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azgirlontherock
Apr 18, 2002, 4:58 PM
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Hi All!
I've been going to the gym now for about 2 months, breaking that down to about 2-3 times a week and I've done a little outdoor top rope and one lead climb. Anyway, my question: I find myself using my arms to much, does anyone have suggestions on how to break this habit? What would be some routines I could do with my feet to break this habit?
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deblaunk
Apr 18, 2002, 5:59 PM
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Well I just learned something to help me out with that same problem... It is called "quiet feet" When you are climbing in the gym or outside you try to place your feet really carefully. So, that on the walls in the gym you do not scrape your shoes or make any noise that can be heard. I find that tends to be harder on my fingers cause I give the little holds that I have the death grip, but I think that might help out a little. Try it and if it helps let me know!
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camhead
Apr 18, 2002, 6:16 PM
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I have the same problem, and am currently working on improving my foot technique. Slabs, or anything else that is just barely less than vertical, are great for this. Just try to find a climb that is not even close to overhung, but still steep enough to require precision. Tiny handholds on these are also a plus, since you can't really do too many pullups on crimps.
good luck.
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djpuckle
Apr 19, 2002, 9:28 PM
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Watch someone climb a .13 and you'll see how important moving your feet can be! Alot of the time I see people move there feet 3-4 time for every time they move a hand when climbing .13's
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verticallaw
Apr 19, 2002, 9:39 PM
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I agree with the last post. I found a wall in the gym with several foot holds on it (obviously several different routes foot holds) I than did the climb while trying to use as many foot holds as possible. I and my belayer would count how many I used and on the next run I would try for more. It was good practice but required a paitient belayer.
Cheers \
Mike
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azgirlontherock
Apr 19, 2002, 9:44 PM
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Thank you very much for all your help
Keep them coming, I'm reading and learning!
Rock climbers are probably some of the nicest people I've had the pleasure to meet.
Thank you and be safe.
Cheri
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sugarbaby
Apr 19, 2002, 9:58 PM
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quiet feet works. i had a friend who was an instructor at Rockreation for a while, and they always had them have people work on quiet feet. she tried it on me and i improved a ton
practice makes perfect
Jenna
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cedk
Apr 19, 2002, 10:17 PM
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I'm gonna echo what Camhead said. Climb slabs. Big bare under-vertical granite faces. Nothing makes you as aware of your feet as the complete absence of hand holds. First you'll curse. Then you'll pray. Then you'll look for foot holds.
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graniteboy
Apr 20, 2002, 7:24 AM
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Slabs, Quiet feet, and just climb slowly and carefully, watching the feet more than you watch the hands. And give it ten years.
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clam
Apr 21, 2002, 2:23 AM
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Yes, I heard an instructor once say, spend about 70 % of your time while climbing watching your feet. That may be about right as a general principle.
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ravens_wing_jim
Apr 21, 2002, 8:31 PM
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I posted some good foot practice
in the training and techniqe thred
on this very subject a while back.
Go check it out.
You will probably have to dig it up,
but I just dont feel like typing it
all up again here.
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neleh
Apr 23, 2002, 12:09 AM
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K, to make you more aware of your feet while you are climbing put chalk dobs on both shoes on the end of your big toes, it's an oldy but a goody, this then make you consentrate on placing your foot on the hold where the chalk is. Also on arm traversing, cso you have to think about your feet before you can move on to t he next hold and so on, it is a big help, but make sure you do both arms equally
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need_for_climbing
Apr 23, 2002, 4:09 PM
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I know of a simple way to improve your feet work it helped me. Firstly for bouldering limit ur foot holes. Set routes with limited foot holes But dont set it unitl its impossible to finish. This can improve ur endurance, technique and strength. For Climbing. To watch other people who u think are more skillful then you to climb.but dont see their hands but their legs. See where they put their footholes. Then use this to climb. It helps. LAST advice is to KEEP CLIMBING
These are the advise i give. Wish u luck in ur climbing and hope to talk to u again
SEE YA
Chris
[ This Message was edited by: need_for_climbing on 2002-04-23 09:12 ]
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coach
Apr 23, 2002, 4:13 PM
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One of the things someone else noticed about my climbing that was causing me to use too much arms was that when I placed a foot and was ready to move the other foot I was not shifting my weight over the foot that remained planted which was causing me to pull harder with my hands and arms. I found that a shift to get the full weight over the foot remaining planted reduced the amount of pull or grip required by the hands.
Climb On
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jt512
Apr 24, 2002, 6:15 PM
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What Coach described is a common problem for beginners. They get their foot up to the next hold, but don't shift their weight onto it. Instead, they keep their center of gravity centered between their feet, pull themselves up with their arms, and slap their foot up onto the next hold. They appear to always be climbing in an X shape (which is the origin of the term "Gumby", by the way).
Before moving a foot (say, your left foot), shift your weight onto the right foot. Then, move the left foot up smoothly to the next foot hold, shift your weight onto it, and use your leg muscles to push yourself up; get your right foot on something, and get the higher handholds. Repeat. Obviously, this sequence isn't always them most effective or efficient, but it is what we might call the default climbing style.
-Jay
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offwidth
Apr 24, 2002, 7:26 PM
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Slab climbing forces you to have good footwork. Also, you can jump on an easy slab and try to climb it using only one hand, or even no hands. Try it, it's pretty fun!
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missedyno
Apr 24, 2002, 7:27 PM
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another good exercise (for practice of course, because this won't work for every move on every climb) is to concentrate on standing up, straightening your leg for every move. helps you to be conscious of your feet, and how much you can trust them.
besides, just straightening up, you'll be amazed how much closer the handholds get!
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hardcoredana
Apr 24, 2002, 8:48 PM
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I have a few suggestions, in no particular order:
1. Downclimb, downclimb, downclimb!!! Get on an easy route, climb it, then down climb it. This will work endurance, too. When you downclimb, you lead with your feet, and you force yourself to pay attention to your feet.
2. Get on an easy, vertical wall and try climbing without bending your elbows. Don't do this on a route, just "rainbow" it (meaning, use any holds). I used to coach kids, and for this drill, we would tell the kids to climb as if they had full casts on their arms. Of course, you can't keep your arms straight all the time, that would be stupid. But the idea is to keep your arms straight when you are using/weighting them. THe benefit of this technique is that it trains you to use your back muscles and your leg muscles instead of using your biceps to pull yourself up. In order to do this you will have to learn how to backstep.
3. Learn how to backstep. A backstep is when you place the outside edge of your foot on the hold (as opposed to the inside edge). Generally, when you backstep with your right foot, your left hand will be on a hold (with elbow straight!!!) and you will straighten your right leg and reach up with your right hand. As I said, your left elbow will be straight and you will flex your lat muscles to stabilize your body. I'm not sure if this description is clear. If not, anyone can feel free to clarify. . .
4. Think of climbing as pushing with your leg muscles (not pulling with your arm muscles). In this mindset, your arms merely serve to keep your body balanced above your feet.
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climber_trev
Apr 25, 2002, 4:06 AM
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i agree with what everyone has said so far about the 'quiet feet' and climbing slabs a lot. The only other thing i could add to this is to go climbing indoor or outdoor, boulder or climb and instead of doing your normal routine of climbing as hard as possible drop down to some level of skill that is insanely easy for you and start climbing this. The thing you want to do is concerntrate 100% on your footwork and body position, the climb should be easy enough so you don't have to think about the holds or the moves keep this up and you'll be fine, after awile try on harder climbs.
i did this along with the other suggestions and it healped me emensly, to this day i start with a warm up boulder doing this just to get meantally, physically and technically ready (i think this is a good practice to start)
Good Luck!
climber_trev
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