Strength
Improving Arm and Back Strength
Tags: Isometric, Progress, Specificity, Strength Standards, Upper Body Strength, Weight Training
By Steve Bechtel Fingers aren’t the only part of a climber that can be weak. On hard routes and particularly in bouldering, we often see arm and back strength as a limiting factor. The ability to move between holds effectively, to lock off on holds, and the ability to keep your body close to the…
Leg Strength as a Limiting Factor, Revisited
Tags: Force, Leg Strength, Squats, Strength, Weight Training
By Steve Bechtel This is a re-post of my article “Leg Strength as a Limiting Factor” published in 2009. I’ve updated it with a few more ideas and a couple of videos that better illustrate the exercises. — Sure, your fingers peel off the hold and you fall, but is it always the fingers’ fault?…
Strength Training for Rock Climbing (Part 2)
Tags: Specificity, Strength Standards, Strong, Training, Weight Training
By Steve Bechtel In part one of this article, I talked about why many climbers should consider supplementing their climbing-specific training with resistance training. In this article, I’ll talk about how. First, let me say that I think resistance training is terribly misunderstood and misused by climbers. When we talk about strength training with weights…
Strength Training for Rock Climbing (Part 1)
Tags: Strength Standards, Strong, Training, Weight Training
By Steve Bechtel Although rock climbing is my favorite sport, my day job is that of a strength coach. At our facility, we train athletes of all walks of life, and the majority of what we do is strength training with weights. We also have a climbing gym at our facility, and we often…