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Bodybuilding and climbing?

reboot · · . · Joined Jul 2006 · Points: 125

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?

M M · · Maine · Joined Oct 2020 · Points: 2
jessie briggs wrote:

I totally needed your unsolicited advice on how to train. 

Actually it was solicited but whatevs...

Long Ranger · · Boulder, CO · Joined Jan 2014 · Points: 669

John Gill chimed in. That's rad. 

Short Fall Sean · · Bishop, CA · Joined Sep 2012 · Points: 7
jessie briggs wrote:

So to summarize: 


Any weight, including muscle, makes you a bad climber.

If the thought even occurs in your brain your getting stronger, you’re no longer bodybuilding, but strength training.

Rock climbers don’t lift weights.

Lifting weights makes you huge, instantaneously.

We can fix muscle imbalance by doing body weight push-ups, to counteract doing pull-ups with as much added weight as possible.

Muscle imbalance doesn’t lead to injuries.

I suck at rock climbing if I improved from strength training.

Ok got it. 

Thanks for answering my question y’all.

I totally needed your unsolicited advice on how to train. 

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!!!

jessie briggs · · NH · Joined Oct 2016 · Points: 636

I actually only asked if anyone did those two activities together. Hahaha 

Spider Savage · · Los Angeles, ID · Joined May 2007 · Points: 540

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.  

Long Ranger · · Boulder, CO · Joined Jan 2014 · Points: 669

Who's got that photo of Mike Caldwell that's in, Climb!

Teton Climber · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2011 · Points: 1

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.

curt86iroc · · Lakewood, CO · Joined Dec 2014 · Points: 274
Teton Climber wrote:

Swimming was the best workout for my climbing if I had to pick one workout.

yea but it's so damn boring...

Teton Climber · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2011 · Points: 1
curt86iroc wrote:

yea but it's so damn boring...

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. 

curt86iroc · · Lakewood, CO · Joined Dec 2014 · Points: 274
Teton Climber wrote:

 The best athletes, and business people, put in the boring time to be champions. 

that's the most motivational thing I've heard all day. get after it!

highaltitudeflatulentexpulsion · · Colorado · Joined Oct 2012 · Points: 35
Teton Climber wrote:

BTW, if you are good at swimming, it isn't that bad. You can get a solid workout in 30 min. 

Being a terrible swimmer would give you a solid workout in about 2 minutes. Just sayin

Seriously Moderate Climber · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2017 · Points: 0
jessie briggs wrote:

That is just the generalized stereotype that all bodybuilders want to be massive. Bodybuilding is about physique and strength. You do not have to be massive to be a bodybuilder. The typical climber build leads to poor posture, a lack of chest muscles and twiggy legs. So I’d like to have better posture, a more developed chest, and less twiggy legs. There ya go. I’d also like to climb 5.14/v10, I’m pretty certain I can do both, just wanted to see if anyone else out there is doing similar things.

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.

Go Back to Super Topo · · Lex · Joined Dec 2010 · Points: 285
A V wrote:

I used to think that being muscular in a heavy way is bad, but then again I’ve run into some beefy beef cake powerlifter looking bois (220lb+) that climb 5.13 so who the hell knows anymore.

That being said all of the 5.14 and up climbers that I’ve run into look like gymnasts or cross country runners. A handful have popeye forearms, but it’s not very common. If they have their shirts on you would think they were just average dudes - nothing about them indicates that they are elite level athletes other than just the way they climb and are able to move their bodies + joints.

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. 

Tommy J · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2017 · Points: 53

What does it mean to have a fantastic strength to weight ratio?

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