Would you like to perfect your rock climbing skills? Climbing strength training is the prerequisite in this regard, and so having a climbing training strength plan should top the list of your priorities. This is because several parts of your body usually get engaged during the entire rock climbing escapade marked by noticeable body transformation after first few months of climbing.
During this undertaking, many body parts swing into action, from your arms to your legs. In addition, several muscles get used and thus, one needs to have sufficient strength and build more muscles so that rock climbing can be an easy undertaking. Since most people would like to have a climbing training plan, we shall take a closer look at what a typical plan should look like and its benefits.
What is Climbing Training Strength for Climbing?
Also known as resistance training, weight training or muscular training, strength training refers to any physical movement that requires you to use your gym equipment or bodyweight to increase your muscle mass, boost your endurance and thus grow stronger than ever.
As for climbing strength training, it refers to the activity with the major muscles crucial for climbing in focus. The most active muscles in climbing include the grip, back, core, abs, and legs. But when overhanging is the stake, other muscles come in second to grip because here finger is the most crucial tool. Conversely, when you target bouldering, grip goes to second place in importance.
That scenario indicates that you can narrow down your climbing strength training specific to your target climbing type. So, the crucial part of the climbing strength training plan is to determine the kind of climbing you prefer.
However, rock climbing remains the ultimate target of any climbing enthusiast, and it requires all the muscles to be developed in a balanced way.
If you are an avid rock climber, you need to engage in climbing strength training from time to time. By engaging in climbing strength training, you will enjoy tons of benefits such as:
• Your muscle mass will increase
• It allows you to flex your muscles
• These exercises help you to reduce your weight and become lean
• It allows you to develop strong bones and muscles
• It helps you to maintain your balance during the rock climbing expeditions As a result, you will be able to avert risks such as injuries and falls
How to Improve Your Climbing Strength?
To improve climbing strength or to grow strong enough for climbing, you must target several workouts for a certain period, and perform those in a planned way. So, the climbing strength training plan refers to the properly arranged climbing strength training activities. That is, to arrange the climbing strength development exercises to develop your strength gradually.
The Planning Part: Progressive Overload
Better to share the planning part before you start the exercises. Progressive overload refers to the plan of making your training part harder or adding more obstacles in every subsequent phase. In any workout, you do several reps to complete one set. Let’s take push-ups, for example. Say you start with 5 push-ups for 1 set and take the rest of 2 minutes after each set. Progressive overload means you will make it harder in the second week or when the initial set of 5 reps becomes easy for you after a certain period. How to do it?
You can either increase the number of push-ups for every set or decrease the resting period. Doing either of the two will add hardship while doing the same activity. At one stage, you can do both when any of the above is no longer a tough task. In this case, increase the number of push-ups and decrease the resting duration simultaneously.
So, when the stake is bodyweight training, you can do the same (increasing reps and making the resting period short to zero) on top of growing weight by adding a dumbbell, barbell, and more. In fine, progressive overload means ensuring your subsequent training activity is difficult and struggling for you.
Thus, your body will become accustomed to harder workouts, and your endurance stamina will improve. Now, let’s go for the strength training activities for climbing.
Strength Training Activities
Below you go with the climbing strength training workouts that can make you strong enough to make your climbing an amusing pastime.
1. Bodyweight Training
Simply put, you will be lifting your own body from the ground. Here, you can readily use both hands and one hand to lift your body. Unlike other workouts, this one is easy to undertake.
Besides this, anyone can engage in it, regardless of their age or weight. As a result, it is deemed to be one of the best ways to start the strength training journey. Whether in the parking lot or your living room, you can engage in this exercise and be good to go.
Apart from lifting your body off the ground, you can utilize your body for resistance training. Here, you can hang, push, pull, lunge or squat. By doing so, you will be making your muscles stronger and thus reduce the chances of getting injured in the long run.
2. Dumbbell Training
When it comes to strength training, dumbbells work magic. In fact, you can readily find the equipment in nearly any gym that you step your foot into. Since the equipment does not consume a lot of space, you can have it at home, and it will be great to accomplish in-house rock climbing workouts.
With the dumbbells in place, you will be able to add some difficulty to any body movement you can think of. For instance, you can hold a dumbbell as you perform some lunges. Apart from this, dumbbells can be a stepping stone for those yearning to commence barbell training.
When it comes to stabilization challenges, the equipment does not disappoint. This is because they will help you spot any muscle imbalance seamlessly. For instance, you might realize that your left arm is stronger than your right arm.
In addition, dumbbells allow you to perform single-leg and single-arm exercises. Consequently, you will be able to strengthen and deal with any muscle imbalance in your body. Finally, dumbbells are easy to scale. For example, once you can lift 15-pound weights, you can now go ahead and start picking those weighing 20-pounds.
3. Kettle Training
As the name suggests, you will be lifting a weight that resembles a kettle. Typically, it has a handle at the top where you can hold and swing from your left hand to your right hand and vice versa.
Thankfully, these cannonballs come in many weights and hardly consume space. Unlike other types of strength training, this one offer multiple exercises that can be performed with just one weight.
As we speak, we have adjustable kettlebells and single kettlebells. Although you can work with a single kettlebell and get the much-needed results, using adjustable kettlebells offers progressive overload benefits. This is because your workouts will be difficult in each subsequent phase. However, you can use them to level up and strength the various muscles of your body.
4. Barbell Training
The type mentioned above of strength training is ideal for those who want to get strong fast. Here, you can use the progressive overload technique by adding small weights on either bar sides. As a result, you will be lifting more weights at a time. Apart from this, it is quite safe to lift these weights as you will be adding weights on each side of the bar slowly, and once you are comfortable, you can maintain it at that and carry on once you feel you need to lift more weights.
However, this type of strength training needs you to have ample space at home if you will not visit the gym. Also, you need to purchase a couple of items such as the squat rack, a bench, a barbell and several weights for lifting.
What is Climbing Training Strength Plan for Beginners?
Now that you have developed climbing strength, have your grip, back, abs, and core worked; you are ready to respond to your climbing call. The truth is, there is a need for you to go through a 6 to 8 weeks climbing training plan before you can start the actual rock climbing activity. Typically, this plan begins with conditioning your body and then;
1. High-volume but Low-intensity Training for Endurance
Your main attention will be on high volume, low-intensity training during this period. To put this into perspective, you will commence racking up routes in an array of sets and also burning more calories. As this takes place, you have to carry on with your normal bouldering sessions. You should engage in these sessions at least once a week for optimal results. However, give more priority to mileage instead of the working projects. You can also focus more on specific types of angels or holds.
2. Strength Training
During the 3rd phase of your climbing training strength plan, you can consider bouldering on a rock surface or even working the moves on a redpoint project. If you want to improve your endurance, consider using moderate routes.
If you want to go on a climbing trip that will last for 5 days and beyond, ensure that you have enough rest for at least 3 days before leaving for home. In addition, take another 3 days before you can return for strengthening training.
3. Training for Power Endurance
This is the 4th phase of your climbing training strength plan, where consistent sequences of 15 to 40 moves are the main focus. As you engage in these moves, ensure that you rest 4 days from the 3rd phase and then take another 4 days before you can go to the next stage. If you cannot access the climbing gym, consider home hangboarding to derive max benefits, if not all.
4. Strength and Power Training
Although this ought to be the 5th phase of your climbing training strength plan, it is similar to the 3rd phase we discussed above. Here, the main focus is mainly on bouldering. However, climbers also engage in hangboard sessions for grip strength. With the introduction of the hangboard sessions, there is a slight variation in the activities of phase 3.
In addition, climbers here also engage in endurance work of a low-intensity nature. Once you are done with this phase, it is always advisable that you take a rest of 4 days before proceeding to the next phase.
5. Endurance
Although this phase emphasizes activities that can increase your endurance levels, you do not have to strain your body with intense workouts. Since you have been through multiple phases in the past, the chances are that you will be fatigued out.
To recover from such fatigue, you will have to engage in low-intensity endurance activities. A couple of simple workouts can help you get started and be good to go. More importantly, remember to rest before moving on to the next phase.
6. Further Power Endurance Training
As the name suggests, this phase will enable you to become fitter and stronger to make sustained or consistent climbing sequences ranging from 15 to 40 moves. To keep your strength at optimal levels, you also have to engage in bouldering sessions. Once you are done, ensure that you take a 4 day’s rest, and then proceed to the final phase.
7. Now, You Should be Able to Plan on Your Own
This is the final phase of the climbing training strength plan. During this phase, you will note several improvements. From the way your body is toned to your strength levels, many aspects of your body will have undergone a total transformation.
You can carry on with the normal bouldering sessions alongside other workouts to keep your body toned and stronger. As you do this, ensure that you take enough rest for your body to relax and get revitalized.
Final Words
With the climbing training plan above translating into action, be sure that your rock climbing journey will become smoother and funnier. Although you can find a rock climbing training program pdf online, this guide will help you improve your climbing skills and thus enable you to enjoy all the climbing sessions now and in the future.
So, follow all the ideas we have mentioned in the climbing training strength plan above, and your climbing experience will no longer be the same.