Supplementary exercises to help improve your climbing
UPPER BODY
Climbing is a great upper body workout, however, it can be supplemented with these exercise as a way of balancing out your body
Push ups; this is a great form of antagonist training. Where climbing is mostly your pulling muscles, this works your pushing muscles and that helps your body stay balanced which, in turn, can help prevent injuries
Pull ups; we all know this simple exercise. It strengthens many of the muscles that you use to climb; here at 1UP we have several resistance bands to help you at any level
Tricep dips; this is another exercise targeting some of the antagonist muscles
CORE TRAINING
Improving your core is vital to improving your training. Core strength facilitates balance and precision in your footwork and body control
Planks; one of the best forms of core exercises
Leg raises; great addition to the plank to get a full core workout
Hanging leg lift; for the more adventurous hang with straight arms from a pull up bar, lift legs 90 degrees and slowly release back down to complete one rep
FOREARMS
Forearms are one of the most important muscles for climbing. You get a great work out just by jumping on the wall and climbing, however, if you’re looking for more you can try these
Wrist curls; sit in a chair and grab a dumbbell in each hand. Place your forearms against your legs with your wrists hanging off the front and palms facing up. Curl your wrists upwards towards your body and slowly release down to complete one rep
Reverse wrist curls; remember like the antagonist training, balance within your body is important to prevent injuries. Areas around the elbows are notorious hotspots for pain and injury. To complete a reverse simply do the same but have the palms facing the ground
LEGS
Climbers often overlook leg exercises, however, they are an important source of strength when climbing. Try some of these simple exercises
Bodyweight squats; this helps strengthen your leg muscles as well as build balance into your body. For an obvious way to make this exercise harder, just add some weight
Lunges; this is another fundamental exercise to strengthen your legs and core balance
Campus and Kilter Board