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Meri
Nov 4, 2011, 8:58 AM
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I'm new to climbing and train on indoor boulder as often as I can. Unfortunately, that amounts only to 1-2 times per week. What are the best exercises I can do alone at home?
I do some weigh lifting with free weights, push-ups and stretching. That trains the strength. Is there something I can do for balance or technique? I heard that hangboard is no option for beginners.
I looking for the best solution for my (limited) circumstances. I understand that I can not fully replace more climbing.
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sungam
Nov 4, 2011, 10:35 AM
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General CV fitness will help some. Other then that what you can concentrate is "injury proofing". Doing exercises that strengthen the opposing muscles to those used in climbing, to avoid muscle imbalance, and stabilising muscles, to avoid, like, other injuries.
Check out the Injury section here for some great info on exercises to help avoid injuries.
http://www.nicros.com/training/#
Picking up an injury early in your climbing career can really, really suck.
Also, try not to bulk up to much on the weights. you want your contact (finger) strength to weight ratio to be as high as possible so you can crank off those sick-gnar dime edges.
You could also do a lot of core exercises. Some people say that these don't help massively, but I disagree. I noticed a large increase in my body tension on steep problems (being able to keep your feet on) when I started doing core workouts.
These were things like leg lifts, l-hangs, miserable attempts at levers, and hanging from the bar (always tight shouldered, no matter what exercise) and touching my toes to the wall above the doorway my bar was in (not sure what those are called).
Stretching for flexibility is a good idea. Flexibility is surprisingly useful.
You could also take some of your spare time to do some reading and find out more about the non-physical side of climbing.
Edit: to add in URL.
(This post was edited by sungam on Nov 4, 2011, 10:36 AM)
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JAB
Nov 4, 2011, 10:51 AM
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Meri wrote: I'm new to climbing and train on indoor boulder as often as I can. Unfortunately, that amounts only to 1-2 times per week. What are the best exercises I can do alone at home? I do some weigh lifting with free weights, push-ups and stretching. That trains the strength. Is there something I can do for balance or technique? I heard that hangboard is no option for beginners. I looking for the best solution for my (limited) circumstances. I understand that I can not fully replace more climbing.
Beginners can use hangboards, you just need to be careful. Deadhangs, lockoff training and pullups are quite safe and much better for climbing strength than regular weight lifting. However, I would not use the hangboard for crimp strength training or campusing. You can also do core stregth training on the hangboard.
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sungam
Nov 4, 2011, 11:55 AM
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JAB wrote: Meri wrote: I'm new to climbing and train on indoor boulder as often as I can. Unfortunately, that amounts only to 1-2 times per week. What are the best exercises I can do alone at home? I do some weigh lifting with free weights, push-ups and stretching. That trains the strength. Is there something I can do for balance or technique? I heard that hangboard is no option for beginners. I looking for the best solution for my (limited) circumstances. I understand that I can not fully replace more climbing. Beginners can use hangboards, you just need to be careful. Deadhangs, lockoff training and pullups are quite safe and much better for climbing strength than regular weight lifting. However, I would not use the hangboard for crimp strength training or campusing. You can also do core stregth training on the hangboard.
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Rmsyll2
Nov 4, 2011, 2:27 PM
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'Meri' said "Is there something I can do for balance or technique?" and Magnus mentioned doing leg lifts. What I do, when rising from a lot of push-ups, is start down on one foot while touching the floor and rise up on that one foot, then go down and up some times, shifting to the other foot to repeat. Keeping your back straight is important imo. Adding rising up to tip-toe would be better.
Stand on one leg, spread your arms out, and tilt sideways from your waist back and forth. Stand with feet at shoulder distance and hold light weight in each hand as high as you like, and twist way around, then reverse, a lot of times. Spread feet past shoulder distance and bend sideways at the waist and bend the other knee to stretch the inside thigh muscles. Stand in a doorway with feet pressed at the frame, and twist around back and forth while pressing your feet out. Do the same while pulling your feet in a direction together.
Reach up to the top of a door frame as wide as you can, hopefully onto tip-toe with feet at the frame, and rock sideways back and forth many times with single finger pads gripping. Grip both side frames with thumb and finger tips; starting at waist height, pull forward and lean back, then raise your grip slightly, moving up with repetitions. Stand with both feet at one frame side, reach both hands around to the other side in "lie back" position, and pull forward and lean back many times, raising your hands as you go. Shift which hand it upper, and change doorway sides.
At the chinning bar, do not do pull-ups fast or with any body whip. Make your chin go over the bar when you can. After some reps, hold at the very top for some count with body relaxed to finish. Hang on one hand with toes touching the floor, and twist around left and right while flexing your shoulder rather than full hang, as Magnus said. Toe tips can be exercised in firm shoes to be on the very tips while doing that and other movements on the hang bar.
Get anything, like a play ball, that you can squeeze, and add that to anything else. Make a fist, then stetch your fingers very wide and very straight, a lot of times. Curl the fingers completely without folding into a fist, straighten, repeat many times any time. Make a fist tight and rotate it at the wrist, both directions, with palm up and then down. Make a fist and make it bend at the wrist up and down.
Pick up your weight bar without wrapping thumbs, let it hang in front of your legs, and curl your fingers up and down many times, with hands in each direction. Hold the bar vertically with hands together, and lift the bar straight up and down, keeping your back straight. With the bar on the floor, lift it only by straightening your back from straight legs, and exercise your back in that position--very carefully, please. On an overhang pull, keeping your back firm will deter strain injury and aid the move.
For climbing you need to move only yourself (and maybe gear), but that includes your entire body weight. Stamina is so important for everything, that reps are of most importance. Start the morning with stretching, and finish the day with others. Exercise at various times, and you will never feel a need for caffeine.
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adelphos
Nov 4, 2011, 3:47 PM
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It has been said before, and I'm sure it will be said again, the best training for a beginner is just plain climbing. 1-2 times per week is actually a good place to be when you are starting out.
For additional training, my recommendation is Crossfit. The workouts are free, scale well and encompass things like balance and core strength.
One other piece of advice, focus on having fun on the wall, not on the difficulty of the climbs. The hard stuff will come, but not if you get injured. Focus on developing good skills and good partners and you will be a climber for life.
Adelphos
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gunkiemike
Nov 8, 2011, 11:08 PM
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+1 on core exercises.
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Meri
Nov 11, 2011, 9:57 AM
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Thanks, I added some more core exercises and trying to do those 'balance on furniture' and 'one leg stand up' ones. I have to say, they are quite fun.
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jcd82
Nov 13, 2011, 5:45 AM
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slackline!! you'll be amazed how much it can improve your balance...plus it is very fun
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spikeddem
Nov 13, 2011, 6:05 PM
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jcd82 wrote: slackline!! you'll be amazed how much it can improve your balance...plus it is very fun
Describe several ways in which slacklining translates to climbing. Be specific.
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tH1e-swiN1e
Nov 13, 2011, 7:31 PM
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spikeddem wrote: jcd82 wrote: slackline!! you'll be amazed how much it can improve your balance...plus it is very fun Describe several ways in which slacklining translates to climbing. Be specific.
It helps me pass time when Im sitting by the fire? lol
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sungam
Nov 14, 2011, 11:17 AM
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spikeddem wrote: jcd82 wrote: slackline!! you'll be amazed how much it can improve your balance...plus it is very fun Describe several ways in which slacklining translates to climbing. Be specific.
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