Getting rid of Elvis "Shaky" Leg?

For some reason I tend to get the Elvis shaky leg more than others I climb with. I climb mostly moderate multi-pitch trad. I am wondering if anyone has any tips to combat it.

Couple contributing factors that I can think of:
1) The activity I have done the day before. I play a lot of basketball and sometimes will the play the afternoon before I climb.
2) Reaching high to place gear. Im 6'2 and tend to make longer moves that includes placing gear. Im thinking that I place gear high when I am scared and get on my tip toes to long.
3) Long belays in uncomfortable positions. Maybe resting on a foot too long.
4) I have a BD Focus for my harness. I dont think it is all that comfortable. I am switching to a MM Cadillac ASAP. I notice I tend to get stiff from hanging out too long.
5) Poor footwork (probably the biggest factor). I have been trying to keep my heals in a more relaxed position (perpendicular or lower to the wall) when I can.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks,

Josh

PS Im goin to die!

DROP YOUR HEELS!!!

Works like a charm and is the only known remedy aside from not being a pussy(just kidding, happens to all of us). If your legs are still shaking your heels are too high.

If you have the option, try standing on your heels, or the entire length of the inside edge of your shoe. Gear placements should really be kept to the height of an outstretched (overhead) elbow to lessen/eliminate the amount of tip-toe placements, and always try to hang off straight arms. And by all means--BREATHE!

+1 to ChefMatt! When your heels are lower than your forefoot, your skeleton is doing most of the work of holding you up. When your heels are higher than your forefoot your calf muscles do most of the work. Muscles fatigue out a lot faster than bones-thus the Elvis/sewing machine leg. Place pro where you can get it, but avoid reaching way high if you can-there's a reason ice climbers place screws waist height rather than at arms' length-it's a lot faster and more efficient(and you wouldn't believe how long it took to figure that out[decades!]) I once took a twenty-five+ foot fall (trad) because I made a high reach; heel lifted, toes shifted, & I blew off the one positive hold. Ooops...

All the above help. So does simply moving: get off that strenuous stance.

Try this as practice to improve your footwork: get on a low rock or boulder or your local climbing wall. Climb up and/or down and sideways, looking only at your feet. Force yourself to use a hold the way your foot first lands on it. In about 15 minutes, your footwork will have cleaned up dramatically.

And when you're out there 'really' climbing, think first about your feet, then think about all the other parts of your body. This will also get you in the habit of dropping (or leveling) your heels as soon as you latch onto a foothold.

ChefMattThaner wrote:DROP YOUR HEELS!!!

This will do it. Put another way, "toes to the sky" was the adage I was taught.

Elliott Crooks wrote:...snip...Muscles fatigue out a lot faster than bones...snip...

Citation needed.

It'll just come out sometimes. You'll think you're all experienced and badass and over it, and then you'll cast off into some blank, steep 5.11 slab sometime and ol' Elvis comes right back.

One thing that helps the footwork is long traverse sessions in the gym. Stay on the wall for 20+ minutes for 3 sets. Your footwork will improve because you will have to in order to stay on. Gym's suck but the training can really help.

Breathe. haha it's hard to stop once you really get going, but you gotta stop and collect yourself.

I can't personally speak to this, but I've heard (I forget from where, not research based) that running or similar activities can increase normal muscle tension in the legs that along with nervousness and jittery-behavior will cause it. Of course being relaxed will mean that this would rarely happen anyway, but perhaps reducing such activities or finding ways to reduce natural muscle tension will decrease the likelihood of it happening? Best of luck, and as said above, it's warranted in some cases ;)

- swap feet

- stand on your heel like an ice climbing rest

- climb up or down to a better foot rest

- climb more slab/moderates ... do tons of laps

- wear somewhat comfortable shoes

- take off your shoes at belays

- scream like a wuzzy man

;)

heels down breath.. focus on lowering your heart rate.

Josh Allred wrote:Poor footwork

Bingo!

Josh Allred wrote: 2) Reaching high to place gear. Im 6'2 and tend to make longer moves that includes placing gear. Im thinking that I place gear high when I am scared and get on my tip toes to long. 3) Long belays in uncomfortable positions. Maybe resting on a foot too long. 4) I have a BD Focus for my harness. I dont think it is all that comfortable. I am switching to a MM Cadillac ASAP. I notice I tend to get stiff from hanging out too long.

Sounds like you need to learn how to climb from stance to stance and belay from stances too. If you place gear from good stances, you'd be less scared. Be mindful of your center of gravity. Sometimes just shifting your weight a tiny bit makes a lot of difference.

Might try dialing back your caffeine/coffee intake, if you drink coffee. Maybe switch to green tea on climbing days. I've also heard tobacco can contribute to jitters.

find something easy to do laps on, find good rests and chill hands free. Find smaller rests, take hands off rock and relax your brain a bit. rinse and repeat. not only did this get me shaky free, was also good practice for when i started to lead on gear.

Chris Duca wrote: try standing on your heels, or the entire length of the inside edge of your shoe.

Talk about bad foot work! I do not suggest you do this, unless you exclusively climb 5.5. Which I doubt.

Elliott Crooks wrote: Place pro where you can get it, but avoid reaching way high if you can-there's a reason ice climbers place screws waist height rather than at arms' length-it's a lot faster and more efficient

Placing cams or stoppers above head is way different then placing screws. Not the same, not a good analogy, not always faster or more efficient.

I think lowering your heels when possible is good advice. I also think its somewhat related to fitness. The more you climb on your toes, the stronger those muscles will become, and the less often you will experience elvis leg. Also, you could always put some weight on your arms...

Brent Butler wrote: Talk about bad foot work! I do not suggest you do this, unless you exclusively climb 5.5. Which I doubt.

its actually GOOD footwork to do this when the holds are appropriate for a rest

here i am breeding bears on my heel resting my feet

yorkshire gripper 5.11b

resting your feet on lower angle climbs are just as important as resting your arms on steeper climbs

;)

Elliott Crooks wrote: Place pro where you can get it, but avoid reaching way high if you can-there's a reason ice climbers place screws waist height rather than at arms' length-it's a lot faster and more efficient(and you wouldn't believe how long it took to figure that out[decades!]).

Sure there is alot of reasons to place pro at a proper stance just like clipping bolts, but placing screws at your waist allows you to put pressure on the screw which allows the first teeth to bite. Your body weight pushing evenly at a waist level makes the first few twists much more effective. Ever tried to put enough pressure to catch the teeth above your head? Not easy. Plus placing at your hip allows you to hang on your tools and have more of an even center of gravity (mass).

Unless he's screwing in his cams, the ice screw comparison is apples and watermelons.

bearbreeder wrote: its actually GOOD footwork to do this when the holds are appropriate for a rest here i am breeding bears on my heel resting my feet resting your feet on lower angle climbs are just as important as resting your arms on steeper climbs ;)

I may be mistaken, however I bet the OP isn't having an Elvis Leg issue when standing on ledges...

Brent Butler wrote: I may be mistaken, however I bet the OP isn't having an Elvis Leg issue when standing on ledges...

you dont need to be on a ledge

you can do it whenever there is a bigger foothold for you to get your heel turned sideways

or an edge just a few mm wide ... even on slab

moderate climbs are full of such "foot rests" ... its GOOD footwork to take advantage of em

;)