[DavidM]

Hi all,

Just wondered what supplementary climbing specific strength exercises people are doing on board session days that yield the best results at the crag when bouldering..? Or do they feel there is any need to if they have been limit bouldering on board on that session.? 

By this I mean not finger boarding or antagonist exercises but I guess arms, back and core potentially.

Any suggestions on what people think works well to end a session maybe or they successfully incorporate into their board session from experience.

Cheers

 

[User deactivated.]

After lockdown 1 last year I came out expecting to crush my projects only to realise my legs didn't work! Doing some strength work for glutes and hamstrings has helped and benefitted my heelhooks too.

Edit: For me, board climbing is better than any specific core training at getting a strong core. My L-sits, ab-wheel rollouts etc get better after a period of board climbing than actually training the specific exercises!

[tomtom]

Edit: For me, board climbing is better than any specific core training at getting a strong core. My L-sits, ab-wheel rollouts etc get better after a period of board climbing than actually training the specific exercises!

Yaaas.. :D music to my ears...

Fuck you AB-Ripper bollocks

[Nibile]

There's a lot more in core for climbing than abs.
In fact, core for steep climbing revolves much more on posterior chain.
People tend to mistake the abs ability to put the feet back onto the rock after a swing, with the posterior chain ability to keep the feet on the rock and not swing.

[Oldmanmatt]

There's a lot more in core for climbing than abs.
In fact, core for steep climbing revolves much more on posterior chain.
People tend to mistake the abs ability to put the feet back onto the rock after a swing, with the posterior chain ability to keep the feet on the rock and not swing.

And shoulders.
The chain being key. If you have access to rings or a suspension trainer and a bar, try:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BurDxwMhzDD/?igshid=1ln5dflm07mit

Nibs doesn’t like windscreen wipers, but I have a herniated disc and find they keep my obliques up to snuff and keeping both Anterior and Posterior chains strong, keeps me free from sciatica.

[Dexter]

Deadlifts, always deadlifts.
At least for me it seems to help with lower end chain especially keeping toes on bad footholds.

[User deactivated.]

Edit: For me, board climbing is better than any specific core training at getting a strong core. My L-sits, ab-wheel rollouts etc get better after a period of board climbing than actually training the specific exercises!

Yaaas.. :D music to my ears...

Fuck you AB-Ripper bollocks

I can't see how ab-ripper would actually build strength as it's an endurance routine. It seems the equivalent of doing sets of 25 pullups, straight into 25 rows, 25 deadlifts, etc (all way off failure with assistance as necessary) in an attempt to build strength rather than just adding weight / removing an arm and doing fewer reps with lots of rest?

[jstrongman]

Deadlifts, always deadlifts.
At least for me it seems to help with lower end chain especially keeping toes on bad footholds.

Agreed, simple best single whole body exercise. Being tall I have found these have worked wonders on back and core stability. Only problem is the cost of a proper setup, as weights have just got so expensive!!

[AMorris]

Edit: For me, board climbing is better than any specific core training at getting a strong core. My L-sits, ab-wheel rollouts etc get better after a period of board climbing than actually training the specific exercises!

Yaaas.. :D music to my ears...

Fuck you AB-Ripper bollocks

I can't see how ab-ripper would actually build strength as it's an endurance routine. It seems the equivalent of doing sets of 25 pullups, straight into 25 rows, 25 deadlifts, etc (all way off failure with assistance as necessary) in an attempt to build strength rather than just adding weight / removing an arm and doing fewer reps with lots of rest?

Improves general fitness and conditioning. I have been doing a cycle of 50x pullups, crunches, squats, and press ups in minimum time possible for a couple of weeks, and I have found my general performance in all strength exercises has increased. I don't think this is as simple as just getting stronger, since I see very quick improvement as I get fitter, beyond what I would expect from just training strength. I can also discount weight loss, since weight is something I track pretty religiously nowdays.

Goes without saying, n=1.

[teestub]

I can't see how ab-ripper would actually build strength as it's an endurance routine.

Will isn’t actually interested in getting strong, he’s doing ab ripper to make sure he’s beach ready. Heard that he’d got some St Tropez from Lincoln too!

[SA Chris]

For me, board climbing is better than any specific core training at getting a strong core. My L-sits, ab-wheel rollouts etc get better after a period of board climbing than actually training the specific exercises!

No way could I do board climbing or fingerboarding daily and still retain use of my old fingers. They are all locky and clicky for at least a whole day after a session.

[tomtom]

I can't see how ab-ripper would actually build strength as it's an endurance routine.

Will isn’t actually interested in getting strong, he’s doing ab ripper to make sure he’s beach ready. Heard that he’d got some St Tropez from Lincoln too!

:D He's trying to shake that downgrader moniker and become known as "Hench Hunt"

[Will Hunt]

You'll all be laughing on the other side of your faces when I take my top off at Malham in the spring.

[tomtom]

You'll all be laughing on the other side of your faces when I take my top off at Malham in the spring.

Hope you'll babyoil up first.

[Coops_13]

You'll all be laughing on the other side of your faces when I take my top off at Malham in the spring.

Hope you'll babyoil up first.

He'll do it just as Shark is reaching for the chains on the Oak, the sun's reflection off Will's pasty skin blinding him so he fumbles the clip and blows the send

[Will Hunt]

Please be seated, ladies. Don't want you swooning off the Catwalk.

[seankenny]

What a shame that “Triumph of the Will” has such negative connotations.

[tomtom]

Crop top. Thats what you need Will. Keep the scrawny bits covered up and prevent nipple chaffage.

[Will Hunt]

I'm not going to advocate ab ripper as the perfect climbing-specific "core" workout. I do it because it's easy to fit in and, because it's so short, my short attention span (certainly when it comes to gym-style work outs) doesn't become limiting. I feel like I get more out of it than the BD core workout which Stubbs linked to on Youtube, which takes longer, is much more boring, and is much less difficult to complete.

If you haven't done the routine, maybe give it a go. It'll only take 20 minutes of your time. I got a friend to do it during the first lockdown for a laugh and he sent me a text saying, "fucking hell, this should be called Leg Extensor Ripper X". It's not just a load of abs.

Whether or not the exercises are to failure is entirely dependent on your current ability. For me, I very rarely get through the Fifer Scissors section without having to put a heel down at least momentarily. The next couple of things after that I find very difficult.

As to whether this sort of workout can be used to train strength (as opposed to whether you think it is the optimal way to train strength), how is it different to supersets, which are commonly advocated as a strength training exercise? How is it different from Dan V saying that you can get stronger fingers by doing repeaters (as opposed to max hangs)?

[teestub]

I’d say that BD one is v different in purpose to AbRX, being a series of exercises that a lot of climbers may find difficult due to instabilities or lack of flexibility. I see these as more accessory/mobility work as much as ‘core training’. There’s also a decent amount of advancement to be had in that series in terms of increasing the difficulty or increasing the reps. (Link for ref)



AbRX and other ‘10 min abs’ style exercises have always felt like a fitness thing to me, you fail because you get pumped and they feel really hard to start with, but once you complete the whole thing once it’s generally pretty easy to do so from then on. I’m not sure where you’d go to increase the difficulty, I guess you could start again!

[Will Hunt]

I’d say that BD one is v different in purpose to AbRX, being a series of exercises that a lot of climbers may find difficult due to instabilities or lack of flexibility. I see these as more accessory/mobility work as much as ‘core training’. There’s also a decent amount of advancement to be had in that series in terms of increasing the difficulty or increasing the reps. (Link for ref)



AbRX and other ‘10 min abs’ style exercises have always felt like a fitness thing to me, you fail because you get pumped and they feel really hard to start with, but once you complete the whole thing once it’s generally pretty easy to do so from then on. I’m not sure where you’d go to increase the difficulty, I guess you could start again!

For the BD one I do the most difficult of the variations described for the max number of recommended sets and reps. It's tricky but boredom is more often the reason I stop. I need Tony's encouragement to Bring It rather than the soothing tones of that nice BD lady and her emotionless, expressionless android demonstrator.

[spidermonkey09]

I’d say that BD one is v different in purpose to AbRX, being a series of exercises that a lot of climbers may find difficult due to instabilities or lack of flexibility. I see these as more accessory/mobility work as much as ‘core training’. There’s also a decent amount of advancement to be had in that series in terms of increasing the difficulty or increasing the reps. (Link for ref)



AbRX and other ‘10 min abs’ style exercises have always felt like a fitness thing to me, you fail because you get pumped and they feel really hard to start with, but once you complete the whole thing once it’s generally pretty easy to do so from then on. I’m not sure where you’d go to increase the difficulty, I guess you could start again!

For the BD one I do the most difficult of the variations described for the max number of recommended sets and reps. It's tricky but boredom is more often the reason I stop. I need Tony's encouragement to Bring It rather than the soothing tones of that nice BD lady and her emotionless, expressionless android demonstrator.

Agreed. I find the BD one tedious in the extreme.

I am a convert to AbrX. I have a pathetic core so it feels really hard to me. Fifer Scissors and pulse ups are my nemesis. The whole thing is easy to complete with rubbish form; totally nails with good form. 

Everyone saying its a waste of time should try and do it; I'll be impressed if you can just reel it off with good form. I have no doubt it has made me stronger.

I attempted some bar core earlier in the week and that felt next level difficult. Maybe its all relative to individual strengths and weaknesses. I like the follow along genre so if anyone has any good links to a bar core workout please do link me up.

[teestub]

Everyone saying its a waste of time should try and do it; I'll be impressed if you can just reel it off with good form. I have no doubt it has made me stronger.

People not being able to complete it and it being a waste or time are not necessarily mutually exclusive. I’ve no doubt it has made you better at that particular set or exercises but whether that has improved you climbing performance or whether it represents the best way to spend -5 mins training are different questions. It has little opportunity cost overall I guess as long as it’s not leaving you too tired to do other things.

[36chambers]

I can't see how ab-ripper would actually build strength as it's an endurance routine.

Will isn’t actually interested in getting strong, he’s doing ab ripper to make sure he’s beach ready. Heard that he’d got some St Tropez from Lincoln too!

Ab Ripper is bringing out the worst in Will. The other week he said that I have "quite a weak pec game though"

[Will Hunt]

Everyone saying its a waste of time should try and do it; I'll be impressed if you can just reel it off with good form. I have no doubt it has made me stronger.

People not being able to complete it and it being a waste or time are not necessarily mutually exclusive. I’ve no doubt it has made you better at that particular set or exercises but whether that has improved you climbing performance or whether it represents the best way to spend -5 mins training are different questions. It has little opportunity cost overall I guess as long as it’s not leaving you too tired to do other things.

Is it the specific exercises/muscles worked that you don't think are valuable, or is it the format of the routine, or is it that it's aimed at Hollywood-lifestyle wannabes, or is it all three?