Rock Climbing-killer workout

Rock climbing was on my bucket list for a while and I finally did it. I gotta tell you, to get over my fear of heights and pushing myself like that..I am really proud. I can hardly type, that is how sore my arms and hands are..Love it!





Rock climbing

People enjoy the benefits of rock climbing everyday. Some like the vigorous full-body workout, others like the exercise and community at their local gym or crag, and others are competitors who train year round for accomplishment and victory.
Getting and staying in shape is a huge rock climbing benefit. You can develop…

• dynamic muscle strength
• flexibility
• balance
• coordination
• mental and physical focus

Benefits of Rock Climbing

One of the great benefits of rock climbing is the fun and joy it brings. Climbing is challenging and taking on the challenge can be very rewarding. Working up a good sweat and having fun with your friends. You can't beat that.

The physical benefits of rock climbing are plentiful. Rock climbing does not only stick to one set of muscles and because of this, climbers often end up with bodies that are toned all over and look healthy. Instead of the same old environment of the gym, rock climbing can create more challenges.

Another very important aspect of rock climbing is the community.
While there are bonds that form while people work out at a gym, they are often not as deep and sincere as those formed with climbing partners. Since you will most likely be belayed by someone from this community, you are basically trusting them with your life. Talking about a life partner!!This kind of bond is very strong and can lead to strong friendships and even romantic relationships. Maybe I will find my next Lover while I trust him with my life..that would be a story!
Climbers tend to be very friendly and open people, so it is relatively easy to make friends within the community even if they don't start out as your climbing partners.

An extremely rewarding benefit of rock climbing is that it can lead to better moods and more self-confidence. Someone that has just finished a route or even just climbed up that wall at the gym, that they had been working on for a week is often infected with a smile. This smile, in turn, affects the mood of those around this climber and as a result, everyone's mood improves. The feeling of achieving is huge. Yes you can be proud of yourself, I sure was!!.
Maybe you just did one more pull-up than before. Or figured out a technique that can help you in the future. Or maybe you just talked to that climber guy that you've been wondering about for the past week. Regardless, you often walk away with a feeling of success and accomplishment after a climbing day, like a couple of hours isn't enough.

Primary muscles used for rock climbing

Forearm

The five major forearm muscles: brachioradialis, pronator teres, flexor carpi radialis, palmaris longus and flexor carpi ulnaris all get a major workout anytime someone climbes a mountain. Since the muscles in the fingers themselves are very tiny and hard to exercise, the strength it takes to hold you onto the face of a rock are found in the forearm. For this reason, many climbers strengthen their forearms by completing hand exercises. Squeezing a grip bar or small ball several times in the hand will ultimately improve hand, wrist and forearm strength, increasing your endurance and allowing you to stay hugged against the wall tightly.

Upper Arms

The ability for a climber to hang by the arm or pull themselves up by the arm when a footing is too small comes mostly from the upper arms and shoulders. These muscles include the bicep in the front of the arm, the triceps behind the arm and the deltoid that wraps around the shoulder. To increase strength in these muscles, many climbers do repetitions of pull-ups. 

Quadriceps

While climbing most certainly does take arm strength, the real strength comes from the legs. Climbers do not use their arms to lift their bodies; the arms are used predominately to stay tight against the mountain. To move up a rock face a climber must use her quadriceps muscles, found in the front of the thighs. Strong quadriceps allows a climber to step up from any precarious angle. Strengthen the quadriceps by doing squats and always taking the stairs, two steps at a time, instead of an elevator.

Calf Muscles

The muscles in the calves, although used less to help a climber step up than the quadriceps, also play a crucial part in climbing. When a wall's face has small nooks and crevices, the calf muscles are what aid you to keep your toe against the wall when only the smallest bit will fit. When it comes time to move upward, it is the calf muscles that allow you to rise to your tip-toes to get a better reach. For the fastest way to increase calf strength, simply rise to the ball of your feet and lower back down several times while standing. It will not be long before you feel the burn. Alternate patterns with feet parallel to each other then turned out. This will change, slightly, the muscles being engaged making you a more well-rounded climber.

Love and Cookies

Jennifer