This may not be exactly "on topic" - but you also need to train the "opposing muscles" that you don't use climbing to help prevent injury. I know too many climbers kept off the rocks by tendonitis - caused by the strain of the stronger muscles pulling on the weaker muscles. This is particularly the case with forearms!!!

Eleven years later, and the typical response is still a n00b talking out of his ass.

Jay

I was in your shoes. Forearms burned too fast into a climbing gym session. It's called getting pumped. It's lactic acid buildup in the forearms. Your "pump clock" is how fast you get pumped. To lower your pump clock, as I've found out, you just have to go climbing as much as you can. Lower the time you climb, but go more frequently.

You might also look into buying a forearm trainer (gripper). I highly recommend the Captains of Crush series http://captainsofcrushgrippers.com/. You can get them on Amazon. I have the Point Five (120 lbs) and it's really a lot, so get either the Trainer (100 lbs) or even the Sport (80 lbs). If you work at it and don't overtrain, you'll see real grip gains. I've been using these and now it isn't my forearms as much as my fingers and shoulders and tri's. Then you just climb more!

Not.

You might also look into buying a forearm trainer (gripper). I highly recommend the Captains of Crush series http://captainsofcrushgrippers.com/.

You might also look into buying a forearm trainer (gripper). I highly recommend the Captains of Crush series http://captainsofcrushgrippers.com/. You can get them on Amazon.

Sorry I just need to jump in here and correct this one bit of mis information. The fact that there is no relationship between isotonic and isometric forearm strength is well established is the scientific literature. Phil Watt's work from the 1990's goes into this a bit because his first attempt to measure climber's "grip strength" failed due to his using a dynamic measure of strength.

Isotonic work can, in theory, be used as part of hypertrophy training for the flexors of the wrist and fingers but doing that alone won't provide a direct benefit to climbing.

Although the OP was a bit ambiguous, its likely that what he was describing has more to do with the anaerobic endurance capabilities of his forearm muscles which is addressed most effectively through various forms of interval training. Hand squeezers, weight lifting, and cross training are not going to help.

Look through the training forum for CIR / VIR workouts to build you stamina. and then if you are a boulderer you can try doing 8 X 2 intervals. That is, 8 sets consisting of 2 boulder problems done back to back. Each set should last about 1:30 and be followed by a 1 min rest. OR you can do longer form intervals in which you do 15 - 20 boulder problems with a 30 second rest between each problem. In this case the problems will need to be very easy if you are going to make it through all the problems.

Always choose your problems in advance, use a stop-watch to time your rests and write down what you do. plan on putting in 4 week of doing these things 2 times per week in order to see a benefit. Go 6 weeks if you can.

Cheers!

I'm so offended that you think your response is actually better than "Is so."

Jay

Hand squeezers, weight lifting, and cross training are not going to help.

Besides climbing, are there any exercises that would benefit a climber?

Let's say someone has almost no access to a climbing gym or hangboard, but can go to a regular gym or health club...what would you have them work on while there to benefit their climbing?