Climbing Without a Wall Program Exercises

Warm Up (total time 10 minutes)

  1. Dynamic Stretches:
    1. Shoulder rotations per arm from small to large circles and back down to small
    1. 10 x Alternating up and down arm swings
    1. 10 x Individual Finger circles both directions
    1. 10 x Individual Finger bends at first bone
    1. 10 x Individual Finger bends at knuckle
    1. 10 x Clockwise Wrist Rolls with clasped hands
    1. 10 x Anti-Clockwise Wrist Rolls with clasped hands
    1. 10 x Elbow Rotations Over and Under other arm while other hand holds elbow per side
    1. 10 x Torso Twists per side
    1. 10 x Hip Rotations (Circles) Anticlockwise
    1. 10 x Hip Rotations (Circles) Clockwise
    1. 10 x Hip Slides from side to side
    1. 10 x Pelvic Tucks forward and backward
    1. 10 x Leg Swings forwards per leg
    1. 10 x Leg Swings Sideways per leg
  2. Jogging in one spot (30 seconds / 1 minute)
  3. Slow jog around garden
  4. Interval Sprints in garden (jog from one side to the other then sprint to the other side; jog 3 quarters of the garden and sprint back the 3 quarters; jog half and sprint back half; jog 1 quarter and sprint back 1 quarter, jog full length of garden

Climbing-Specific Conditioning (total time 70-80 minutes)

  1. 10 x Pull Ups
  2. 30 x Crunches
  3. 30 x Bodyweight Squats (down to namaste pose and back up without bending your back)
  4. 10 x Push Ups
  5. 30 x Sit-ups
  6. 30 x Lunges (15 per leg)

3 sets

  1. 10 x Power Pull Ups (Pull Up as fast as you can and lower slowly)
  2. 20 x V-Ups Pike
  3. 1 x Minute Wall sit
  4. 30 x Pike Leg Lifts (preferably on Pull up Bar while hanging with straight arms)
  5. 30 x Very Slow Calf Raises

3 sets

  1. 10 x Frenchies or until failure
  2. 20 x V-Ups Straddle
  3. 20 x Jumping Lunges (10 per leg)
  4. 5 x Raised Leg Diamond Pushups per leg
  5. 20 x Pistol Squats (10 per leg)

3 sets

  1. 10 x Dumbbell Shoulder Press
  2. 1 x Minute Plank
  3. 10 x Stair Jumps / Box Jumps
  4. 10 x Tricep Dip
  5. 1 x Minute Right Side Plank
  6. 10 x Incline Pushups (place your feet on a chair and do pushups)
  7. 1 x Minute Left Side Plank

3 sets

  1. 20 x Bicep Curls
  2. 30 x Second Superman Plank
  3. 2 x Minute Tile Hopping (one foot per tile and each hop must have your foot land in the middle of each tile; try jump side to side in an almost zigzag pattern on the tiles)
  4. 20 x Shoulder Flies to the side and together (lie on back and use dumbbells)
  5. 1 x Minute Iron T Plank
  6. 20 x Shoulder Flies above head and to bellybutton (straight arms; lie on back and use dumbbells)

3 sets

  1. Table Pull ups (lie under a solid table, grab the edges with your hands and brace your feet in the corners of the table, pushing down with your toes and do as many pull ups as you can, bringing your chest to the underside of the table and back to straight arms without your feet popping off)
  2. Chair Ups (lie on your tummy and grab the legs of a chair in front of you; raise the chair up above your head as high as you can while leaving your elbows on the ground; hold the chair for 30 seconds / 1 minute; rest for 30 seconds / 1 minute and do another 4 so 5 of these in total)
  3. Handstand (try hold your handstand for as long as you can; when advanced try handstand pushups)

3 sets

5-10 of these with 2 minute rest between each: 12-15 Tiles (mimicking a boulder problem) Spider Crawl on Tiles (same principle as Tile Hopping above but now done in spider crawl with body in plank or as close to as possible at all times and each hand and foot must move into the middle of each tile – you can also design routes this way on the floor too)

Finger Training (total time 30-40 minutes)

  1. 10 x Star Flicks to warm up fingers
  2. 10 x “Angry” hands to warm up fingers
  3. 10 x Finger See-Saw to warm up fingers

1 x set

  1. 30 x Finger Gym
  2. 20-30 x Elastic Exercise (rubber band around tips of fingers, spread fingers as wide as you can without bending wrist)
  3. 30 x Wrist Curls per arm
  4. 30 x Reverse Wrist Curls per arm
  5. 30 x Wrist Twists per arm
  6. Stabilising Muscle Hold (hold weight in hand outstretched in front of you with hand at shoulder height; hold until arm shakes or drops)

3 x sets

  1. 10 x Shrugs on Jugs
  2. Choose a pair of holds on your board that you can hang with good form (remember The Essentials) for 10 seconds but struggle or fail by 14-15. Then follow this week-by-week progression.
  3. Week 1
    1. 10 second hang
    1. 30 second rest
    1. Repeat steps 1-2 for 4 reps overall
    1. 2 minute rest
    1. Repeat steps 1-4 for 3 sets overall
  4. Weeks 2-3
    1. Repeat the steps in Week 1, this time for 4 sets overall
  5. Week 4
    1. Repeat the steps in Week 1, this time for 5 sets overall
  6. Week 5
    1. 10 second hang
    1. 20 second rest
    1. Repeat steps 1-2 for 4 reps overall
    1. 2 minute rest
    1. Repeat steps 1-4 for 3 sets overall
  7. Weeks 6-7
    1. Repeat the steps in Week 5, this time for 4 sets overall
  8. Week 8
    1. Repeat the steps in Week 5, this time for 5 sets overall
  9. 10 x Tension Board Pulls (attach theraband to hangboard or Metolius rings as firmly as possible. Sitting on the floor, place the lower end of the theraband around your feet (toes pointing upwards) and pull the Metolius rings/hangboard towards you on the medium crimps)
  10. 10 x Ball Pick Up per hand to strengthen sloper holds
  11. 10 x Pick up Dumbbells or Kettle Bell Handle like you would hold a pinch grip and hold for 30 seconds/1 minute
  12. 30 x seconds / 1 x minute Finger Plank

3 x sets

Static Stretching to Prevent Injury (total time 30 minutes)

Hold each of the below stretches for 20 x seconds each:

  1. Individual Finger Stretches with thumb pushed against knuckle
  2. Individual Finger Stretches with thumb pushed against middle finger bone
  3. Palm against wall with fingers facing up and arms straight – lean towards hands to stretch forearms
  4. Palm against wall with fingers facing down and arms straight – lean towards hands to stretch forearms
  5. Straight arm against wall at shoulder height thumb facing up and roll chest away from arm (each arm)
  6. Straight arm against wall at shoulder height thumb facing down and roll chest away from arm (each arm)
  7. Go into table top pose and put both arms under you and push your chest down onto them; switch front arm and repeat
  8. Hold a stick (like a broom) in both hands and lift it above your head, keeping your elbows against your ears to keep the correct distance).  From this position, try bring the stick down behind your head and shoulders as far as you can while keeping your chest upright and your arms straight.

9. Yoga sequence below…