Rock climbing is a challenging and exhilarating sport that requires strength, endurance, and technique.
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced climber, incorporating the right rock-climbing exercises into your training routine can help you improve your climbing ability and reach new heights.
In this article, we’ll explore the best exercises for rock climbing that target your core, hands, arms, and overall strength, as well as at-home rock climbing exercises that you can do without any equipment.
Let’s get going:
Best Exercises For Rock Climbing
Let’s have a look at the best exercises for getting better at rock climbing:
1. Textbook Hold
The Textbook Hold is an isometric exercise that targets the muscles in your hands, forearms, and biceps.
How To Do Textbook Hold?
- To perform the Textbook Hold, hold a textbook with your fingertips and lift it up to your chest level.
- Hold the textbook in this position for as long as you can, then lower it back down.
- Repeat for several reps.
This exercise is one of the best hand exercises for rock climbing and helps to improve grip strength and endurance.
2. Plank
The Plank is an excellent core exercise that helps to improve stability and balance.
How To Do Plank?
- To perform the Plank, get into a push-up position, but instead of lowering yourself down, hold your body in a straight line with your arms extended.
- Hold this position for as long as you can, then release.
- Repeat for several reps.
This exercise targets your core, shoulders, and back muscles and is one of the best core exercises for rock climbing.
3. Reverse Wrist Curls
The Reverse Wrist Curl is a weight exercise that targets the muscles in your forearms and wrists.
How To Do Reverse Wrist Curls?
- To perform the Reverse Wrist Curl, hold a weight in your hand and rest your forearm on a flat surface, such as a table or bench.
- Slowly lift the weight up towards your body by bending your wrist backwards, then lower it back down.
- Repeat for several reps.
This exercise is one of the best strength exercises for rock climbing and helps to improve forearm and grip strength.
4. Bodyweight Squats
Bodyweight Squats are a great lower-body exercise that targets your glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps.
How To Do Bodyweight Squats?
- To perform Bodyweight Squats, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and lower your body down by bending your knees and pushing your hips back.
- Keep your chest up and your weight on your heels.
- Push back up to the starting position and repeat for several reps.
This exercise helps to improve lower body strength and stability, which is essential for rock climbing.
5. Strenuous Hanging
Strenuous Hanging is an isometric exercise that targets your hands, forearms, and biceps muscles.
How To Do Strenuous Hanging?
- To perform Strenuous Hanging, find a pull-up bar or ledge and hang from it with your hands.
- Hold this position for as long as you can, then release.
- Repeat for several reps.
This exercise helps to improve grip strength and endurance, which is crucial for rock climbing.
6. Crunches
Crunches are a classic core exercise that targets your abs and helps to improve core strength.
How To Do Crunches?
- To perform Crunches, lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground.
- Place your hands behind your head, and lift your head and shoulders off the ground by contracting your abs.
- Lower yourself back down and repeat for several reps.
This exercise is one of the best at-home exercises for rock climbing and helps to improve core stability.
How To Increase Arm Strength For Climbing?
To increase arm strength for climbing, incorporate exercises that target your biceps, forearms, and hands. The Textbook Hold, Reverse Wrist Curls, and Strenuous Hanging are all excellent exercises that can help improve arm strength for climbing. Additionally, climbing itself is a great way to build arm strength, as it requires you to use your arms and hands to pull yourself up the wall. As you progress in your climbing ability, try to tackle more challenging routes that require you to use your arms and hands even more. By consistently incorporating these exercises into your training routine and challenging yourself on the climbing wall, you can gradually increase your arm strength and become a better climber.
How Do Climbers Get So Strong?
Climbers get strong by consistently training their bodies to handle the physical demands of the sport. This means incorporating exercises that target the muscles used in climbing, such as the core, hands, arms, and overall strength. Climbers also often engage in activities outside of climbing, such as weightlifting, cardio, and yoga, to improve their overall fitness and prevent injury. Additionally, climbers typically have a lean physique, allowing them to carry their body weight up the wall easily.
Do Biceps Help in Climbing?
Yes, the biceps can help in climbing, but they are not the only muscle group that is important for climbing. Biceps help to pull your body up the wall, but grip strength, forearm strength, and overall body strength are also crucial for success in climbing. Therefore, it’s important to incorporate various exercises into your training routine that target all of these muscle groups, not just the biceps.
Does Weight Matter in Rock Climbing?
Yes, weight can matter in rock climbing, especially for climbers who are carrying excess body weight. The more weight you have to carry up the wall, the more difficult it will be to climb. Therefore, many climbers focus on maintaining a lean physique to reduce their body weight and improve their climbing ability. However, it’s important to maintain a healthy body weight and not to lose weight at the expense of your overall health and well-being.
Conclusion
Incorporating the right exercises into your training routine is crucial for improving your rock climbing ability.
By targeting your core, hands, arms, and overall strength, you can become a better climber and tackle more challenging routes.
The Textbook Hold, Plank, Reverse Wrist Curls, Bodyweight Squats, Strenuous Hanging, and Crunches are all excellent rock-climbing exercises to include in your training routine and can be done at home or in the gym.
You can improve your climbing ability and reach new heights by consistently challenging yourself and incorporating these exercises into your routine.
