Training for Climbing, 2nd: The Definitive Guide to Improving Your Performance (How To Climb Series)

rock rings (ideal). Pull up halfway, then push your hands forward, drop your head backward, and lift your legs. Do all this in a single quick motion while attempting to position your entire body—head to toe—parallel to the ground. Squeeze tightly throughout your shoulders, torso, buttocks, and legs to hold this position for three seconds (if you can). It helps to think about pushing your hands toward your hips, even though you’ll be in a stationary position. The goal is to hold the lever for three seconds before lowering yourself slowly to the starting position. Immediately pull up into a Front Lever again and hold for three seconds. Perform three to five (hard) total Front Levers. Rest for three to five minutes before performing a second set.
    Safety note: The Front Lever places a great deal of stress on your shoulders and elbows (just like steep climbing), so it is inappropriate for novice or out-of-shape climbers or anyone with ongoing elbow or shoulder problems.
STEEP-WALL TRAVERSING
     
    Climbing overhanging walls is the ultimate core-training exercise, and it’s obviously the most specific. The best training strategy is to traverse sideways across a long overhanging wall, or back and forth across a shorter wall. The only drawback to this exercise is that lack of finger strength and climbing ability will prevent some climbers from traversing long enough to adequately work the core muscles. Here’s how to do it.
    Select a section of wall that overhangs between thirty and fifty degrees past vertical. Using medium-size handholds and small footholds, traverse across the wall at a steady pace. Avoid extremely technical or strenuous moves. Try to make long sideways reaches with your hands and feet—the longer the horizontal reach, the more your core muscles will need to work to maintain balance and stability. Allow your body to twist and turn as needed to execute the moves, and concentrate on contracting your core muscles to prevent body sag, sway, or swing. Continue traversing for at least one minute, and alternate leading with your hands and feet. Rest for three to five minutes before performing a second or third set. Adjust the difficulty of the traverse by using holds that are closer (easier) or farther apart.
     
    Single-Leg Squat

     
    1. Feet a bit more than shoulder width apart.
     

     
    2. Lower yourself over one foot and press up.
     

    Core-Training Tips
     
    1. Train the core muscles three to six days per week. Climbing, especially on overhanging routes, provides an excellent core workout. Still, you should perform supplemental core exercises at least twice a week.
    2. Perform a variety of core exercises to work all facets of conditioning: lower and upper abs, obliques, and the spinal erectors.
    3. Most important, be sure to train the often neglected muscles of the lower back using the Aquaman exercise.
    4. Graduate to the advanced total core exercises such as the One-Arm, One-Leg Bridge, and Front Lever—these difficult exercises are the gold standard for core training.
     
     
SINGLE-LEG SQUATS
     
    This final exercise isn’t strictly a core exercise, but it does train the leg and core muscles in a very specific way that mimics the process of pressing out a high-step move and maintaining a balanced center of gravity throughout. It’s actually quite difficult. I suggest you use this exercise at least twice per week—it will provide payoffs on the rock!
    Stand erect with your feet a bit more than shoulder width apart—the farther apart they are, the harder this exercise—and your hands gathered behind your hips. Slowly bend your left leg and begin shifting your center of gravity to the left as you lower yourself over your left foot until the bottom of your thigh is about parallel to the floor. Now press back up with your left leg to return to the starting position. Maintain a nearly straight right leg throughout this down-and-up motion. Immediately begin another repetition with the same leg. Continue for ten to thirty (hard) repetitions, or stop when you can no longer control your downward motion. After a brief rest, perform a set with your right leg doing the squatting motion.

Training the Antagonist Muscles
     
    The muscles that are antagonist in most climbing movements include the pectorals (chest), deltoids and trapezius (shoulders and upper back), triceps (back of the upper arm), and the finger extensors (outside of the forearm). Consult the anatomy photos in appendix A if you are