Arizona Bouldering & Climbing

This is heated!  To lift or not to lift. What is the answer?

Tryhard, what body weight exercises do you recomend?

yes i have seen that scary thing (fish in female form). and i totally agree with the body weight excercises theory. weight lifting definately has its place as far as becoming a more well rounded person physically. but as for climbing goes, i dont think there is a place for it. weight lifting is great for balance and coordination, as well as just simple  control. but i hope that anyone climbing is a bit more body aware than the average person. we should all be more coordinated (fish needs to work on this as well as his jumping ability) and have better balance too. im sure the body weight exercises that Tryhard is refering to are mostly push/pull excersises on the rings. nothing, besides climbing of coarse, keeps your climbing muscles in shape quite like the rings. i know that the bouldering bulgarian will disagree, but for me the rings keep my body sustained during my injury periods. if i stay on the rings while not climbing, it only takes a week or two for me to be back in bouldering shape. with out the rings, 4-5 weeks.  

Everybody has a personal style of trainging, just because I don't use rings, it doesn't means its bedto use them. I climb six days a week; therefore, I don't feel like doing rings.

climbo_bg wrote:

Everybody has a personal style of trainging, just because I don't use rings, it doesn't means its bedto use them. I climb six days a week; therefore, I don't feel like doing rings.

Maybe if you did, Bulgaria would have had a better finish in the US WC.

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my life would be so much easier if I didnt have to get out of bed.

HAhahhhahaha
Actualy, I did ring training with you and Kody, right before this comp! Don't forget about it!
...........maybe if I didn't do ring, things would be better...............

climbo_bg wrote:

HAhahhhahaha
Actualy, I did ring training with you and Kody, right before this comp! Don't forget about it!
...........maybe if I didn't do ring, things would be better...............

One half A$$ workout on the rings is not going to do anything for you bulgaria. You SHOULD be way stronger than Kody on them, yet he was smoking you. One time in the sack does not make you a porn star.

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my life would be so much easier if I didnt have to get out of bed.

You talking about the time you came up and did only a few of the exercises.  And the exercises you did do you went so half-assed that i was getting more reps than you?  Cause that will definately not get you world cup strong.

Yes, yes, yes,
But how many people are way better than you and I on the rings, and how many of them can climb near as us? I have seen total Gumbies that climb V2's and are kicking ass on the rings. I saw a guy to do an iron cross, who couldn't climb V2, lest put it this way.
In climbing is really hard to conver power into a performence!

Using rings has become quite popular in todays climbing. More and more climbers are using it to help strengthen their climbing abilities. I will admit its a great workout and an appealing event to watch on the olympics. Greg put me through a brutal ring work out once that left me sore for a week.

I stand by what I said about weight lifting for bouldering. For me its worked very well as long as I was climbing twice a week. I've used an assortment of excercises with weights and cables to strengthen specific types of movement (not just for climbing). I realize many will disagree, but I can't disagree with the results I'm having, or someone else for that matter.

So, if something works for someone, why hate on it? Perhaps more rings or opposition excercises would help a climber. I just won't agree that its the way or anything written in stone. I've seen climbers from all around the world using different methods of excercise to give them the cutting edge (Ben Moon school, campus boards, weighted pull ups, electrotherapy climbing, pipe ladders, etc).

Careful with the rings... it gave me a good case of elbow tendinitis that won't go away.
I think Joe said it started to bother his elbow at one point as well.

I still believe that system training with weight got me stronger than doing problems in the gym.
I never got injured on my wall either.

So, I guess you could say that I believe in weight training.

Give me a good system wall and a set of rings and I probably wouldn't touch a taped problem.

Probably why I dyno like a girl though, and can't heel or toe hook though...

total agreement with mr. onearmcrank. i should have clarified my previous statements about weight training: for the majority of climbers it is not that beneficial. if you find something that works for you, by all means stick with it. shoot, your a step ahead of me by just doing that. i personally feel that campus boards are just finger injuries waiting to happen, but if it works for you go with it. when your tendons ache dont come crying to me though.

the reason there are so many different ways to train is because their are so many different body styles. i pretty much look to fish for any advice when it comes to training. not because he is strong, but because we are similar in build (yes fish, one day you will look like me.... chubby). but we are of similar hieght, wieght, and arm strength. somehow he doesnt get hurt, but i do. obviously i should pay attention to his advice. take Matt Birch, or Byrch or whatever, im certainly not going to do the same finger training he does. the dude is like 6'1" and about 120lbs with bricks in his pockets (not true, but you get the illustration). he is going to put way different types of pressure on his fingers. hes longer, taller, and from what ive seen doesnt pull on holds very hard. he relys on his fingers to hold him there while his body moves. he doesnt use his arms to pull him into position. i climb very different than that. honostly, i might have the worst foot work of anyone i know. and ive developed that way because my upper body is strong enough to componsate.

so i guess my point is.... i appreciate everyones input, but since im not rail thin, or cant climb 6 days a week, i tend to listen to those who are built more like me. so OneArmCrank, put on 30lbs (just on your legs) and then i will try your methods if it still works. you are built so much different than me, that it makes it hard to apply your training to my body.

Your absolutely right. Everyones body type is very different. Take a look at Dave Graham vrs Sharma. Dave is very thin and wiery (practically a breathing tendon). He can hold onto just about everything and it works for him. Taking a look at Sharma, you can tell he's gotta much thicker build. His bones are bigger, and he has more muscle, yet he's in the same elite class as Graham.
Apply methods to your body type that show results for you.
Gerber, your right about us having very different body types.

Their are 3 different body types:

1. Ectomorph: Characterized by a short upper body, long arms and legs, long and narrow feet and hands, and very little fat storage; narrowness in the chest and shoulders, with generally long, thin muscles.

2. Mesomorph: Large chest, long torso, solid muscle structure, and great strength.

3. Endomorph: Soft musculature, round face, short neck, wide hips, and heavy fat storage.

Of course, no one is entirely one type but rather a combination of all three types. So, you could be a ecto-mesomorph or a endo-mesomorph. Each class is effected by training and nutrition very differently. Like, you could lift weights and get heavy very quickly because of your bone structure, test levels, bodies ability to enhance protein synthesis, etc. If lifting with my workout plan makes you heavy, you'd have to either stop (assuming its effecting your climbing negatively) or adjust your system.

Training is very similar to medicine. I will react differently to Tylenol than you would. I support whatever works for someone, but won't surrender to someone telling me I'm wrong for what works with me.

Speaking of training, I'm constantly changing my training routines to keep my body guessing and growing. Its not just a physical progression, but mental as well. Learning to understand your bodies mechanics and connection will greatly increase your athletic abilities in whatever you do. Just my opinion of course.

word! muscle confusion is one of the best tactics in any training! this is why i am buying a road bike. not because i like road biking, in fact i hate it, but the cadence and endurance side of it will help with mountain biking.

and unfortunately, if i start lifting i pack on like 25lbs of muscle in a very short time. this sucks for climbing!!!!!!! i found i climb my best, and longest w/o injury at about 150lbs. but my body loves to weigh 160. damn, its too bad beer is just sooooooo tasty!!!!!!!!!!

Stevie,
you can cut on everything, but never cut on beer!!! I always drink at least one beer after climbing, this is hy I am able to climb a lot of days! Even now, I am finishing my third one and I am going to bed because I have to climb tomorrow.

Hopefully, beer will help you send the money route so you can collect $200 ahead of fishfood.

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my life would be so much easier if I didnt have to get out of bed.