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If you are going bouldering anywhere you NEED a crash pad. Like seriously, this your safety, your health, AND for your sends. If you don't have any sort of protection you are risking a lot of things.
You could hurt yourself or your partner in an unprotected fall.
Along the same lines, you could very easily break your foot, leg, whatever and not be able to climb for months.
You are not going to want to make any complex or risky moves if you don't have any protection and that is going to make it WAY less likely you will send anything.
Here is a link for a crash pad on Amazon and its only $150. If you can't afford that right now I would very strongly recommend waiting to climb outdoors until you can get at least one pad (generally you want to have 2).
I definitely understand wanting to get outside but you have to think about your safety above everything else. And if not for your safety at least think about the sends.
To answer your actual question... RRG is not a good place for bouldering (not saying there isn't routes but it just isn't well developed). Check out [Mountain Project](mountainproject.com) and look for boulder locations and routes near your area.
Hahaha that picture was taken by me. My friends and I did it as a joke . . . just because Iron Man Traverse is overhyped. I can't find it on Reddit but here's a link to it on my Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/0nk3wOngMQ/
Hi. I highly recommend you to check out "Rook Climbing Technique". It covers skill exercises to do during your warm up (or throughout your session) to develop precisely what you're asking. The book comes with a YouTube channel with examples on how to correctly do each exercise.
Bring the kids with you. Kid love climbing stuff. Anywhere there are V3's, V6's or whatever makes your blood pump there will be LOADS of (uncleaned/unclimbed) VB, VB-, scrambling, holes, caves and other ways for your kids to get covered in mud, get wet and otherwise be kids.
Just started training with the system wall at my gym. Came across this video which has helped me develop a routine.
edit: just realized I linked to the end of the video. my bad
edit 2: word, it is a little longwinded. I actually took a bunch of screenshots. Along with some more information from a different site, I created an evernote doc for quick reference while training. I put together a PDF to share.
note: this isn't my video, I just found it and thought it was useful. Within a week of beginning my training on the system wall I noticed some really specific improvements so I wanted to do a bit of research.
Agree! Same for dog waste bags, dont assume you will remember to go back and pick it up. Here is a link to a pack of wag bags:
Cleanwaste Wag Bags Toilet Kit Pack of 6 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M8MG817/ref=cm_sw_r_sm_apap_VIlf6WtjQq12y
You wouldn't believe it, but these pants are my favorite:
Way stretchier than you'd believe, more durable than I figured they'd be (I still don't get why they haven't torn on me but they haven't), and incredibly comfortable without being gussetted.
They're flat out an anomaly. Especially for $17+ free shipping. Plenty of different colors too. Black, Greg, navy, khaki, brown.
Downside: they're cotton Upside: they're thin cotton, so not too heavy, and no swamp-ass.
I've climbed outside and inside with them for two years and they've survived falls, slips, and kneebars. Hell they're not even stained. If they did within the first month, I wouldn't have even been mad because of their price point. You can't be mad at the purchase at all. Its such a "I can try this out since its so cheap" purchase, and I'll do it again and again.
I recommend climbskin for skin repair. I usually apply after but I think instructed use is to apply a couple hours before. It’s not greasy like other skin lotions.
However, normal moisturizer should be fine to use. It’s only perceived that it makes the skin softer; most moisturizers should actually restore moisture underneath the surface.
Didn't skip it, just bad communication between me and cameraman. It is a fairly good undercling with a footholds in front and to your left.
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here you can see a earlier try with the start.
This book is pretty handy:
There's loads of bouldering to be had here. Near to you seems to be Dinas Rock and Ogmore-by-sea ...
EDIT: if you go here one of the preview pages actually has Dinas Rock on it. I don't remember it being a massive bouldering area though ... maybe just that one little cave? We mostly went for sport over that way.
All of this. In regard to camping: across the highway from the State Park are a few campgrounds w really reasonable rates. There's a few spots to camp in the Park itself but I've heard they sell out super quick at the beginning of the season.
The climbing throughout the Park is definitely the best in the area. Tons of bouldering problems all over and some really good top rope routes as well.
Trails are abundant through the entire park and look really suitable for mountain biking, I ride a road bike so unfortunately I can't speak to the quality.
EDIT: you can find the guidebook on Amazon, it's worth it for sure (will save TONS of time looking for climbing areas & problems): Coopers Rock Bouldering Guide (Bouldering Series) https://www.amazon.com/dp/076274281X/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_DybHvb8YHGYVT
There is a guidebook available written by an El Paso local, I got it for Christmas this year. There isn't much available on the internet, the mountain project page is pretty sparse, but the guide has about 150+ problems from V0 to V10, with most in the V0-V3 range.
Hueco Tanks is closer to CoR than Ponderosa and is truly world class if you decide to go somewhere else nearby.
keep the weight, gain the strength. there was another post here that said strength is not related to muscle size. basically, you have these things called sat cells that don't do anything. when you work out, you stress the muscles and these sat cells will bind to broken muscles. they will then do 1 of 2 main things: 1) they become more muscle. more muscle means more surface area for more ATP synthesis. this means more endurance. 2) they will become nuclei and make existing muscle stronger
most body builders know to eat creatine, which supports more muscle mass. this allows them to work less hard for a long time. eating more protein will allow muscles to work harder for less time (promote myonuclei formation).
the third thing sat cells will do is actually the most important: they make more sat cells.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7668338_The_behaviour_of_satellite_cells_in_response_to_exercise_What_have_we_learned_from_human_studies https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1779717/
here are some actual climbers and their stats: chris sharma 6 0 165 22.4 adam ondra 5 11 150 20.9 alex megos 5 7 125 19.6 sean mccoll 5 7 132 20.7 daniel woods 5 7 134 21.0 dai koyamada 5 4 127 19.9 jan hojer 6 1 172 22.7
these bmi's illustrate that muscle mass does not correlate with strength.
👆this right here is the correct and best answer. I’ve been watching everything on CBC and they have barely any commercials as well, maybe a 10 second spot every 20 minutes or so. You’ll want to use a paid VPN, I use Private Internet Access. $10/mo and never fails me
Idk where you are but Amazon sells it.
I don't really see the difference between powder chalk and block chalk since you can very easily turn block chalk into powder. Edit: well except that it's really hard to turn powder into a block
Frank Endo is the best bang for your buck imo. Friction labs is slightly better but I don't think its 250% better ($2.5/oz vs $1/oz).
Thanks, ended up getting some white gold as well as it's on a big deal on amazon atm £3.80 for 200g! I'll give a few different ones a try over time and see what I like.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001L5DICK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 here's the link for the deal btw if you need to stock up, not sure if it's UK only though.
If you do climb outdoors, I'd just get a couple more crash pads. My buddy's garage wall has some of those thick foam puzzle pieces that are there full time and they work well for climbs that are low. We throw in crash pads as needed for more overhung stuff and more some of the more awkward moves.
These are the little pads: https://www.amazon.com/BalanceFrom-Puzzle-Exercise-Interlocking-Tiles/dp/B013A4ATCQ
Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!
Here are your smile-ified links:
Looks like the Mad Pad is on sale too
^^i'm ^^a ^^friendly bot
This thing: https://www.midnightlightning.co/shop/p/chalktopus-chalk-bag-grip
Cheap and novel. Who wouldn't love it?
Plus maybe a nice bouldering brush since you have some budget left
I've taken pretty long breaks (a couple of months usually) after each injury because I'd feel like such an idiot if I waited a couple of weeks and then immediately hurt myself again. I still hurt myself and still feel like an idiot so maybe I need even longer breaks.
The tip for strengthening my bigger pulling muscles came from a physio, and they recommended polling more experienced climbers to see if climbing with additional support is practical. I've had a look at the wrist widget - this seems like it's meant to help with a ligament tear. Would that still help with overall stability more than something like this?
I'm gonna give this a shot. It even has a pocket for shoes. Almost like it was designed for bouldering.
I find carrying a normal backpack on my front uncomfortable and it makes my traps/rhomoids sore. And I typically carry a triple pad + a normal pad + a slider pad on my back, so stuffing more stuff into them gets a little crazy.
Amazon. I went for basically the cheapest option. It had decent reviews. The holds are solid enough and they came with more than enough of the hardware for installation. It even came with an 8ft saftey rope and a chalk bag.
The only concern someone might have is that there isn't a lot of variety in the shapes. Only 4 different shapes for 30 holds. I personally like that these use 2 bolts each to mount for the stability.
Duke's Outdoor Rock Climbing Holds Set for Kids - 30 Rock Climbing Wall Grips for Indoor & Outdoor Play Set, 8 Foot Knotted Climbing Rope, Chalk Bag & 3 DIY Videos https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08J5TF6K5/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_QCDMRPJHMGCTW598NCR4
I just ordered another set with more shape variety, but they only have 1 mounting hole each, so we'll see how stable they are, but I'll be able to swap out holds.
TOPNEW 32 Rock Climbing Holds Multi Size for Kids, Adult Rock Wall Holds Climbing Rock Wall Grips for Indoor and Outdoor Playground Play Set - Includes 2 Inch Mounting Hardware https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082ST1RN6/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_740125THJ42168E4A08K
Eventually I'll make a full tower with an overhang and some volumes.
The board is 8ftx4ft pressure treated plywood. Lumber prices are crazy, so that was $60 alone.
Air them out as much as possible between uses.
Keep boot bananas in them.
Spray them with a shoe deodoriser
Make sure you wash your feet properly.
A file is essentially a small flat surface with some kind of sandpaper or otherwise coarse material that you can use to slowly wear away and smooth the surface of something else. Namely, wearing away the surface of your skin to make it even and generate new layers. Here is the one I use
I would think 5 months would probably be long enough for your skin to come around if it was a possibility... I'd definitely start with filing and see how it helps. Also, liquid chalk tends to have isopropyl alcohol in it, which tends to dry out your skin.
If you're still having problems, feel free to find this comment chain and message me again. I'd just rather exhaust all possibilities before telling you to put potentially harsh antihydrals on your skin.
I live about 5 miles from a spot I like to climb, so occasionally I will load up my crash pad in my bike trailer and ride over there because I hate driving such a short distance. Yesterday I made a little video of the process. The bouldering area is called Pony Pasture in Richmond, VA. The climbs on the video are all in the V1/V2 range according to local lore, which probably means they are around V4/V5 in reality.
You can view the app here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Henwill8Dev.OnSight
The app is very much in beta, it has a long way to go I feel and I am constantly working on improving it, testing it is just kind of hard as I don't live in a climbing gym and I am myself not actually colorblind.
It is not released for IOS because I don't have an apple phone and the apple store is expensive, maybe if this goes well then I'll try to add it.
This is an open-source project: https://github.com/henwill8/ColorBlindClimbing
If you've been climbing for a year you should have some level of endurance already. I'd be thinking about my diet if I was you. Track your nutrient intake with something like https://cronometer.com/ and see how you're looking.
There are tons of different styles of volleyball knee pads... these are really low profile.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HQJUKMG/ref=twister_B00KHSW328?_encoding=UTF8&th=1&psc=1
dance kneepads might work well too!
Nice, the earlier the better in regards to temperature.
And looking at humidity on this page for Chattanooga, it looks like both March and April are great. Just cross your fingers for no rain during the trip :)
Just to reiterate the great point u/rhombus2210 try and focus on using open crimps whenever possible to prevent strain on your fingers http://hubpages.com/hub/Closed-Grips-and-Open-Grips-in-Rock-Climbing
There is a lot of great hiking on the East side too, although it sounds like this might not be the trip for it. If you had time for a longer hike I would recomend Ka'au Crater or Moanalua Ridge Trail.
Rest until the pain is gone—this is absolutely essential—and then start cross training. For every “climbing” motion, do the opposite. Finger extensions with something like this (but go easy! It’s a really hard workout when you just start), push ups, tricep extension, etc…
Listen to you body and rest when it hurts.
Assuming you are a Canadian living in another country temporarily... you can get a VPN and watch using CBC's website https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/summer
ProtonVPN have a free 7 day trial.
If you're in Europe the BBC will probably be covering some of it but the best way to watch a complete stream of just the one sport is by getting a Eurosport of Discovery+ month subscription for £7.99.
In the US if you have cable you can log in to NBC's website and stream individual events. You could also get a $10 subscription to Fling for a month and live stream NBC's coverage.
We've done a full guide with different timezones here but this post about covers how to watch it - https://www.climbernews.com/when-is-olympics-climbing-schedule-where-to-watch-live-streaming/
It should feel like holding a plank. When you’re climbing, especially on anything overhung, you’re trying to roll your pelvis toward the wall with your gluts and abs tensed. Your shoulders should be rolled back and down squeezing your scapulas together. Imagine a string tied to your pubic bone and sternum pulling you into the wall. Basically just have healthy posture to protect your joints and develop muscles correctly same as weight lifting. It’s especially important for a new climber who already has upper body strength. Source: I started climbing at 18 already doing 3 sets of 25 pull-ups and benching 280. I progressed way too fast with poor technique and tore my labrum and ruptured a bicep tendon. Good form, rest often, don’t grade chase or take risks.
Check out these books if you’re serious. I wish every gym had a short do’s and don’ts for safe technique with their orientations, but I’ve never seen it. This or anybody just telling me to slow down would’ve saved me a lot of pain.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1999654404/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_5S2ABH8EFEZNBPGN8770
Rock Climbing Technique: The Practical Guide to Movement Mastery
This is a fun book. It has some great exercises you can work into your sessions. For example, hand and hip is one where you can only move your hand if the corresponding hip is against the wall. This forces you to focus on body position and learn that you get better reach with your hip against the wall. It also forces you to rotate with each move, so you get out of the front-on habit that all beginners have. This one exercise, once mastered, can give you the "flow" that you see from more experienced climbers. I got it a few years ago and still do some of the exercises just to make easy routes more interesting.
fair warning, this is not a bouldering specific pad, and doesnt have fancy back straps and all that. It does have handles and you cant beat the price for the size. i use it doubled up so its 4 inches thick instead of 2" all spread out for my backyard wall.
This one holds my Pixel 4XL in a clunky Otterbox case. It's hard to zip closed, but it's in there well enough not to fall out while sport climbing. It fits perfectly when I use a thinner case.
No Joke. These are fucking amazing.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TMMR5BD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Start with some antihydral cream. I'd only recommend the supps/medications if the topical antihydral on the hands doesn't seem to be doing enough. Here's a climber centered article with some more information and tips on how to apply it. Vitamin B and Magnesium have also been shown to reduce perspiration in a more "natural" way than any of the hardcore stuff.
I've found these to be plenty juggy for toddler hands, and the price is awesome. But sure if it prices and ships the same for UK though. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CRHFBU2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_vsmNFbZ4V3AG1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I climb V8-V10 and my main climbing shoe is Evolv Defy or 5.10 Gambit. I believe in cheap and relatively comfortable. Once you start climbing steeper things and need better shoes, get a better pair but use it for projects so you can just burn through cheap shoes for mileage. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GHOLWSG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_N02lFb2HDC0H9
the ceiling is kinda low, under 7 feet, so we did the best with the space available. there is an electrical outlet in the middle, so that's why the spacing is like that. she is working on sit starting and trying not to go insane during quarantine.
this is the set we ordered from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Z44X5WP
The lumber is 3 2' x 10' x 16' cut in half at Lowes. Cost about $80
(edited to add link to amazon)
About two weeks into climbing, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon this book in one of those give-and-take bookshelves in a local coffee shop. Reading it helped me a lot, way more than any online resource I've found. It will help you come up with a clear plan for improvement and teach you about how to think about climbing. You're gonna have to put in the work at the end of the day - it's not a shortcut by any means. But if you take the advice this book gives seriously, I think you will be surprised by the results. Before you throw money at a coach, consider reading up more.
I use this because it's the cheapest on Amazon and chalk is chalk.
Lol the downvotes for the truth.
ha, me too. I just came off a month break - if only I had got one I'd be crushing v10 right now, maybe.
in all seriousness if you want something climbing specific maybe buy some pinches/blocks and hook them to your luggage (I was only half joking about that one). something like this or this or just get a couple pieces of wood and drill one of those eye bolts in (way cheaper).
Jamie Emerson's Guidebook is probably your best bet. Definitely one of the better guide books out there. It also has information about Mt. Evan's bouldering which is also in season, just a bit more rough of an approach. If you're looking for places with easier access you could search Guanella Pass (near georgetown) which has a decent amount and with a short approach.
Buy some of these, and wear them in your climbing shoes. Someone recommended them on here a while ago, and they've been working like a charm for me.
If you're planning on going out to Leavenworth regularly, I highly recommend the Leavenworth Bouldering book. It's really detailed and descriptive, so that you can actually track down the problems.
for your #4 try this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013TSRYUS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It has worked very well for me. I do the same five things you do but you should add to your number 1. Do not put your shoes in your gym bag, be one of the gumbies that clips them to the outside. It will help them dry out faster and keep them from getting too funky to fast.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01N6DC2ZE/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdo_D4X-zb7SF9B9Y
I use these. They're quite comfortable and the range is good. The sound isn't phenomenal but they're better than nothing on days when I don't want to talk to anyone at the gym.
This will sound weird but I love wearing gi pants for indoor bouldering.
Once I forgot to bring a change of clothes so I had to climb in my gi pants and a rash guard and they were really comfortable to climb in. 93 brand also has "casual" gi pants.
I started with Scarpa Helix and loved them. They look to be a hint more aggressive than the Velocity, but I found them to be reasonably comfortable for a first shoe.
Amazon has them for under $100:
men: https://www.amazon.com/Scarpa-Mens-Helix-Climbing-Hyper/dp/B0126JL4KM
women: https://www.amazon.com/Scarpa-Womens-Helix-Climbing-Pewter/dp/B005LCOABM
I have the rockfax bouldering guidebook for the Lake District it’s not exhaustive but is a good place to start.
Lakes Bouldering: Rockfax Climbing Guide (Rockfax Climbing Guide Series) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1873341512/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_akJYzbR46A5FB
As a tall lanky climber I've also found the theraband flex bar to be useful to start out. However I don't think it provides enough resistance after a bit. I cured my really painful elbow tendonitis (golfers elbow) by doing a few things: eccentric wrist curls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVwKOvN-Uag If your hurts on the inside of your elbow (golfers elow) this exercise is what you want, if its on the outside (tennis elbow) do the opposite. Start with 10-15 lbs and do 3 sets of 10 lowering VERY slow arm aid: https://www.amazon.com/Armaid-Therapist-Self-Care-Massage/dp/B00AFER72U stretching
Hmm, not sure how to describe all the techniques that you could be using, I would actually recommend reading a book or watching some videos on climbing techniques. Going from V0 to V1 is where things like turning your hips in and engaging your core really start mattering. It's actually harder to learn proper technique on V0 because a lot of the times you can get through them without proper technique. Try to work harder problems with someone who has good form, and try to get at least 2 or 3 moves at a time. If you can't do a pull-up yet, I would work on getting in at least 1 pull-up with proper form as well. One trick I found useful to get the "feel" of a move is hovering over the next hold with my hand before grabbing on to it. If you can reach for the next hold and hover over it for 2~3 seconds, it means you have established a proper base with your feet. Not always possible, but generally you want to be in balance so you conserve energy. Hope that helped, I mostly just climbed with other better climbers and wasn't shy about asking for technique tips, most were very willing to share beta and give me feedback. Good Luck!
Madrock R3 is still on sale on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Mad-Rock-R3-Crash-Pad/dp/B0078D4ZTE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499104293&sr=8-1&keywords=r3+madrock
Set up an alert on craigslist for bouldering and rock climbing and you will find one eventually - took me 2 months (just paid off yesterday :D).
Based on what you described, I would recommend something like this. It will give you a lot more versatility than a GoPro and isn't too much larger. It takes high quality video, zooms really far, is durable (enough. don't throw it off the crag), and won't break the bank. And Canon is always a safe bet.
You can get the old sherman guide for $20-30. It works. https://www.amazon.com/Hueco-Tanks-Climbing-Bouldering-Regional/dp/0934641870/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1487865580&sr=8-2&keywords=hueco+tanks+sherman
HEY!
I live in Texas so maybe it gets to cold for you but what I do for outdoor climbing is wear a nice pair of cargo shorts and a pair of knees compression sleeves (I had major damage done to them and a torn ACL from 8/2013 until September/2016)
BUT! You could always get something like this calf compression sleeve
My 2 knees sleeves kept me plenty warm while climbing in 45 degree weather and they offer plenty of movement. The calve sleeves would not hinder any movement be better for better grip on rock and would't be baggy or in the way.
I know it sounds a bit odd but trust me it's fantastic. I actually have a pair of baseball forearm sleeves for climbing in the summer (because rocks get very hot in Texas)
EDIT- Because I proofread after I submit.
Get a thera-cane to work out those back muscles!
Another question for you guys, what are the brushes you guys are talking about used for? And are these any good? And is this set any good, and what you are talking about?
Edit: is this balm any good?
The word I should have been using was Salve
I use this stuff But any climbing salve should be fine- Joshua tree brand is also popular.
It's just a mix of Beeswax and a handful of different oils according to the ingredients. I know some people use Coconut oil, but I like the salves better because they aren't as slimey and you can actually use your hands while it's soaking in
Performance Rock Climbing - Dale Goddard and Udo Neumann
Awsome just what I was looking for.
Camry 200 Lbs / 90 Kgs Digital Hand Dynamometer Grip Strength Measurement Meter Auto Capturing Hand Grip Power https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A8K4L84/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_5ztRxbQ6CVYN6
This one got good reviews on Amazon and is under 30 bucks.
As a beginner (I can do most V1s and I found a V2 I could do) getting less aggressive shoes shouldn't be a problem rather than use the ones at the gym I go to (though the monthly membership ($50) covers any and all equipment fees). I currently just use the ones at the gym, since the fee to 'rent' them is included in my membership. The friends I climb with usually just climb indoors.
I'm looking at a price range of less than $120 (USD). So something like:
My main issue that I am working on is my feetwork (more like big-toework). I just want something to get me towards being able to do V3/V4s then I might by a more 'advanced' shoe.
Look into powerful bike lights. They have ridiculous amounts of lumens and are small and lightweight. Most are rechargeable and you don't have to lug around anything heavy. The highest output from a bike light i've seen is 4500 lumens and you can get it on amazon for $150.
Edited for link
It's very easy to get disheartened at first with others seemingly gliding up the wall. Try to remember that they have probably been climbing a very long time and quite regularly too. Instead try to look how they are climbing and improve your own technique, see if you can try those methods on easier problems or just straight up ask them "How did you do that?? I've been stuck there for so long!", I've found climbers are generally super friendly to approach and very eager to help eachother out with a problem. See if you can find a group of people to do a problem with, you'll be able to do it faster as they'll have a different way of thinking of doing it which may suit you better and it will be much more fun! (I've often found just a simple twist or drop knee will allow me to get past that crux that just wouldn't have occurred to me alone)
Another thing, if you do only the VB's first, get them nailed down, so you know how to do them efficiently. This way you'll learn valuable techniques that will be crucial for those pesky V0's and V1's and soon they'll be a thing of the past.
Take your time, talk to others, have a look at this book, get a chalk bag, have fun
The one I have is similar to this, I'd like to increase my pinch strength without doing too much damage in the process.
Oh I meant due to injuries in general, not just the hands. The gym has quite a selection of training tools but improper use and not following advice has hurt them within the first year.
Eric Horst's books detail out a macro-cycle system thats weeks endurance building (takes the longest to build up but lasts the longest), 3 weeks of Power, 2 weeks Power Endurance, and then a week off, following by crushing everything. Can't say I've had the patience for it, but he and his kids are wicked strong so.....
http://www.amazon.com/Training-Climbing-Definitive-Improving-Performance/dp/0762746920
That one also has a bunch of additional stuff on diet, etc. That said, you ask 10 people, you'll get 10 answers.
Can you give an example of hand strengtheners?
If you're talking about stuff like this, there isn't much information because they aren't as effective as other methods. I have this exact one and honestly it's more of a warm up than a strengthener. Hangboards and climbing are much more effective for grip training. Advice? Climbing will give train your grip better, but these can be used as warm ups.
> many from using the system boards/campus rungs
Most hand injuries I see are from hangboarding and climbing too many crimpy problems. Campus boards are relatively hard to injure your hands on unless you are full crimping or accidentally smash your finger against it. Are you referencing something else?
I use those ab straps, they work fine and are cheap.
For other things, I'd just get my body as strong as possible so that when your finger gets healthy youre in phenomenal shape.
What I did in college:
- 2 short (12") pieces of 2x10 or 2x12
- Bit of plywood big enough to mount the board
- Bit of plywood to act as a brace
- Hooks (http://www.amazon.com/Ladder-Hooks-Finish-Inside-Clearance/dp/B00RKJUWW0) like these or similar
How to assemble
- Hooks go onto thin edge of 2"x12"x12" you have (not into the end of the grain)
- Plywood backer goes onto opposite face, spacing the boards 12-18" apart
- Put another piece of plywood across the top with at least 2 well spaced screws on each side (into the grain). This will keep it from collapsing like a cheap card table.
- Mount hangboard to front.
To use - hang over door, close door. The frame will keep you from ripping the hinges out, and the 2x12 lets you hang without smooshing your face into the door.
I bought one of these for my climbing shoes. I think every boulderer should have one... as we tend to aggressively size.
Just make mental notes of where the pressure points in your shoes are when you climb. Then put the plastic bits in the right spots on the stretcher and allow it to do the break-in work instead of your poor toes. If it's really bad, you can put in the stretcher and use a hair dryer to help the rubber conform.
These will only work on expanding the toe box... although I think there are some that can help stretch the length.
Thanks, pscrilla.
As far as training goes, before climbing I was doing intensity workouts 3-5 times a week (a la crossfit). In the past 4 months, I've strictly been climbing (3-5 times a week) and running about 1.5 miles each day during the week. I've also started using a grip master daily.
I do plan to start a training regimen once my schedule opens up. I'm thinking of something like below (running is still included since I do that during my lunch break):
Monday: Intensity climb (climb hard for 20 min, take a 5 min break. Do this for 1-2 hours).
Tuesday: Footwork drills (1-2 hours)
Wednesday: Wall drills (work on body position, figuring out betas for routes I haven't completed or attempted, etc. I may also include some light core training/stretching)
Thursday: Project (Work my way to my project beta for the week/month....if i don't get it, I pick another project and work on both of those the following Thursday).
Friday: Fun day (Climb easy routes, hard routes, fun routes, just climb for 1-2 hours).
Those things didn't help me much. These were great for raw finger strength and tendon stretching.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PGPN7WC/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_b0r0vbF9RRT8P
At least until my bosses let me put up a hangboard :)
a suggestion would be to read "Rock Warriors Way". It goes over quite a bit of the mental side of things.
It's made by Curt. Doesn't block the lights and we simply relocate the license plate to the back of the basket (drilled 2 holes)
Bay Area Rock by Jim Thornburg is probably the best guide book, and it's available at pretty much every gym in the area.
Recommendations really vary by where you are, but I spend a lot of time at Mortar Rock, make lots of trips to Castle Rock, and always mean to make it out to Mickey's Beach.
I checked this book out from my local library. It had a big glossary of terminology and a lot of good suggestions for training and technique.
If you get the chance and don't mind the drive, check out Cooper's Rock. If you do, be sure to grab the bouldering guidebook.
I ordered two sets last night. Also just received a set of 10 large holds from Rocky Mountain. $20 for 10 with hardware and free shipping.
I can also recommend these guys, picked some off of amazon and they really do good for sore fingers. $12 for 5 pack on Amazon Prime Goda Acupressure Massage Rings
Thanks! I take you log it after you have finished the session? And do you just log the time you spent, or also the specifics of each climb? I find it kind of difficult to remember, and also to educate myself into sitting down and going over every single climb I did. That's why I would love if a fitness tracker was able to at least put together my climbing vs resting times.
I found the app MyClimb, which looks really good indeed. Again, I just find that you need to enter a lot of details about each climb, which might be ok if you are doing a project outdoors, but becomes kind of too much if you are doing a few different climbs while training indoors.
Hey guys, I recently decided to end my gym membership at Goodlife Fitness, to shift my focus to my new addiction, bouldering. I’ve been mainly focussing on my form, but now that I’m not supplementing my bouldering trips with picking heavy things up and putting them back down at the gym, I’m worried I’ll lose some strength.
I've been going to a climbing gym 1-2 times a week for the last 7 months, but now that I’m not working out, I’ve been thinking about upping it to 2-3 times a week. On my off days I’ve been doing yoga (the Desert routine found in the Pocket Yoga android app) and core exercises.
Is adding another day of climbing and doing yoga/core exercises on my off days enough to maintain my strength? Or is there something else I should add to my routine? Thanks!