I had the opportunity this past week to try rock wall climbing and found that I absolutely love it!
What I'm wondering is..... would it be a good enough workout to replace usual workout from time to time?
I don't think I've ever felt upper body muscles as much as I did when I was on that wall! I even found out about muscles that I didn't know I had! lol
Anyway, I had a blast and am now looking for a place to climb that's close to house.
Rock wall climbing?
Moderators: Boss Man, cassiegose
If you climb 3 or more times a week and you make 3 or more ascents each time you will have worked your arms (biceps and forearms mostly), lats and legs.
You will not have worked your chest, abs, or spinal erectors. There would be limited involvement of the triceps.
Before weight training was popular with athletes I could spot a wrestler, gymnast, member of the rowing team, football player and track and field participant just by the appearance of their body.
If you do nothing but climb you will get a "climber's body" (which is not such a bad thing) but it is not a fully balanced body and I would think you would want to include some other exercises along with the climbing.
When I climbed I also ran, rode a bicycle and lifted weights. This in an effort to maintain a balanced body.
You will not have worked your chest, abs, or spinal erectors. There would be limited involvement of the triceps.
Before weight training was popular with athletes I could spot a wrestler, gymnast, member of the rowing team, football player and track and field participant just by the appearance of their body.
If you do nothing but climb you will get a "climber's body" (which is not such a bad thing) but it is not a fully balanced body and I would think you would want to include some other exercises along with the climbing.
When I climbed I also ran, rode a bicycle and lifted weights. This in an effort to maintain a balanced body.
Thanks. I don't plan to climb that often but just as something different to throw in and keep it interesting.
I'll keep in mind what you said about the balanced body. I don't want people to look at me and peg me as one type or another I just want to look healthy.
I noticed most of the work was in forearms when I climbed. They sure were sore the next day!
Thanks again!
I'll keep in mind what you said about the balanced body. I don't want people to look at me and peg me as one type or another I just want to look healthy.
I noticed most of the work was in forearms when I climbed. They sure were sore the next day!
Thanks again!
We used to do finger tip pull ups and push ups for climbing.
The finger tip push ups are pretty much self explanatory.
The finger tip pull ups were done on the top of a metal door frame. We would just bend our last digits of our fingers tightly so that the tips of the fingers were pointing down to the ground and put them on the top of the door frame and do our pull ups. Don't try this at home on a wood trimmed door as the trim will rip off. Metal frames only.
Both of these exercises are pretty hard (and very hard on manicures). If you value "10 perfect nails" you will not be able to do much climbing.
The finger tip push ups are pretty much self explanatory.
The finger tip pull ups were done on the top of a metal door frame. We would just bend our last digits of our fingers tightly so that the tips of the fingers were pointing down to the ground and put them on the top of the door frame and do our pull ups. Don't try this at home on a wood trimmed door as the trim will rip off. Metal frames only.
Both of these exercises are pretty hard (and very hard on manicures). If you value "10 perfect nails" you will not be able to do much climbing.
It's a good thing I don't care too much about whether or not nails are perfect. You're talking to a good ol' country gal. When you garden and help friends with haying season having perfect nails are the least of your worries!
I'm glad now that I've never had a manicure in life...that sure would be a waste of money just to have to ruin it.
I'm not sure I'm up to the pull ups but I may just give it a try. I don't have a metal frame in home but I think the I-beam that runs through our basement may do the trick.
husband is a big fan of the fingertip push-ups. He's a black belt martial artist and pretty much swears by them.
I'm glad now that I've never had a manicure in life...that sure would be a waste of money just to have to ruin it.
I'm not sure I'm up to the pull ups but I may just give it a try. I don't have a metal frame in home but I think the I-beam that runs through our basement may do the trick.
husband is a big fan of the fingertip push-ups. He's a black belt martial artist and pretty much swears by them.
I agree with your husband on the pushups. I used to be able to do a few with just the thumb, pointer and middle fingers too. But that was just showing off. The full hand is a more well-rounded exercise.nsbmsk wrote:It's a good thing I don't care too much about whether or not nails are perfect. You're talking to a good ol' country gal. When you garden and help friends with haying season having perfect nails are the least of your worries!
I'm glad now that I've never had a manicure in life...that sure would be a waste of money just to have to ruin it.
I'm not sure I'm up to the pull ups but I may just give it a try. I don't have a metal frame in home but I think the I-beam that runs through our basement may do the trick.
husband is a big fan of the fingertip push-ups. He's a black belt martial artist and pretty much swears by them.
With the pullups you should put a block of wood or something so that the gripping ledge on the I beam is about 1/2". Other than that, the I beam sounds idea. (I think I'll try that at home too. I have not done any finger tip pullups in years.)
Re:
One thing to keep in mind with rock climbing, if your forearms are getting burnt out before anything else then you are probably over gripping and depending to much on your arms. As you gain more experience climbing, your technique will improve and you won't get so much of an unbalanced burn in the forearms. This may also make you feel like you are getting less of an arm workout. As with any other exercise, the more you do the same thing, the easier it gets and the less of a "workout" it becomes. If you want to do some rock climbing from time to time as a replacement for an upper body workout, I think that can be a good way to spice things up.nsbmsk wrote:Thanks. I don't plan to climb that often but just as something different to throw in and keep it interesting.
I'll keep in mind what you said about the balanced body. I don't want people to look at me and peg me as one type or another I just want to look healthy.
I noticed most of the work was in forearms when I climbed. They sure were sore the next day!
Thanks again!
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backcountrysage
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Re: Rock wall climbing?
I'm new here and don't want to go against anyone, but climbing can be an incredible workout! I do bouldering, not wall climbing, about four times a week. Once you actually get your muscle strength up, it is not your forearms that blow out first, it will be your fingers. I very rarely feel arms exhausted anymore after a climb. Also, climbing is an INSANE abdominal workout, especially bouldering and focusing on power moves and static climbing.
I do agree though about having a balanced workout. I ride horses, run, climb, and swim, so I manage to hit most of muscle groups pretty evenly. The addition of climbing to workout though has been huge, upper body strength has improved drastically in a way that lifting weights never did. In fact, I've essentially quit lifting due to activities and have noticed an improvement in strength, endurance, and toning. But, that's me and genetics : )
Good luck!
I do agree though about having a balanced workout. I ride horses, run, climb, and swim, so I manage to hit most of muscle groups pretty evenly. The addition of climbing to workout though has been huge, upper body strength has improved drastically in a way that lifting weights never did. In fact, I've essentially quit lifting due to activities and have noticed an improvement in strength, endurance, and toning. But, that's me and genetics : )
Good luck!
Re: Rock wall climbing?
That kind of resistance stuff, will promote strengthening and conditioning for sure. The only slight issue would be how progressive it could be, as opposed to weight lifting.
Weight lifting can be very progressive, assuming it's done correctly and coupled with the right forms of eating. Perhaps your physical changes coincided with a alteration in dietary habits, or again simply genetics, but it works for you and you can see how good looking and healthy you are. Certainly not rakish with a worrying bodyshape, so the main thing is not what you're doing but how much you do and how much you like it.
If you find it a more than suitable alternative to what you did before, then that's a good thing. It wouldn't be to everyones liking, but it certainly has it's upsides, I wouldn't deny that.
I've never done it so I'm in no position to speak from expeience, just from an open minded standpoint
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P.S. Don't worry about going against people. As long as disagreement is kept respectable, without elevating to comments like "you know nothing dumbass" and that sort of thing, there's no problems.
We'd all be boring anyway if we all commented like one collective mind all the time
Weight lifting can be very progressive, assuming it's done correctly and coupled with the right forms of eating. Perhaps your physical changes coincided with a alteration in dietary habits, or again simply genetics, but it works for you and you can see how good looking and healthy you are. Certainly not rakish with a worrying bodyshape, so the main thing is not what you're doing but how much you do and how much you like it.
If you find it a more than suitable alternative to what you did before, then that's a good thing. It wouldn't be to everyones liking, but it certainly has it's upsides, I wouldn't deny that.
I've never done it so I'm in no position to speak from expeience, just from an open minded standpoint
.P.S. Don't worry about going against people. As long as disagreement is kept respectable, without elevating to comments like "you know nothing dumbass" and that sort of thing, there's no problems.
We'd all be boring anyway if we all commented like one collective mind all the time