Where to begin with lifting as a climber

It can be overwhelming when you first start lifting as a climber. THERE ARE SO MANY FUCKING EXCERISES OUT THERE! Literally the amount of exercises you can do seems endless. So it can be paralyzing to even begin. Literally, like what do you even do?

This is a common roadblock to climbers who don’t have a lifting background and want to start to help improve their climbing. Let’s help you out. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming and sure as hell not paralyzing.

If you can hit these 4 movement patterns in a week of lifting, you are on the right track. 

  • Squat

  • Hinge

  • Push

  • Pull


Let’s dive into examples of each of these exercises

  • Squat: This could be back squat, front squat, goblet squat, any lunge variation (split lunge, front lunge, back lunge). 

  • Hinge: Deadlift, Trap Bar Deadlift, Romanian Deadlifts, these can be barbell, dumbbell, or kettlebell

  • Push: Bench press, Overhead press, Incline Bench Press, Seated Overhead press, dumbbells, barbells, or kettlebells, push up variations

  • Pull: Row variations (dumbbell rows, 1 arm dumbbell rows, bent over barbell rows), seated rows, lat pulldown, pull up variations


Sweet now we have some examples: Choose one from each and stick with it over the course of time. You don’t need to hit every single example in those movements. That’s where this paralyzation comes from, feeling like you need to do all of the exercises. NO. Pick one from each movement. Once you pick one from each movement, we now have 4 exercises. 4 exercises is manageable, is doable, our brains can comprehend that.

Example:

Day 1: Climb for 1hr, lifting afterwards of Goblet Squat and 1 arm DB rows.

Day 2: Climb for 1hr, lifting afterward of Dumbbell Romanian deadlifts and Dumbbell bench press

OR

Day 1: Climb for 1.5 hours

Day 2: Lifting: Barbell Deadlift and Bench Press

Day 3: Climb for 1 hour, lifting afterwards of Back Squat and Bent Over Barbell Rows

Boom done. We are now lifting. If you have been struggling knowing where to begin in your lifting journey, hopefully this is helpful. Making it more comprehensible in terms of what lifts to do. Choose an exercise from each of the movements and stick with them. Of course you can do other exercises with them, but hitting these four movements is a great starting point and helps make it more actionable. And these movements fall under compound movements which incorporate large muscle groups and large amounts of muscles, getting more bang from your buck! We are all about efficiency over here for your busy lives.

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Barbells Vs Dumbbells Vs Kettlebells

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How To Add Lifting Into Your Climbing Week