The strength of grip is the primary aspect for rock climbers. It’s often the most important element between a lengthy fall and a successful climb to the summit. Climbers want to improve their hand and forearm strength, so they can complete lengthy, difficult climbs with their grip not giving way. When you go through a typical training session for rock climbers, there are intense workouts that target the muscles that are located in your chest, arms, back, torso, and core. They are performed every time you go to the gym to increase strength, flexibility, endurance, and overall strength. In this blog post, we offer different exercises you could perform to increase your strength when climbing walls.
Why is grip strength so essential?
Climbers all over the world are looking for more and more exercises and climbing grip equipment to enhance hand strength and increase climbing performance at the climbing studio. But is it really necessary?
If you could say that 50 percent of your climbing ability was due to a single key strength, wouldn’t you think it essential to work on and build it up? Research has shown that grip strength is directly linked with performance on the climb. The study, for instance, on hand power and endurance, as indicators of climbing performance, found that relative grip strength was responsible for over 50% of the performance of female climbers while it was less than 30% in male climbers.
Fruitful grip strengthening exercise for climbers: Beginners’ Guide
Wrist Curls
A wrist curl is one of the most fundamental forearm flexion workouts. With the forearm suspended with a dumbbell in your hand, move to go from complete extensibility (wrist fully open) up to complete flexion (wrist closed). Slowly and steadily for 8 to 10 reps. Begin each set by using the “strong” hands, and then you will follow with your “stronger” hand.
If you’re moving at least 50 pounds during this set, it is possible that you might be experiencing wrist discomfort. In this case, you should consider switching to the heavy finger roll, which can be best done using the barbell on an exercise rack. To perform this exercise, drop the bar until the tips of your fingers and then return it to full extension. Although technically, wrist flexion isn’t a part of it, it does serve the purpose of strengthening the muscles by using an entire range of movements.
Curls in the reverse wrist
You’ll set your forearms on the bench in an extended (palms towards the floor) position. Utilizing a smaller dumbbell than the one you used for the Wrist Curl exercise, work from a fully flexed position to a fully extended position. Remember that you’ll still be using your flexors to hold onto the dumbbell, so allow your body plenty of time to rest if you’re combining this exercise with any other exercises for grip. Utilize the same 8-10 repetition rule for this exercise.
Kettlebell Carriers
Kettlebell carriers, also referred to as farmer’s carriers, can be an easy method to increase grip strength, and require only a few pieces of equipment. When you are at the fitness centre or gym, you should grab two kettlebells (one in each hand) and place them on your sides. The weight of the kettlebells determines the extent of your workout. Therefore, make sure you pick the right weight for your needs. Once you’ve picked up the weights, walk 100 metres in front, turn around, and walk back 100 metres. It may sound simple, but if you put enough weight on it, you’ll be able to see how quickly it builds strength!
Plate Holding Pinch
This is a simple exercise that many climbing instructors advise to improve the strength of your pinch. Pinch climbing holds are among the most popular, so the strength of your pinch is crucial to improving your climbing skills. The majority of climbing gyms have weight plates that can be lifted, which makes this workout accessible to anyone. Furthermore, weight plates are available in various dimensions and weights, which alter the width of your grip, the degree of curling your fingers and the intensity of your workout easily.
Plate Lifting Exercise
Plate lifts can be understood in a variety of ways. However, for the workouts of a rock climber, you should lift a plate using your fingers. Place the plate against your thumb with four fingers, then attempt to lift it to your chest. This is a real test of grip strength and is among the most effective methods of developing the strength of your fingers needed for climbing.
Dead Hang
Hanging, as with using a hang board for training, is a great way to work every muscle required for gripping, such as your arm, hand, and core. It is an excellent method to train your body to work the entire body rather than just the hand that you grip. There are plenty of things that you can hang from anywhere (door frame, tree branch, or pull-up bar). Anyone can hang without buying or taking equipment.
Training for the Campus Board
There are numerous aspects to grip, and the campus training can help with dynamic climbing grip as well as shock load, which is essential for all climbers. Eric Horst, a renowned climber/trainer, and author of numerous climbing books, made an exercise for the board on-campus video on Epic TV that I highly recommend.
A word of caution: If you’re a beginner at climbing, take part in a campus-based training program under supervision by an expert and stop when you experience pain or strain.
Finally, practice is the only solution for smooth climbing. However, if you don’t have enough grip strength, immediately work on that using a good hand grip strengthener before planning a trip.
