Want to improve your climbing by training but don't know where to start? With a huge amount of training advice out there it can be overwhelming and intimidating to know where to start. This article is intended for those who can see the benefits training would offer, but want to follow an easy and simple approach
A simple but effective staged approach to start your training for climbing.
The idea behind this general approach comes from targeting the major muscle groups used when climbing:
- Lats (Latissimus Dorsi) - These large back muscles help you pull your body upward and move laterally, getting a full workout with every climb.
- Biceps (Biceps Brachii) - Your upper arm muscles bring your hands closer to your body, working together with your lats for efficient climbing.
- Forearms (Antebrachium) - The grip strength needed for climbing comes from your forearms, which are constantly engaged as you hang and hold onto holds.
- Core (Trunk) - A strong core keeps your body aligned and stable and connects your feet and hands, especially on steep sections of a climb.
- Calves & Legs (Gastrocnemius)- Used to stand on your toes and maintain foot placement on small ledges, your calves provide essential stability and power.
- Shoulders (Deltoids) - Your shoulders support dynamic movements, are needed for stability and help with pulling yourself upward.
Stage One
The easiest way to improve your climbing when starting is simply volume and time on the wall. This will help movement, and body awareness and start strengthening muscles and tendons across the whole body. Once you have put enough “wall” time in or your time is limited you can add in this basic workout to help the foundation of your climbing.
Warm up properly
Exercises
Routine: Twice a week
Rest: Minimum two days of rest in between sessions
Wide Grip Pull-ups - Body weight or with assistance using a band. Widening your grip significantly targets the lats more effectively, as well as the back, chest, shoulders, and arms. The wider the grip the more assistance you will need.- 5 pull-ups in a set - Add or remove weight so you complete each set - 3 sets
- Equipment needed, Hangboard or gymnastic rings
- 5 pull-ups in a set - Add or remove weight so you complete each set - 3 sets - rest one minute between sets
- Equipment needed Hangboard or gymnastic rings
Finger Curls - Opening and closing the hand under load on a 20mm edge targets the forearm and fingers effectively.
- 6 sets of 7-10 curls - Add or remove weight so you complete each set - 3 sets - rest one minute between sets - alternate between hands.
- Equipment needed, Lifting Block, Lifting pin and weights
Hanging leg raises or knee raises if too difficult - Hang from a bar or jug on a fingerboard and with straight arms raise your legs to form an “L” position, if this is too hard, bring your knees up to your chest and back down.
- 3 sets of 8 raises - rest one minute between sets
- Equipment needed Hangboard or gymnastic rings
Alternative
Oblique Knee raises - Lie face down, push up into a plank position and bring one leg up so your knee touches your elbow, place it back down and repeat with the other leg.- 3 sets of 10 elbow touches on each side - rest one minute between sets
- Equipment needed: Yoga Mat
- 4 sets in total, one set is all 4 times with both legs - rest one minute between sets
- Equipment needed: Yoga Mat or can be done on a block or lifting weight
Overhead Press - Targets the shoulders, while also engaging the triceps, upper chest, and core. Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height with palms facing forward and elbows slightly in front of your body. Press the dumbbells upward in a controlled motion until your arms are fully extended overhead, ensuring your wrists stay aligned with your forearms. Slowly lower the dumbbells back to shoulder height, maintaining control
- 3 sets in total of 5 presses, reduce weight if you can't complete all the sets - rest one minute between sets
- Equipment needed: Two dumbbells or a bar
Equipment Kit for Stage One
- Hangboard or Gymnastic Rings (Grindstone MK2 Hangboard or Wood Training Rings Pair)
- Lifting Block, Lifting Pin, and Weights (The Block & Lattice Lifting Pin)
- Yoga Mat (Lattice Flex Mat)
- Dumbbells
Optional (if needed for assistance):
- Resistance Bands (for assisted pull-ups) Lattice Pull Up Resistance Bands
- Yoga Block - can double as a mat substitute for Leg Clocks or to elevate for added difficulty. (Lattice Flex Block)
Stage Two
If you have maintained the self-discipline to complete stage one for three months, in addition to your regular climbing routine, congratulations! You should be noticing an improvement in your overall strength and climbing ability. Stage two introduces two simple layers to your existing workout;
- Focus on generating pulling power between holds rather than static strength for holding positions
- The building of finger strength; pulley and tendon robustness allows finger strength to be built.
Climbing demands the ability to generate force to reach the next hold and the ability to control the momentum once in your grasp. The required force is generated in the core back & arms and ultimately transfers through to the fingers.
Exercises
Campus training - On a large rung move one hand up to the 3rd rung (ideally 44cm above), hold and then immediately release and catch the original rung, repeat with the other hand. This can be done on a fingerboard with a higher edge above the board. If it's too easy use a smaller rung, if too hard use a larger rung/hold, if it feels impossible use your feet on the wall in front of you.
- 3 sets in total of 5 movements for each hand - rest one minute between sets
- Equipment needed: two campus rungs or a Fingerboard and an additional edges
Offset (uneven) Pull-Ups - A simple but effective way of developing pull power is to do pull-ups. Select two large rungs 12 inches apart and hold one with each hand, lift your feet off the ground and do 5 pull-ups. Try and focus on getting your shoulder above your lower hand - swap hands and repeat.
- 3 sets in total of 5 pull-ups for each hand - rest one minute between sets
- Equipment needed: two campus rungs or a Fingerboard and an additional edges
- 4 sets of long hangs with one minute between sets. If you are failing to complete the sets then use a larger edge. If this is less than half effort use a smaller edge until 20mm and then consider adding weight.
- Equipment needed: Fingerboard and an additional weight
Finger Rolls - Using a bar or a heavy roller, add weight and roll it down opening your hand until the weight almost drops and then roll it back up into your hand. This builds muscle size rather than just muscle composition. (Hypertrophy of the forearms - think Popeye!) Aim to do three reps/rolls, start with approx body weight on a bar or half that if using a one-handed roller and either add or remove weight so that you fail around three rolls.
- Complete 6 sets of finger rolls with one to two minutes between sets.
- Equipment needed: Bar and weights in a gym or a heavy roller and additional weights
Equipment Kit for Stage Two
- Equipment from Stage One
- Campus Rung (Campus Rungs 5 Pack)
- Heavy Roller (Lattice Heavy Roller)
- Additional Weights
Stage Three
Before moving on to stage three, ensure you have addressed any mobility and flexibility issues holding you back. Ensure your volume of bouldering and climbing is sufficient to improve your technique, problem-solving, and movement abilities. You will improve more rapidly by fixing these areas of weakness before increasing strength and power. Also, ensure you address any injuries and imbalances that you identify first.
Stage three should be completed in addition to stages one and two, all built on a foundation of regular climbing. If you do not have the time or energy to add more layers, prioritize bouldering and climbing. Remember, the fundamental way to become a better climber is to climb more!
Stage three targets two key components of climbing;
- Tension strength allows you to use holds across the whole body from feet to hands on either side.
- Finger strength allows you to latch holds and apply the forces generated by the larger muscle groups as you move upwards.
Exercises
Wall Walks – While holding a medium-sized edge on a fingerboard or a campus rung, step your feet across footholds placed in front of you, simulating an overhanging wall. Ensure you maintain tension on your feet by applying downward pressure. Avoid cutting loose or dabbing the floor. The steeper the overhang you simulate and the worse the footholds, the more tension is required. These types of exercises, known as closed chain exercises, are a type of movement that involve fixing the distal end of a limb (hand or foot) to a stationary object, while the proximal muscles contract to create movement.
Another example of a closed chain exercise is an advanced plank where you push with your hands and feet down into a mat while lifting your core. Focus on Full-Body Engagement while squeezing your glutes, quads, and even your upper back to maintain total body control, avoid letting any part of your body sag or relax.
- Complete 4 sets of wall walks with two minutes of rest between sets. Each set will take about a minute before your core becomes fatigued and your feet pop off. Increase the foothold or edge size if you can’t stay on for a full minute. If you can stay on for two minutes, reduce the edge and foothold size, or alternatively, increase the overhang. The key thing to remember is full-body “squeeze.”
- Equipment needed: Two holds or rungs, or fingerboard and foot holds
Lifting (aka “Block Pulls”) - is as straightforward as it sounds: lifting weight or pulling with your fingers in a targeted and controlled manner. Using a Progressor 200, calculate your maximum pull for each hand. Start with 8 pulls at approximately 60% of your one-rep max, gradually adding weight until 5 pulls feel challenging. Repeat the process with both hands. Once you determine your 5-rep weight, complete 3 sets with each hand.
- Increase the weight weekly once you can perform 8 to 12 reps again. Track your maximum periodically using the Progressor.
- Equipment needed: Progressor 200, Pull Block, weights, or floor attachment.
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