Does indoor rock climbing make you leaner / more muscular (looking) ?

sethbrandeis

I try to do indoor rock climbing once a week as a physical activity that's a break from lifting weights and such.

I've noticed that a good proportion of the rock climbers at the gym are really lean and muscular. It could just be by chance, but I wouldn't notice if their muscles weren't so noticeable.

My trainer says that rock climbing can't get you that look by itself (unless I misunderstood him). He said that the climbers who are muscular are probably lifting weights in addition to climbing.

Does that sound right, or can rock climbing eventually make you leaner / more muscular (looking) ?

JenAndSome

sethbrandeis wrote: »

I try to do indoor rock climbing once a week as a physical activity that's a break from lifting weights and such.

I've noticed that a good proportion of the rock climbers at the gym are really lean and muscular. It could just be by chance, but I wouldn't notice if their muscles weren't so noticeable.

My trainer says that rock climbing can't get you that look by itself (unless I misunderstood him). He said that the climbers who are muscular are probably lifting weights in addition to climbing.

Does that sound right, or can rock climbing eventually make you leaner / more muscular (looking) ?

A calorie deficit will make you leaner. You will build some strength with rock climbing but building muscle (increasing mass) isn't so easy.

mbaker566

Rock climbing can totally build muscle and not that much cardio

mirrim52

Most high level rock climbers lift weights specifically to increase strength without increasing mass too much. Climbing itself can help, but you won't build much muscle climbing once a week. I go once a week too (well, one and a bit, I bring my daughter on Saturdays and get a bit of bouldering in.) You can't really get the required progressive overload to build a lot of strength while climbing. Climbs get technically more difficult as you progress, but you are still only supporting your body weight.

Azdak

You are mistaking self-selection with cause/effect. Successful rock climbers are lean because being lean makes you more successful at rock climbing. It's been a good 15 years or more, but I once read a story about competitive rock climbers that talked about their obsession with weight and the relatively high number that had eating disorders.

rileyes

^ That's what I was thinking. If I'm going to be lifting my body up a rock, I'm going to make sure I'm not toting extra weight. I can see how their passion can turn to obsession.