Climbing is an activity that is great for physically fit people of all ages. However, regular training requires good preparation and physical strength. Check what rules you shouldn’t forget about during the training preparing for climbing at low altitude!
Bouldering is a climbing activity based on completing specific routes on a wall without a belay. Bouldering requires very high physical fitness, strength and flexibility in body positioning, as the climber is not attached to the safety ropes.
The athletes practicing bouldering must master the climbing technique almost to perfection. Thanks to good preparation, they are able to quickly and effectively overcome the designated route, confidently catching subsequent holds.
What is interesting, bouldering can be practised not only in special sports arenas with artificial walls, but also in the field. The only protection against possible injury is the placement of a mattress on which the player lands in case of a fall.
One of the most important things needed for the sport is physical strength. Bouldering develops all muscle parts during training, but you already need to reach a certain level of strength to climb the wall. It is impossible to name one particular muscle part which must have the greatest strength, because during climbing the arms, legs, back, or buttocks work equally intensively.
Bouldering also requires excellent motor coordination. Efficient crossing of the wall or climbing a boulder must be done almost automatically, therefore, the ability to maintain balance and proper coordination of the whole body is very important.
Bouldering jumpers also have an excellent spatial imagination, which helps them to predict their next moves quickly and effectively. All these elements may be developed during regular training under the supervision of an experienced instructor.
Bouldering is one of those disciplines that require a lot of strength, the effects of which can be seen after a longer period of time. People who start climbing training should prepare themselves for high frequency and intensity of classes.
Before joining the climbing wall it’s a good idea to work on your physical strength and muscle development at the gym. Just a few workouts in the gym per week should build up some reserve that will allow you to tackle the easiest routes more efficiently.
Before starting the actual training, it is also a good idea to work on finger strength, which plays a very important role during climbing. Experts also draw attention to the work on concentration and the ability to control breathing. Calmness and composure while climbing can prove absolutely invaluable in the most difficult moments of the route. On the wall, specific climbing routes are color-coded to show the difficulty level of the route, and this is where climbing training begins.
Climbing on low boulders in open terrain is an activity designed mainly for more experienced climbers.
The first noticeable difference is that the routes on the boulders are not color-coded. This means that the athlete has to rely on their own intuition and the experience of more advanced colleagues. For this reason, bouldering training and climbing is not for beginners who are not only honing their technique, but also learning how to read climbing routes.
Experts who have been training bouldering for many years also advise to perform a long and intensive warm-up before each workout (especially in the field). Stimulating the muscles to work is an effective way to stimulate them during the actual exercise. After the warm-up, you can try climbing the wall for several minutes. This will prepare your body to move vertically in every direction.
Featured photo: Ed Dunens / Flickr
