When you have passed the beginner level in indoor climbing, it is time to become a great climber. Here are some tips for those who want to practice this sport regularly. This guide is written assuming you already know how to tackle the simplest walls and are trying your hand at intermediate level climbing.
Steps
Step 1. Find a good gym to climb
As a beginner you may have tried several. If you want to start practicing this sport regularly you will probably have to choose only one or two gyms in order to progressively complete a series of climbs of increasing difficulty. Your experience will depend on the quality of the gym you choose. Study your possibilities in traditional gyms, in those dedicated to climbing and in outdoor walls. Choose the environment you prefer, where the staff seem experienced and ready to help. Also inquire about the quality and type of equipment available. Finally, don't forget other people: climbing is a social sport in a certain way, and finding a good partner is an important component to improve and be able to complete the most difficult routes, up to outdoor climbing.
Step 2. Increase your strength
To climb you need strength and technique. If you don't already have an adequate strength level, or if you can't maintain the strength you have, it may be important to do specific workouts. The following list is simply a guide to which muscle groups to focus on and the types of exercises that might help you. Seek expert advice and read a good book on training or climbing to do the exercises you need to perfection.
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Arms: Improve your grip with exercises that strengthen the arms, wrist and forearm area. Use a stress ball regularly to strengthen your wrists and hands lift small weights forward and to the side to improve overall arm strength. Try static pull-ups on the bar to increase your ability to hover with your arms while climbing. It is better to find that you are unable to hold yourself when hanging from a bar!
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Shoulders and upper back: Having good strength in these parts of the body is important for becoming a great climber. These muscle groups will help you maintain your grip as you try to reach the next foothold. Pull-ups, band exercises, weights, and simple arm rotations are all ideal shoulder workouts. As you get stronger, try to train more specific to your sport using hang boards, campus boards and system boards, tools that allow you to simulate the movements you will face on the walls.
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Central part of the body (core): this is a vital link in the chain of climbing movements. If your abs and lower back muscles aren't strong enough, your legs won't be able to effectively transfer the force they generate to your arms, and vice versa. The important thing is to get a stable and flexible core. It can be difficult to do, but use creativity. Suspended leg raises, dumbbell side bends and back bridges are all excellent exercises to strengthen these muscles in a useful way for climbing.
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Legs: the legs during climbing work more than many people believe and above all allow you to position the body in order to make the most of the available support points. Don't overdo the leg exercises, just make sure they are flexible and strong. It is recommended to focus on the strength of the individual legs, for example with lunges, one-leg squats, etc.
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Check your progress. As with all exercises, don't overdo it and don't develop bodybuilder muscles. Climbers don't need all that extra weight; they need strength and flexibility. Your training program should be regular and short-lived; just enough to increase your strength. Do the exercises using enough weight that you can only complete them for 8 reps or less. In the end, for beginner and intermediate level climbers, the best physical training for climbing is CLIMB.
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Step 3. Dissolve
Before stepping on the wall, do a quick warm-up. You will need to raise your body temperature so that blood begins to flow into the muscles. Remember, the extremities are harder to warm (aka hands and fingers!) Than the legs, for example. This means that when you try your first climb, it should be so easy that you can do it blindfolded. Gradually increase the difficulty until you find routes that challenge you.
Step 4. Make sure you are getting the right amount of fluids at all times
Drink some water before climbing and between one climb and the next. Always replenish the fluids you have lost due to sweating caused by climbing. The hands and feet are the first parts of the body to suffer from cramps when you are dehydrated.
Step 5. Focus only on an area of five feet
The only things that matter when climbing are almost always within a five-foot radius of you. Everything else (outside noise, climbers next to you, problems at work) will not help you climb, so forget about it when you are on a course.
Step 6. Choose the most prudent way to improve your skills
If you try the more challenging climbs before you are ready, you will be at greater risk of injury, such as by straining your shoulder or tearing the tendons in your fingers. Assuming you already know the easiest climbs, try the more advanced level walls. Ask the staff what the suggested progression is. In some cases it may take several weeks of repeat attempts to complete some routes, but be patient and enjoy every single climb. All of this is what makes indoor climbing a fun way to stay fit.
Step 7. Take care of your body's needs after climbing
It is a grueling activity if practiced on a regular and prolonged basis. Make sure your body has the right energy by eating complex carbohydrates after each session. Some people also find dark chocolate very useful. Remember that climbing, like some other sports, can have a negative impact on the mind. If you have a bad day where you seem to get it all wrong, remember that it is just one day among many.
Step 8. Join a climbing club or group
If you are becoming an enthusiast, meet other people who share this hobby. You will receive motivation, you will find friends and activities to try. Also consider subscribing to online climbing forums that can provide you with useful tips, the possibility of exchanging equipment and contacts of people who can help you. Even if you don't like the idea of joining a club, at least socialize with other climbers after a gym climb. Ask for advice on how to correct your flaws and how to exploit your strengths.
Step 9. Keep your weight on your feet as you climb to make it easier to bring your body upwards
This can mean bringing your hips closer to the wall. Your goal should be to minimize the amount of body mass pulling you back, away from the wall; imagine there is a line running through your body, dividing it into front half and back half. This line starts from where your feet touch the support zone you are on and goes to your head. When climbing, try to keep the same amount of mass on both sides of the line.
Step 10. When you find places to rest, use them
Usually this means that you can keep one arm away from the wall and in this way rest it. In some cases you may find a combination of body position and foot grip that allows you to free both hands! Always take advantage of these opportunities. Learning when to rest is an important aspect of good technique.
Step 11. When beginners climb, they have a tendency to always look upwards
Avoid doing this too often, as it will be more difficult to choose footholds as you go up. Look up and down to make sure you're making the most of each foothold. Often, when you think you can't climb upwards, look towards your feet; you may not have noticed a foothold!
Step 12. Leave the wall
When you have become capable in the controlled environment of a gym, test your courage. Leave the wall and try outdoor climbing. Start with easy climbs and experience the feeling they give you. If you like it, you will have learned to appreciate a completely new sport.
Advice
- If you can't find a route, ask the climbing staff; they will be happy to help you.
- Don't feel stressed if you can't complete a climb on the first try. Eventually you will make it, and you will be even more proud.
- Complex carbohydrates include fruit, pasta, potatoes, rice, etc.
- When you have to tackle a certain climb, ask those who have already done it what the most difficult parts are.
- If you find that you are really stuck, forget about that climb and try an easier one, then resume the progression.
- Take it easy. Do not rush. Take your time and focus on running the routes correctly with good technique and not fast.
- Hire a personal trainer if you want specific help and attention.
- Breathe right. Breathe from the belly, or more correctly, from the diaphragm. You will feel more relaxed.
- Always climb with a climbing partner.
- If you are still young enough to climb the local park's games, try new ways to climb above them.
Warnings
- Do not treat injuries superficially. If you push yourself too far by stretching a few muscles, give them time to heal before resuming activity. Try to take care of your hands and avoid corns. Make sure you spread some cream on your hands after each climb.
- If you find yourself on a path that is too difficult for you, do not keep trying if you have no way to complete it; if you hang on the rope for longer than you climb, go down to the ground. Your attempt would only serve to annoy your mate and the people who are waiting after you. Try an easier path and move on to the next level as you improve.
- Start slowly if you are afraid of heights. Only climb as long as you feel comfortable and try to get higher with each climb. Remember that with the right equipment and a competent companion you are incredibly confident. Trust your equipment. The weaker pieces can hold up to 1000kg when used correctly and around 500kg if used improperly. Fall injuries are rare in gyms and most often happen to inexperienced climbers attempting to challenge each other in speed contests.
