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delarig
Dec 17, 2005, 10:20 PM
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I have read many climbing trainging books that say not to overtrain your bicepts or pectorials because they are not used in climbing. This is not only bad advise, it is untrue. I was climbing the other day and realized how much you use your bicepts and pects especially when pulling an undercling or a sidepull. Gastons also use both muscle groups. So busting out the benchpress or curlbar for climbing training might not be a bad idea after all. What do you think?
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gumby519
Dec 18, 2005, 6:23 AM
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Well there is a point in having too big of muscles... there are plenty of guys in the gym with the 8 pac, and just ripped... But you have understand and figure out what type of climbing you are doing and what part of your body do you mostly use. Now the guys with big muscles look great... but its funny to see them on a problem where they have to use their balance. But having that Core helps in campusing or throwing for a hold and using that core to stop a swing that could throw you off a hold.
Really not matter how or how often you climb you are going to be building some muscle.
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mcgivney_nh
Dec 19, 2005, 11:45 AM
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In reply to: What do you think?
I think that this shouldn't be posted in the "Used Gear/Great Deals" Forum.
And, no I dont train my biceps, in the sense that the only training they get is when I'm climbing (unlike other musce groups). And as for pects, they only really get worked when I'm doing push ups or something, which is mostly for my triceps...
-Sean
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ahwoo
Dec 19, 2005, 12:58 PM
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yeah. i don't quite get why this post is in this forum... strange... but yeah, i don't think that there's really so much a need to train these muscles so much as others. it's good to be well-rounded, but i think most of those training guides are meant to help develop the main muscle groups related to better all-around climbing.
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himistu22
Dec 19, 2005, 1:41 PM
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Well, I know I am using mine just because since I started climbing, the definition in the muscle and size has really increased in my biceps and pecs... I think if you give those a quick hit on a bar once in a while, it wouldn't hurt. Hell, you may end up needing that little extra pull! I seem to use my biceps on those long grabs going up and over a hang. I pull my body closer then push with my legs up. That gives me the reach. If my biceps were weak, I wouldn't be able to pull my whole weight closer on the flat part of the overhang.
Just like everything in life, moderation and balance is really the best. I do a lot of little things to keep the same level. But if I start a problem, I try to feel for the weakest part of my body, the part that is getting burned out the fastest. I then focus on that point for the next couple of problems. Find what works and what way you use your body to send the problems. Then work on that!
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macherry
Dec 19, 2005, 11:44 PM
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macherry moved this thread from Used Gear / Great Deals to Technique & Training.
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fluxus
Dec 20, 2005, 7:21 AM
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In reply to: I have read many climbing trainging books that say not to overtrain your bicepts or pectorials because they are not used in climbing. This is not only bad advise, it is untrue. I was climbing the other day and realized how much you use your bicepts and pects especially when pulling an undercling or a sidepull. Gastons also use both muscle groups. So busting out the benchpress or curlbar for climbing training might not be a bad idea after all. What do you think?
The real answer is that "it depends" We do use the biceps in some moves, for example, when using underclings as you mention. The pragmatic question though is "to what extent is bicep strength a limiting factor in a climber's ability to perform a move or sequence?" In my experience, I can't honestly say I've seen a situation in which a move isolated bicep strength to such a degree that it became an issue. that would be a very unique move indeed. In short, don't worry about it.
As for the Pecs, we use the pec. minors in some situations, and the lowest portion of the pec majors. but the range of motion of the humerus that requires full use of the pec major is almost non-existent in climbing.
We've all got much bigger issues in our climbing to deal with than these, which are pretty tiny in the context of overall climbing performance.
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robbovius
Dec 20, 2005, 2:05 PM
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ON my home climbing wall, I have a small overhang on which I've set up two problems that, combined with a heel hook (for each leg) are intended to produce a move where I have to contract my bicep, and then lock off so that I can reach up to the next jug.
this home problem mimics a move that's part of a sequence at a local climbing area, but it's really specialized and I canonly think of a couple other places where this sort of bicep-specific move would come into play.
for the pectorals, I can't really think of any moves that place those under a lot of stress.
just as an aside, before i started climbing seriously on '03, I was an avid weightlifter, but, since I stopped goign to the weight gym in the late spring of '03, my pectoral muscles have atrophied noticably, wheras my biceps have only atrophied slightly...my forearms have gained muscle mass (grip strength).
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