Is Bouldering Good For Strength
Yes, bouldering makes you functionally strong. Put simply, the constant battle between gravity and lifting your bodyweight towards rocks puts enough tension onto your muscles (mostly the upper body and core) that they tear and repair, and grow bigger and stronger.
Don’t believe us? Try a bouldering session. You’ll begin to realize the battle you have against gravity isn’t like any other. Not only is it invisible, but it always wins! You just have to train well to be prepared.
Functional strength is far better than absoulate strength – it means you can actually use the extra power to your advantage, rather than some bodybuilders who can barely move!
Will Bouldering Get You Bigger
Bouldering increases strength by conditioning real, useful muscles; however, it won’t make you look huge. In fact, your frame stays relatively small compared to bigger athletes, but you’ll more than likely be able to lift heavier.
Bouldering doesn’t use strength alone. It incorporates muscle and cardiovascular endurance throughout the climb. For example:
- Cardiovascular is required when jumping across rocks, recovering between climbs, and walking between sites when outdoor bouldering.
- Muscle endurance is used to hold onto the rocks so you stick to the wall – as there is no harness, as well as during longer climbs.
Muscle and cardiovascular endurance burn through significant calories, which plummets fat stores. As a result, bouldered struggle to put on mass, as they typically run a calorie deficit.
In addition, the maximum load a boulderer must lift is themselves, plus bouldering equipment. No dumbbells, tires, or sandbags are in their rucksacks – just a few energy gels and snacks! So once they’re strong enough to lift their bodyweight and equipment, muscle growth is capped as hypertrophy isn’t needed. As a result, they won’t put on any more size (but, instead, get muscle endurance benefits.)
While a boulderer’s body keeps slim, some unique muscle groups grow larger than average! For example, your fingertips and forearms require so much strength to grip rocks that, in many cases, they are bigger than body lifters!
How Long Does It Take To Build Strength From Bouldering
There’s no avoiding the muscle ache after a bouldering session! For many beginners, the sport knackers muscle groups (mostly back muscles) they didn’t know existed! So, how many bouldering sessions do you need until you feel physically stronger?
On average, beginners see a noticeable difference in strength after 6 weeks of consistent bouldering training, precisely their grip strength and power. Their daily tasks seem more manageable, and they begin to ache less after each bouldering session.
The exact time it takes you varies on:
- Your current strength levels: boulderers with minimal functional strength will rapidly see improvements from bouldering; however, if you’re already quite strong, it will take longer before you notice your strength levels increase.
- Your previous experience: if you’re a complete beginner, we hate to say it, but most of your time is spent falling onto soft mats! So, while you learn how to land, your muscles aren’t given the chance to get stronger.
- The consistency and intensity you train at: the higher your consistency and intensity, the greater opportunity your muscles have to tear and repair. However, this only applies until you reach exhaustion – at which point excess bouldering practice has negative returns on strength.
If 6 weeks is too long for you, there are ways to speed it up:
You can incorporate weight training, eat more food, and minimize activity outside of bouldering. However, we don’t recommend this as it affects bouldering ability by lessening your strength-to-weight ratio. As a result, you become less agile and more powerful to climb, plus your muscles become fatigued a lot sooner from the increased mass they hold.
Will Bouldering Strengthen Your Upper Or Lower Body More
Most know a typical boulderer has a ‘dorrito‘ body shape. This consists of broad shoulders that close like a triangle to a thin waist. However, will bouldering strengthen your legs too?
Bouldering offers more upper body than lower body strength, as pulling yourself up with your arms is more muscle-demanding than squatting with your legs. This is why:
While the same weight (your body weight) is being lifted, your upper body (arms, shoulders, and upper back) muscles are naturally smaller than your lower body(quadriceps and hamstrings) muscles. Therefore, excess hypertrophy is needed to compensate, resulting in a larger net strength gain.
So, the upper body grows to become more prominent than the lower body; however, it’s only to catch up to the power of the lower body.
This isn’t to say your legs don’t need extra strengthening.
Professional boulders require an abundance of lower body strength, so they can use specific techniques like mantling and flagging or heel and toe hooking. In most cases, a solid upper body but an average lower body won’t be able to use these techniques efficiently. As a result, pros use exercises like:
- Squats.
- Hamstring Curls.
- Quadricep Curls.
- Heel Raises.
What Are the Best Bouldering Exercies For Strength
You can participate in bouldering workouts which double-up to improve your strength and climbing ability. Our best picks include:
Are Pegboards Good For Bouldering Strength Exercise
Our personal favorite – pegboards. They are one of the most efficient methods to build strength while improving bouldering ability.
Pegboards require immense grip strength to hold onto each peg, plus you’re suspended in the air, so your core must tighten to stabilize and balance your body. They help mimic the exact body motions you go through when bouldering, making it the best alternative to real-life practice.
You strengthen your upper body and core using a pegboard more than any other of the exercises mentioned. Most bouldering gyms have one. We challenge you to get from one end of the board to another/ from the bottom to the top!
We see many athletes keeping close to the pegboard by bending their elbows. For an extra endeavor, try keeping your elbows relaxed. This forces you to use more power and strength to reach for a hole – and replicates bouldering more closely.
Is Calisthenics Training Good For Bouldering Strength Exercise
Calisthenics and boulderers go hand in hand. It’s uncommon to find an athlete experienced in one realm and not the other. However, how good is it at building functional strength for boulderers?
Calisthenics improves relative strength, mobility, and flexibility, which are ideal for a boulderer. One of the key aspects of calisthenics is gripping onto bars, holders, or wooden rings, which, once again, betters your grip strength.
Furthermore, the leading muscle group it targets are the core and upper body – which is shared with bouldering. So yes, calisthenics training is suitable for bouldering strength.
All in all, it sounds perfect for bouldering. So, what’s the catch? Calisthenics won’t teach you techniques or bouldering skills (like route setting). While excellent at equipping you with the boulderer’s body, it won’t give you a boulderer brain.
Are Fingerboards Good For Bouldering Strength Exercise
One of the most difficult but highly targeted bouldering exercises includes fingerboards. They are one of few exercises which exclusively build finger strength. This helps boulders grip onto small or awkwardly shaped rocks.
They are framed wooden planks with grooves of different sizes, which are intended for your fingers to go inside. Beginners struggle initially, especially if they have never practiced finger strength training before. Nonetheless, it makes a noticeable difference when comparing climb times to those who don’t use them.
Of course, the main setback is it won’t strengthen your whole body. As a result, you must do additional full-body training to ensure your body grows proportionally.
Are Practice Runs Good For Bouldering Strength Exercise
Saving the best until last… the best way to build bouldering strength is by doing practice runs. Regardless of your skill level, you pick up techniques and gain strength faster through trial and error.
So why do people even bother with anything else? Well, some prefer to stay away from practicing until:
- They feel substantial in themselves to attempt it.
- They are injured in a specific muscle group. They can’t practice but don’t want not to train.
- There isn’t a local bouldering club near them.
All are valid reasons. However, if you can, always choose real-life practice over strength training which aim to mimic bouldering movements.
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