Top 3 things You Need to Do Now to Climb Better Tomorrow
Climbing is a sport－and a lifestyle for many of us－which requires high levels of commitment, courage, perseverance, flexibility, strength, power, and endurance. This lifelong pursuit requires a blend of all of these things to unlock your potential at the crag.
Here are the three steps you need to start now to climb better tomorrow!
1) Warm-up! A warm-up results in faster muscle contractions, improved force development and reaction time, and improved strength and power. Start with 5-10 minutes of low-intensity activity(1). Then begin climbing 3-4 grades below your desired level for the day with at least 3 minutes of rest between routes.
2) Strength training! Increasing your strength has been shown to decrease your likelihood of injury particularly acute and overuse injuries(2). A good starting point for strength training is two times a week at 60-90% of a one-repetition max for 3-4 sets with a 1.5-3 minute rest break between sets. Start first with lifts that involve multiple joints then progress to single-limb movements.
3) Rest! This is absolutely necessary in order to climb stronger and decrease your risk of injury. Include 48 hours of rest between challenging climbing sessions. It is only during rest that muscles can repair and growth can occur.
Climbing can be a lifelong journey that creates meaningful results both on the wall and in the community. Let’s spread the passion and the knowledge together!
Belay on,
Nick Virden, PT, DPT, OCS
Performance Trainer at be.dynamic
1. Baechle, T. R., & Earle, R. W. (2008). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (Third ed., pp. 296-297). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
2. Lauersen, J. B., Andersen, T. E., & Andersen, L. B. (2018, August 21). Strength training as superior, dose-dependent and safe prevention of acute and overuse sports injuries: a systematic review, qualitative analysis and meta- analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 1557-1563. doi:https://bjsm.bmj.com