How To Start Climbing

I've started going climbing.

Not because I'm having a mid-life crisis. I am only a mere 26 as I write this.

But because I've always been fascinated with the idea of bodyweight exercise.

Now whilst calisthenics athletes crack out muscle-ups and handstand press ups, I currently don't have that ability and find completing endless numbers of them rather tedious.

Not to undermine their importance, but I know there are more engaging ways to train using bodyweight.

Enter into the room: climbing.

More specifically, I go bouldering.

Bouldering

Bouldering is essentially rock climbing without any safety harness. I go to a dedicated rock climbing centre that has many different levels of difficulties highlighted by different coloured routes.

I was intrigued by the physique of climbers. They're very lean and therefore appear more muscular. Whilst lean isn't the physique I'm going for, I can understand the benefits of improving my bodyweight strength by going climbing.

How did I start?

It's quite an underwhelming answer, but I just walked into the climbing gym and paid for a session and got off.

I had a quick induction, how to be safe and then I was left to my own devices.

Much like walking into any gym, there is a level of intimidation in the form of 'I'm not very good at this and there are people that are and I hope they don't watch me'.

However, the climbing community is a lot more open and friendly than your traditional gym.

I remember the first time I was there, there are these grey holds in the shape of a down arrow. These holds are to help a climber get down from the top once a climb has been achieved.

The easiest colour route in the gym is grey. So I thought the helper holds were part of the route.

I stretched quite a bit to reach it (as it was at the top) only to be told by a helpful climber that it isn't part of the route.

Not ridiculed, not laughed at, just notified.

Benefits of Climbing

Great functional movement

Climbing is one of the core locomotion movements of a human along with running, crawling and jumping.

Our ancestors use to swing from trees with great shoulder and back muscles.

Obviously we've evolved a little bit since then. Our need to climb trees to evade predators isn't as required. Our lives are mainly spent sat down meaning that our shoulders are becoming hunched and our pectorals are being smaller.

Climbing really engages a lot of the muscles throughout your body and is a good way to hang from your arms and open up the shoulders to a more natural state.

It's Fun

You feel like a giant kid. Remember when you would run around and climb a tree, or you'd be climbing up something at the park, it felt like you were on top of the world.

But you probably grew a little bit, the heights weren't as daunting, there wasn't as much effort required to scale whatever it was you were climbing.

Climbing at a climbing gym brings back the fun in climbing. It doesn't feel like exercise. It feels like you're being a kid again.

Problem Solving

I've spoken a lot about the physical benefits, but I haven't spoken about the mental benefits.

Climbing requires a lot of problem solving. If you don't complete a climb, you have the art of coming down, analysing your journey, seeing where you got stuck and working out how you can get past it.

The problem solving element is heavily overlooked and one that I am starting to get better at (slowly).

Improves Strength

As I was talking about earlier, it is a great bodyweight exercise. It improves your strength and grip in your upper and lower body.

Whilst it isn't the most efficient way of improving exercise (bench pressing a heavier weight will get you stronger quicker) but this is a method of exercise that doesn't feel like exercise.

Just do it

If you're worried about looking like a fool, climbing isn't a community that belittles tryers.

Bad form isn't a thing, you either climb to the top or you don't. Everyone can climb, it is in our DNA.

You can do it too, there is nothing to be afraid of!