| Continuing our series of tips from Steve Lulek, owner of Green Mountain Rock Climbing Center and Vermont Adventure Tours and 11 year lead instructor for the US Military’s mountaineering school, this week we’ll look at grip strength.
Technique rather than strength is king in climbing, but who has perfect technique all the time? No one we know! As much as we hate to admit it, strength is critical to climbing as well. Specifically, grip strength can help propel your climbing to the next level. To test your grip strength, come on in to the Climbing Center and try out “Pinchy the Crab” a fun but pinchy 5.9 climb. The best way to build grip strength is to work on our campus board wall, at the end of the bouldering cave. For starters, just hang out. Climb up to 2 even campus blocks and hang. Let your feet dangle and just hang until you can’t any longer. Rest for a minute, then repeat. Rest for a minute then repeat (that’s three ties total). Do this at the end of your climbing session for a week or two. The next step towards increasing your grip strength- reach ups. Go back up the campus wall and hang with both hands from one block for 15 seconds. Reach your right hand out to the right and up to the maximum of your reach. Hang for 15 seconds. Return your right hand and then do the same reach out with your left hand, hanging for 15 seconds. Repeat until failure and then rest for a minute. Do this three times. As it gets easier, increase your hanging intervals to 30, 45 or even 60 seconds! If you’re keeping track, so far Lulek’s Lessons have covered: 1. Body Language 2. Foot Placement 3. Strength-to-Weight Ratio 4. Grip Strength |
