Strength training has gradually opened up a whole new realm of climbing to me that I never believed I’d enjoy or embrace: the world of steep, thuggy sport climbing. As this transformation has gradually taken place (and gradual, it has most definitely been and continues to be, as strength-training gains take a relatively long time to manifest, but boy, when they do and you look back a year or two or three behind you after putting in the time and consistency, the results can/will likely totally wow you!), I’ve seen tremendous gains in muscles and muscle groups that I targeted with specific exercises that mimic or work the muscles in a fashion similar to climbing movements (the Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand — or SAID — principle of training).

The result has been a slow but steady and ongoing improvement (this despite my oh-so-many misfires due to my enthusiasm for training and the resultant overtraining and overuse injuries I incurred as a result) in my major areas of climbing weaknesses – something I’ll discuss in more detail in an upcoming Ways to Improve Your
Sport Climbing/Bouldering blog in greater detail (the use of directed strength training to improve climbing/bouldering ability, that is).

Today, though, I share with you my latest eHow Fitness article: Replacement Exercises for Triceps Pushdown. This article details myriad ways to strengthen your triceps, the main muscles on the backs of your upper arms. Your triceps brachii play a big role in executing “pressing” or “pushing” motions in climbing (though technically when triceps contract, they’re pulling, as muscles can only contract/relax — meaning that when your triceps contract, they are indeed pulling!). Through targeted triceps strengthening, I’ve improved my own ability to take holds down farther, buoying my belief that this type of training can prove a huge help for any shorter-than-average (i.e. sub-5’10″-ish) rock climber. Stronger triceps will increase your ability to reach between holds and decrease your perception of being too short or finding nearly as many routes too reachy for your wingspan. Don’t knock triceps training if you’re taller, either — you, too, can reap the rewards of stronger triceps — taller folks with meatier fingers, for example, will find that with a stronger pressing ability that they can reach right past those crappy intermediates. Plus, almost any boulderer will find greater comfort in and less fear of sketchy topouts with a stronger ability to mantle.

My current favorite pure strength-training triceps exercises are kickbacks with free weights and cable side triceps extensions (which you can modify to replicate the motion of gastoning). I also find that certain yoga poses/classes provide a butt-kicking (or rather, triceps-torching) upper-arm workout, while also demanding balance, flexibility, focus and stability in the process. As always, the takeaway message here is that — despite my best efforts for so many years (15+) to prove otherwise to myself AND despite my personal former avoidance of all upper-body/outside-of-climbing training methods beyond running and stretching regularly — training specific areas of weakness outside of climbing, and in particular, areas that have never been challenged specifically or strengthened in the past, can yield tremendous on-the-rocks improvements in climbing ability. Yes, strength training takes time, effort, belief, persistence and consistency — plus most likely more resting and less climbing for at least some of the year – but you’ll never KNOW if you have the potential to improve your climbing and expand your climbing world by using off-the-rocks strength-training methods until/unless you give them an honest, long-term, dedicated effort and thus, the chance to prove themselves worthy of your time and commitment.