You are hereForums / Social / General Climbing Chat / Getting fit for better climbing?
Getting fit for better climbing?
Hey guys/gals,
I've been climbing for about 2 months now, only indoors so far, about 2 times a week, sometimes 3. I am a bit overweight, I'd say about 20 lbs, and it seems like all the good climbers are thin as rails.
I'm wondering if most of you guys keep certain diets, are just active people in general, or just climb so much that it keeps you in shape? I definitely get a good workout climbing, I usually try to stay at it about 2 hours or until my fingers give up, but it doesn't seem like it's helping me lose weight.
Any advice would be great,
Oakes
as a beginner, you shouldn't be using your fingers
what does that mean?
is there some form of fingerless climbing i dont know abouT!
To get in shape cardio wise i recommend if possible walking or riding a bike to and or around wherever you climb,for example if your fingers get sore take a walk, Jog or ride around that area and explore till you pump down a bit.
Grimpers don't come around until say 5.10 level. If you are climbing anything lower than 5.10 and your fingers are getting worn off, you need to work on your technique. Downgrade a grade or two and focus on climbing with your feet and using more open palms.
relying solely on climbing to help you lose weight is a great way to get good at climbing but isn't nearly efficient enough to help you shed 20 lbs. i recently lost about 15 lbs (lost about 5 to gear up for a climbing trip and 10 since without really climbing) and the trick for me was to really watch my portion control. i am not a big breakfast or lunch person so by dinner i'm generally pretty hungry and go to town on whatever is in front of me. how i've dealt with that issue has been to eat breakfast no matter what, lunch no matter what (cliff bars), and to leave the dinner table way before being stuffed. i also make sure to eat something while climbing like nuts or a cliff bar or 2. if that's not an issue for you, try to cut out sugar at all costs and try to eat before 9pm every day. i'm no doctor, but these are things i've done that have helped when i've been climbing. good luck
Don't forget that muscle weighs more than fat, so if you are climbing and not seeing any change in your weight, you could very well be exchanging fat for muscle. I gained ten pounds when I started climbing, but am still wearing the same clothes from ten pounds ago comfortably. I should very well be wearing a size bigger, but am not. I can only attribute this phenomenon to muscle gain.
I noticed a huge improvement in my climbing when I started training for an upcoming 10K race. I literally jumped two levels in a about two weeks.
Ride your bike, run, do something get gets your heart pumping. Aerobic activity, not only helps you keep your weight down, it helps your body circulate blood and reduce lactic acid build-up. It also helps blood and oxygen travel to your brain quicker, which helps keep you sharp. You'll be able to climb harder, longer.
p.s. E.Horst's book, "Conditioning for Climbing" has great training and nutrition tips.
I'm taking up climbing as of now.
I work as a digital dude.. and therefor my life has been sliding the way of the screen over the past years. I've had a gym membership for over two years now, but I'm basically just lighting cash on fire, because I cant get motivated to go jump around on machines more than 1-2 times a month.
I need to motivate my cross training, and climbing is what's calling. I'm looking for all the advice and help I can get into entering into climbing here in NYC and designing a relevant cross training program for myself.
Girldetective. Im ordering that book. right now.
ciao.