Does slacklining help your rock climbing?

Does it help your climbing, or is it just really fun? Just curious about people's opinions on this.

Yes.

no.

i think it helps a lot with overall balance kind of stuff. I've been slack lining for two years and i find it helpful on those blank granite slabs. Theres a lot of those kinda climbs around me and balance is a key factor in that style. (all the slabs are at like a 40-70 degrees)

i don't see how the balance required in slacklining would really have much crossover for climbing. maybe skiing, but not so much climbing.

Dynamic balance not usually required I'm thinking, since the rock doesn't usually move...usually.

I have found that from slack lining, I have a better sense of balance when I am climbing. Aka peeling off has went down a lot since I started slack lining.

No. Neither does yoga. Climbing, sport specific training, and weight loss will help your climbing.

I think it has helped my climbing a lot. You really have to focus and that for me is what is really helpful. I noticed that after I was up to walking 50' and longer lines, my wheels spun a lot less when I was running it out. I think slack lining, yoga or anything that forces you to be calm, focused, aware of your breath and center of balance is fantastic for climbing. Especially for people like me, who find the mental game is more challenging than the physical aspects.

Ashley A wrote:I think it has helped my climbing a lot. You really have to focus and that for me is what is really helpful. I noticed that after I was up to walking 50' and longer lines, my wheels spun a lot less when I was running it out. I think slack lining, yoga or anything that forces you to be calm, focused, aware of your breath and center of balance is fantastic for climbing. Especially for people like me, who find the mental game is more challenging than the physical aspects.

I've really never done much slack lining. But the above reasoning is pretty sensible. Basically meditation.

I'm with the poster, even when I was very strong (for me), I found leading was entirely bottlenecked by the mental aspects, if her rationale is legit, it can't hurt.

I read a book that said "no." Or at least "not much, your time can be better spent doing other kinds of more useful training."

I have found it best helps with beer drinking, once you combine the two.

No, although highlining can help with your lead head.

No, but it will help your hacky sacking

Does doing an Ironman help with climbing? What about becoming a 7th degree black belt in Taekwondo? How about becoming a Marine MARSOC operator?

20 kN wrote:Does doing an Ironman help with climbing?

No, because it will destroy your relationship with your climbing partner (and life partner potentially) as you spend all your time training for the fucking thing.

20 kN wrote:What about becoming a 7th degree black belt in Taekwondo?

Yes, because you will be able to kick the shit outta anybody who tries to steal your gear and/or first ascents.

20 kN wrote:How about becoming a Marine MARSOC operator?

No, because your ass will become fat from sitting operating the thing. (I think, since I have no idea what a MARSOC is, and am too lazy to google it)

David Morgantini wrote: No, because your ass will become fat from sitting operating the thing. (I think, since I have no idea what a MARSOC is, and am too lazy to google it)

From this, marsoc.com/ it does not appear that the primary health risk is obesity.

The one physical application of slacklining (mental game aside) that I felt helped my climbing is the ability to stand up with only one point of contact. Doing a sit-start on a slackline and standing up on one leg. Think high stepping and being able stand and completely extend your leg without the help of your hands. There is a bit of core strength and muscle memory necessary to keep your leg from shaking in order to pull off this move.

Slacklining improves my footwork. I feel like I'm a lot more controlled and precise while climbing if I have been slacklining.

so, when you boil it all down, the answer is: yes and no

Ryan Palo wrote:No. Neither does yoga. Climbing, sport specific training, and weight loss will help your climbing.

Exactly. You will get absolutely no skill transfer to climbing from some other activity that is not climbing. Plain and simple. Many training for climbing books talk about this in detail. Sport specfic training and some weight loss will improve performance, but the only way to get better at the specific skill sets required in climbing rock is to climb rock.