7, 2004, 10:04 PM
Post #39 of 221
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a lot of people talking about trying not to overgrip. any specific advice? the tricky thing with overgripping is knowing when i'm doing it. i assume it's close to always.
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watertorocks
Sep 7, 2004, 10:58 PM
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Dude--- Yes I am 6'1 260 lbs -- but I didn't say I was fat! It's more of a center-of-gravity issue. (Maybe this thread should be "Where's your center of gravity?") I'm pretty fit - ex collegiate rugby player and currently a damn good sea kayaking guide.
I'm sure that my difficulty in climbing harder routes is mostly technique.
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matixa
Sep 8, 2004, 12:19 AM
Post #42 of 221
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5'1/110 and.......mother of four.
Got the hips to prove it! :) Pro or Con? Depends on if I can send a route..........I need SOMETHING to blame it on if I can't!
I am OK at balance/crimpy routes.
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lagart
Sep 8, 2004, 12:53 AM
Post #43 of 221
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Everybody keeps telling me that I look like Dave Graham, though I wish I could climb like he does... maybe some day...
Have a look:
http://www.rockclimbing.com/photos.php?Action=Show&PhotoID=39363
1.80 cm, 58 kilos.
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czmanor
Sep 8, 2004, 1:31 AM
Post #44 of 221
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ok this is probally a dumb question since probally everyone in the world knows this but me, but what is this ape index everyones talking about?
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rangerfan94
Sep 8, 2004, 1:35 AM
Post #45 of 221
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I'm 5' 11" at 220 lbs. Strength and power fairly well distributed but with an advantage to my legs. That's good since we all know we're suppose to climb with the feet and legs more than the arms and shoulders. I do a lot of aerobic, anaerobic, and endurance training which helps with my overall endurance on the rock. I've also started working out on my 8x8 home wall which has about a 25 degree overhang. This helps me develop hand and finger strength. I've spent alot of time this summer on footwork, mostly trusting my foot placement and it's paid off pretty good. Still need to lose a little more body fat! The spare tire is finally more like a bicycle tube!
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dlintz
Sep 8, 2004, 1:48 AM
Post #46 of 221
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In reply to: ok this is probally a dumb question since probally everyone in the world knows this but me, but what is this ape index everyones talking about?
Try this:
Stretch your arms out as wide as you can, have someone measure the distance from fingertip to fingertip. If this distance is for example 3 inches longer than your height you have a +3 ape index.
d.
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socalbolter
Sep 8, 2004, 2:03 AM
Post #47 of 221
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Posts: 796
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5'-9"
175 pounds
+4 ape index
38 year old has-been
seem to excel at powerful sport routes, bouldering and redpointing
struggle more with onsighting and long, stamina based routes
also have very short legs and a long torso. this allows me to get pretty bunched up, but my long ape index lets me reach like a taller person.
overall i'm happy with my body type. i could stand to get more flexible, but that's up to me - not dependent on my body type.
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billcoe_
Sep 8, 2004, 2:49 AM
Post #48 of 221
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In reply to: Just wondering what body type you have,
Prune
In reply to: and how it affects your climbing.
Like climbing with 50 lbs of rocks in a backpack, hey- I still have fun but I don't send as hard.
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daggerx
Sep 15, 2004, 2:25 AM
Post #49 of 221
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Registered: Sep 16, 2001
Posts: 761
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short medium climbing 5.13 plus.
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stoverstan
Sep 17, 2004, 2:56 PM
Post #50 of 221
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Registered: Sep 17, 2004
Posts: 82
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Thats all well and good, but go try to climb a 5.12 and see if you philosphy still works?
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