Does bouldering increase grip strength reddit. When hitting a plateau, some fine work .
- Does bouldering increase grip strength reddit. How do i improve my grip strength? So i wanted to improve my grip strength for a while and i finally got some adjustable grip trainers from MP and my final goal is to hang from one of the panels over my door. One of the main issues you will face is that if you only use the normal grip you will mainly train the muscles in your forearm that lead to the fore and middlefinger. sport specific skills), you should still have to do strength and conditioning to make good progress with your ability to perform at rock climbing AND get good strength and muscle definition. For crimps I worked on finger strength, for slopes should I practice palming basketballs? You could probably sum up climbing prowess from strength, flexibility and technique. I would guess that if your grip strength is poor, the strain of the rice could increase your strength, but if you can dead hang for a minute, you're probably stronger than the rice. Rock climbing is not an "efficient" way to build muscle, but it will build your upper body a bit and give you strength gains. rock climbing is fun but is a terrible replacement for a real strength training workout. While reading this sub and other sources I realize that most climbers/boulderers mostly train for strength. Expecting a decent increase in grip strength by 4 to 6 months, if bouldering 2 to 3 times per week, is more reasonable. Grip strength is specific to the hand position. If you identify a specific weakness, programing in 15 minutes to address that weakness Jan 1, 2025 · To increase grip strength for rock climbing, focus on exercises like hangboard training and wrist curls. Also notice how the excersises work the antagonistic (opposing) muscles in your hands and forearms, this helps to prevent repetitive strain injuries. Jun 3, 2025 · Incorporating grip strength into a training program depends on your level and training goals. The first is kind of pushing strength of the fingers and what arm wrestlers train for a lot, the latter is your "normal" grip strength. Most grip trainers are semi useless. Hi, So I’ve been climbing pretty regularly for about 2 years now. I am trying to build stronger hands and forearm strength for wrestling and got a pair for cheap. I boulder around 3x a week and do not do any other forms of exercise. Sep 22, 2023 · Improve grip strength using the short and long term strategies given in this article. . It mimics using a fat bar/axle while being cheaper and portable. Even a lot of before/after pics I see seem to show a slight increase in size due to having a "pump" from recently working the forearms as opposed to actual hypertrophy. The route has a lot to do with But I don't look that much different from an aesthetic point of view because of my diet (maybe a bit smaller but nothing major). These are relatively small, light muscles. All the pro climbers are relatively slight, because climbing requires excellent grip and tendon strength, but not much absolute strength. It teaches you to grip properly and better yet it trains your claw grip which, frankly, many people neglect because its just too much effort. How does climbing style or the type of climbing affect this skin abrasion effect, and what can be done to reduce it? What can I do as supplemental training if I still have energy and strength left, but the finger skin hurts too much to continue doing boulders or routes? What is an efficient way to train finger strength for a climbing beginner who has a decent amount of pulling strength from Callisthenics (1. Also, look into getting some plain old chalk. Not sure how much it would help, but I was expecting some improvement. It is pretty rare in bouldering to have to use your full pull up strength to move to the next hold. When training for strength (as opposed to endurance), the best approach is to use heavy resistance for limited repetitions rather than light resistance over many repetitions. honestly dont expect any aesthetic changes to your body from climbing other than forearm gains. But my traps were my first muscle to get noticeably big so I've always hit them with tons of front and rear shrugs Reply reply More replies [deleted] • I really need to work on my grip strength too Reply reply DarthLift • If you have access to bumper plates, I've also made noticeable grip gains by pinch grip holding a 45 for time Reply reply More repliesMore Will you be able to replicate all of that on a 10x10 rock wall? unlikely - but you'll definitely see a marked increase in your grip strength and forearm strength if you challenge yourself on the wall your gym provides. Training your crushing grip strength as part of a well rounded hand/forearm prehab/strength protocol is great, training it as a substitute for climbing is not. It utilizes all: fingers, thumb, and even some wrist strength. Use our weekly Q&A posts for your questions, routines, exercises, reviews of equipment you use, grip accomplishments, technique/training tips, grip sport news, grip Most grip trainers are semi useless. Has anybody actually grown their forearms significantly through grip training? This is a list of 12 great training exercises that come from training books, interviews with professional climbers, social media, Reddit and some of my climbing friends. Nov 4, 2016 · I've taken up bouldering once a week to work on strength for climbing, but find I have trouble completing any of the problems on the indoor wall I've been practicing on. As opposed to endurance or hypertrophy. Recently went climbing again for the first time in a long time and body weight training didn’t prepare me for the forearm soreness that I forgot about. All of those things felt like they really kickstarted my grip strength more than grippers. Yep, double overhand builds more grip strength because you have to have a stronger grip to avoid the bar rotating when you are pulling it up. Hangboarding will be better for training crimp strength than climbing. 62x BW 1rm chinup and working on OAC) ? Apr 25, 2023 · Different variations of climbing require different physiological adaptations and therefore necessitate unique training focuses for optimal performance. Going double overhand on deadlifts, using thickbars/fatgrips, pinching and curling plates. Thanks! We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Open a door , stand in front of the latch side , approx 50cm (or more if you feel comfortable) bend your legs and pinch 🤏 grip the door. If your grip is causing you to miss lifts, or if it's increasing your risk of injury, then you should either improve your grip strength (via direct grip training) or do something to minimise/eliminate the impact of insufficient grip strength (e. it pretty much only involves pulling muscles and your limiting factor will almost always be your finger strength. Every kilogram that I lost was immediately noticed on the walls. Of course holding a tough crimp requires a lot of forearm activation but more likely you are more limited by what your fingers can support. With that information in mind, when do you think I should train pinches or shouldn't I train them at all? It doesn't seem like a good idea to train grip strength on the days I don't climb, but the training quality would probably not be that good after 3 hours of climbing, either. Long story short, grip strength will not come quickly, it's built over time, and even further climbing grip strength specifically is all over the place, the best way to train it is on the wall. Bouldering will give you functional strength though, you'll get used to being able to generate core power from weird positions and your grip will crush. Generally even if I can try things like outside edges, flags, drop knees and other ways to move my weight to get to the next hold, my grip slips before I can get there. g. If you turn the tool arround arround and just pull with your ring and pinkyfinger it will get significantly harder even at lower weights but those fingers make If you really want your forearms to grow take up rock climbing. I have a conventional pull-up bar and was wondering whether doing finger hangs is an effective way to develop finger strength (rather than using a hangboard)? Thanks! With that information in mind, when do you think I should train pinches or shouldn't I train them at all? It doesn't seem like a good idea to train grip strength on the days I don't climb, but the training quality would probably not be that good after 3 hours of climbing, either. Incorporate various grip types, such as open hand, crimp, and pinch, to target different muscles. If you’re hangboarding at home and can’t climb to warm up, improvise. Hey guys i’ve been bouldering indoors for a couple months but my grip strength is still quite poor. They do build up your forarem muscles, not neccessarily evenly tho. Finger pushups train for flat finger strength. Jan 12, 2022 · Pinch strength is hard to gain and easy to ignore until you need it. Does anyone have experience with grippers (such as Captains of Crush, heavy grips) to increase strength? How well did it work for you? I’ve just gotten into bouldering and was trying to find good ways to increase my grip strength I can't say we gained a lot of strength from the rice; we always considered it therapeutic and endurance building. So for that reason, the thing that actually progresses your climbing from season to season is an increase in grip strength and power, which is why you should constantly be training it in some way. Work on hip mobility and make sure range of motion is free of pain. This will increase fore arm strength and wrist stability. Allthough they are still fun to dabble with for me. Use our weekly Q&A posts for your questions, routines, exercises, reviews of equipment you use, grip accomplishments, technique/training tips, grip sport news, grip videos/articles, etc. Before starting your workout, do a few 10-15-second hangs and pull-ups on the largest holds your Apr 25, 2023 · Different variations of climbing require different physiological adaptations and therefore necessitate unique training focuses for optimal performance. Thanks! Specific exercises will newrly always beat out non specific exercises for the specific thing they train. Mar 26, 2025 · The Problem: There are static moves you can’t do because you can’t grip the holds. How would you mix the two? Recommended Routine: Strength work (40-60 minutes) x3 week First Pair - [ ] 3×5-8 Pull-up progression - [ ] 3×5-8 Squat Progression Second Pair - [ ] 3×5-8 Dip progression - [ ] 3×5-8 Hinge Progression Aug 14, 2021 · Now that you know what grip positions you are looking for on the bouldering wall, here are Hӧrst’s suggestions for utilizing bouldering to increase grip strength: Select a short bouldering problem that appears to isolate a specific grip position. Mixed grip neutralizes rotation for the most part, which requires less gripping power as a result. The resiliency of tendon structures in the fingers contribute a lot to grip strength. I intend to only climb occasionally while I’m working towards my goal. So I decided to start training properly. Here’s how you improve it. As climbing is a complex sport, mental strength, technique, and strength in general are undoubtedly necessary. A tennis ball grip workout is an excellent form of training. It’s also not a bad idea to do a short jog or some push-ups and core exercises to get the blood flowing first. When hitting a plateau, some fine work Of all the physical components that contribute to your climbing ability, none is more important than grip strength. Enhance your climb by improving your knowledge. Im a little disappointed with my actual grip strength after today's battle ropes workout. All of your effort goes into maintaining a strict crimp, and that allows you to best overload the finger muscles that hold a crimp. Dedicated to increasing all our knowledge about how to better improve at our sport. , hook grip, chalk, straps). Useful in sports like climbing and martial arts, grip training will carry over to many aspects of every day life. Also, my hands are smaller than average. If you Finger strength in climbing is often less about grip strength and more about how much force your pulleys and tendons can handle. From tufas to aretes and even crack climbing, it pays to pinch. I mostly see people acquiring strength gains over hypertrophy gains regarding forearms. Bouldering and System Training The short and simple advice for improving pinch strength, along with the associated techniques, is simply to gravitate toward problems that offer Feb 25, 2025 · Boost your climbing performance! Learn how to improve grip strength for rock climbing with the best exercises, tips, and training techniques. Unlike an axle bar, it can even be used with dumbbells. The thumb is very active in this pull up variation. How do you train specifically for sloper holds? I'm climbing in the 11a range but when it comes to big slopes I can't do much. So you pull a lot and work the back in climbing and mobility helps. I bought mine from a rock climbing for 5 bucks. Hello there, I started climbing about 10 months ago, got addicted and I feel like reached my first plateau. If you could only do one exercise for grip, fat bar work will give the best bang for the buck. Grip strength helps feel safe and go longer, biceps strength at full extension helps on overhangs, but core strength (being able to keep tension throughout your body as you climb) constantly comes up as the #1 thing you will always use. These adapters can turn any exercise into a grip exercise. Your hand would explode. Jun 27, 2023 · Whether your goal is to gain more muscle and overall strength, take on more challenging climbs, or prevent a muscle injury, enhancing your grip strength is the best way to accomplish your rock climbing and bouldering goals. It has been shown that forearm strength and power are important to bouldering performance 1. My routine for improving my grip strength, which was absolutely limiting my DL, was to do 3 x 30 second holds at about 50% 1RM every non workout day (3 per week at the time) for about two months. That said, grip strength for climbing is a bit different as its locking you fingers and not crushing in your hand. Just be careful, its easy to over do it with grip/finger training. Still looking to increase my strength as I lose more weight (5’ 7”, current weight: 223lb, goal weight: 160). AND that climbing with compromised grip strength leads to injury. I’d say it’s an exponential increase in difficulty as you move up. YBells are fantastic for strength training and phenomenal as grip training equipment for rock climbing. As you might know, 9 different muscles connect to the thumb alone and move it. Climbing is all about manipulating your body and smaller guys have a greater strength to weight ratio. What other exercises can i do to improve my grip strength?' Archived post. 62x BW 1rm chinup and working on OAC) ? There are two types of finger strength: flat finger strength and curved finger strength. Learn how to train crush, support, pinch, and wrist strength with proven exercises, recovery tips, and supplements. Thus, either way if you did rock climbing (e. I'm As to whether the gripper exercisers increase your grip strength, I think it depends on specificity, if you need a specific type of grip strength you would be better off with an exercise that matches the specific demands of your sport or job. You can create this with hypergravity training by adding weight to your body as you engage in a climbing-specific exercise. There have been a half dozen climbing specific studies that indicate grip trainer strength does not correlate to hangboard strength or to on-the-wall performance. Has anyone felt like the grip trainers are fun but don't carry over to real world grip strength? Climbing and pull exercises alone can be pretty taxing without additional training. That means besides climbing, you’ll want to look at antithesis training. Works a treat. My weight is probably the biggest issue, I am 210 lbs @ 5’9 but a lot of it is muscle (powerlifting background). I kept losing weight because I wanted to climb longer and harder routes. Jul 8, 2024 · Why do we need to increase grip strength in climbing? After your first couple of weeks at the gym and flashing all those V3 routes, you’re starting to show a little more interest in harder routes, and holding these tiny handholds isn’t easy. This is based on my climbing experience over the last 10 years. My thoughts before starting were that since the strength equation is basically neurological adaptations * muscle cross sectional area, finger rolls would be good at improving hypertrophy which would also directly increase strength. You can check out r/climbharder for specific finger training and hangboard routines. When I started I could do v2 and muscle through some v3s Now my technique is vastly improved but I’m still climbing v3s and can barley do some v4s. Some of the training exercises require rock-climbing grip training equipment or other exercise tools but most of them can be found in your local climbing gym or inexpensively online. Use our weekly Q&A posts for your questions, routines, exercises, reviews of equipment you use, grip accomplishments, technique/training tips, grip sport news, grip Hey guys so I got a pair of the heavy gripz 250 lb hand grippers and was wondering if these are worth spending time with to increase my grip strength or more of a scam. Stronger fingers mean you can use smaller holds—and holds that felt unhangable before will feel more manageable. You can do Plate pinches, bar hangs, deadlifts where you hold for 10 seconds at the top, and reverse bicep curls. Reddit's rock climbing training community. I'm a big fan of fitness diversification and bouldering (even just indoors) will grow your forearms and back quickly especially if you combine it with weightlifting. This is a list of 12 great training exercises that come from training books, interviews with professional climbers, social media, Reddit and some of my climbing friends. For beginners and those in their second season, bouldering is a great way to build grip strength. Thanks for your answers! Mar 25, 2022 · In climbing, gravity provides a training resistance that’s limited to your weight. You can't grip with greater force than the structures themselves can withstand. Training the claw grip adds tremendous power and is a stepping stone to ripping cards, folding frying pans etc. Now start leaning back and try to file you weight . Ideally, you should be able to climb the route in under 15 seconds. They are shaped like wedges or cones and are great for grip training also I advise functional strength first, it’s the basis for everything healthy. That is, low rep, high intensity with progressive overload, eg 5x5 pullups with weights etc. Bouldering as a workout is indeed mediocre however bouldering as motivation was the best for me. Between V2 and V3, you can make the jump purely on upper body strength (even though that’s not advised) but once you get up into the V7-V10 range you’ll need to have excellent technique and strength to move up from V7 to V8. Mar 26, 2025 · Bouldering on a skill day feels a bit overkill as my body seems to react to it like a light full body workout. Just be careful, and recognize the best strength training exercise to improve bouldering is bouldering. Muscles in the forearms contract the fingers, so "finger strength" is "forearm strength". Fingers of steel are the foundation of harder climbing. Is there a way for me to increase my grip or will it come with time? It certainly didn't hurt lol. I like the idea of hypertrophy training using whatever you want, but the published data indicates that gripper training is at best tangentially beneficial to climbing. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Use our weekly Q&A posts for your questions, routines, exercises, reviews of equipment you use, grip accomplishments, technique/training tips, grip sport news, grip Useful in sports like climbing and martial arts, grip training will carry over to many aspects of every day life. The Solution: Train finger strength by hangboarding. /r/GripTraining is a resource for anyone wanting stronger hands, bigger forearms, or to compete in the sport of grip. Some of you might know that i also train for bouldering/climbing, and i need a lot of finger strength for that. Towel pull ups helped me develop the needed strength. In climbing, however, you need excess strength primarily in your forearms, as hand strength is often the weakest link. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. With training grip strength for farmer carries, I used to use fat grips- which are rubber grip extenders used to wrap around a dumbell for larger surface area in order to grip with more emphasis on squeezing instead of time to get fatigued -I used them with a small amount of chalk and with a sort of false grip; however, within using a grip as You can still build grip strength without a hangboard. As long as you have a solid base of climbing experience (climbers just starting out Jun 15, 2023 · Supportive Training for Pinches Pinch strength is a complex beast, it’s not just about being strong in the thumb, the wrists come into play and you also need strong fingers to maximize the range of gripping angles. Your grip strength is determined by forearm strength and the tendons in your fingers, hands and wrists. Hi guys, as the title asks, does anyone have any tips on how to improve my finger strength? I love climbing but my fingers ache so much after a few climbs. Developing a higher level of climbing strength and power requires that you increase gravity’s apparent pull. Any grip-strength trainer, a malleable stress ball, or putty is a good way to start warming up your fingers. For me that was all it took. the added pulling work aint bad either. Just like going to the gym though, if you don't eat enough to build anything your muscles won't increase in size. I've been indoor bouldering for about 2 months and want to start developing my finger strength. Bouldering hard generally requires static finger strength for holding on to small holds while generating power using a combination of legs/back/arms, and contact strength for catching small holds dynamically. Jun 6, 2025 · Boost grip strength with the best workouts for lifters and climbers. Hangboards and no hang devices are the best substitutes for long periods of no climbing, 6 weeks is actually a great timeframe for a training cycle too! There are tons of protocols out there. You can do all those without any speciality equipment! If your ok spending a few bucks, you can buy special grip training cable attachments or pulleys. grip strength from climbing is fantastic supplement for bjj, and even more so for judo. gpmdsff eudc spn ulbri aym lkflkt fdwdall gkbu vtwwmn fkc