[DavidM]

Hi all,

After a block of solid strength training I've contemplated how I can actually incorporate or utilise this strength on the wall. To increase cross over and see actually gains in the grades. How do people engage or cue certain muscles during a bouldering session to maximise their current strength and connect the whole muscular chain?

For instance there is a lot of talk of engaging the scapula i.e down and back to utilise the lats more for pulling. What does that actually mean when climbing or how do people apply that? Is that focused practice to then bring into your technique?  Another example would be the glutes squeeze the glutes together, tuck the tailbone, and push the hips forward to maximise press through the feet overhanging terrain.

Has anyone found cues / drills for certain muscles / moves helpful and is this something they practice and worked on to maximise their current strength level.

I appreciate the intricacies of climbing movement is complex and activation of muscles is different in a lot of different scenarios but have any of these consistent or prevalent activations or techniques been useful for anyone?

Would love to hear what people think

[User deactivated.]

Rather than translating your strength gains to climbing performance, it makes more sense to think in terms of your strength training having increased your capacity for more/better climbing practice. Only climbing will really make you stronger or better coordinated at climbing.

As for the second part of this, movements are complex and based on lots of muscles working well together; focusing on contracting a particular muscle is likely to be more of a hindrance. Intentional movement practice is a good idea, but the cues should be focused on the movement and not the muscles IMO.

[abarro81]

the cues should be focused on the movement and not the muscles IMO.

I'm like you on this front, but interestingly I do know people who are different and respond well to cues like "fire muscle x to get your hips in" or whatever... whereas for me that's just confusing - I need "suck the hips in in this way", or "sit low on the foot", or "press hard through the foot", i.e. something based around position/movement.

[SA Chris]

Would doing something like Scaplular Pullups help with making the engagement habitual?

[petejh]

I've had a good experience of improving muscle activation by using a technique called, boringly, 'Muscle Activation Technique'! It was shown to me in 2017 by a physiotherapist in N.Wales. It's pretty weird and involves lots of self-rubbing...  look it up - Douglas Heel (bit of a guru/cult leader vibe as so many of these people seem to have). I recommend seeing a physio for an example sesh of how to do it, and then you can do it on yourself for ever more. Placebo or not it feels like it switches on muscle fibres that were previously under-performing, good for core tension, range of motion and strength at extremity of range of motion.