The 4th part in a web site series on training away the gaps in your climbing performance. Continuing with the theme of weaknesses in arm and upperbody strength, last article looked only at the most relevant exercises to climbing to assist those with relatively minor weaknesses in this area. This issue examines the pros and cons of weight training as a tool to address more serious deficits in upperbody strength.
There is perhaps more speculation and misunderstanding about the use of weights for climbing than any other type of training. The main reason it is avoided is the very real concern that any strength gained through weights will be negated by increases in body mass. It is the simple power-to-weight ratio that matters in climbing; and thus gains in absolute strength in the arms are only worthwhile if we have the means of expressing them to the rock. It would be easy for a climber who has developed Herculean arm strength through weights to consider that their climbing will automatically have improved. Yet if the penalty for this new found strength is a significantly increased loading on the fingers then it is more than likely that their overall climbing standard will actually be impaired! However, if you understand the basic principles of weight training it is perfectly possible to use it as a highly effective tool for laying down those vital foundations of strength for climbing without gaining excessive weight and bulk.
The first thing about weight training for climbing is the importance of keeping it in context. Weights can be great fun and it can be easy to get obsessed, especially when you start to notice your gains in the mirror as well as on the crags! You can only justify devoting time to weights if you really feel that your fingers are so strong that you can hang on the smallest holds with ease and yet you have virtually no ability to pull-up on them. More importantly, time and effort spent doing weights could always be spent going climbing and incorporating the essential skills and techniques into your training which are notably absent from a weight training program.
It is by no means the case that to make your muscles stronger, you have to make them significantly bulkier. Power lifters are far stronger than body builders, relative to their size and weight. This is because their muscle is more 'efficient', pound-for-pound, whereas a percentage of the make-up of a bodybuilders muscle is purely 'cosmetic'. The two most important factors which contribute purely to muscle size are fiber hypertrophy (the thickening of muscle fibers) and local muscular blood supply and storage. All weight training induces both these conditions to some extent or another. Yet the degree to which you gain pure muscle bulk from weight training depends predominantly on the number of repetitions performed in a set and hence it's overall intensity. The choice of exercises themselves and the rest structure which is used is also relevant. In short, sets of between 1 and 6 repetitions tend to produce strength without excessive bulk. Although this low repetition range induces major fiber hypertrophy, this occurs with minimal blood engorgement of the muscle. High rep sets of 15 repetitions and above tend to build endurance, again without excessive bulk. In this case, although blood is pumped into the muscle there is a lesser degree of hypertrophy. However it is the critical mid repetition range known as the 'Mass threshold' (i.e: between 8 and 12 reps) where we start to encounter problems. It is this potent range that is used so commonly by bodybuilders primarily because the induced training stimulus is both intense enough to promote fiber hypertrophy, as well as being of sufficient duration to encourage a pumping of blood to the muscles, causing them to swell and bloat. The result - big muscles.
It is ironic that one of the first things we are told to do when we enter the gym is perform sets of 10 repetitions for each exercise. Seeing also that weight training is of minimal value for developing climbing endurance, the answer is to train below the mid repetition range in order to develop strength with minimum bulk.
The list below represents a carefully selected few of the multitude of exercises which could be used to train the upperbody for climbing. It is important to remember to keep the number of antagonist (pushing) exercises to an absolute minimum in order to prevent bulking up in unwanted areas and to enable the climbing protagonists (pulling) muscles to be prioritized in your training program. The exercises are described with the presumption of a basic knowledge of elementary weight training techniques. It simply is not possible in a short article to go into the details of form and safety procedures, although the most important safety tips have been noted. Do not attempt any of these exercises unless you are fully confident with them and if in doubt, take this article to the gym and ask a qualified instructor for assistance.
These are the main 'pulling' exercises which are listed in approximate order of specificity to climbing. The exercises which train the largest muscles or muscle groups are listed first and these should always be trained first in a session, finishing up with the smallest muscle groups.
This is the basic weight training exercise for the main climbing protagonist 'pulling muscles', especially the lats or side-back. It can be performed with one or 2 arms, depending on the desired training affect. For the single arm training, a 1-arm grip handle must be attached to the cable. For 2-arm work, a 'U-bar' is most versatile as it provides the option of wide and close-grip variations. Use an over-hand grip and pull-down to the front of the head to maximize specificity to climbing.
These exercises are superb for gaining strength in the middle back groups which are used commonly on roofs or very steep rock. An under-hand grip will work the biceps more specifically although an over-hand grip is slightly more specific to climbing. Although the barbell rows have a superb strengthening affect on the lower back muscles, they can be dangerous unless you keep your torso perfectly flat and rigid and your legs slightly bent.
This most commonly used exercise for isolating the biceps muscles is especially useful for developing the type of strength which is demanded for under-cut moves. Variations include the use of an 'E-Z bar' or the reverse grip for isolating different areas of the biceps and forearm. Dumbbell work can also be used to prevent favouring your strongest arm.
Whilst the exercises described above are by far the most relevant weight training exercises to climbing, it is vital to acknowledge the importance of developing the 'opposition muscles' to some degree. Leading weight training guru, Joe Weider's 'Progressive symmetry' principle states that a muscle can only get so strong without development of it's antagonist muscle; ie: you can only get so good at pulling if you never push! So without getting carried away, for every two or three protagonist (pulling) weights sessions you have, make sure that you have at least one session which includes antagonist (pushing) muscles in order to redress the balance. This is also a vital principle to avoid injury as a result of major imbalances in symmetry.
These are the most effective overall training movements for the 'pushing' muscles. They work the chest, front shoulders and triceps in full synergy, although a wider the grip will place more emphasis on the chest and the less on the triceps. It may well be worth using just the bench press as the single exercise for antagonist training in your overall program.
The simple seated barbell press-behind-neck is the best exercise for gaining pure overall shoulder strength. However, dumbbell side raises can be used to pin-point different parts of the shoulder - lean forwards to work the rear shoulder which is most commonly used in climbing and try leaning back or raising the dumbbells in front (instead of to the side) to place more emphasis on the front shoulder which is used commonly in mantleshelves or press moves.
These basic movements allow full isolation of the triceps in a manner that is specific to many climbing situations, such as deep locks or presses. For the barbell extensions, lie as for the bench press but bring the bar down to your forehead and push back up keeping the upper arm completely vertical and stationary. For the second, stand at the cable machine, take the bar beneath your chin and push it down to waist level keeping your elbows close to your sides. Use a shoulder width grip for both exercises and the strictest possible form.
Abdominal and lower back exercises
Remember that there is no point having a strong and powerful upperbody unless it has a stable base on which to rest. It can also be dangerous very dangerous for the spine if a major imbalance in strength occurs between the upper and lower torso so keep a check on this by performing some lower back and ab' work. This will also improve your climbing performance for steep rock no-end, especially for situations where you need to use body tension to keep your feet on or if you have to bring your feet back up after cutting-loose. For your abs you can try Crunch sit-ups or Hanging knee raises. For crunches - lie on your back with your legs bent and your feet on a bench and curl your upper body so your head meets your knees; and for knee raises, hang from a bar and simply raise your legs out in front of you (slightly bent) and then curl them up to your chest. For your lower back - Dorsal raises are ideal where you lie on your front with your hands behind your head and curl your back upwards. Take care particularly with this exercise.
Set structure:
The basic Pyramid (described in previous articles) provides the most effective repetition and set structure for weight training. Start with the highest weight and lowest rep sets and then work your way through, remembering to stay within the critical 8 repetitions limit. The number of sets that are performed for each exercise will always be relative to the ability and the requirements of the individual . In general it is advisable to concentrate mainly on the sets of 3-6 repetitions and to perform no more than 3 sets if you are a beginner, 5-6 sets if you are fairly familiar with weights and 10 sets if you are a full-on gym junky.
If you are newcomer to weight training, as with climbing you must first develop good form and control before you then go on to attempt heavier poundages. This is best achieved by using a variety of exercises each of which should be performed for 3 sets of 15-20 reps with light weights and in complete control. Try this, say, twice a week for at least two months before progressing to more intense training. Even to the more experienced, any weight training phase should start with a gradual and progressive build-up of poundages. Initially you should aim to complete all the sets comfortably, but the further you progress the closer you must train the point of muscle failure. Your training phase will peak when all work is performed to failure. Rests between sets should be sufficient to avoid cumulative fatigue and 3-5 minutes should mean that you achieve this whilst still placing stresses on the correct energy systems.
Remember to experiment by performing sets with reduced weight for speed and power as opposed to pure strength. You can also try performing negatives or partner-assisted reps to take you through and beyond the failure barrier! Partial reps can also be used to isolate specific ranges within a particular movement.
Session structure:
Fitting weights into your overall training program for climbing can be problematic, primarily because they absorb so much time and energy which could be detrimental to your more specific climbing work-outs. There are so many feasible options: for example, you could follow a split-routine where protagonist and antagonist muscles are trained on separate days or a combined routine where they are both trained in the same session. Alternatively you could train weights after cragging or going to the wall, provided that the climbing was sufficiently finger prioritized so as not to have pre-exausted your arms. The answer is to experiment and find which works best for you.
Remember above all else, not to lose sight of your objective. Weights may only be worthwhile for a short period of the climbing year as a system shocking device to give you a breather from pure climbing or perhaps to keep you in shape whilst recovering from a finger injury. Use them well and those same puny biceps could be cranking off one-armers within the year; use them badly and with any luck you could end-up enrolling for the '98 Mr.Olympia!
Remember also that you can catch up with the most up to date training information in Neil Gresham's 'High Performance' column, every month in High Magazine.