Thread: Indoor Rock Climbing/Bouldering

Originally Posted by gcbryan

And the addiction begins

I just back from the climbing gym tonight as well. Most of us are probably given most of the lessons to be learned on our first trip to the gym but it takes awhile before it really sinks in.

Going by the picture you posted I'd say you at least now understand why keeping the arms straight on an overhang is important If the overhang is great enough...you can't do otherwise!

That's usually when the "lesson" sinks in...when we have no choice but it use it.

The hips in thing helps to keep your center of gravity closer to the wall but in some cases it also lets you reach about an inch higher up with the appropriate arm.

Using your arms too much rather than the legs works itself out eventually as well. Once you reach the degree of difficulty that you can muscle your way up you won't be able to progress further until you develop better technique...thus eventually it corrects itself

Yeah, that's what the guy was saying and demonstrating, that extra reach you get. I've been watching lots of videos, too. The straight arm makes sense, it uses less biceps. You know when you started straight shaving and you liked it so much you wanted to do it all day but couldn't? Well I'm finding this the same. I'd like to climb for four hours but can't.

I'm also trying to rationalise my other gym workouts. I normally do chest shoulders and legs on Friday, with back and legs on Tuesdays, but I'm thinking I may really need a longer break between Friday weights and Saturday climbing. I guess my body will adapt. My son, who I go with, is 22 and 6' 2" has a really long reach. I'm only 5' 7" and even though my 'wing span' is longer than my height I still can't reach as far. I was astonished at what I could reach though. On some holds I keep thinking, 'I can't reach that' and subsequently reach it.

That brings up a good point and an interesting one to me. I'm 6'1" and several of the people that I climb with are much shorter (both men and women).

Everyone thinks that every route is easier if you are taller. That's because they are only aware when their height isn't working for them.

They don't realize it when some hold/move is easier for them and harder for me. If a hold is up above their head but within reach they have no problem using it of course.

However that same hold may be at or below my waist and may do me very little good when trying to climb higher.

I think the height thing in general average out. There are usually multiple ways to climb a route as well so it's very seldom when a really good but shorter climber can't climb a route due to height restrictions.

The interesting thing to do in the gym when anyone (including me) thinks that something can't be done because of height, age, body build, etc. is to look around and find someone similar to you and watch them climb the route that you think you can't

I'm using "you" in the generic sense here of course and I'm not implying that you were using height as any kind of excuse. It just comes up frequently in climbing where we all make an excuse only to see someone who could have those same "excuses" do the route that we couldn't

I've a very humbling sport sometimes...just watch a 10 year old skinny school girl climb sometime!

Originally Posted by gcbryan

That brings up a good point and an interesting one to me. I'm 6'1" and several of the people that I climb with are much shorter (both men and women).

Everyone thinks that every route is easier if you are taller. That's because they are only aware when their height isn't working for them.

They don't realize it when some hold/move is easier for them and harder for me. If a hold is up above their head but within reach they have no problem using it of course.

However that same hold may be at or below my waist and may do me very little good when trying to climb higher.

I think the height thing in general average out. There are usually multiple ways to climb a route as well so it's very seldom when a really good but shorter climber can't climb a route due to height restrictions.

The interesting thing to do in the gym when anyone (including me) thinks that something can't be done because of height, age, body build, etc. is to look around and find someone similar to you and watch them climb the route that you think you can't

I'm using "you" in the generic sense here of course and I'm not implying that you were using height as any kind of excuse. It just comes up frequently in climbing where we all make an excuse only to see someone who could have those same "excuses" do the route that we couldn't

I've a very humbling sport sometimes...just watch a 10 year old skinny school girl climb sometime!

Yeah, true, a nice reach that might be a stretch but comfortable for me might be a bit 'crampy' for you; with a bent arm and more tension on the biceps.

Oh, I don't need to use height (or lack thereof) as an excuse, I've got HEAPS of excuses; age, missing tendons, bone rubbing on bone, baldness, the wrong shorts, grumpiness, short sightedness, a bit of a bad night's sleep last night, was a little bit hungry, the music wasn't quite loud enough, I need a new chalk bag...

Haha...I'm quite good in the excuse department as well! It's part of the fun!

i tried this one time at a Newman Outfitters ( if i remember right ) , a female friend of mine (later my wife / exwife ..lol) at the time wanted to look for a winter coat .. we saw someone climbing the rock wall and i opened my mouth and said that cant be that hard !! well the lady working the wall said bet you cant do it , i said probably not but after some name calling to me by my female friend i was more then eager to prove them both wrong ... well i made it to the top !!!! being that my friend barely new me that well and the lady at the wall had no clue that i climbed trees for 7 years and been through classes to be a tree climbing instructor ..lol.. but i will admit that i went up the easy side and still struggled , climbing anything on a regular basis you find you have muscles that you never lnew you had ... that was 12years ago and 30 pounds lighter ...lol