Post by Will S on Jul 27, 2015 18:29:52 GMT -7
So you want a supplemental strength exercise that will get you wickedly strong and that has direct transference to climbing? I've found a lot of climbers are lacking in backside core strength. Most core work tends to focus on the abs, but on steep terrain with your feet on, your backside core is doing a tremendous amount of the work of keeping you in place and allowing you to get weight through your feet.
I'd recommend playing with two things to incorporate in your routine:
Barbell deadlifts
Plank rollouts on a swissball.
Deadlifts really are the king of barbell lifts. People don't do them because they are hard, and you can easily tweak your back if you use bad technique. They require a lot of recovery time and are very mentally draining. But they will make your backside core stronger than any other single exercise.
Since technique is usually the problem and deterrent with these, here are some simple step-by-step cues to get it right:
1. Take a stance as if you were going to try to jump as high as you can. That's the width you're looking for. If you're not sure, just squat and jump and see what that width is, then note it.
2. Walk your feet under the bar (don't roll the bar to you, it will often roll back before you start the lift, putting you in poor alignment) until the bar is at the midpoint of your foot. Lean over to the side and bit and eyeball it, because most people will walk up, think it's halfway and usually be about 3" shy (too far back). It will have the bar within a few inches of your ankle most likely.
3. Keeping your legs straight/not dropping your hips, reach down and grasp the bar, one hand up, one hand down (dominant hand is usually face up) about shoulder width apart.
4. Now bend your knees until your shins touch the bar.
5. Push your chest forward and up, and raise your head to looking forward.
6. Now pull, without snatching at the bar, and push through your heels.
This should keep your back flat to very slightly arched. Your back should not be rounded.
As a benchmark, you should be able to max at 2x bodyweight if you are reasonably strong, 3x is when you start getting bragging rights. Most will not hit anywhere near 2x on their initial sessions and may take a year to reach that mark. I would not train this more than 1/week. And I'd look to 2-3 sets of 3-5 reps, around 70-80% 1RM.
Plank rollouts on a swissball - These make planks seem like a trip to the ice cream shop. Take the exercise ball, and get into a plank position with your hands together in a "praying" type position, with your forearms resting on the ball, hands about even with your face, feet on the floor.
Now roll the ball away from you until arms are extended, then back in (sort of like an ab roller). Benchmark should be around 10-12 reps in smooth, solid control, resting point of the arms on the ball should not move much (should be between wrist and mid-forearm), but the ball should move out and back 12"-24" or so (depending on how long your arms are).
Aside from variations on the deadlifts, like good-mornings, romanian deadlifts, rack pulls, etc, these are two of the more difficult backside core exercises I use, both personally, and in training others. I can hold front levers for time (>15sec) and they feel easy compared to the deads. If your hips/butt sag away on the steeps when you're extended, you have problems driving through your feet on steep terrain, or you have problems with burly underclings and liebacks, Deads are where I'd look for help.
Besides the carryover benefits, there is something satisfying about being a little guy (I do my barbell lifts in the gym on a military base), and stacking plate after plate after plate on the bar, then just ripping s#@% up while people in the training room start to look vaguely startled, a bit scared and possibly impressed.
I'd recommend playing with two things to incorporate in your routine:
Barbell deadlifts
Plank rollouts on a swissball.
Deadlifts really are the king of barbell lifts. People don't do them because they are hard, and you can easily tweak your back if you use bad technique. They require a lot of recovery time and are very mentally draining. But they will make your backside core stronger than any other single exercise.
Since technique is usually the problem and deterrent with these, here are some simple step-by-step cues to get it right:
1. Take a stance as if you were going to try to jump as high as you can. That's the width you're looking for. If you're not sure, just squat and jump and see what that width is, then note it.
2. Walk your feet under the bar (don't roll the bar to you, it will often roll back before you start the lift, putting you in poor alignment) until the bar is at the midpoint of your foot. Lean over to the side and bit and eyeball it, because most people will walk up, think it's halfway and usually be about 3" shy (too far back). It will have the bar within a few inches of your ankle most likely.
3. Keeping your legs straight/not dropping your hips, reach down and grasp the bar, one hand up, one hand down (dominant hand is usually face up) about shoulder width apart.
4. Now bend your knees until your shins touch the bar.
5. Push your chest forward and up, and raise your head to looking forward.
6. Now pull, without snatching at the bar, and push through your heels.
This should keep your back flat to very slightly arched. Your back should not be rounded.
As a benchmark, you should be able to max at 2x bodyweight if you are reasonably strong, 3x is when you start getting bragging rights. Most will not hit anywhere near 2x on their initial sessions and may take a year to reach that mark. I would not train this more than 1/week. And I'd look to 2-3 sets of 3-5 reps, around 70-80% 1RM.
Plank rollouts on a swissball - These make planks seem like a trip to the ice cream shop. Take the exercise ball, and get into a plank position with your hands together in a "praying" type position, with your forearms resting on the ball, hands about even with your face, feet on the floor.
Now roll the ball away from you until arms are extended, then back in (sort of like an ab roller). Benchmark should be around 10-12 reps in smooth, solid control, resting point of the arms on the ball should not move much (should be between wrist and mid-forearm), but the ball should move out and back 12"-24" or so (depending on how long your arms are).
Aside from variations on the deadlifts, like good-mornings, romanian deadlifts, rack pulls, etc, these are two of the more difficult backside core exercises I use, both personally, and in training others. I can hold front levers for time (>15sec) and they feel easy compared to the deads. If your hips/butt sag away on the steeps when you're extended, you have problems driving through your feet on steep terrain, or you have problems with burly underclings and liebacks, Deads are where I'd look for help.
Besides the carryover benefits, there is something satisfying about being a little guy (I do my barbell lifts in the gym on a military base), and stacking plate after plate after plate on the bar, then just ripping s#@% up while people in the training room start to look vaguely startled, a bit scared and possibly impressed.
