Improve at Climbing by Muscle & Mental Training
Train Mental and Muscles’ Weaknesses to Get Better at Rock Climbing
Oct 20, 2009
Working on climbing weaknesses can be difficult, challenging, frustrating, and even embarrassing. It's much easier to stick to what a person's already good at and comfortable with. However, identifying and training climbing weaknesses will yield the fastest improvements in a person’s rock climbing abilities. Read on to learn about five of the most common climbing weaknesses along with suggestions for training to improve them.
“Pull Power” Muscle Weakness
Without getting into too much scientific detail, the upper body muscles primarily used to pull in rock climbing are one common climbing weakness area. Many rock climbs require pulling the body up repeatedly, primarily using the arms and shoulders (aided by pushing and pulling with the feet and legs). A simple way to test if this area is problematic is to isolate the pulling motion by trying to do a pull-up or a set of pull-ups.
If doing pull-ups feels extremely difficult, or if the climber and/or climbing partner notices that the climber encounters difficult every time a powerful pull is required on a rock climb, then this is probably an area of relative muscular weakness worth working on. A climber can work this weakness in a number of ways, including implementing a simple pull-up strength training program in conjunction with plenty of powerful rock climbing.
Muscular Weakness in Grip Strength
Grip strength challenges many rock climbers. If the climber and/or climbing partner notices that the climber experiences difficulty holding specific types of holds (such as slopers, crimps, and pinches) and/or often struggles with his or her hands opening up off of the holds, then this is probably an area that can use some work. Climbing hangboards offer a simple way to begin training grip strength, among other potential methods.
Muscle Training for Climbing Endurance
Some climbers feel extremely powerful and strong on the first few moves of any given rock climb, only to find themselves falling off seemingly good holds or easy climbing sequences shortly thereafter. This usually demonstrates an overall lack of climbing endurance, often coupled with one or both of the above weaknesses (i.e., does the climber “melt” from the hands opening off holds, or from no longer being able to pull between the holds, or both?).
To work this weakness, the climber can work on both training for better overall climbing endurance, as well as isolating and training one or both of the other potential contributors to this issue described above. Another potential contributor to poor climbing endurance, lack of good climbing technique, is described below.
The Elusive Climbing Weakness: Climbing Technique
If a climber finds that they’re often struggling with figuring out how to do a climbing move properly, or if they drag their feet or never turn their body (instead always climbing straight-on, as if on a ladder), then these are good indicators that climbing technique is holding them back from improving at rock climbing. A climbing partner or better rock climber can often be most helpful in cuing the climber in to the fact that his or her climbing technique needs improvement.
To improve climbing technique, first enlist the aid of a climbing partner to help establish which climbing techniques the climber is lacking the most. Then, use specific, focused climbing technique exercises to train the most efficient and effective climbing movements. Train each climbing technique until it becomes second nature—so that the climber doesn’t even have to think about straight arms or quiet feet, for example. His or her body just finds these naturally.
Mental Training for Improved Climbing
Last but not least, many rock climbers struggle with the mental aspects of rock climbing, which can hold a climber back from improving more than any muscular weaknesses. If the climber constantly tells themselves, “I suck,” “I’m scared,” “I’ll never climb this route,” “I can’t,” “It’s reachy,” “I’m not powerful,” and other such damaging and negative self-affirmations, then that climber is virtually dooming themselves to failure and dissatisfaction with rock climbing, no matter what they do.
To get better at rock climbing, a person has to believe in his or her ability to succeed. The climber also must learn to harness the power of the mind to turn all failures into future successes, by using them as learning experiences and prompts for working on climbing weaknesses. Keeping a training journal, using daily positive visualizations, and repeating mantras are all key mental training tactics that can yield ongoing climbing successes.
Work Climbing Weaknesses for the Fastest Improvements at Climbing
Training climbing weaknesses is the quickest way to get better at rock climbing. Five of the most common climbing weaknesses, described above, are easy to address as part of a climbing training program. Enlist the help of a climbing partner to identify climbing weaknesses, and then train them together for faster, more efficient improvement at rock climbing.
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