Yes, another ‘warming up for climbing’ article.
No, we’re not going to give you a prescriptive list of all the things you must absolutely do to warm up for the best climbing session ever, but hopefully you will finish reading this with a few ideas on what a climbing warm up might look like for you and why you might do one in the first place.
Do you warm up for climbing?
You know you should, we all know we should… but sometimes time is short, there are conversations to be had, groups to join, tea to drink – we’re human after all! The BtE coaches are going to try to convince you not to skip the warm up to make your climbing sessions more enjoyable.
So, why bother warming up?
Science! Warming up prepares your body for exercise. It gets more blood pumping to your muscles and lubricating your joints so that both are ready for intense activity (think oiling the tin man). This means you are more likely to go into your session with muscles ready to engage and better mobility, with a lower chance of injury. Always a win.
You will often find that you climb better after a good warm up
Very convincing (science often is), but also very generic and warm ups have other purposes too.
Sometimes a warm up is for checking in with how you’re feeling – is it a high energy day, a low energy day? How’s your mobility? How’s your power? Maybe your warm up will be your transition from a stressful shift at work or day in the office to high intensity bouldering? Maybe it’s a chance to get some mileage in or some strength and conditioning? This may vary from session to session, depending on how you’re feeling and what you want your session to look like.
What we’re saying is: warm ups aren’t just about the preventing injury stuff – work out what you need from your warm up and you’re on the right track.
Warming up whilst you have a catch up with a friend can make the whole thing more enjoyable. Here Annie and Ros are warming up their shoulders using a theraband.
Claire: ’I don’t have a generic warm up I tend to be more specific with my warm ups and don’t do the same thing every time as the purpose of the warm up is important. For example, if I’m working on the board or something a bit more intense then I’ll often warm up my fingers with my feet on the floor, traversing across on small holds.’
Hati: ‘I use my warm up to work out how I’m feeling. Sometimes I get to the wall, do my warm up then go home because I realise I would benefit from rest (fortunately I live quite close)’
Make warming up a habit
Warming up is a habit, much like cleaning your teeth or making your bed. You’re not born with these habits, they’re something that you must develop.
So how do you build your warm up into a habit?
Be realistic
Keep your warm up length realistic, at least when you first start. Just 10 minutes of something on the floor before you start easy climbing, maybe do it with a cup of tea at hand? This way, it doesn’t eat into your climbing too much and you can’t really justify skipping it.
If you walk to the wall, can you fit any of your warm up into your walk? Maybe not the arm waving, but clenching your fists to squeeze with your fingers is certainly walk-in compatible!
Hati: My problem is FOMO, I want to be climbing already! So I warm up with a 15 minute core circuit. Usually I get into it and do a few more circuits, but by starting with ‘just 15 minutes’ I can trick myself into starting the warm up in the first place (which is the hardest bit).
(15 minutes seem like a long time? Make it 10!)
Warming up with a friend makes everything better
Be playful
Make it fun! Make it a game, recruit a fellow climber and hold each other to account, make it a competition. Your cardio could be a race, your climbing could be a game. Okay it may not quite be the warm up the YouTubers recommend, but at least you’re doing something!
We all fall out of habits every now and then… It’s proof of your humanity! If you miss a warm up, it’s all good. Just reflect on why you missed it make the effort next time.
So how do you warm up?
Okay okay, we’ll give you a structure to start with. This is something to play around with: decide what works for you and adapt it as necessary…
- Raise your heart rate to get your blood pumping into your muscles, readying them for high intensity activity. This might be 5 minutes of skipping, jumping, running. Maybe it’s a brisk walk or cycle to the climbing wall.
- Mobility this might be dynamic stretches, which encourage the secretion of synovial fluid into your joints and get them ready for movement. (Think oiling the tin man in the Wizard of Oz). Movements and rotations work well.
- Activate your muscles with shoulder shrugs, a theraband or easy climbing. If climbing you could include games/drills to keep things interesting (footwork focus, or building up dynamic movement or speed). Your climbing should be progressive, building up to the level that you want to work at for your session… so don’t just jump straight onto your project!
Here are a few ideas from the BtE Team…
Kerry: ‘I have always been a fan of traversing, it allows me to build moves together at a lower level whilst maintaining control. It allows me to open my hips in a frog stretch and I can move up and down, side to side usually with a good choice of holds that I can actually use.
Big holds usually make my hands really cold, so even the easiest up problems on a boulder wall aren’t suitable. Moving around the walls allows me to pinpoint specific moves to warm up’
James: ‘For a route climbing session I start with 3-5 routes on the autobelays in approach shoes up to about 6c, with minimal rest or just a bit of flexibility work between routes. Autobelays make it easier to get and stay warm than taking turns on lead. I’ll either then fingerboard and stretch some more before leading or go straight into leading something harder.
I start my sessions wearing quite a lot of clothes and slowly delayer. I wear trainers for my warm up to help me move quickly (something I’m currently working on). Later in the session I will try to maintain that unhesitating style when leading.
After all this I turn around and Claire will just be finishing her 1st cup of tea and 3rd conversation with coaches/Hati/desk staff. (This last bit is very true).
BtE coaches Claire and Hati chatting with a group. Claire and Hati deliver the new Bouldering Wall Instructor qualification
Claire: For my clients I advise a pulse raiser, shoulder shrugs/band work, and then density hanging before climbing. This is something they can play around with to see what works for them.
For myself, it depends from session to session and my warm up is something I am currently working on, but I usually squeeze my hands on the way in to warm up my fingers. Once I start climbing I work my way through the grades and hold positions as I’m climbing to go through the full range of motion, working up to whatever I’m trying that particular day. I usually don’t bother with waving my arms around too much, I tend to be more specific with my warm ups and don’t do the same thing every time.’
Hati: I use my warm up to check in with how I’m feeling and do some strength and conditioning, as I never can be bothered by the end of the session. I always have a cup of tea for my warm up (possibly two).
Core strength is something I’m working on, and I’ve found it improves my climbing if I engage my core in my warm up. I usually start with a core routine that includes exercises that engage your shoulders and stretch your hips, so it’s an all body warm up. Sometimes I finish here, but if I have time to spare I’ll do some dynamic horse stance, tailor pose and pancakes to engage my hips. From here I’ll start climbing, and if I’m lacking motivation I’ll often start with a game to rouse enthusiasm.
Hati
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We are one of the UKs most experienced providers of climbing, walking, scrambling, mountaineering and navigation training courses. Most of our courses are run in the Peak District National Park which has some of the finest rock climbing, bouldering, walking and hiking in the world.
