Bodybuilding and climbing?
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A bit of extra weight isn't usually a big problem, but a bit of extra bulk, even if it's muscle, can be quite annoying for certain climbing moves, especially w/ a bit less flexibility. I tend to bulk up pretty easily, and even when I was performing at my best (5.14- RP), I still had a 24 BMI. I say knock yourself out w/ BB, even if it impedes your climbing a bit, it probably isn't unhealthy unless you are on roids. There are plenty of plp who wish they can get stronger/bigger after certain age. It's all for fun after all, right? |
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jessie briggs wrote: Actually it was solicited but whatevs... |
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John Gill chimed in. That's rad. |
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jessie briggs wrote: A better summary: 1) You clearly want to do some kind of general strength training, but for some reason you refer to it as bodybuilding. 2) You solicit advice on Mountain Project 3) Various people, including some who engage in actual bodybuilding offer you varied reasonable-sounding advice, although they are confused by your odd choice of terminology. 4) You disparage any advice offered, refer to it as unsolicited, and have a bit of a tantrum. Good luck with your body strengthing!!! |
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I actually only asked if anyone did those two activities together. Hahaha |
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In his writings, John Long (Largo) mentions his interest in body building. Looking at older photos of him, clearly he was into it. While bodybuilding may not be the best route to becoming a strong climber, if you are interested in lifting or bodybuilding that is great. More strength is great for climbing. |
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Who's got that photo of Mike Caldwell that's in, Climb! |
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A lot depends on your type of climbing, how far you want to go with your climbing and if your training is all about climbing. Many climbers are skiers, mtn bikers, etc. They cross train. I lifted weights but also was swimming, interval training on steep uphill runs, and earning my turns mtn biking and skiing, etc. Was great for climbing and more fun than just one type of workout. Overall health was the goal but so was improvement in all sports (enjoyed kicking butts half my age). Endurance, speed, strength, even focus are important to most athletes. Weights certainly help. Swimming was the best workout for my climbing if I had to pick one workout. |
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Teton Climber wrote: yea but it's so damn boring... |
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curt86iroc wrote: But pool chemicals keep your teeth clean so worth it. Sometimes I look at Ondra's projects and wonder if he isn't sick of em by the time he sends em. The best athletes, and business people, put in the boring time to be champions. BTW, if you are good at swimming, it isn't that bad. You can get a solid workout in 30 min. |
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Teton Climber wrote: that's the most motivational thing I've heard all day. get after it! |
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Teton Climber wrote: Being a terrible swimmer would give you a solid workout in about 2 minutes. Just sayin |
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jessie briggs wrote: I've been climbing for nearly eight years. About five years ago I took up lifting. (I don't specifically bodybuild or powerlift, just try to become stronger/fitter/more mobile) I was not climbing at the time. After about five months without climbing, I started climbing again at the same level I left off. I vividly recall having laughably weak fingers but being so much stronger in other areas of my body that it didn't matter. Today I still lift and enjoy a nice balance between climbing and lifting. I'm 6 feet tall and weigh 165-170 pounds. If all I did was climb I'd still be 150, unable to move furniture on my own, getting dizzy upon sitting up too fast, etc. I don't think being heavier has messed with my climbing at all, but certainly the time, energy, recovery needs, etc. of lifting means my climbing doesn't progress as fast as it could. Still, I can deadlift twice my bodyweight for 5 reps and climb up to 13a (sometimes). I also feel awesome and enjoy my life...isn't that the point? I also coach climbers. The amount of genuinely frail people I've worked with who remain averse to weight training is baffling. Women who weigh 95 pounds and can't squat an empty barbell or do a single pullup are worried they'll become she-hulk if they stand next to a weight. (Men will feel this way too, I'm just providing an example.) I have to explain just how hard building muscle actually is, and how adding 5-10 pounds of useful bodyweight, if someone is weak and underweight, will greatly help their climbing and not weigh them down at all. That being said, if I'm working with a 210-pound man who used to play football and is very strong, I don't encourage lifting. That person doesn't need it, but EVERY climber needs at least a modicum of total body strength. One thing to keep in mind is that your body only has so much recovery capacity, and there's only so much time in a day. Whatever balance you want to strike between lifting and climbing is up to you, and nobody can tell you what it is. If I ate more and gained weight I'd be bigger and stronger in the weight room, but I like to spend more time climbing and am still pushing that aspect. Maybe at some point I'll shift. Another thing: you can always go through phases in which you maintain one activity while really pushing the other activity. Whichever activity isn't the focus, do it once or twice a week and don't even try to improve on what you've already done in the past. Then you'll have more energy for the other thing. |
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A V wrote: I‘d like to see some data on this. Similar to the study done showing finger ”pulp” is more indicative how how hard one can crimp, rather than finger size. I wouldn’t be surprised if forearm size, overall, had some correlation to grades. Aside from strength attributes, like pulling power and finger strength, I am still adamant that hip and shoulder mobility and core strength play some of the biggest factors on climbing “strong“ grades for both boulders and routes.…far more than muscle mass/strength in most cases. Dave Graham notoriously couldn‘t come close to a 1-armed pull up but regularly bouldered V14 and V15. |
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What does it mean to have a fantastic strength to weight ratio? |