Rock climbing is not a sport for the faint of heart, mind, body, or spirit. In fact, in order to ascend to new heights each time you scramble over crumbling crags and shifting stones you need to not only have peak strength and endurance, but also nerves of steel that are belayed by sharp wits.
Today, due to the ease of access to indoor rock walls, climbers are stronger than ever. As they propel themselves upward to literally reach for new heights of perfection, they are turning ever more to science to perfect familiar training techniques. Unfortunately, the jury is still out when it comes to the efficacy of many long-used exercises.
However, that doesn’t mean the dogma that many climbers use when training is incorrect. For instance, it wasn’t until 2014 that a study established a correlation between finger strength and max redpoint ability. Despite this lack of evidence, this connection between the two has been well known for years among sport climber. There was just no concrete data to back up the correlation that everyone knew by touch.
Although climbers may not have science to support their workout, clearly sound principles still exist that have been proven time and again to work. Therefore, incorporating these tried and true exercises into a consistent plan is the key to success.
Contents
Our Climber’s Workout Routine
To help prepare you to scale even the toughest mountainsides, we have constructed a 4-week workout based on only bodyweight exercises. Within this regime, there are three different workout plans between which you will alternate once a week. This is not the easiest workout in the world, so it is important that you take at least one day of rest between each workout. Ensure that you begin at least four weeks before you challenge yourself with an outdoor climb.
Key Climbing Terms You Need to Know
Boulder Problem
This term refers to a climbing route at a rock gym that is typically designated by a specific color.
V-Number
Each boulder problem is given a v-number, or difficulty rating. The easiest is V-0 and the most advanced is V-5. There are cases where v-numbers can go well above 5, however, you won’t often see these as most people are unable to complete them.
V-Sum
To calculate this, add up the v-numbers for the 8 most difficult bouldering problems you can complete. This is your v-sum.
WORKOUT A
How To Do It
To effectively complete this workout, perform each exercise fully and in the order shown below without resting in between.
Repeat 3 times through.
1. 25-Move Wall Traverse
Traversing a wall is the most basic climbing activity. So why not start practicing in the safety of an indoor rock gym? Find a wide-open space on a climbing wall. Grab holds that aren’t far from the floor, and traverse—or move sideways—for 25 moves.
Do this one time per round.
2. Pushup
Pushups are an awesome all-around strengthening exercise – when you get the technique correct. You’ll be shocked how much they can help you improve in such a little amount of time. Start by assuming a plank position with your arms straight and your hands just wider than shoulder width. Make sure your forms a straight line from your head to your ankles. Bend your elbows and lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor. Pause and then push yourself back to the starting position.
Complete 5 reps.
3. Situp
Situps strengthen your core, which is essential to being a good climber. How else do you imagine you’ll be able to swing your legs through mid-air over to the next hold? If you don’t have the ab strength, you’ll just find yourself dangling there.
Start with 10 situps per round and look to add 2 per week.
4. Ultimate Elbow Stretch
Unfortunately, you aren’t born with Spiderman’s climbing capabilities, so you will need a good stretch in your arms before you can start clambering from foothold to foothold. Stand facing a wall with your arms straight by your sides and your palms pressed against the surface. Without letting your palms release from the wall, walk your feet forward until your chest and shoulders touch the wall.
Hold for 10 seconds then go back to the start until you have completed your 3 circuits.
V-Sum Complex:
To help you determine your current abilities as well as tracking your progress, you’re going to test your V-sum Complex. Based on your current climbing level, climb the 8 most difficult bouldering routes you can. If possible, do not repeat routes. Add the v-numbers of each route to get your v-sum score. Do this once a week and track how your score improves.
WORKOUT B
How To Do It
To effectively complete this workout, perform each exercise fully and in the order shown below without resting in between.
Repeat 4 times through.
Pushup
Pushups are an awesome all-around strengthening exercise – when you get the technique correct. You’ll be shocked how much they can help you improve in such a little amount of time. Start by assuming a plank position with your arms straight and your hands just wider than shoulder width. Make sure your forms a straight line from your head to your ankles. Bend your elbows and lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor. Pause and then push yourself back to the starting position.
Complete 5 reps.
Situp
Situps strengthen your core, which is essential to being a good climber. How else do you imagine you’ll be able to swing your legs through mid-air over to the next hold? If you don’t have the ab strength, you’ll just find yourself dangling there.
Start building those muscles with 10 situps per round then up this each week.
Pistol Squat
Squats are great to build glutes and thighs, but as a climber, you will not always use both legs simultaneously. Therefore, you need to be able to carry your body weight equally on both sides. A pistol squat is the perfect way to ensure that each side of your body gets individualized attention. Don’t worry if you need to modify this squat when you first begin.
Do 10 reps.
Bench Dips
You don’t always have a pullup bar at a rock gym, but you almost always have a bench. So take advantage of it! Spread yourself between two benches and slowly lower yourself until your elbows are at 90-degrees. Then slowly push yourself back up to straight arms.
Do 5 reps.
Dead Hang Pullups
If you do have a pullup bar, use it. It will increase your grip strength while giving you an excellent upper body workout. Doing the dead hang variation will help you work on pulling yourself up from a hang, which is a very common move for rock climbers.
Complete 5 reps.
Ultimate Elbow Stretch
Unfortunately, you aren’t born with Spiderman’s climbing capabilities, so you will need a good stretch in your arms before you can start clambering from foothold to foothold. Stand facing a wall with your arms straight by your sides and your palms pressed against the surface. Without letting your palms release from the wall, walk your feet forward until your chest and shoulders touch the wall.
Hold for 10 seconds.
Hangboard Complex
Find a free hangboard. Select holds that are wide enough to fit 4 fingers across and deep enough for your first finger joint. For this exercise, you’ll hang by two hands but with varying numbers of fingers for each round.
- Four-Finger Hold (on both hands): 7 seconds
- Rest: 10 seconds
- Three-Finger Hold: 7 seconds
- Rest: 10 seconds
- Two-Finger Hold: 7 seconds
- Rest: 10 seconds
- Four-Finger Hold: 7 seconds
- Rest: 60 seconds
Core Strength
Complete 2 rounds of these the first week, then add a round each week so you should be doing 5 rounds by the end.
Burpee
Burpees are the result of a pushup meeting a squat. A great combination for climbers who have to engage various muscle groups in quick succession. A quick and explosive movement, a few of these are sure to get your blood flowing and your heart pumping.
Do 7 reps.
Mountain Climber
Keep your heart rate up and work your shoulders with this exercise. Hold your body in a plank and quickly shift each leg back and forth as if you were running horizontally in place.
Do 15 reps.
Butt Bridge
This mobility exercise is great for firing up your glutes and abductors. As you lay on your back, slowly lift and lower your hips. You’ll quickly feel the burn. Even your rest position will give you an excellent stretch.
Do 10 reps.
Repeat Hangboard Complex
Repeat the Hangboard Complex detailed earlier.
Core Strength Pt 2
Complete 2 rounds of these the first week, then add a round to it each week so you should be doing 5 rounds by the end.
Side Plank
Oblique strength is crucial for climbers as obliques control twisting and body tension. Side planks are an excellent way to target this muscle group. Raise yourself sideways onto an elbow that is bent at 90 degrees and stack your feet.
Hold for 20 seconds.
Russian Twist
Russian twists target both your abs and your obliques making them a great addition to your routine. To perform one, sit on your tailbone holding a medicine ball, light dumbbell, or your fists in front of your chest. Incline your torso slightly backwards and raise your heels off the floor. Rotate your ribs right and left.
Do 10 reps.
Plank
This is the simplest yet one of the most effective exercises to target your core. Set up as you would for a pushup but with your weight resting on your forearms rather than your hands. Brace your abs.
Hold this position for 45 seconds.
Pigeon Stretch
Enjoy a brief moment of rest and stretch your hips out. Place your shin parallel to your torso. Stretch your right leg out behind. Place your hands on the floor to maintain your balance. You should feel a stretch in your glute and hip muscles. For a more intense stretch, lean forward.
Hold for 15 seconds, and then switch sides.
Hangboard Complex
Repeat the Hangboard Complex detailed earlier.
Now go back through until you have completed the 4 rounds.
WORKOUT C
How To Do It
To effectively complete this workout, perform each exercise fully and in the order shown below without resting in between.
Repeat 3 times through.
20-Move Wall Traverse
Traversing a wall is the most basic climbing activity. So why not start practicing in the safety of an indoor rock gym? Find a wide-open space on a climbing wall. Grab holds that aren’t far from the floor, and traverse—or move sideways—for 20 moves. Do this one time per round.
Alligator Pushup
Pushups are an excellent overall body workout. However, as a climber you need to take it up a notch to incorporate movement into your strength training. Alligator pushups will do that. Essentially, they are a walking pushup that will include all of the benefits of traditional ones, plus engage your coordination and balance as you walk yourself from one edge of the room to another. Do 5 in each direction for 10 total.
Russian Triangle
Russian twists are great for your obliques and core, but when you up the ante by repeating the same moves lying on your back, you’re going to really feel your body working to stabilize. Sit holding a medicine ball, light dumbbell, or your fists in front of your chest. Lean your torso back slightly and raise your feet off the floor. Now rotate the ball as you would for a Russian twist, and then lie down so your back is flat. Do a sit up to come back to the start. Perform this sequence for 20 seconds.
Situp
Situps strengthen your core, which is essential to being a good climber. How else do you imagine you’ll be able to swing your legs through mid-air over to the next hold? If you don’t have the ab strength, you’ll just find yourself dangling there. Start building those muscles with 10 situps per round.
Spiderman Stretch
Enjoy a brief moment of rest and stretch yourself out. Get into the plank position and then bend you knee to move your hip forward until your foot is outside your hand. If you can, bend your elbows and rest your weight on your forearms. Hold the stretch for 20 seconds, and then switch sides and repeat.
Climbing Set 1
Map out a boulder problem that is 2 difficulties less than your max v-sum score. For each of the 10 rounds you will climb the appropriate path for the prescribed number of reps, and you will immediately follow with same number of burpees and 10 bodyweight squats.
- ROUND 1
- ROUND 2
- ROUND 3
- ROUND 4
- ROUND 5
- ROUND 6
- ROUND 7
- ROUND 8
- ROUND 9
- ROUND 10
Boulder problem: 5 reps
Burpee: 5 reps
Bodyweight squat: 10 reps
Boulder problem: 4 reps
Burpee: 4 reps
Bodyweight squat: 10 reps
Boulder problem: 3 reps
Burpee: 3 reps
Bodyweight squat: 10 reps
Boulder problem: 2 reps
Burpee: 2 reps
Bodyweight squat: 10 reps
Boulder problem: 2 reps
Burpee: 2 reps
Bodyweight squat: 10 reps
Boulder problem: 1 rep
Burpee: 1 rep
Bodyweight squat: 10 reps
Boulder problem: 2 reps
Burpee: 2 reps
Bodyweight squat: 10 reps
Boulder problem: 3 reps
Burpee: 3 reps
Bodyweight squat: 10 reps
Boulder problem: 4 reps
Burpee: 4 reps
Bodyweight squat: 10 reps
Boulder problem: 5 reps
Burpee: 5 reps
Bodyweight squat: 10 reps
Climbing Set 2
Complete 4 rounds.
EO’s
This is an unusual combination exercise that is going to really get your core fired up. Lie on your back with your feet and arms elevated and bent at 90-degrees. Using your core, roll your shoulders to the right. Leaving your feet in the air, lift your hips and roll to the right. Your body should “walk” down the floor.
Perform the exercise for 20 seconds in each direction.
Side Plank
Oblique strength is crucial for climbers as obliques control twisting and body tension. Side planks are an excellent way to target this muscle group. Raise yourself sideways onto an elbow that is bent at 90 degrees and stack your feet.
Hold for 20 seconds.
Climbing Set 3
Complete 4 rounds with 20 seconds of rest between each round.
Russian Hammer
To work out your hamstrings without doing a lunge, try a Russian Hammer. Start kneeling and slowly lean forward without breaking your hips. Once you’ve reached your maximum extension, slowly raise yourself back up using your abs.
Do 10 reps.
Plank
This is the simplest, yet one of the most effective exercises to target your core. Set up as you would for a pushup but with your weight resting on your forearms rather than your hands. Brace your abs.
Hold this position for 45 seconds then rest for 20 seconds.
SET 4
Complete 3 rounds.
Ultimate Elbow Stretch
Unfortunately, you aren’t born with Spiderman’s climbing capabilities, so you will need a good stretch in your arms before you can start clambering from foothold to foothold. Stand facing a wall with your arms straight by your sides and your palms pressed against the surface. Without letting your palms release from the wall, walk your feet forward until your chest and shoulders touch the wall. Hold for 10 seconds.
Pigeon Stretch
Enjoy a brief moment of rest and stretch your hips out. Place your shin parallel to your torso. Stretch your right leg out behind. Place your hands on the floor to maintain your balance. You should feel a stretch in your glute and hip muscles. For a more intense stretch, lean forward. Hold for 15 seconds, and then switch sides.
Frog Stretch
Give yourself a deep, congratulatory stretch for finishing your workout. Sit back on your knees with your arms outstretched and lean your body towards your heels. You should feel a deep inner-thigh stretch as well as one between your shoulder blades.
Now hit those hills!
Working up to your first outdoor climb is a challenge that not everyone is prepared to take on. However, if you exert not only your strength but also your determination, you are sure to scale cliff faces that you never imagined possible. While, a structured workout is a great method to help you develop particular muscles, there’s nothing like climbing to improve your climbing. So keep at it. Develop your skills along with your body and in no time you’ll be prepared to complete even the most robust outdoor climbs.