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romina
Jan 19, 2005, 4:38 PM
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hi everybody,
first of all I"d like te introduce myself cause I'm new here. my name is romina, 30 years old and I live in the netherlands. my height is 1.54meter and I've been climbing for about 3 years now,with a couple of breaks in between(shoulder injurie).
here is my question. what do you think I should train or focus more on? because of my short lenght I get frustraded I can't reach the next hold or make that specific move in a route. because than the move is way to hard than the number that says how hard the route is(sometimes I even have to jump to get to the next hold). I'd like to say that differences in lenght shouldn't be a problem, I just need to get better. so what shoul I focus on, is it techniek, getting more flexible(especially in the legs and hip), getting stronger(arms and/or fingers)
this is only for indoors, because I live in the netherlands and we don't have rocks overhere. when I go to belgium or france or italie to rockclimb, it's not a problem.
hope you can help me, because I seriously got demotivated for a couple of months and this week I started climbing again(indoors)
o my climbing level(3/4 months ago) 5.10b-5.10d.
greetings romina
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j_ung
Jan 19, 2005, 6:06 PM
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Greetings, Romina. As a co-shorty, I have several tricks in my bag that I whip out when needed. As every climb and climber are different, I can't give you very specific advice, but think long thoughts and learn to extend your reach with moves such as twistlocks, dynoes, hand-foot matches, highsteps, drop knees and figure-4s (it is a gym, afterall :wink:).
Tall people don't have any advantages that short people don't have in other areas. You just have to learn to adapt your climbing style to maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses. In the long run, your experience on these gym routes will make you a better climber.
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j_ung
Jan 19, 2005, 6:07 PM
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Greetings, Romina. As a co-shorty, I have several tricks in my bag that I whip out when needed. As every climb and climber are different, I can't give you very specific advice, but think long thoughts and learn to extend your reach with moves such as twistlocks, dynoes, hand-foot matches, highsteps, drop knees and figure-4s (it is a gym, afterall :wink:).
Tall people don't have any advantages that short people don't have in other areas. You just have to learn to adapt your climbing style to maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses. In the long run, your experience on these gym routes will make you a better climber.
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timsesink
Jan 19, 2005, 8:14 PM
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Hmm focus on technique cause you ain't growing anymore, however I have no clue as to what it feel like to be short I'm 6' 8 (210cm around there).
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andy_reagan
Jan 19, 2005, 8:18 PM
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I understand your plight (partly at least, I'm american and this meter thing is confusing me). You're going to have to start focusing on technique (what climber shouldn't be focusing on technique?) in order to expand your "bank" of useful "moves" or schemas. I think an emphasis on good/creative technique will get one far in our sport.
In addition, I've found it helps to get on real rock. The gym problems you're working might be set by 6 foot apes, whereas outdoor climbs are generally more mixed, oftentimes favoring us shorties. 8^)
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cracklover
Jan 19, 2005, 8:30 PM
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That's five feet and a half inch, by the way.
My only two suggestions are to climb outside more, and to petition the routesetters in your gym to test the climbs on short folks - I try to always do that. And I also use the forearm rule - if I can't reach a hold with my forearm, it's too far away.
Barring that, become a route-setter.
GO
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romina
Jan 19, 2005, 10:23 PM
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thank you for your reply's so far. I'm thinking of taking some technique courses. and for some of those technical moves I really have to get a lot more flexible, cause I'm a really stiff person, especially the legs. how many times a week and for how long(minutes/our) will it need to get a good workout and really notice the differences in climbing?
going outdoors is a bit difficult for me, cause I have to drive for a couple of ours to go to a foreign country. so I'm stuck in the gym except for the holidays.
greetings romina
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j_ung
Jan 20, 2005, 1:17 AM
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Again, everybody's different, but as long as money isn't a problem, you should be able to progress just fine at two-three sessions per week. Feel free to add more, but listen to your body; the gym is a harsh environment for tendons and other connecting tissue. And yeah, if you're short, you're gonna need to work on your flexibility. :wink:
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juststrange
Feb 2, 2005, 5:56 AM
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ok, this sounds really stupid, but bear with me. Reach backwards. For some reason reaching up and back can get you farther than just stretching out sometimes. Probably something about the way your shoulder moves.
Be thankful, Im short (for a guy, 5'7"), but i can get the sit starts that baffle the taller fellows. Ive also learned to dyno, its a perfectly acceptable to make up for a height disadvantage. Although it is annoying watching a 6 foot person static something i have to lunge for............
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fledgling
Feb 2, 2005, 6:11 AM
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Two words:
Lynn Hill (I wish I was small.)
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rudyinnc
Feb 28, 2005, 4:32 PM
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OK, I'm a NOOB and have a similar problem to Romina. I have only been climbing indoors for about 6 months (haven't the $, equipment, partner, experience, etc.) to brave real rocks, yet. However, the guys who set the routes at my gym and 6'5" and 6'8". Even on the easier routes, there is at least one dyno. Besides, I don't want to use my lack of height as an excuse for not completeing something. I have a whole slew of other excuses I'd rather use! :wink:
I desperately want to improve my technique to compensate for the height disadvantage, but have no idea where to start. Since money and time are problems for me, I can't really afford classes or a coach, and there aren't that many good climbers at the gym I go to to watch or ask for help from. It's just the local YMCA, and I'm usually the only person on the wall over the age of 12. How can I learn, apply and hone new techniques? I've never even seen a figure 4. Are there some good books, websites, videos, (anything, really) that someone could recommend?
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cracklover
Feb 28, 2005, 7:18 PM
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Rudy - remind the routesetters to keep in mind that there are lots of young folks (under 12) and shorter folks using the wall. Ask them if they know about the "elbow rule". The elbow rule states that if they can reach it with their elbow, you should be able to reach it with your hand. If they can't reach it with their elbow, it's too far. Good rule for folks 6' and taller.
GO
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rudyinnc
Mar 10, 2005, 4:38 AM
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Thanks for the suggestion. All of my whining paid off. I'm helping them reset a wall later this week, with us "short people" in mind. It will help in the gym, but I will still have to figure out routes, inside and out, where the next hold is out of reach. What are some techniques I should research and experiment with? I know it seems like a stupid question, but I'm still learning the basics. :oops:
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cracklover
Mar 10, 2005, 7:04 PM
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Glad they listened to you!
In reply to: ...but I will still have to figure out routes, inside and out, where the next hold is out of reach. What are some techniques I should research and experiment with? I know it seems like a stupid question, but I'm still learning the basics. :oops:
1 - When asked how long a person's legs should be, Abraham Lincoln replied "Long enough to reach the ground." Try to think like Lincoln when you are trying to reach that next hold!
The fact that you cannot reach the next handhold is often not because your legs are too short, but because your "ground" - in this case the footholds you are using - are in the wrong place. In other words, the secret to reaching that handhold that seems just out of reach is not found by looking up, but down. Think about your feet and where the best footholds are for what you're trying to accomplish. Once you really focus on your feet, you'd be surprised at the tiny smears and dime edges they'll stick to.
2 - Sometimes the most obvious approach - pulling down, is not what you need to move up. Try mantling, stemming, liebacking, back-steps, etc.
3 - The longest reach is from opposite foot to hand. Maybe you can't reach from that right foot to the right hand, but if you swap feet you'll gain an inch or two with that right hand.
4 - For that extra quarter-of-an-inch, sometimes looking down helps. I'm not sure why, but when I'm stretched full out, and I've got the handhold I'm reaching for in my mind's eye, sometimes if I face my head down, close my eyes, and just stretch full out, I can get just a little bit more.
5 - Slightly dynamic moves are sometimes much more efficient than a really high lockoff. I'm not even talking about full dynos - this is just a little recoverable deadpoint move. What I mean is this - work out the trajectory of the move you need to make, and then pull a little harder so you generate some swing, and then try to grab the hold you're aiming for just at the top of the swing - the deadpoint.
6 - Try a heel hook - it'll get you higher than anything but a fig-4 or a full on dyno.
7 - If all else fails, it's time for a full on dyno. Set your feet up as high as you can, and go for it. Commitment is everything.
GO
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viciado
Mar 10, 2005, 7:14 PM
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I'm a shorty too. At 1.7m I have bit more reach than some, but I have found that working my technique has resulted in greater reach and some pretty funny looking positions as I contort to get every centimeter I can from a give stiuation. Having said that, there are times that I have to suck up and be more dynamic. I prefer nice fluid moves even if they are semi-dynamic (ie. you miss, you fall) and I hate letting go of that nice solid rock, but sometimes you just have to let go and fly. Anyway, it works for me. Good Climbing.
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rudyinnc
Mar 10, 2005, 10:53 PM
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All of these sound great! Thanks so much for helping out with this. Sometimes I feel like such an idiot with my questions, but if I don't ask for help, I can't get it. Now I just have to find an excuse to go to the gym today and try these out. Thanks again.
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davidji
Mar 10, 2005, 10:57 PM
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Being short is sometimes an advantage indoors. OTOH if all the routesetters are tall, it tends to be a serious disadvantage. Judging by the fact that every dutch man (and half the women) I've met under 50 is about 2m tall, I wonder if that could be a problem here. If it is, it might help if your gym tried to put up some routes from shorter routesetters too.
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cracklover
Mar 11, 2005, 2:43 AM
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Your question was a fine one. Happy to help.
GO
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chalkfree
Mar 11, 2005, 3:22 AM
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Set some routes to show the tall guys what's going on... use a start with three ground level holds for example, and crunch those giants up a bit. It might let them think about new moves too.
Getting your feet up is the best bit I heard so far, or just throw. There's nothing better than a good toss to a crappy hold. Also your hands are smaller so matching on holds is a much more feasible option. I've found that by building my finger strength and single arm lockoff endurance that I can climb stuff the big boys can't even touch, and I can use some smears on routes that really help.
That's me though, flexiblity is another way to go with it and can be just as effective... Never found a good use for a fig4 though, maybe I'm a n00b.
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