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temperedinsanity
Mar 30, 2007, 2:45 PM
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So as with most beginners I think, my gripping strength is not very good. When I climb the muscles in my forearms give out long before any other muscles get tired and I just can't grip the wall anymore. it frustrates me because i know i could climb for longer if only I could will my fingers to keep gripping the holds. I know that these muscles develop the more i climb, but since i can't get to the gym to climb more than a couple times a week right now, are there any exercises i can do to help build those muscles outside of climbing? I thought of getting/making one of those little stress balls that i can squeeze while sitting at my desk all day at work...but i'm not sure how helpful that would be. Any suggestions?
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granite_grrl
Mar 30, 2007, 3:00 PM
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Its not strength that's failing you, its endurance. And twice a week isn't bad. More times than I was able to go when I started climbing.
Not sure how well those rubber rings actually work, but if you get a patience and you keep motivated and climbing you'll get more endurance by climbing lots of routes at the gym.
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temperedinsanity
Mar 30, 2007, 3:09 PM
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Okay..to answer that question i've been climbing for a grand total of 3 weeks :) so really..i've climbed like 5 times ever. i know i shouldn't expect to be great right off the bat...but now that i've gotten a taste for it...i want to do more and find that i can't because my arms tire out.
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wanlessrm
Mar 30, 2007, 3:12 PM
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Remember you have to breath and slow down your climbing. Good rest shake your arms out and do slow fluid moves. Its not about power but more about foot work and make the grip counts when you get the hold.
Make sure you warm up and not just traversing but actual stretches before you climb.
This has been one of my favorite training tools that seems to be over looked.
When I finish the morning paper I take on sheet at a time and crumple it up with one hand. Than the next sheet in the other. Take it for what its worth but when Sundays paper comes you'll see what I mean.
Good luck and take it slow!
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Gmburns2000
Mar 30, 2007, 3:12 PM
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tisar wrote: temperedinsanity wrote: So as with most beginners I think, my gripping strength is not very good. When I climb the muscles in my forearms give out long before any other muscles get tired and I just can't grip the wall anymore. it frustrates me because i know i could climb for longer if only I could will my fingers to keep gripping the holds. I know that these muscles develop the more i climb, but since i can't get to the gym to climb more than a couple times a week right now, are there any exercises i can do to help build those muscles outside of climbing? I thought of getting/making one of those little stress balls that i can squeeze while sitting at my desk all day at work...but i'm not sure how helpful that would be. Any suggestions? Hi! Would've been helpful to know how long you've already been climbing. I'd say 'a couple of times a week' at the gym should be more than enough to build up all the grip strength you'll ever need - or hinder you by this uncomforting thing called overtraining. Anyway, I wouldn't worry too much. Comes time comes grip strength. Meanwhile you might focus on other facettes of your ciimbing technique which can reduce the burden of your forearms: footwork, body balance and most of all matching grip force. I fumbled together a little training guide for n00bs some time ago. Maybe you'll find it usefull... Have fun! - Daniel
I agree, it's technique. Everyone blows their arms and upper body when beginners. I've found that whenever I'm tired I tend to use my legs more. I think that will happen with you at some point. You can strengthen your forearms, but you'd be better to work more on your foot placement first and learning to pull and push with your legs. That will save your arms a lot.
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lena_chita
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Mar 30, 2007, 3:15 PM
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Remember to temper your insanity!
Beginner, female, somewhat overweight by your own admission, been to the gym maybe twice now?
Forget grip strength training. It's not your grip that makes your hands give out. And it isn't grip strength that will make you climb better at this point.
Your improvement will come most rapidly if you go climbing regularly. You need to work on your technique.
Meanwhile, you may want to do a forum search for "ARC" or "ARC-ing" and read up on it.
If you are really itching to do something, one of the easy non-climbing exercises that helped me initially was like this: hold your straight arms extended above your head. Open up your fingers pushing them as far apart as possible, and then squeeze them into a fist with all your strength. Repeat "pumping" your fist 20 times. It should be fairly rapid and each time putting all your energy into it. Rest for 10 sec while holding your arms up, repeat 20 more times, rest 10 sec, repeat again if you can.
Depending on your lifestyle, actiovity level, etc. you may also need some general conditioning. Do you do anything other than trying to climb once a week? If not, maybe you need to start.
(This post was edited by lena_chita on Mar 30, 2007, 3:16 PM)
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temperedinsanity
Mar 30, 2007, 3:30 PM
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lena_chita wrote: Depending on your lifestyle, actiovity level, etc. you may also need some general conditioning. Do you do anything other than trying to climb once a week? If not, maybe you need to start.
I do actually go to the gym in the mornings 5 days a week. I do a 40 min work out alternating weights and cardio. and i hike a few miles every sunday. Previously i'd been working out just to lose weight. I've lost about 30lbs in the last 6 months which sort of gave me the confidence to even attempt climbing. Now that i've tried it and like it...i am trying to figure the best way to continue to lose weight so i can improve my climbing. but because i'm not in great shape and have virtually no technique...it's hard to do so i've been trying to alter the regular gym workouts...to benefit my climbing...and then climing to work on technique. it's a juggling act.
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bucknasty
Aug 9, 2007, 6:30 PM
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Try not to exhaust yourself by doing too much. Technique and strength for climbing will come a lot more from climbing than working with weights or cardio. I used to lift and/or run almost every day, then I got into climbing. Now I lift maybe once or twice a week, run a couple times a week, and climb a couple times a week. I can't lift as much now as I could when I started climbing, but I can make it up walls at the gym that I would have walked away from when I started. Treat a session at the climbing gym like a sporting event... do a lighter workout or relax the day before, because a good session of climbing can wear out your whole body, especially when first getting into it.
When you get a little tired when you're climbing, take a break, gather your thoughts and think about the moves you're making on the wall. Are they controlled? Are you pulling yourself with your arms, or trying to push yourself with your legs? Stuff like that. Better technique is developed by climbing when tired, because you'll think about the moves, and try to make the moves that use the least amount of energy, and use your legs more, instead of your arms, since your arms are dead and just have enough strength left to hold you on the wall.
You can also develop better technique by watching better climbers and trying to copy what they do. Ask someone at the gym to watch you sometime and see if they can offer any suggestions. Most climbers are pretty cool and willing to show you how to make this reach or that one and get up routes.
Oh, and be sure to drink water while climbing, well while taking breaks between climbs, your muscles might cramp up from dehydration, and that can cut your time on the wall short.
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jjanowia
Aug 9, 2007, 8:09 PM
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Congratulations on the weight loss! If you were able to lose that much, you're likely motivated and have a fair bit of discipline.
It sounds like what you're saying is "there's only so much time in a week, how can I continue to do the workouts that have helped me lose weight so that I can continue to do so while fitting in time for climbing?"
The answer? Either spend more time per week doing physical stuff, or trade off some of your current 'workouts' in favor of climbing. If you've got to trade off the two, make sure not to cut the strength workouts from your gym routine - you will lose muscle tissue as well as fat tissue if you continue to lose weight, and strength training is necessary to mitigate losses in strength associated with losses in muscle tissue.
Congrats on getting psyched up to try a new hobbie! Continue climbing regularly 2x / week and your technique will improve dramatically in a few months.
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hiyapokey
Aug 9, 2007, 11:24 PM
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I'm a big guy so my forearms pump fast. The best way to keep you forearms fresh is to move efficiently from hold to hold. Heres one example. Hard way: You've got a hold thats far away on an overhang. You can gain the hold by rocking your body and then shooting your arm up to the hold grabbing it and then holding on for life as your body weight shifts down possibly blowing your feet and making you do a pull up to put your feet back on. Easy way.. Turn your knee inward until your feet are pointing the same direction and your knee is pointing at the back of your other knee. This shifts your weight into the hold your going for and takes the pressure off the moving hand releasing it to move statically to the next hold. This is called a drop knee and will save your arms for moves further up. Another trick I use is on a really big positive jug, I'll hook my arm over the hold and rest. Of course that kind of hold doesn't exist past 5.8 or so. There are many other techniques that can help you like knee bars, stemming and stepping through. No matter what level you climb at, it is usually your forearms that go first. A fun exception to this rule is a thin (not very many holds) slab or nearly featureless face where you hands are just for balance and your feet take all the weight. Have fun.
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