Skill vs. Strength Training in Rock Climbing — Uphill Athlete.
Recovery—arguably the most important step in your training—often gets neglected by climbers. Yet, taking the time to regularly release tension in your muscles and joints can make an enormous difference in your strength and overall health. The easiest and most efficient way to do so? With the help of recovery tools.
Secondly, the mechanical stress associated with rock climbing may induce bone deposition to enhance strength. Because of the variety of hand positions rock climbers utilize, it is likely that they subject their hands and fingers to various combinations of compressive, tensile, bending and torsional stresses.
There are also climbs which use more grip strength due to the size of the hand holds. Vertical climbs and slabs are harder on the thighs and calves then overhangs, and overhangs use upper body muscles more. If you only climb slabs and vertical climbs in one session and overhangs in the next it might make it easier for you to train more often.
The reason we do strength training outside the arena of climbing is because climbing’s multi-faceted nature doesn’t allow for sufficient focus on strength alone. When high levels of the sport are reached, training must become “partitioned” in order for the climber to advance.
Physical benefits of rock climbing. Rock climbing is a difficult sport. You’re required to use your strength to cling to the wall and often times you are holding most of your muscles in a static hold, constantly tensed. You should aim to be as relaxed as possible to get better at climbing, but sometimes you can’t and it’s very hard work.
Step forward this purpose specific hand exerciser designed to make weak fingers stronger thanks to its patented spring-loaded finger piston technology. Proven to vastly improve hand, wrist and forearm strength so when the going gets tough, your rock climbing addict can hang on in there, cool as the proverbial cucumber.
Climbing emphasizes the flexor tendons and muscles (green) and neglects the extensors (red), creating an imbalance that may never let you realize your full strength. An extensor trainer such as PowerFingers can hit those unused muscles, while other trainers are best for base conditioning and injury recovery.
