Advanced Muscle Training for Climbing - Pull-Ups
Using Simple Pull-Ups to Build Endurance and Power for Rock Climbing
Mar 5, 2009
A huge component of rock climbing involves pull power, especially at the higher levels of rock climbing. Adding pull-up workouts to a rock climbing training program may expedite a climber’s improvement. Learn how to avoid elbow tendinitis as well by using a recommended pull-up form. Pull-up workouts can be used to improve both climbing endurance and climbing power, as described below. Use pull-up workouts as part of an overall rock climbing training program.
Avoiding Elbow Tendinitis: Recommended Pull-Up Form
Many fitness programs recommend that the person performing pull-ups go all the way down into a straight-armed position in between each rep (a “dead hang”). However, for the purposes of rock climbing training, it is suggested that the climber does not go all the way down into this position. Instead, stop while the arms are still slightly bent and the shoulders are still engaged or tight.
The reason for this suggestion is that rock climbers who are training for climbing by climbing in the indoor climbing gym are already placing huge stress loads on tendons. Many climbing movements involve pulls from a straight-armed position. To help prevent shoulder or elbow tendinitis from repetitive movements (like pull-ups and rock climbing), then, it’s suggested that rock climbers avoid the completely straight-armed position during supplemental pull-up workouts.
Building a Base: The Basic Pull-Up Workout
The basic pull-up workout will improve a climber’s power and/or endurance, depending on the starting level. A climber who can do fewer than 10 pull-ups per set will start out by working power simply by doing sets of six to eight pull-ups. Once pull-ups move into the 15-20 reps per set, the climber has moved toward pull-ups being more of a power endurance workout and less of a power workout.
When a climber's maximum set of pull-ups reaches 30, and/or he or she can sustain sets of 20 or more pull-ups (for 200 or more total pull-ups in a workout), those pull-ups are now training endurance more than power. At this point, the climber has built a solid pull-up base. From here, a climber can either continue building greater max sets to train endurance and/or start adding weight and doing lower reps of pull-ups to build power.
Weighted Pull-Ups: Power Training for Climbing
Using a weight vest is one of the easiest and least awkward ways to add weight to pull-ups. Start by adding weight (try five to 10 pounds) to normal pull-ups, with arms a little more than shoulder width apart — the same grip that’s been used throughout the base-building period. Find the amount of weight that brings the pull-up workout back into the optimal power-building range of six to eight reps per set.
In addition to weighted pull-ups, the climber can also consider adding wide-grip pull-ups to the pull-up workout. Generally speaking, the wider the grip, the more difficult the pull-up. Wide-grip pull-ups change the muscles used, so the climber might again have to start with no weight, just doing simple pull-ups. Again, aim for six to eight reps per set, doing two to three sets per workout. Other variations on pull-ups exist as well (see photo below).
Using Pull-Up Workouts as Part of Rock Climbing Training
The climber who is already training for climbing regularly in the gym may see noticeable gains by adding pull-up workouts to a rock climbing training program. Consider using the suggested not-quite-straight-armed pull-up form to help prevent overuse injuries from pull-up workouts. Build a base of pull-ups until the pull-ups are training climbing endurance more than climbing power. Then transition to weighted pull-ups and wide-grip pull-ups to maximize climbing power gains.
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