Climbing techniques – a plan to raise your game: Week 4 – strength conditioning and grip (workout 1)

Hi everyone, it’s week 4 of my rock climbing improvement plan.

This week I would like to share my strength conditioning workout. I’ll be using periodisation to shock my body for continual improvement. For this initial phase I’ll focus on strength building. In a few weeks I’ll switch to body composition (losing fat / getting leaner).

While this workout has an emphasis on strengthening your body for climbing, I have included exercises for the full body. This is to ensure you maintain a healthy and balanced physique. Just focusing on certain areas can cause an imbalance which can lead to injuries.

I have split the workout into 3 separate sessions, which you can do on days that suit you. If you can’t make the gym 3 times in a week, you can split the workout over 2 days and simply perform less sets for each exercise. This post deals with workout 1, I’ll post workout 2 in the next day or so.

For each workout, allow 10 minutes to warm up and 10 – 15 minutes stretching time at the end. The whole workout should take around an hour.

Workout 1

Single arm chest press on a swiss ball (with a twist)

4 sets
6 – 10 repetitions per set
Leave 90 seconds between sets

Performing this exercise on a swiss ball means it will still be effective for building strength in your chest and triceps, but you will also develop a stronger core from having to stabilise your body throughout the movement. Core strength is invaluable for climbing. If you haven’t done any core training before you’ll be surprised by how a stronger core affects your rock climbing.

1. Sit on a swiss ball with a dumbell in your right hand.
2. Roll forward until the swiss ball is between your shoulder blades. I tend to hold the dumbell in one hand at chest height and support it with the other hand while I get into position.
3. Once you’re in position with your feet nice and stable, extend your left hand  out in front of you (as if you’re pressing an invisible weight). Holding the dumbell in your right hand, palm up, drop your right shoulder slightly and push your left hand out so your left shoulder goes a little higher. Your hips should remain level with the floor.
4. Now press explosively with your right hand, simultaneously lowing your left hand to chest height. You should finish the movement with your left shoulder lower than your right, but your hips level with the floor (so just your upper body is twisted). Forcefully exhale throughout the movement.
5. Slowly lower your right hand with the dumbell while pushing out with your left hand (for a count of 3). Inhale throughout the movement.
6. Repeat the press for between 6 and 10 repetitions. Perform 4 sets. Start light and increase the weight with each set until for the last set it’s a struggle to press for 6 repetitions*.

* For the first couple of workouts you do this, keep it fairly light.

Chins

4 sets
As many repetitions as you can manage for each set
Leave 90 seconds between sets

Chins will really help to build you back strength, improving your power for pulling movements. This is especially useful for overhanging climbs where you will be glad of the extra power. Don’t make the mistake of substituting chins with lat pull-downs, it’s not the same and you won’t get the same results.

1. Hang on a chin bar, arms completely straight. Your hands should be wider than shoulder width, though you can experiment with different widths.
2. Take a deep breathe then pull up until your chin rests on top of the bar. Exhale forcefully throughout the movement.
3. Slowly lower yourself back to your starting position (arms fully extended – no cheating!).
4. Repeat for as many repetitions as you can do.

Variations

Beginners: If you can’t do many chins, don’t worry. If you can do just one repetition you have something to build on. Just do one repetition per set, but perform 10 sets. You’ll very quickly find that you can do 2 repetitions, then 3 and so on.

Advanced: We want to build some real power here so straight forward chins is going to be far too easy for those of you who are already accomplished at them

Variation 1: 6-1 wave technique

Set 1 – no weight for 6 reps
Set 2 – Hang a weight around your waist and perform 1 rep
Set 3 – no weight for 6 reps
Set 4 – Heavier weight for 1 rep
Set 5 – no weight for 6 reps
Set 6 – Heavier weight for 1 rep

Try to increase the weights a little each week.

Variation 2: Uneven loading

Put a towel over the bar and hold onto it with one hand, and grip the chin bar with the other hand. Perform chins as usual. Increase the difficulty by holding the towel further down. Be sure to swap sides for each set.

Variation 3: Frenchies

Pull up as usual, but when you lower:
rep 1: lower only a quarter of the way down
rep 2: lower half way down
rep 3: lower three quarters of the way down
rep 4: lower to the bottom
Repeat as many times as you can. Remember to lower slowly and in control.

Bent leg Dead-lifts

4 sets
6 – 10 repetitions per set
Leave 90 seconds between sets

Dead-lifts are a real power exercise for building all round strength.

1. Load a barbell and stand behind it with the bar touching your shins. Your feet wider than shoulder width apart.
2. Bend your legs and take hold of the bar a little wider than shoulder width apart.
3. Keeping your back straight (stick your bum out – it will feel like your back is curving backwards), stand up, driving from your legs until you’re stood up straight. Tense your abdominal muscles and breathe out forcefully throughout the movement.
4. Lower the weight back to the floor then repeat.

* Don’t go to your maximum weight for the first time you do this. You’re likely to have a fairly sore lower back the next day if you’re not used to it.

Hanging knee raises

4 sets
As many repetitions as you can manage for each set
Leave 90 seconds between sets

A great exercise which will build your grip and abdominal strength.

1. Hang from a chin up bar or a finger board. Hands a bit wider than shoulder width apart.
2. Raise your knees as high as you can. Take care not to swing too much, don’t try to use momentum to help you out.
3. Lower slowly then repeat. Keeping your upper body as still as you can.

Variations:

If you can do these easily, do leg raises instead. Rather than raise your knees keep your legs straight and raise them as high as you can. It’s much harder.

OK, that’s workout 1. I’ll give you workout 2 in the next day or so. The next workout will feature some more grip strengthening exercises.

I’m getting great results with my climbing at the moment. I am climbing more often than I was, but I am also getting stronger which seems to be helping. The only downside is that I appear to be gaining weight with this workout. I think much of it is muscle, but as a climber I want to keep my weight to a minimum. I haven’t been as strict as I could be with my diet, so I’ll try to address that and see how I get on. I would really like to hear how this works for you – drop me a comment below.