Climbers Who Ignore Mobility Training Are Asking To Plateau Faster
The sloper — some spark joy, and some do not spark joy. Regardless of how much experience you have climbing, we can all relate to this.
Look at this picture and answer this question. What exercises in the gym specifically prepares you for this? Barbell Back Squat? Bench Press? Turkish Get-ups? Chin-Ups?
While you think about that, let me ask you another question. What exercise in the gym puts your body in the specific positions you need to climb?
What am I getting at here? Climbing demands your body to contort, twist, bend, hang, etc. in a way that ‘traditional exercises’ can’t replicate.
The difference between impressing your climbing partner and having your mom yell at you “you’re going to hurt yourself, honey!” can be just a few degrees of strength in any one joint.
Front squats may help develop leg strength, but they won’t build strength in those ‘awkward’ end ranges you need to hook onto the final sloper. Pull-ups may help your upper body get stronger so you can pull yourself up easier — but a pull-up is pretty linear ‘up-down-up-down-etc.’ vs climbing is dynamic and rotational ‘up-sideways-down-hold-halfway up-etc.’.
Can functional exercises solve this issue? It depends on your opinion on what a functional exercise is. An exercise that develops a skill you need in your sport is what makes it functional. Grip strength is a non-negotable skill you need to improve. If you only look to improve that by squeezing a barbell really hard, you’ll plateau. If you only challenge hip range of motion through a front squat, you’ll plateau. If you only improve core strength by doing planks with a ‘neutral spine’ there will be limited carryover.
So what do you need?
Tissue specific training.
Don’t ask ‘how do I make my legs stronger’. Instead, look at the ranges of motion you actually need when climbing — and TRAIN THOSE RANGES.
- You need hip flexion — in MULTIPLE angles and positions.
- You need grip strength— in MULTIPLE hand positions with various fingers.
- You need upper body strength — in EVERY angle your scapula can move.
I could go on, but I think you get the idea. Typical exercises may help you generally. However, if you’re not training those end-ranges others may consider ‘awkward’ then you’re failing to acknowledge the importance of developing strength in the ranges that are functional to your sport.
Remember — the demands that climbing puts on your joints/muscles aren’t purely linear, they’re dynamic and constantly changing. Keep that in mind the next time you’re in the gym — don’t be afriad to train outside the box.