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zap
Jun 26, 2004, 12:58 PM
Post #26 of 34
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Registered: May 29, 2003
Posts: 134
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only climbing will make you a better climber. we have heard that a hundred times. however a good cardio and strength training program will help you become a better climber. (and make you a healthier person, both physically and mentally) being in better shape will help to prevent injuries!
that being said, you should look at anything you do as a vehicle towards achieving your goal. dont think of it as some mundane routine that you have to force yourself to do. sure there are days that you would rather do anything than spend an hour running, but when you realize the goal, you will be glad you made the effort.
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awd
Jun 26, 2004, 1:05 PM
Post #27 of 34
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Registered: Apr 15, 2004
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In reply to: How important do people think cardio training is for climbing? I can see its importance for approaches, but how about for climbing itself?
When I cut back on my cardio I balloon to mid-180's, when I keep my cardio in check I can get/stay around 160's-low 170's. That difference in weight is quite noticeable to me when the footholds get smaller and smaller. That's where cardio comes into play for climbing for me. Also, I'll probably get more climbing time in as a result of living longer, and being more fit in my golden years. And if (or when) I happen to get injured, I'll probably recover faster being in decent shape, thus getting back onto the rocks sooner.
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nirvana
Jun 26, 2004, 2:34 PM
Post #28 of 34
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Registered: Jun 3, 2004
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It sounds like alot of people are using cardio to keep their weight down (that it is a generally good practice to keep your cardiovascular system in shape goes without saying), but not necessarily to directly improve what you can do when you are actually climbing.
I am a small woman to start out with, and cardio generally makes me even smaller, and at a certain point, when I am lighter, I also get weaker. So I generally have to lay off too much cardio, and sometimes I wonder if I am missing some other benefit from it that would directly improve my climbing.
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cg
Jun 26, 2004, 3:47 PM
Post #29 of 34
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Registered: Nov 4, 2003
Posts: 39
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Try rollerblading... I just picked it up and it's fun, it works the legs and it helps the cardio. I used to run but I really toned it down after my knees started to give me a lot of problems. I found that I had been doing too many activities that were focussed on training the outer three quad muscles and the vestis medialis (the inner thigh muscle) was very weak in comparison. It resulted in an imbalanced pull on the knee cap. This is a common problem for women because our knees are close together but our hips are wider apart. It tends to aggravate the problem. Rollerblading seems to help me work that inner thigh muscle.
Weight training... well, I climb three to four times a week so if I add this in, there would be no breaks for muscle recovery. If I ever do any weight training, it's for the opposing muscles and I avoid exercises that work the same muscles I use during climbing.
Weight management - actually I lost about 5kgs when I started climbing. I found a noticeable improvement to my climbing when I dropped the added mass. If you drop fat mass, then it helps your climbing, but if you lose muscle mass then, I agree, it also affects your climbing.
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the_antoon
Jun 26, 2004, 3:50 PM
Post #30 of 34
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Registered: Dec 21, 2003
Posts: 428
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experiement...I run, bike, and swim...and when I get in the gym I like to mix it up with whatever cardio equipment they have.
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iltripp
Jun 26, 2004, 7:52 PM
Post #31 of 34
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Registered: Oct 6, 2003
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In reply to: Have you tried trail running? It's much easier on the body and far more entertaining than pounding pavement. Plus, walking up all the steeper sections in the mountains prepares you for longer approaches.
What are you walking for??? Suck it up and go. Those steep sections are what separates the men from the boys.
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asandh
Jun 26, 2004, 8:15 PM
Post #32 of 34
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Registered: Nov 13, 2002
Posts: 788
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:)
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flashpumped
Jul 1, 2004, 3:06 PM
Post #33 of 34
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Registered: Nov 22, 2002
Posts: 97
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:shock: anything helps beside staring at this screen and swiveling in your chair
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granite_grrl
Jul 1, 2004, 3:16 PM
Post #34 of 34
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Registered: Oct 25, 2002
Posts: 15084
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I love biking (obession #2 after climbing), but I have to admit that mountain biking isn't the best compliment to rock climbing. I hurt myself much more riding than climbing, and I've been trying to ignore a sprained thumb recived from biking a couple of months ago that hurts like the dickens if I try to fist jam and on some fat pinches.
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