[douglas]

I would like to grow my forearms because this will make be a better climber.

So I have been visiting a gym and chatting to bodybuilders and the advice they give is that diet and sleep is as important if not more important than the training itself for muscle growth. However from what I gather in the climbing community this isn't the case and I see ad nauseum recommendations for hang times, rest times, grip types bla bla bla. Would it be true that following this advice I would be barking up the wrong tree if I'm looking for forearm growth?

Cheers!

[TobyD]

I would like to grow my forearms because this will make be a better climber.

http://www.garden4less.co.uk/miracle-gro-liquafeed-starter-set.asp?partner=fr&gclid=CJ2_-KWIxrUCFUvHtAodlVEAPQ

[lagerstarfish]

ummm... this is a wind up, right?

the hang times and grip stuff from the climbing community is based on getting stronger fingers, better stamina etc rather than bigger forearms

why do you think that getting bigger forearms will make you a better climber? to non-climbers you will look like a better climber

I've tried many different diets (usually 3 or 4 at once) and am particularly skilled at sleeping, but I have not noticed any improvement in my ability to choose the right tree to bark at

[SA Chris]

I would like to grow my forearms because this will make be a better climber.

Well you've fallen at the first step making this assumption.

[rodma]

I would like to grow my forearms because this will make be a better climber.

Well you've fallen at the first step making this assumption.

maybe he means in length

[andy_e]

I've got some junk e-mails about that I could forward if you like...

[douglas]

I would like to grow my forearms because this will make be a better climber.

Well you've fallen at the first step making this assumption.

I didn't 'assume' that.

[SA Chris]

Whatever you want to call it, your sentence is incorrect.

[lukeyboy]

SA Chris is right.

Body builders want bigger muscles. Climbers want stronger/more efficient muscles. These are not the same thing.

[Stu Littlefair]

I think you're all being a little harsh on the guy. All other things being equal, bigger muscles are stronger muscles. Lean muscle mass is great if you're a climber but no-one ever fell off because their forearms were too heavy.

[douglas]

Jesus, it's like navigating a minefield of terminology. Chris, I think you know exactly what I mean but you are just being an awkward f***. Bigger muscle fibres create stronger muscles, end of. I don't know anyone who can't climb because he or she are weighed down by their forearms. The question I am asking is how strong are the benefits of diet and recovery if I am training only for forearm growth rather than full body growth?

Thanks Stu

[tomtom]

Its not just the forearms though... tendons (fingers & elbows) upper arms and shoulders need to grow accordingly too.. you could have mega large forearms, but not be able to crimp a 2 inch edge or pull up on it if the rest is not functioning in proportion..

Anyway, personally, from just climbing and not training for forearms in particular, the bits of my body that have grown proportionately more are my forearms! So I'd say just get out more and do more climbing - and they'll grow..

[SA Chris]

Maybe I am being a bit harsh, but as a general statement it's wrong. If your end aim is to be a better climber, stronger fingers are but one (small) part of being a better climber and but one part of having stronger fingers is having bigger forearms.

So if you want to be a better climber, getting advice from body builders probably isn't your best first port of call.

[Bonjoy]

I think you're all being a little harsh on the guy. All other things being equal, bigger muscles are stronger muscles. Lean muscle mass is great if you're a climber but no-one ever fell off because their forearms were too heavy.

You’ve obviously never seen this guy trying to drag his carapace up Trackside...

[SA Chris]

I've heard he's quite good on roofs?

[tomtom]

I've heard he's quite good on roofs?

Naa, a traverse specialist

[Bonjoy]

I've heard he's quite good on roofs?

[abarro81]

+1 to Stu's post.
Anyway, the reason you're not getting a sensible answer is probably because no-one knows the answer.

The question I am asking is how strong are the benefits of diet and recovery if I am training only for forearm growth rather than full body growth?

No doubt diet, nutrient timing, quality of rest and sleep are very important. This is true of all training though, not just training to build muscles. How much the relative importance of rest subtleties vs training subtleties varies depending on whether your training is large muscle or small muscle focused - if it changes at all - is probably something no-one quite knows.

However from what I gather in the climbing community this isn't the case and I see ad nauseum recommendations for hang times, rest times, grip types bla bla bla.

I'm not sure how you gathered from the climbing community that this isn't the case. In reality you see a lot of that stuff partly because it's more palatable and more interesting to write about and read about than someone saying "sack off going to techno and go to bed at 8 o'clock every night". The fact that there's a bigger volume of literature on one aspect of training doesn't necessarily mean that that aspect is correspondingly more important.

[crimp]

Hi Douglas

i know what you're getting at. There's plenty of well experienced knowledgeable people on here to advise you (not me, i am just a middle aged punter).

Maybe say where you are now and where you want to be. Im sure advice would be plentiful. Have you joined the power club? Looks good, but too scary for me.

All id offer is be aware if you train up your muscles, there's a long lag before your tendons catch up. Avoid overstressing your tendons

regards

[DubDom]

http://www.fancydressball.co.uk/movie-costumes/popeye-costume/popeye-costume-889039.htm

[DubDom]

http://www.captainsofcrushgrippers.com/

and

http://www.gripboard.com/index.php?s=324ec6871e9b6739084b05ed4409b089&showforum=1

[Nibile]

I think that it's important HOW your forearms will become bigger, climbing wise.
Doing thousands of wrist curls will make them enormous, but probably won't help you climb harder or better.
Doing lots of deadhanging could make them a bit smaller but probably will make you climb harder.
Doing good volume on steep walls every other day will probably make them big and help you climb harder and better.
In any case, I'd avoid any bodybuilder's advice on the matter, unless they climb harder than me. Which could esily be, at the moment!

[ghisino]

warning: bigger-than-average forearms can make it hard to find properly fitting long sleeved tshirts and tops, especially if you're relatively short.

[Nibile]

warning: bigger-than-average forearms can make it hard to find properly fitting long sleeved tshirts and tops, especially if you're relatively short.

Ghisino is on the money there.
On my project, that is 15 moves long, forearm pump is an issue. I had to stop using long sleeved thermals or compression tops because I'd get pumped much earlier due to compression of the superficial vessels. On the other hand, on cold days short sleeves caused the same problem due to vasoconstriction. I found a decent compromise with a short sleeved thermal and a loose long sleeved t-shirt or hoodie.
And I never toped out.

[Sasquatch]

I would like to grow my forearms because this will make be a better climber.

So I have been visiting a gym and chatting to bodybuilders and the advice they give is that diet and sleep is as important if not more important than the training itself for muscle growth. However from what I gather in the climbing community this isn't the case and I see ad nauseum recommendations for hang times, rest times, grip types bla bla bla. Would it be true that following this advice I would be barking up the wrong tree if I'm looking for forearm growth?

Not to be a dick, but it may be because you don't know what you're looking for.  Do you realize that hypertrophy means muscle growth?  Look for it and you'll see a fair bit more on muscle growth.

Diet and sleep are critical to correct body function for so many reasons, it's difficult to isolate them as "being critical for muscle growth".  Generally speaking poor diet and poor sleep habits wreck havoc with your hormones which can really screw with the bodies recovery process.  I would argue that based on my experience, climbers tend to have far better diet and sleep habits than most of the population, so those are not limiting factors for most climbers engaged in "training".  Over training and incorrect training are more often issues for climbers.

[douglas]

Thanks for the advice. This is helpful.

[tomtom]

I have to wear my work shirts with the cuffs unbuttoned now... (The three times a year I have to wear one)

[nik at work]

I think big forearms and fat wrists  are different things...

[tomtom]

I think big forearms and fat wrists  are different things...

As I pressed post I suspected there was a need to clarify.. as in the cuffs have two sets of buttons - so the split goes halfway up the forearm. Wrist closes, but the next one up doesn't..

I'm still a wanker though

[webbo]

Shirley an academic of your standing would wear cufflinks.

[tomtom]

Shirley an academic of your standing would wear cufflinks.

The only metalware I tolerate is my Prince Albert

[DubDom]

http://www.turntillburn.ch/cms/ttb/index.php?id=85&L=1

[The Sausage]

Has anyone seen Tim Cliffords forearms? (answer:probably not if you're more than 15 feet away...)

[DubDom]

Has anyone seen Tim Cliffords forearms? (answer:probably not if you're more than 15 feet away...)

should this be in lost and found?