Best use of *ugh* climbing wall
Ray Snead
> Well, guess this is what the group is for; I never would have asked this
> in rec.backcountry...
>
> I have started going to a local climbing wall on and off. I'm not thrilled
> with the view from the top of the climb BUT I need to stay in some (minimal)
> shape for climbing in the big outdoors when I get a chance. So, given that
> my motivation is one of exercise, what should I be emphasizing during my
> time at the wall? Hard climbs (push my limits), easier climbs with more
> repetitions on the climb ...
Having spent quite a bit of time in the rock gym this winter, I have been
asking myself the same questions.
I got off to a bad start a few years ago when the first real rock gym (CATS)
opened in Boulder (CATS). No one really had any idea how to train effectively,
and lots of people (myself included) suffered tendon injuries. CATS is pretty
hardcore-- a great place for 5.13 climbers to train. I decided that discretion
was the better part of valor and stayed away from plastic routes.
This winter, a new gym opened in Denver (Paradise), which caters to people
of less stellar abilities. The place is huge, with almost all vertical and
overhanging routes. There are your 5.13 desperates and your 5.7s, but most
of the routes are between 5.9 and 5.11c-- exactly what I need for training.
Here are some empirical principles:
0) Warm up! If you don't, you will injure yourself. Stretch. Do moderate
routes first. Some should exercise large muscles (jug hauling); work
into routes that exercise the fingers a little.
1) You want both maximum effort and repetitions for a balanced workout.
I generally segement the visit into four parts:
a) Warm UP! This is really the most important part, unless
you want tendon injuries.
b) Only when you are ready, try your hardest routes. This is
when I try 'grudge' climbs that I couldn't do last week,
and new things at my limit. This is typically the period
when your fingers take the heat. When they tire, move on.
c) Now do routes that emphasize more big muscles to give your
fingers a rest. These are routes that were hard last week,
you might have them wired, etc. Steep!
d) Burnout! Pick a (hopefully overhanging) but moderate route.
Finish yourself off by doing laps: climb up, touch the top,
climb down to the lowest holds but don't touch the ground,
repeat until you fall off. Don't give up-- go to failure.
Now your partner has a go. When s/he falls off: your turn!
Repeat until it seems absurd.
2) I don't climb anything without big holds. Even 5.11d plastic
routes (mostly very overhanging) usually have 1/2" first-joint
holds. Avoid the crimps/tweaks. Save it for real rock: I don't
know why, but real rock is easier on the joints.
3) Tape your fingers. After the workout, strip the tape and cool down
tendons by washing your hands in very cold water for a few minutes.
This helps avoid later swelling.
4) If fingers start to hurt, stop! Bag it and cool them down as in
(3). After this sort of injury, the best thing is to get ice on
as soon as possible.
A prediction: indoor gyms will radically increase standards, at every
level. A day or two in the gym per week, and anyone's climbing will
improve significantly...
Ray Snead
Boulder, Colorado
Tom Berge
semi-regular basis in the winter. I find that it takes a little getting
used to at first, but after awhile I can find adequate challenge in some
of the problems. As far as the fitness aspect goes, I tend to get a good
forearm pump whenever I go in. At least for me, it helps to maintain (if not
strengthen) my arm strength and grip. Another thing that I find is that on
some of the inverted walls I can really concentrated on body position and
keeping my weight close to the wall. I have climbed in the gym for two winters
now and have noticed improvement each season, although there is a definite,
if not brief adjustment period when I get to climb on real rock that is not
flat like the wall. The balance required, the variety of holds, and the types
moves possible on real rock are not simulated very well on the wall but I
still feel that I improved in both strength and technique after spending
time on the wall.
One thing to be careful of is tendonitis (spelling?) of the fingers, I had
some problems this year, I suspect that it was the type of climbs that I
was trying (overhanging routes that usually resulted in the death grip
cling with a fall not far behind). I would be interested if anybody else
has experienced problems with this (the tendonitis, not the falls).
Tom
Jeff Elison
> So, given that my motivation is one of exercise, what should
>I be emphasizing during my time at the wall? Hard climbs (push my
>working the climbing muscles without over-exertion), "muscle climbs"
>(they have a great overhang with an easier route, hold-wise, going up;
>I just don't have the oomph to handle the overhanging part -- got to
>work on the lats..), combinations of the above, or something else
>entirely? It seems quite possible to wear yourself out in a short
>time, given that the climbs are all right there and ready to go.
>Thanks!
>Eileen
>----------
For starters:
1) Warmup! Either off the wall or on EASY, big-hold stuff.
2) Try something a little harder.
3) Try something over your head.
4) Pump out on steep, big-hold stuff.
Another suggestion, if you get into it and go more than once a week, try
cycling your workouts. One day work on technical stuff and push your
limits. Next time work on endurance and push your limits. As long as
your tendons are holding up it doesn't hurt to push.
Mort
Jeff Elison
>One thing to be careful of is tendonitis (spelling?) of the fingers, I had
>some problems this year, I suspect that it was the type of climbs that I
>was trying (overhanging routes that usually resulted in the death grip
>cling with a fall not far behind). I would be interested if anybody else
>has experienced problems with this (the tendonitis, not the falls).
I've had atleast mild tendonitis every year for the past 4 years. I've gotten
it from bouldering, artificial walls, and real climbs. By now I've learned a
bit about its cause. However, this may depend on the individual.
1) Not resting enough!!! I never do hard finger workouts 2 days in a row
anymore. I rarely do them with less than 2 days of rest or other less
finger specific exercise in between.
2) Warmup! It's really risky to jump on hard stuff without a warm up. I've
got a warmup routine at all the local bouldering areas. I just work my way
thru it without question every time. Then I go for the harder routes.
3) Finger tendonitis seems to be brought on by finger tweaker (small hold,
hard) problems. Our local climbing wall was merely vertical. So, to make
hard problems we would create long reaches between tiny holds. This
definitely hurt my fingers! On large hold, overhanging problems I can
crank to exhaustion without injuring my fingers.
4) Elbow tendonitis seems to be brought on by overhanging problems. When
I added a 11'x11' "ceiling" to my bassement climbing wall, I as well as
2 partners started feeling elbow trouble.
5) Backoff for awhile AS SOON as you feel trouble. Either skip a workout or
two or stay on big holds for the next couple of workouts.
>Tom
Mort
Michael J Zehr
>
>4) Elbow tendonitis seems to be brought on by overhanging problems. When
> I added a 11'x11' "ceiling" to my bassement climbing wall, I as well as
> 2 partners started feeling elbow trouble.
I strongly advise taking days off between climbing, even if you feel
strong while climbing and don't have any pain. I once climbed five days
in a row (two in the gym, two outside for a couple of hours -- nothing
too strenuous and then back in the gym). On my last trip to the gym i
started getting severe elbow pain halfway up the second climb, and i
could barely do anything with my arms for three or four days. My elbows
hadn't hurt at all the day before after climbing.
-michael j zehr
Bob Pasker
> Eileen Kupstas writes:
>> Well, guess this is what the group is for; I never would have asked this
>> in rec.backcountry...
>> I have started going to a local climbing wall on and off. I'm not thrilled
>> with the view from the top of the climb BUT I need to stay in some (minimal)
>> shape for climbing in the big outdoors when I get a chance. So, given that
>> my motivation is one of exercise, what should I be emphasizing during my
>> time at the wall? Hard climbs (push my limits), easier climbs with more
>> repetitions on the climb ...
> Having spent quite a bit of time in the rock gym this winter, I have been
> asking myself the same questions.
me too!
> I got off to a bad start a few years ago when the first real rock gym (CATS)
>...
> This winter, a new gym opened in Denver (Paradise), which caters to people
>...
and i climb at city rock in the bay area of california.
> Here are some empirical principles:
>
> 0) Warm up! If you don't, you will injure yourself. Stretch. Do moderate
> routes first. Some should exercise large muscles (jug hauling); work
> into routes that exercise the fingers a little.
yes! perhaps even row or bike for 5-10 minutes to warm up the muscles a bit
before you stretch. just hop on and pedal or row, don't go for speed/distance.
> 1) You want both maximum effort and repetitions for a balanced workout.
> I generally segement the visit into four parts:
> a) Warm UP! This is really the most important part, unless
> you want tendon injuries.
yes again! work on routes you know you could lead w/out a fall. that way
you wont over-do it.
> b) Only when you are ready, try your hardest routes. This is
> when I try 'grudge' climbs that I couldn't do last week,
> and new things at my limit. This is typically the period
> when your fingers take the heat. When they tire, move on.
> c) Now do routes that emphasize more big muscles to give your
> fingers a rest. These are routes that were hard last week,
> you might have them wired, etc. Steep!
i will interchange these. some days my big muscles will be in better
shape than my fingers.
>
> d) Burnout! Pick a (hopefully overhanging) but moderate route.
> Finish yourself off by doing laps: climb up, touch the top,
> climb down to the lowest holds but don't touch the ground,
> repeat until you fall off. Don't give up-- go to failure.
> Now your partner has a go. When s/he falls off: your turn!
> Repeat until it seems absurd.
city rock has a cave. with a big roof onto an overhanging staircase. this
is where i do my burnouts.
> A prediction: indoor gyms will radically increase standards, at every
> level. A day or two in the gym per week, and anyone's climbing will
> improve significantly...
mine has...
but there are also a bunch of people there who do not climb *real* rock.
i was talking with one guy and we were disucssing the beta on a 5.11a.
i asked him about what kind of stuff he was leading and he said, "leading?
like outdoors? oh, i've never done that."
i look at gym climbing as training, not as an end in itself. physical
training as well as mental - it has helped build my confidence and my
technique, not just my muscles. YMMV.
--
- bob pasker
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