How To Climb Better?
Hello, Steph!
My name is Natalie! I’m 18 years old. About a month ago i decided to start mounteneering. Now I go to the gym 4-5 days a week. I have no trainer. But i like to climb. But,also, i cannot do such things as other people can do. Sometimes it seems for me so easy, but i cannot do the same, to repeat this way of climbing. There are a lot of boys and girls, that climb very well…
Ok, they have been trained for a year or more. All my friends tell me that it is only the begining of it. My mom told me that i have to train, and start to believe that i could do this in future.
Please, tell me how can i improve my climbing? What i must do?
And, how old were you, when you start to climb? How it was?
Thanks for your answer!
Natalie
Dear Natalie,
I started to climb when I was 18 as well! The first thing you have to do is remember why climbing is fun…..because it’s fun! First of all, forget about what the other people at your gym are doing. Climbing is for you, and between you and yourself.
It’s true that improving your physical stamina and strength will allow you to enjoy climbing even more. There is a big difference between what works well for mountaineering/alpine fitness, and what works well for rock and gym climbing fitness. If you want to be stronger in the mountains, you need to be able to hike up, carrying weight, for long periods of time. If you want to be stronger on rock or in the gym, you need to be focusing more on finger, core and upper body strength. They are so different, as to be almost two different sports, requiring two different types of training.
I have never had a trainer either. What I do is this: first, identify what type of climbing you want to improve at in this time period (for me, it changes a lot from year to year, or season to season). Second, while you are doing it, notice your weaknesses. Then train those weaknesses, either directly through climbing that pinpoints the weaknesses, or with alternate training. So if you are gym climbing, and you notice that you lack endurance, start focusing on endurance gym routes, and also lift weights with endurance repetitions. If you are climbing peaks, and you notice that you are exhausted after the second hour, start climbing hills around your house with full water bottles in your backpack, and also add in some running workouts.
For all types of climbing, I think core strength is the single most valuable thing you can do. Situps, crunches, and leg raises are all great exercises you can do at home.
Just remember, everything you are doing should be engaging for you, and enjoyable somehow. Training may not be fun in every moment, but if it gives you a good feeling of accomplishment, and helps you to enjoy your climbing more, it is definitely worth it. Life is long! You have decades of time to explore your new passion….
xxxSteph
