Climbing techniques – a plan to raise your game: Week 5 – strength conditioning and grip (workout 2)

Hi everyone, it’s week 5 of my rock climbing improvement plan.

Last week I gave you rock climbing workout 1 of 3, here’s workout number 2.

Cable wood chops

4 sets
10 – 12 repetitions per set
Leave 90 seconds between sets

This a great core strength exercise, and is great for building explosive power for those reachy dyno moves.

1. Stand next to a high cable machine at your gym (use a single handle). The machine should be by your side.
2. Take hold of the handle and step slightly away from the machine to get some tension in the cable.
3. Move the hand furthest away from the machine, in front of you, to hold the handle. The other hand needs to rest over it. You should now be holding the handle like an axe at 2 O’Clock, the arm furthest away from the machine stretched across the front of your body.
4. Now, in one big, explosive movement, move your hands across the front of your body and downwards, finishing at 8 O’Clock. Move your weight away from the machine throughout the movement, bend the leg furthest away from the machine and keep the one nearest the machine straight. When you finish the movement, your hands will be quite close to the floor. Exhale as you go.
5. Return to the start, following the same movement, in reverse. The return movement needs to be nice and controlled (around a count of 2 – 3).
6. Repeat for between 10 – 12 reps. Don’t go too heavy with this until you have a few workouts under your belt.

Straight bar curls

3 sets
6 – 10 repetitions
Leave 90 seconds between sets

Yes these are a bit old school, but they are great for building biceps strength. Good climbing technique does dictate that you try to keep your arms as straight as you can and hang on your skeleton, not on your arms. However, this isn’t always possible. Sometimes you need some good old biceps strength.

1. Stand in front of a straight barbell, loaded with a weight that you can comfortably lift. Feet about shoulder width apart, with your knees slightly bent.
2. Bend your knees and squat down to pick up the bar, palms facing away from you.
3. Keeping your upper arms still, bend your arms at the elbow to bring the bar up toward your chin (for around a count of 1). Make sure you keep your legs slightly bent and your back straight. Don’t swing the weight, make sure you control it right through the movement. Exhale as you go.
4. Lower the weight back down until your arms are completely straight again. The lower should be quite slow (around a count of 3).
5. Repeat, increasing the weight with each set until your maximum is around 6 repetitions. Be sure to bend your knees and keep your back straight when you put the weight down.

Triceps blasters

3 sets
8 – 12 repetitions (or as many as you can do)
Leave 90 seconds between sets

Powerful triceps will really help you when it comes to moves like mantle-shelfs. You’ll enjoy exercise as it requires a good deal of core strength and balance. If you’re new to strength training I suggest you practice the move on something solid instead of a swiss ball (I don’t want to hear about any accidents).

1. Get a swiss ball in front of you and a weight bench behind you.
2. Put one foot on the bench behind you, position the swiss ball under your chest then put your other foot up onto the bench so you are balancing on the swiss ball and the bench.
3. Place both hands, palms down underneath you on the swiss ball.
4. Press yourself up, keeping your elbows tucked into your body until your arms are straight. Make sure you keep your back straight. Exhale forcefully as you go (for around a count of 1). You’ll find it really hard to keep the swiss ball still for the first couple of goes – stick with it and you’ll get the hang of it.
5. Lower back down (for around a count of 3).
6. Repeat for between 8 – 12 reps (or as many as you can manage)

Reverse curls and wrist curls

3 supersets
8 – 12 repetitions
Leave 90 seconds between superset

These build forearm / grip strength. I have linked them together  to keep the workout reasonably short and to make it tougher.

Reverse curls:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, holding a straight barbell in front of you. Instead of having your palms facing away from you like with the straight bar curls, have them facing you. You will not be able to curl the same weight as you can with regular straight bar curls.
2. Curl the bar upward, keeping your upper arms still, until your forearms at about right angles to your body (90º bend). This should take around a count of 1. Breathe out as you go.
3. I like to hold this for a count of 2 – 3
4. Slowly lower the weight to the starting position (for a count of around 2 -3)
5. Repeat for between 8 – 12 repetitions
6. Move straight onto the next exercise with no rest.

Wrist curls:

1. Pick up a straight barbell, with your hands about a hand’s width apart, palms facing away from you.
2. Straddle a weight bench and rest your forearms on it, with your wrists sticking out over the end.
3. Slowly allow your wrist to bend downwards (away from you), and let the barbell roll almost to your finger ends.
4. Slowly curl your wrist back up toward you (as far as it will go)
5. Repeat for between 8 -12 repetitions then rest 90 seconds before performing the next superset

Medicine ball holds

3 – 4 sets
Timed – as long as you can manage
Leave 90 seconds between sets

These are great for developing the open hand strength required for sloper holds.

1. Pick up a medicine ball (smaller ones are easiest). Hold it in the palm of your hand.
2. Turn your hands so your palm is facing the floor and let your arm down by your side.
3. Grip the medicine ball until it falls from your hand.
4. Repeat for the other hand. Do this for 3 – 4 sets.

Workout 3 to follow in the next few days.