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Chris! posted:questions about workouts for climbing Pullups are in my opinion basically worthless for climbing, it's as armorer and baldbeard said, there's no replacement for actually climbing. Climbing uses your fingers, forearms and core primarily and simultaneously, and while building up one or some of those with an exercise might be helpful, only climbing more exercises all of those to a point that you'll see improvement fast. Also, your technique probably sucks, being a beginner and all. Only way to work on that is to climb more. Covert Ops Wizard fucked around with this message at 07:31 on Dec 20, 2012 |
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Dec 20, 2012 07:29
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Pander posted:Lately I've been climbing again. During climbing everything seems fine, but the past weekend after a long session the big toe on my right foot got to the point where walking hurt sometimes and running was almost not an option. It mostly feels pain when I stress it (eg standing tip-toes, jumping, trying to quickly change directions), as it doesn't hurt when I simply run it through a full range of motions. How tight are your shoes? Mostly climbing shoes prevent injury, as you're so crammed up and supported by the rubber it's impossible to pull something. I guess I could see shoes so tight they actually hurt something by forcing the toes into a ball where using them would roll the toe into a ball, but I would think that would make climbing extremely painful. It's a weird injury.
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Jan 15, 2013 00:43
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FiestaDePantalones posted:Is there some kind of grading system that gyms use for bouldering? I'm completely confused by what I'm seeing at the gym I went to, and don't speak the same language as the locals, so I wasn't even really able to ask what was going on. Maybe if you told us where you were it would be easier to figure out which regional system you were looking at.
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Jan 27, 2013 05:11
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Scenty posted:I've been reading this thread because one of my goals is to try rock climbing. It looks soooo much fun to me! I hate treadmill type exercise but really enjoy things like this. The heavier you are obviously the harder it is going to be to pull yourself up the wall, but a couple of my friends at the gym range between 200-240. It's definitely going to be harder for you than someone who is similarly un-athletic but lighter. I think you're asking about weight limits as far as safety equipment goes though, and you should be fine. The ropes, harnesses and biners are meant to take forces much more intense than a big guy putting a little tension on the rope in a top-rope "fall". Don't worry about "sticking out", everybody sucks and feels awkward about it when they start. Are you going with somebody or alone?
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Jan 28, 2013 07:53
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Had to take a couple of weeks off because between being sick and renovating a house I've had no time to climb, and finally got to today. It's crazy that with all that time to rest it seems I've gotten stronger, my session didn't last long but I crushed a couple projects of mine in no time at all. Good thing too, there's a comp this weekend and we all know that means ALL NEW PROBLEMS 
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Feb 9, 2013 08:02
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PRADA SLUT posted:Weird question, but are there any "must-have" pants people climb in? manpris.
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Feb 12, 2013 21:07
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Ha, I could see that. An alpine harness is bad in anything though. I wear old work pants and sometimes jeans, just anything that fits well really. I've got a good pair of cutoffs I rock in the summer.
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Feb 15, 2013 08:04
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pokchu posted:You're That Guy wearing jorts at the crag. I salute you. Shameless hipster climber reporting for duty.
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Feb 15, 2013 20:40
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PRADA SLUT posted:I've been toproping for awhile, but recently I've just been indoor bouldering. Bouldering is naturally a lot more strenuous than your equivalent roped climb. Remember to take solid rests between attempts at your project (2-5 minutes). Also, and maybe this is too basic, but hands follow feet. If you're reaching for something with your left, your left foot has to be on the wall and pushing/standing to make it easier for you to reach that next hold. As you get better it'll be practical to break that rule sometimes but it's still the best rule of thumb. What level are you climbing at? What specifically do you find hard? Maybe even a video of yourself climbing somebody here could probably give you some pointers on your specific style.
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Feb 16, 2013 08:28
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Grisly Grotto posted:There's one I saw the other day that I thought was pretty good - "Neil Gresham's Masterclass", bunch of general climbing techniques and stuff. Not all of it will be applicable to bouldering though. That's a good one. It is definitely a rite of passage.
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Feb 16, 2013 08:35
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jackchaos posted:Flappers on that part of the hand mean overt gripping usually. Try climbing open hand much better for you in the long run. Also I second flagging. Try climbing so that you can't hear your feet. Making you focus on foot placement He's obviously still in the stage of climbing where he's gripping mostly jugs, so grip style doesn't have much do do with it. More likely he's just got soft hands still. And telling someone to flag is a bizarre over simplification of the technique, there's mayyyyybe a little more nuance to that. Quiet feet is a good drill though.
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Feb 17, 2013 04:55
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Ingenium posted:So I have been climbing for two months now and have been wondering if there was a particular weight workout that would be most beneficial for my progress. What I have been doing so far has been Starting Strength three times a week, followed by around 30 minutes of climbing; and about 1 hour of climbing on the two days between. SS is great because it fits my restrictions for weights (basically just have a lifting cage and a set of dumbbells) but I feel it is targeting muscles that are not my weak point in climbing. While back strength is obviously going to be important, I don't know if I need such a leg focus. No need for a leg focus, if you can walk up a set of stairs you have all the leg muscle you need for climbing. Leg flexibility helps though. Really the best way to train for climbing is to climb. You could probably add one more day to your weekly climbing routine, but you're pretty much doing it all right already. The weight training is a good way to avoid the muscle imbalances otherwise out of shape beginner climbers get, so keep it up. IMO, specifically targeting muscles to work out (hangboard training, pull-ups) while climbing as a beginner is a great way to get a tendon injury.
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Feb 18, 2013 01:03
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Petey posted:My gym includes free yoga designed for climbing. It's awesome. Color me jealous
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Feb 19, 2013 05:55
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PRADA SLUT posted:Sans actual climbing and yoga, are there any exercises you can do at home on the in-between days? It's this thing called rest. It's kind of important.
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Feb 20, 2013 07:53
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Argh, just started getting back into a lifting/climbing routine with some new goals in mind after being sick and occupied with renovating my house, and managed to pull a muscle in my neck doing some bouldering. Already iced it and am planning on taking some tramadol before I go to sleep, but sheesh. Gimme a break life! Though I did have some goofy fun today playing at blind bouldering, (which is not how I got injured, thankfully, or I'd feel pretty stupid) where you just pick a section of wall and try to get up as high as possible with your eyes closed. Tons of fun, just place your pads!
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Feb 21, 2013 05:06
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Just tape it when you climb, maybe give it a couple days to heal/dry up before you climb again. Don't put a bandaid on it or tape it when not climbing or doing something where you'd need to protect it, it'll just take longer to heal.
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Feb 21, 2013 07:14
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PRADA SLUT posted:I picked up a new pair of shoes but they dig into the back of my heel (they're not broken in yet, I know they're the right size). Yup. Climbing is pain princess. Seriously though you're gonna be rubbed raw until they get broken in or you get callouses there, if it's too painful I would suggest wrapping tape over the affected area, a band-aid is gonna get ripped right off.
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Feb 21, 2013 19:55
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Eh, they're gonna flex and rub a little, especially if PRADA SLUT is fairly new to climbing and hasn't had the experience to know what's good and what's not, what's the smallest size they can wear and so on. I put up with a little discomfort on the outside of the heel on my sportivas while I'm breaking them in because they're so good on the wall.
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Feb 21, 2013 20:27
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armorer posted:I guess it is all perspective. I don't know how new PRADA SLUT is to climbing, so yours may be a fair assessment. I have a pair of La Sportiva Miura VS, and love them (although I don't notice any rubbing in the heel). They are anything but comfortable, and I have to throw on a pair of sandals between climbs when I am belaying. That's my shoe too! I think what it is is while my heel is locked in super solid, the upper flexes while I climb so the edge digs into my ankle a little. I think that's what PRADA SLUT is experiencing.
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Feb 21, 2013 20:58
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potidaean posted:I've got a problem where once in a while one or both of my ring fingers suddenly give out on a hold. It'll feel almost like it's dislocated, and then I'm done for the day. There doesn't seem to be any lasting damage beyond a few hours of soreness, but it happens more than I'd like, maybe once a month (I climb 2-3x/week). Since I love crimps, this is particularly annoying. Ever since I started focusing on fingerstrength on my home board, it's gotten less and less frequent. Been a few months now. I'm still worried though since it was always the same two fingers, should I be taping them up every time regardless? Well, if it was an injury, you would have seen more instances, not less, since using the fingerboard. Or perhaps it's healing despite your best efforts, or taping your fingers has helped them heal. It's bizarre that it only hurts for a few hours and then you're right as rain afterwards. Anyway, if you think it's going away, then don't bother taping. How long has this been going on?
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Feb 23, 2013 07:56
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potidaean posted:Thanks, that's a good way of looking at it. It's not the most frequent, but it happens. Given your clarification I think you're kind of playing with fire here, if you find yourself putting a lot of shock stress on those fingers you could really hurt yourself, the pain is your body giving you a warning. The best way to avoid injury is to give yourself a couple months to heal and not climb, to be honest. I know that's hard to do, if you won't do that you're gonna have to modify your climbing style and really baby that hand...I mean, it might be getting better slowly doing what you're doing but as somebody who has gotten a nasty little finger injury I personally am far less likely to take a chance on that happening again. Also smelly shoe people- never buy synthetic shoes. They're no better than non-synthetics and they smell like crap always. I don't know why Evolv thinks it's such a great idea. Since I've gotten away from Evolvs my climbing shoes smell no worse than any other shoe I wear.
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Feb 24, 2013 00:29
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Papercut posted:Yeah this. I've been climbing several times a week (ignoring injury time) in my current shoes for at least a year and they don't smell at all, I can put my nose right in them and there isn't anything. The only thing I do for them is let them air out after climbing (instead of zipping them up in my backpack). My first pair of shoes were Evolvs and they smelled horrendous after about 6 months. I can throw my la sportivas in my bag right after taking them off, store them in my trunk in the middle of the humid rear end summer, and pull them out smelling like nothing. My evolvs I could wear seven socks, dry them out with a hairdryer in the gym bathroom, store them in a bed of aromatic rose petals in a temperature controlled room with zero percent humidity and they'd still have smelled like a hobo died in them while using them as a latrine. gently caress evolvs.
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Feb 24, 2013 04:32
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who cares posted:My friend took me to her bouldering gym on Friday when they were doing free admission for first-timers. I loved it so I took a one-on-one intro class today and I FEEL SO GOOD. The combination of physical and intellectual challenge really resonates with me. There really isn't a point to this post other than saying that I get it. Good. Get it till your fingers bleed.
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Feb 26, 2013 20:13
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I eat V6s for breakfast. Well...I used to 
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Mar 4, 2013 22:59
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Petey posted:I've been bouldering twice a week for the last few weeks and have been ramping up from V0s to V3s. However, just today I noticed my first tendon pain: while gripping something (at home) with my right hand such that my hand hinged shut with pressure on my fingers, my middle finger's right knuckle flared up with a throbbing soreness. I don't notice it generally, but if I either extend or close that finger all the way, the knuckle is definitely sore "inside," which I understand to be characteristic of tendon aggravation. Stop climbing for a couple of weeks is the best way to treat this. Ice and rest. Taping your finger to another can help support it until it's healed, though rest till it doesn't hurt after a full day of climbing is the best way to approach this. Kind of trial and error I know, best to err on the side of caution. Also tough to rest, I know. quote:I'll note that none of my stuff was particularly crimpy (I don't have that strength yet), so I'm a bit concerned because I'm not sure if that means (per this post) that it shouldn't have developed. I'm not sure if I ramped up too aggressively. I usually use a hairdryer, your gym doesn't have one of those hand dryer things on the bouldering wall?
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Mar 9, 2013 18:04
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Covert Ops Wizard posted:
Just kidding, climb a few v0's with a few minutes rest in between, work your way up to v1, v2...just work your way up to your projects instead of just jumping right on the wall. The few minutes rest is important too, don't just climb a bunch of easy stuff real quick and jump on your projects, ease into it.
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Mar 9, 2013 18:10
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Typh posted:How the poo poo do I not slip off tiny slippery food holds? The biggest issue on the two 5.10+ I've attempted is that there are some footholds I can't put any weight on without my foot sliding right off. All I can find online is "they will hold you!" but they don't hold me. How vertical is the route you're working on when this happens? The problem might be a physical one, if the route is overhung you might not have the core strength to keep your feet on without them cutting. Actually, remembering my beginner days I had the same problem even on 90 degree walls, I just wasn't strong enough yet. Also, how are your shoes? A good edge on the shoe makes a ton of difference. Recycle Bin posted:Thanks for the replies re: flagging and drop knee. I had a pretty good climb last night. I exhausted myself from hanging too long, trying to figure out what to do with my feet, but it felt great when I managed to get my body in the perfect position to reach the next hold with minimal effort. The other thing a drop knee is good for is finding a position that lessens tension on your muscles, I find making a move from a drop knee a lot less strenuous than being face on to the wall and it's a pretty good rest position for a quick shake out when you're working a problem that's on the seam of two walls opposing each other, even at a really obtuse angle.
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Mar 20, 2013 03:06
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PRADA SLUT posted:My hands have been hosed up for like two weeks now too. I climb 3x a week and there's just never any time to recover. Meh, it's not really important to let them heal. Just tape them when you're climbing and let them dry out when you're not. They're gonna toughen up eventually. I never get flappers anymore. My problem now is that my cuticles explode from the pressure of full crimps, I even have horizontal cracks in my fingernails. Not a lot that can be done about it. I think a big thing about flappers is inexperienced climbers falling into big jugs, it just rips the skin right off. Once you start climbing better and using tougher holds that's gonna happen less.
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Mar 22, 2013 20:42
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pee posted:Are you climbing in cold and dry air? This was happening to me until I started using a beeswax balm (Carmex or Climb-On or Joshua Tree) on my cuticles after climbing and before bed. You would be exactly right. It doesn't really bother me enough to do anything about though.
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Mar 23, 2013 01:14
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New gym in Philadelphia just opened - It's called PRG East Falls for any of you Philly climbers that live under a rock. The gym is mostly bouldering, with some fun top out stuff and a cave. The walls are only ~20 tall for ropes though, which is a little disappointing. I am looking forward to the lead box being finished so I can do what amounts to extendo-bouldering problems...finally, I'll be able to climb 5.13! ...or you know, v5. Oh yeah, and everything's so goddamn new it's brutal to hold on to, and god help you if you scrape your leg on a corner doing a top-out. Everything is like sandpaper. It does mean those climbs will never be as easy as they are right now though.
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Mar 25, 2013 06:17
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Fontoyn posted:So, uh, wrist problems abound. I took a break from climbing and am trying to boulder v3 atm. How long was your break? If it was only a couple weeks it wasn't long enough. Take a longer break, say no less than a month, maybe two, then start climbing not overhanging roped climbs for a few weeks. Ease back into climbing. Also a doctor might be a good person to go see.
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Apr 9, 2013 04:54
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ZeroDays posted:Is slipping off chips entirely a shoe thing? Or is there something I can do that'd actually help staying on chips? gently caress chips. I found my defys became rounded off and slippery pretty quick. Combine that with the synthetic material bacterial funk they're terrible shoes. If you've got the money and are serious about getting better some more aggressive shoes could be in order. While you could probably use better technique and get stronger and finish the problems you're struggling on in the defys, I personally don't get the condescension I've seen people get when they start wondering if better shoes would help when they're currently wrapping their feet in steaming bags of dog poo poo with no edge. Besides, if these are your first shoes, you probably sized them too large to begin with, which will make you slide off chips like a motherfucker. It takes some trial and error to find the shoes that fit perfect. Remember, pain in breaking in your shoes is the norm, especially if they're a new to you style of shoe.
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Apr 19, 2013 04:51
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who cares posted:I have been bouldering 2-3x a week for ~6 weeks now. I have started having issues with my wrists that seem to be related to moving beyond the ladder posture beginner problems to the slightly more difficult problems where I have to twist my body to get a hip into the wall... hopefully those descriptions make sense. You are doing a very intense type of exercise to muscles and tendons that are wholly unused to it. Taking a break for a couple weeks or so is a great idea. If you're feeling pain the day after you definitely hurt something. Also, your schedule is pretty intense for a beginner, I was the same way and had more than a few injuries because of that. It's awesome to progress fast but for most of us there's a price to pay. There's really no good stretch for your wrists and such, just make sure you do some very easy warm up climbs when you first start your session. Ease into your bouldering sesh every time and work your way up to the hard stuff. I also like to hang on an overhanging wall on a finish hold with my feet on for like 30 seconds, one hand then the other after finishing a V0/1/2 as my first warmup. Stretching is good but it probably won't help your wrists and elbows any.
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Apr 19, 2013 05:03
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ZeroDays posted:I've always heard shoes should be "uncomfortable, but not painful" (probably from this thread), whereas I can wear the Defys indefinitely, so I probably did oversize a little. Four full months of usage out of them 2-4 times a week means I've about paid for them in rentals, so I can purchase a new pair with no guilt, I reckon. But gently caress, what a choice. After break in, yes. My shoes are uncomfortable to the point that I typically want them off as soon as I'm done climbing a route, but I don't notice while I'm on the wall. During break in however, the rubber would rub on the knuckles of my toes, the back of the heel dug in, and it was pretty miserable for a couple days. They are locked in so perfectly that I could leave them unstrapped and the heel cup would still be locked in as if it were vacuum sealed and my toes are locked in perfectly with no movement.
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Apr 19, 2013 21:26
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Sniper Party posted:I've been bouldering infrequently as a side thing to parkour for a while now, but on Monday I managed to complete a couple of problems I'd never even considered before and it felt so amazing I just had to get back on the wall even after a pretty intense 3-hour parkour session today. Now my hands are raw and my forearms on fire. I think I'm hooked. Look up crimps (half and full), pinches and underclings to get an idea of your most used finger techniques. Honestly though, climbing is mostly footwork. Remember hands follow feet, when you're reaching with your left hand you want to be pushing off of your left foot. This typically means your left foot should be higher than your right. Also look up heel hooks and drop knees. As for shoes go with whatever your gym has that's under $100 at this point. They're your first shoes, you're not going to know what a good fit feels like and are just gonna tear them apart with your beginner footwork anyway. YourCreation posted:My Red Chilli Durango's really just bend and slide off of small holds so I picked up a pair of the 5.10 Anasazi Blancos and they are beautiful. Durangos are crap but very comfy. I have a pair I keep at the gym where I work so if I get off and want to climb they're right there, but I'm never like "Oh I wish I had my Durangos" if I go elsewhere.
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Apr 25, 2013 03:44
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Speleothing posted:TBH it's really hard to find shoes for less than $100 these days. Even Defys run $89 before taxes. I'm sure you're right, I only wear miuras and I know they just went up in price last year about 20 bucks to like 160 or something. I change my number to 120.
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Apr 25, 2013 06:00
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Sniper Party posted:
I have a personal hate for evolve (they get very stinky) and swear by muiras but as stangg says its a very personal thing. Just don't be like the guy I just met who likes a little slop to his shoe. I think he's an idiot who has baby feet and has terrible footwork and I couldn't stop talking to him fast enough before he expounded more on his theory that the outside of the foot is the best spot to put on a jib because he could grip it with his toes. I guess I could have tried to educate him but he seemed like the kind of guy that would turn that into an argument. Uncomfortably tight shoes are the way to go.
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Apr 26, 2013 03:57
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pokchu posted:I kind of disagree with some of the previous training advice. Being as efficient and technically correct as possible is great up to a point, but there comes a level where it won't make you any physically stronger (or at least not with any speed.) once you send whatever you're working on, and are confident in your ability to do so, start climbing in ways to maximize your gains. Straight armed is your weakest position, so try to keep arms flexed and locked off there. Outdoors you will almost always be able to find two feet, so train indoors using only one foot at all times. Keep body tension at a maximum by staying squared up with the wall: no back stepping. And moving staticly isn't the end -all be-All of climbing. If you try to be static ALL the time, you aren't training contact strength and technique. Jimmy Webb sets at TBA in Chattanooga and I overheard a guy complaining to him about just that fact about a route jimmy set. He was told "then I guess you can't send it." I would disagree and just say keep using the best technique you can and work on harder/different problems. I agree on stepping out of your wheelhouse though. It reminds me of watching a boulderer friend of mine try to attack a top-rope route, he blasted up the first 15 feet with strong, confident moves that totally hosed him for the rest of the route, even though the moves were waaaaaaaay easier than what he usually climbed. He'd never learned to climb efficiently. The same can be said for people who never do slopers because they're strong at crimps, like another friend of mine. I can understand how it's frustrating when you're doing v4 crimpy problems but a v3 with some big rounded off holds throw you every time.
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May 1, 2013 06:06
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Ha that reminds me, the gym I work at recently opened a new facility about 30-40 miles away, so all of our route setters were spending all their time there, setting the new walls. That just left one setter for our gym, a teenager who is super nice and an amazing climber, but doesn't seem to remember what a moderate is. I was seeing V7 climbers flailing on V5s. I was watching route climbers used to climbing 5.9-5.10 getting their little hearts crushed on 5.7s. I was watching beginners getting demoralized by bizarre cross-overs and non-positive crimps on V2s. it was brutal. Now everything's back to normal and we have at least a few setters putting up walls, but it was tough when our only setter was a teenager with a 6ft wingspan who only weighs like a 130 pounds and has a penchant for flashy moves. I can appreciate being forced to do weird moves I'm not used to or brutally difficult cruxes now that they're not the norm in the gym.
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May 7, 2013 07:51
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PRADA SLUT posted:Looks like REI is having a sale coming up: I'm just gonna 3D print a GriGri.
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May 11, 2013 04:35
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