How to Get in Shape for Climbing

Climbing in various forms has become a popular sport with many people. Like any sport, climbing works particular groups of muscles that should be conditioned before any serious climbing efforts take place. Here are some general tips on how to condition the necessary muscle groups and make climbing a great experience.

Things You'll Need

• Exercise mat
• Spring grips
• Pull up bar
• Dead weights
• Bicycle or treadmill

Instructions

1. Strengthen the grip. Climbing often involves the use of ropes as part of the scaling activity. A strong grip goes a long way in making the climbing a fun workout. Use hand held spring grips to build up grip strength. Many models allow users to adjust the tension, making it possible to begin with a relatively small amount of pressure needed to close the grips and gradually increase the pressure as the grip becomes stronger

2. Address the forearms. Along with the grip in the hands, forearm strength is key to successful climbing. The gripping exercises will help to a degree, but also consider using doing forearm curls using dead weights. To perform a forearm curl, grip the weight in the hand, with the palm turned upward. Keeping the upper arm close to the body, use the muscles of the forearm to lift the weight to a 90-degree angle. Hold for a count of 10, then lower and repeat the action for at least 10 repetitions. Repeat the same steps with the other arm.

3. Don’t forget the shoulders. The upper arms and shoulders also do a lot of work during climbing. Pull-ups or chin-ups on a pull up bar can help build up these muscle groups. Make sure the bar is securely mounted to a level that is at least shoulder height, and lift the legs off the floor. Using the arms and shoulders, pull the head and shoulders above the level of the bar. Hold for a count of 5, then lower back to a position where the arms are straight. Repeat the action for at least 10 repetitions, making sure to never allow the feet or lower body to touch the floor.

4. The middle section needs attention as well. Simple twisting and bending exercises, such as toe touches and sit ups can help. With the toe touches, plant the feet on the floor firmly next to one another. Bend at the waist and touch the toes. This will also help to stretch the leg muscles. With sit ups, lay on the exercise mat, bend the legs at the knees slightly and left the shoulders off the mat in the direction of the knees. This will help strengthen the mid section.

5. Last, build up the leg muscles. Walking and biking are great ways to do this, and offer plenty of cardiovascular workout as well. A minimum of 30 minutes of biking or an hour of walking at a steady pace will make a big difference.

Tips & Warnings

• If you do not work out regularly, begin your fitness training for climbing with a few repetitions that address each muscle group. As you gain endurance and strength, you can add more repetitions to each set.

• Don’t wait until a few days before you go climbing to begin working out. At least a couple of weeks of daily exercise is recommended.

• Your first few times out, keep the climbing to relatively easy sites. There is plenty of time to attempt more challenging climbs after conquering the easier ones.