WARMING-UP

 When it comes to injury in climbing, there is a fine line between holding a positive and optimistic attitude and being blatantly naieve. The more intense and performance orientated climbing becomes, the more important it is to enforce yet further, the importance of correct warming-up practices. So many climbers still seem to hold onto the belief that injury is something that only happens to other people. Equally surprising are the numbers who have suffered the odd 'twang' and yet, completely fail to learn from their own previous mistakes. Whilst the way you structure your climbing (in terms of it's type and intensity) is the main long- term factor which determines your ability to avoid injury, in the short term the most important variable will be your warm-ups - or lack of them!

Despite endless warnings from previous articles or training texts, one of the reasons that the message about warming-up doesn't seem to have got through is because there is minimal useful information around on what it is that you should actually do! How many people can you claim to see at the wall or crag who do any more than a few half-hearted arm swings and a quick touch of the toes before jumping onto their hardest boulder problems? The irony is that some of the bizarre and extreme forms of 'warm-up' which you occasionally see being practiced are potentially more damaging than climbing itself. The other reasons why warming-up isn't standard practice are either plain laziness or the fear of blowing your cool whilst going through the full 'Mr.Motivator' routine. Well this article isn't about looking cool, it's about being able to continue your climbing career.

Changing your approach

So from now on, if you've decided you're going to do the job properly, the next step is to work out the most relevant and time efficient approach. Certain elements of your warm-up must be consistent whilst others must vary according to the specific type of climbing which you are about to do. So here are a few basic guidelines first:

Progression

The most important thing about a warm-up is that it must introduce training overload gradually and in a controlled manner over a 'reasonable' time period. To go 'too hard too soon' is to 'blow your warm-up' - a concept which Malcolm Smith first introduced me to when I attempted to warm-up on the same route as him. You'll know when you've done it wrong by the fact that you never climb any harder than your so called 'warm-up' route or problem during the remainder of the session. If you are pushed for time then you may be able to cut-out certain less relevant parts of your routine but the core elements must always stay, even if it means less training time as a result.

 Specificity

Your warm-up must be as specific as possible to the task in hand. It may sound obvious but why perform a load of laborious leg stretches if you only plan to go on a steep bouldering wall or Campus board? However, if you're about to attempt a contorted slate slab route then you'll need to put more time into those calf, thigh and groin stretches. It is also vital to make your warm-up intensity-specific. Use easy boulder problems to warm-up for bouldering or power sessions and use easy traverses, circuits or routes to prepare for any endurance climbing.

The 4-point Warm-up Guide

In chronological order, this next section covers the core areas of a suggested warm-up routine for climbing:

1) Pulse raiser

If you're walking up to Cloggy or the Cromlech then you can happily forget this first stage. But if you're stepping out of your car to the foot of Raventor then you'll need to do something to get your heart and lungs going before you attempt to spring into action. By raising your pulse for aproximately 3-5 minutes with a quick jog, skip or some on-the-spot style exercises, you will increase overall blood flow, warm the muscles and generally trigger your body into exercise mode. This vital part of the warm-up also serves to soften joint cartilege in preparation for the impacts of strenuous exercise.

2) General mobility

Before you attempt to stretch, it pays to do some controlled shoulder and hip circles, combined with some finger clenches (either with or without a wrist exerciser) simply to get your muscles, tendons and joints used to working through a full range of motion. Violent windmills with your arms or 'Exorcist style' neck circles are definitely out! Use a smooth 'front-crawl' action for your arms and gently bend your neck from side to side - don't rotate it.

3) Specific stretching

As an overall rule, your core stretches which should be common to every session are the fingers and forearms, elbow tendon insertions, and shoulders. For steep rock pay particular attention to your back and sides and for lower angled rock, make sure you go through your leg stretches. See below.

i) Finger stretches

Having performed first performed some finger clenches, carefully work through each individual finger and thumb joint, stretching them both ways for approximately 5-6 seconds and up to 3 times each. You can do this in the car on the way to the crag to save time, provided you don't crash.

 ii) Elbow stretch

Hold one arm out straight in front of you, clasp it's fingers with your spare hand and bend your wrist and fingers back, so as to take up the tension on the flexor tendon insertion to the elbow. Hold for 8-12 seconds and repeat 3 times for each arm.

iii) Shoulder stretches

Grasp your elbow and bring your upper arm behind your head, applying gentle downward pressure to stretch the deltoid muscles. Also hold your arm out straight in front of you and then pull it sideways across your body. Use similar holding times and repetitions to the previous exercise.

iv) Back stretches

For your lats, stand legs apart and slightly bent, then lean sideways stretching the leading arm over your head so as you feel the tension in your sides. Place the other hand on your hip or thigh for support. For your upper middle back muscles (rhomboid & teres groups) simply hold both arms out in front with hands clenched together, then curl your arms and shoulders forward.

v) lower body stretches

For warming-up purposes these can be kept to an absolute minimum, although separate flexibility training is strongly advised for those who are in need. Choose one basic exercise for each muscle group, namely: groin, thighs, hamstrings and calves. The vast number of alternatives are too numerous to mention in this article but this information is readily available in elementary sport and exercise texts. However of particular use are high step-up type motions as well as 'frog-style' turn-outs to prepare you for getting your hips in close to the rock.

4) Progressive climbing build-up

Now for the really important part. You're warm, mobile and fully stretched so the final stage is to subject yourself to gradually increasing overload; ie: climbing or climbing related movements of heightening intensity. As mentioned before, use longer sequences to prepare for endurance climbing and shorter problems to build up for bouldering. Try, also, to make the moves in your warm-up sequences specific to the crag or wall which you are about to use; ie: warm-up on steep juggy stuff if that's what you're mainly going to be doing. Your first movements should be so easy that you barely notice them; use these to relax, stretch out and to tune-in mentally to the sensation of climbing. Then, with the use of intermittent rest, build up in a Pyramidal fashion until you are almost ready for maximum effort. Once you reach this stage, stop and rest for anything between 6 and 15 minutes before you commence with the session proper. It's worth taking a small amount of fluid and having a light secondary stretch during this period.

 Important

- Always ensure that all the main finger angles are utilised during the warm-up - ie: crimp,

half crimp, open hand, sloper and pinches (See also - High, June '96)

- Ensure that all main arm positions are worked through the full range of motion during the warm-up - ie: pull-down, side-pull, reverse side-pull and undercut.

- Try to climb fluidly, smoothly and in control; and only attempt faster moves to recruit your

neuromuscular timing towards the end of the warm-up.

- For endurance, a light 'primary pump' is needed to open the capillaries and to activate your

body's lactic acid transfer systems.

Some general pointers

It is well worth taking the time to 'wire' a few standard routine warm-up routes or problems at your regular climbing venues. You can use these to monitor how well you have recovered from the previous session, whilst climbing in complete control.

If the crag you are at has no suitable routes and you are forced to warm-up on something difficult, take plenty of rest between individual moves (if a top-rope or the protection permits) and treat the exercise as if it were a bouldering warm-up. Although less desirable, this is far better than jumping straight on something hard and heading for the inevitable burn-out.

Summary

Whilst this article proposes an optimum approach to warming-up, it is not intented as a comprehensive guide, nor does it suggest that this is the only way to go about it. Above all else, you should warm-up in a way which suits your own mental and physical conditioning. Even if this approach doesn't suit you, there will hopefully be a few pointers which can be adapted and worked into a different framework. Remember also that little mention has been made of the undisputed worth of incorporating mental training techniques such as visualisation, relaxation and focusing into your warm-up. Any champion in any sport will do this as a matter of cause and this suggestion should path the way into an entirely separate field of research for the keenest and most dedicated climbers.

The most important point is that you must make the effort to do something, no matter how simple, for your warm-up; and if you're going to set the time aside then you may as well do it properly. Afterall, the purpose here is to give yourself the best chance of climbing well in addition to avoiding injury.