Climbing

Muana1005

I've recently taken up bouldering to try and improve my strength and it's really, really hard (but fun too). Appreciate it'll get easier with practice and weight loss, but is there anything I can do to help the process along?

Aim is to eventually leave the gym and boulder outdoors.

bigmuneymfp

Campus board

NorthCascades

Use your legs, not your arms, whenever possible. Also, bouldering is easy because you never go more than four feet above the ground.

CSARdiver

Join a local group/club. When you do venture to the great outdoors bring along/hire a guide who knows that area - well worth it from my experience.

Pick up an issue of Rock and Ice/Climbing magazine. Tons of videos on YouTube on bouldering and climbing techniques. Valley Uprising is a great documentary on Netflix showcasing the history of climbing in Yosemite.

Welcome to your new obsession

Muana1005

It certainly has become an obsession lol. My problem is my legs - I can't figure out where to put them. I'm strong enough to climb but my flexibility or 'gymnastic ability' is really lacking. I also really struggle to balance pushing up with my legs with pulling up with my arms.

julie_broadhead

bigmuneymfp wrote: »

Campus board

I'm going to respectfully disagree with this. Campus boards are a great way for someone who has not built up their tendons to get hurt. I recommend that you stay away from them for at least your first six months.

Muana1005 wrote: »

It certainly has become an obsession lol. My problem is my legs - I can't figure out where to put them. I'm strong enough to climb but my flexibility or 'gymnastic ability' is really lacking. I also really struggle to balance pushing up with my legs with pulling up with my arms.

Take a technique class at one of your local climbing gyms. You can only get so far in bouldering with poor technique.

To improve, you need to be bouldering 3-4 days per week. Weight loss will help quite a bit. Make some friends at your bouldering gym, get your own gear (including a crash pad), learn how to spot and protect your landing and get outside sooner rather than later. You will be amazed how much you will learn climbing outside:-)

ronocnikral

Agree with above. You really need to ease into climbing very slowly. Especially in the gym. Someone new should look to have one climbing session, maybe 2 a week.

julie_broadhead

ronocnikral wrote: »

Agree with above. You really need to ease into climbing very slowly. Especially in the gym. Someone new should look to have one climbing session, maybe 2 a week.

That all depends. If you vary your training, you can go 3-4 days per week. For a beginner, I recommend a lot of volume 1-2 grades lower than their current project ability to help them build endurance and allow them to build up their tendons on large holds. They can may be do one day of projecting after their first month of pure volume. For a new boulderer, I would even recommend that they get on some roped routes at the climbing gym or outside just to get more volume.

My suggested training for someone who has newly fallen in love with this sport:

Your first month should be about learning safety, learning technique, and practicing these new skills. Get into your gym 3-4 times a week climbing easy, mostly vertical routes. Leave pumped and unable to do more.

Your second month could look like this:
Day one - Volume
Day two - Project
Day three - volume

Or

Tuesday- project
Thursday- volume
Saturday and Sunday - climb outside

Just in case your unfamiliar with the lingo, projecting is working on routes that will take you several tries. You may walk out of a session not having completed some of these routes.

julie_broadhead

If you really want to nerd out on training for climbing, here are some great books
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1493017616/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496382568&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=training+for+climbing&dpPl=1&dpID=51op5pwlaBL&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0762770295/ref=mp_s_a_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1496382684&sr=8-18&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=training+for+climbing&dpPl=1&dpID=51xmgLmlWAL&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1555915914/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496382825&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=pilates+for+the+outdoor+athlete&dpPl=1&dpID=51LYzwWrBZL&ref=plSrch

thor_syd

Climbing is great fun. Although bouldering is not my thing some quick thoughts ...

Depending on age, take it easy / slowly. Climbing is extremely harsh on your tendons (google climber's elbow / tennis elbow, climbing finger injuries). Tendon strength takes months/ years to grow due to much lesser blood supply than muscles. Tendon injuries are a real pain and heal really slowly.
this gives you some idea: http://www.rockandice.com/lates-news/rock-climbing-injury-dodgy-elbows-revisited

Climb 2-3 times a week, get tips from better climbers, take a lesson if that suits you. have rest days. do some push-ups and cardio from time to time. and stretch. climbing trains mostly "pulling".

I would wait and see for 1-2 months before getting these ... but from what I know the 2 most recommended books are "The Rock Climber's Training Manual" and "Self-Coached Climber: The Guide to Movement, Training, Performance". however, something more bouldering specific might be more suitable ?!

Muana1005

Thank you so much for the feedback. Def some food for thought. There is a technique class for more experienced climbers, will see if I can gatecrashz

Lol @thor_syd I'd love to do top rope, but the gyms around me don't allow it for sole climbers. ;(

NorthCascades

@Muana1005 If you'd love to top rope, see if your gym has an auto-belay. It probably does.

If you'd like to eventually step out of the gym into the great outdoors, then the most value your gym is going to provide is being a place to make friends with other boulderers. Rock isn't like climbing walls. There are no plastic nubby things that look like your grandma's old phone. A lot of people just decide they've been climbing hard in the gym and it's time to go outside and take on the grades they've been doing indoors and have trouble. If you read the ANAM you'll see that story a lot. So, make friends with experienced people at the gym, and when you start going outdoors, join them. They'll show you the ropes, so to speak.

thor_syd

Muana1005 wrote: »

... Lol @thor_syd I'd love to do top rope, but the gyms around me don't allow it for sole climbers. ;(

check if the gyms have a "social day / night" where ppl get teamed up ... or a notice board with ppl looking for climbing partners. also meetup.com is worth a try, esp if you are in a larger city.

enjoy