How to perform the "Mountain Climber" exercise correctly? "Climber" - an exercise for which muscle group? Exercise climber

The Mountain Climber is a bodyweight exercise; it is suitable for burning calories, increasing endurance and strengthening the core muscles. The exercise involves all the major muscle groups of the body; Moreover, it is so easy to do that you can do it anywhere. Mountain Climber is effective as a cardio workout if performed at high speed. The main movements that make up the exercise are: supporting the body in a plank while simultaneously bending the knees to work the core muscles.

Steps

Part 1

Performing the climber exercise

    Get into a plank position. Lower yourself to the floor on your hands and knees. Straighten your legs, maintaining balance on your feet and toes. Place your palms directly under your shoulders, fingers pointing forward and slightly outward. Engage your core muscles, keeping them tense at all times. The body should be in one straight line, from the back of the head to the heels.

    Pull one knee up towards your chest. Lift one leg off the floor and begin to bend it while pulling it between your torso and the floor. Pull your knee forward in one smooth, controlled movement. The knees should not fall or touch the floor. Having pulled your knee as far and high as you can, lock your abdominal muscles briefly, but with all your strength.

    Repeat with the second knee. Relax your stomach and slowly lower your knee back toward your other leg. Straighten your leg and place it on the floor. Then, in a smooth motion, pull your other knee forward while tightening your abdominal muscles.

  1. Continue alternating the movement with both knees. Return your leg to the starting position and begin bending your other knee again. Repeat the movement until you master it. That's all! Do the maximum number of repetitions possible until your muscles become tired, and gradually try to increase this number. This exercise is a great addition to any strength or endurance workout.

    • The exercise was named so because of the movements, reminiscent of the techniques used by mountain climbers when climbing steep mountain slopes.
    • Once you get the hang of it, you can increase the speed so that your legs move in leaps rather than one at a time.

    Part 2

    Incorporating the mountain climber exercise into your workout

    Use it to warm up. A few quick mountain climber sets will help you warm up and get your blood flowing before weight training or running. The exercise is ideal as a warm-up because it involves many muscles at the same time and also actively works the core muscles. Continue until your breathing becomes heavy and ragged, then do some light stretching before moving on to your main workout.

    • You'll save yourself time by starting your workout with complex, multi-joint exercises - this way you won't have to warm up each body part separately.
  2. Stay active between sets. If you need to keep your heart rate high during your workout, fill the gaps between more difficult exercises with simple ones, such as mountain climbers. The exercise is intense enough to benefit the heart and lungs. In addition, it provides a small additional power load, without overexertion. Try doing the exercise at a moderate pace rather than sitting still while resting.

    • Only experienced athletes should reduce rest time or intentionally increase the difficulty of the workout. If you are still a beginner, take full advantage of your rest periods.
  3. Focus on your core muscles. The biggest benefit of the exercise is its ability to stimulate the core muscles. To train your abdominal muscles, do a slower version: contract your abdominal muscles very hard at the highest point of your knee lift and hold the tension for 2-3 seconds. You will definitely feel the muscles the next day: there is no better exercise for getting a firm, toned stomach.

    • The plank itself is a good core exercise, which makes the mountain climber exercise doubly effective.
    • Perform the exercise in conjunction with other core movements, such as crunches, leg raises, and scissors, to engage the upper, lower, and obliques on all sides.
  4. Burn fat by ending your workout with a mountain climber exercise. Instead of doing it in the main part of your workout or warm-up, include the mountain climber in your cool-down by performing as many reps as possible in a row. Cooling down can be painful because you're already tired from the workout, but the number of calories you burn will increase dramatically.

    • For best results, the final exercises of the workout should be performed until exhaustion. However, try not to overdo it.
    • Your arms will shake, your back and stomach muscles will burn, and you will sweat profusely. Persevere despite the fatigue.

    Part 3

    Preparing for the exercise
    1. Wear sports shoes with good grip. Since the exercise requires proper foot placement and dynamic movements, it is very important to choose sneakers with non-slip soles that will allow you to quickly change the position of your feet without the risk of losing support. You also need to lace your shoes tightly so that your foot is well secured. You don't want to miss the next few workouts because of an injured ankle, do you?

      • Good shoes will provide the traction and protection you need on tougher surfaces.
      • In some cases (such as yoga or martial arts), you may be able to successfully perform the exercise barefoot. But you must have strong legs and ankles, and a special covering (such as carpet) on the floor that will provide traction. Be careful not to pinch your toes.
    2. If resting on your palms causes discomfort in your wrists, try supporting yourself with a pair of hex dumbbells.
    3. Always maintain the required position to prevent injury and perform the exercise as efficiently as possible.
    4. Incorporate the mountain climber exercise into your regular bodyweight workouts.
    5. To add resistance, attach the crossover loops to one or both ankles.
    6. Try making the burpee more challenging by adding a few reps of the “mountain climber” in the bottom position.
    7. Make sure you get enough fluids and rest during intense workouts.
    8. Warnings

    • Be gentle with yourself and don't overexert yourself when learning new and unfamiliar exercises. Listen to your body and stop doing the exercise when you feel like you should stop. Focus on gradual, smooth progress.
    • Do not attempt this exercise if you have joint problems or have previously suffered a knee or ankle injury.

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The exercise Climber or Mountaineer is common among professionals; athletes often include it in their training program. It perfectly keeps the body in shape, trains the muscles of the abs, buttocks, legs and shoulder girdle. Exercise effectively burns calories and is recommended for weight loss. It is easy to perform, does not require special equipment and is accessible even to beginners.

Climber's Techniques

When including an exercise in a training program (), it is worth considering which muscle groups it affects. Climbing can be called a universal load; it supports a significant number of muscles throughout the body.

There are several varieties of "Mountaineer". Beginners are advised to start with the basic form and gradually increase its complexity. Then start doing the twisting exercise. At first, trainers allow you to perform it with your hands resting on a hill (a bench or chair).

There are 10 options in the video:

Basic form

  1. You need to take a lying position: place your palms on the floor, placing them shoulder-width apart, bend your elbows slightly, and rest your toes on the floor. The body should be as even as possible: from head to toe.
  2. As you exhale, tighten your abs and pull your right knee toward your chest. Do not move your knee to the sides, do not bend your lower back.
  3. Inhale, return to the starting position.
  4. Repeat the exercise, pulling up your left knee.

To achieve results, you should perform “Climber” 2 approaches twenty times on each leg.

Climber with twisting

  1. Get into a lying position.
  2. Exhale and bring your left knee towards your right chest. When performing, try to twist your waist as much as possible.
  3. Inhale, lower your leg to the floor.
  4. Repeat the exercise, pulling up your right knee.

How to do Climbing with an expander

This modification creates a significant load on the buttocks and legs and strengthens the triceps. It is suitable for people who have been performing the Mountain Climber for a long time.

The peculiarity is that an expander is attached to the legs, slightly above the knee. The exercise is done in the same sequence as the basic form.

Climber on a ball or bench

The technique of performing the lesson is completely similar to the basic form. But in this case, the hands are placed shoulder-width apart on the ball or bench. The athlete, while exhaling, pulls his left knee to his chest, and while inhaling, returns to the starting position. Then repeats the technique with the right knee.

What muscles does it strengthen?

“Climber” strengthens not only muscle tissue, but also ligaments and tendons, and compacts bone tissue. Improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system, increases the body's endurance. Athletes often use it as a warm-up exercise.

Climbing improves the tone of the core muscles: the deep muscle tissue that supports the spine and stabilizes the body's position. Strengthens the oblique abdominal muscle area, so “Climber” is recommended to be included in the program for everyone who pumps up their abs.

“Climber” develops the back muscles (the widest muscle zone). Increases the tone of the buttocks and legs: rectus and lateral thigh muscles, tibialis anterior muscle. The arms are subjected to serious stress: biceps and (biceps and triceps), shoulder and deltoid muscles.

Nuances

  1. Beginners are advised to perform the exercise at a slow pace and increase speed over time.
  2. If it is difficult for you to do the “Cliff Climber” with straight arms, then you can bend your elbows.
  3. Beginners can do the exercise not on the floor, but on a slight elevation. In the gym, a bench or fitball will do. At home, you can use an ordinary chair.
  4. When performing the exercise, you can reduce the range of motion: your knees may not reach your chest.

What can be replaced

“Climber” can be replaced by those exercises that strengthen similar muscle groups. Good results are also shown by its modifications or those known to everyone “

Climbing is an effective exercise for keeping your body in shape. Less common, but well known among professionals, the “Climber” exercise trains not only the abdominal muscles. The exercise also involves the shoulder girdle. Since it burns calories, Climbing is a very effective exercise for weight loss. And it does not require special equipment or skills.

Benefit

It is difficult to overestimate the benefits of this exercise, since almost all the muscles of the body are involved when performing it. As you know, not only the mobility of the body, but also the course of all physiological processes of the body depends on the proper functioning of the muscles.

“Climber” is an exercise that works well on the core muscles, which is a whole group of deep muscles that lie next to the spine and provide its fixation. The muscles of the body that perform vital functions are involved:

  • hip flexor muscles;
  • hip extensor muscles in the form of gluteal muscles;
  • abdominal muscles: straight and oblique;
  • back extensor muscles.

That is, these are the muscles responsible for the position of the body and its orientation. Strengthening your core muscles will help you maintain a healthy spine and beautiful posture. The “Climber” exercise is effective not only for strengthening the back and abs. Its benefit is that it provides firmness and tone to the muscles used in everyday life:

  • abductor/adductor scapula - pectoralis minor and serratus anterior muscles;
  • leg extensors/flexors - quadriceps femoris;
  • foot flexors - gastrocnemius muscle;
  • shoulder flexors - deltoid and pectoralis major;
  • forearm extensors - triceps.

Exercise “Climber” what muscle groups does it affect?

On the ball

Exercise "Climber" for the buttocks.

Technique:

  • lying position: place your hands on the ball; palms shoulder-width apart; elbows slightly bent; toes pointing to the floor; body - a straight line from head to feet;
  • exhale - tighten your abdominal muscles; pull your right knee towards your chest as straight as possible;
  • inhale - to the starting position; We also perform it with the left foot.

Target muscles: gluteals.

"Climber" bipedal

Technique:

  • lying position: rest your hands on the floor, palms shoulder-width apart; rise on your hands; elbows slightly bent; toes pointing to the floor; body - a straight line from head to feet;
  • exhale - tighten your abdominal muscles; when jumping, pull your knees to your chest as straight as possible;
  • inhale - to the starting position.

Target muscles: abs, arms, back.

Auxiliary: deltoids, core muscles.

How to start practicing at home?

The “Climber” exercise is perfect for practicing at home. Requiring no skills or special equipment, it works exactly those muscles that are necessary for a slim, toned figure. It's no secret that problematic pounds appear most often on the buttocks and thighs. It is on these parts of the body that the main load of the exercise is directed. It gives the muscles maximum load, which once again confirms its effectiveness in the fight against fat reserves.

A simple and at the same time quite effective exercise is also attractive because it can be performed either separately or in combination with other exercises. The main thing in home exercises is the right attitude, a gradual increase in load and regularity of training.

You need to choose the appropriate exercise option. Perform it at a slow pace for several days. Class time at the initial stage is no more than 10 minutes. You need to increase your training time and load gradually.

You can build muscle and keep your body in shape by regularly performing the Climbing exercise. Reviews once again confirm that this simple exercise can reduce back pain, strengthen muscles and restore flexibility to the spine. In addition, daily exercise improves blood circulation and activates metabolism. By performing "Climber" regularly, you will feel a surge of strength and energy.

Like any other sport, rock climbing requires a comprehensive approach to training to achieve maximum results and reduce the risk of injury. This means that in addition to climbing directly on a climbing stand, it is worth paying special attention to general physical training, as well as special exercises to properly work out the necessary muscles and ligaments. Before training, you need to do a comprehensive warm-up, and then a good cool-down and pay special attention to general physical training (general physical training) and SPP (special physical training) training. To do this, a climbing wall requires a special training area, which usually includes a stretching area, general physical training, strength exercises, work on balance and coordination of movements, and an extensive area of ​​working with your own weight. TOP POINT specialists will help in designing and equipping these areas. Our company produces a range of simulators that will make the equipment of these zones varied and effective. Such simulators include:

Fingerboards

Fingerboard(English: “fingerboard”) - a special board for pull-ups and static hangs on the fingers, which has various active and passive shelves of various depths and sizes, as well as passive, active hooks and pinches. Fingerboards have been an integral part of the climbing training process for a long time. Exercises on such a simulator significantly increase the strength of the fingers and forearms with minimal time investment and allow you to practice various types of grips.

Fingerboards are multifunctional and, unlike their analogue - a system climbing wall (systemboard), a very compact exercise machine that can be installed not only in gyms, but also at home, without taking up much space and allowing for full warm-ups and cool-downs areas of the arms, back and shoulder girdle, as well as separate sets of special physical exercises in any conditions. We offer fingerboards suitable for any level of climbing.

You can view the assortment in our catalog.

Swedish walls

In addition to a number of general physical exercises, the Swedish wall is used by climbers for special exercises to train various types of interceptions and fits organically into the range of exercise equipment used.

We create not only classic Swedish walls, but also walls with a negative angle of inclination, as well as different diameters of steps. If desired, the wall bars can be supplemented with a horizontal bar.

Campusboard

A campus board is a training stand with a set of planks of various widths. The stand can be either vertical or have a slight negative slope. The planks can be either rectangular or cylindrical and have different grip activities. Most often, rectangular planks are used.

The training process on such a simulator includes both static hangs with systematic change of bars, and practicing interceptions.
In addition to a set of planks, a campus board usually also contains space for installing various sets system hooks for a variety of grips and increased training efficiency.

Although campus boards entered the training life of climbers quite recently - in the 80s of the last century, they have already become very widespread and have become part of the training process of almost every person involved in rock climbing.
Campusboard exercises are very effective for increasing the strength of the arms, fingers and back, practicing various grips and interception techniques.

Systemboard

A system board (“system climbing wall” or English “systemboard”) is a small vertical or low-hanging plywood climbing wall installed in the warm-up area and SPT. In appearance it resembles a campus board, but instead of bars it has hooks for practicing various grips and interceptions.

As a rule, special paired rooms are used to equip a systemboard. system hooks, having a classic shape and symmetrical about the vertical axis for equal work of both hands. It is also possible to additionally install fingerboards and small applied reliefs. Unlike a campusboard, it allows you to practice a variety of grips: active, passive and pinch, with a significant advantage over fingerboard is the ability to train long dynamic movements. An excellent addition would be a vertical path of two identical holds next to each other for careful development of one type of grip.

The system board can also be used to practice hold-to-hold jumps, a common technique in rock climbing.

Pegboard

To train interception techniques and as an effective trainer for simultaneously developing the shoulder girdle, back and arms, a pegboard is used.

Typically, a pegboard is a training stand with two or more vertical rows of identical holes and two wooden cylinders for the hands, which are loosely, but when loaded with the climber's own weight, securely inserted into these holes. The athlete's task is to move the cylinders into different holes by performing a movement that simulates an interception on a climbing wall, without using the legs. There are two main options for exercises: alternating movement with the right and left hands, as well as simultaneous movement with both hands, essentially a jump. Movement occurs both up and down the stand, as well as to the sides.
Regular training on a pegboard improves coordination of movements, accuracy of interceptions and significantly develops the back, arms and shoulder girdle.

Horizontal bars

The main exercise machine for working with your own weight is the horizontal bar.

This is a classic, simple multifunctional exercise machine, indispensable in the training process.
TOP POINT offers three types of horizontal bars:


— Classic metal or wooden horizontal bar as part of a warm-up complex;

— Removable horizontal bar for the wall bars;

Horizontal bar of increased diameter with a special sprinkle coating, the texture of which is similar to scree rock climbing reliefs to improve friction.

Slackline

One of the most unusual exercises for developing coordination of movements, but used for decades in the training of rock climbers and mountaineers, is walking on a sling stretched between two support points - a slackline. The sling, as a rule, has a tension weak enough for it to be “dynamic”, responding to any movement, thus the difficulty of walking on it increases significantly and allows for very effective training in the coordination of movements.
Having a slackline in a climbing gym will be an excellent addition to the warm-up area.

Working with a newbie in rock climbing...

You have a beginner, the first thing you start working with him is simply to give him the opportunity to self-realize in climbing on a simple section of the wall. What is inherent in it by nature, if you want, you can look at it in the presence of an experienced trainer. Whether a beginner has a God-given gift for climbing will be evident during the first training sessions. In any case, in the first few weeks, there is absolutely no need to start teaching him the basics of climbing techniques. For several days he needs to get comfortable in the group, get acquainted with the established training procedure, and the existing requirements for athletes. You need to get used to a new daily routine, sports regime, responsibility to arrive on time for training, and perhaps for the first time get new sensations from muscle fatigue. He needs time to get used to the belay when climbing, make sure of its reliability, and over time he will stop being afraid of failures and frantically clutching the rope. Over time, he will be able to perceive the coach’s instructions and analyze his actions. Therefore, a beginner should get used to everything related to training for about a month. The “timid” one should be allowed to climb low so that he can gradually get used to the height. He will enjoy going up and down the holds more. Gradually he will learn to carry out the tasks given by the coach. Over time, climbing will strengthen your fingers and the muscle groups associated with climbing. It is necessary for a beginner to try to perform a small amount of general physical activity. This part of the job is better presented as “swinging.” This word inspires confidence in boys more. The very first physical exercises for a rock climber are exercises for all major muscle groups: pull-ups, hanging on your fingers for a while, push-ups, feasible abdominal exercises, exercises for the back muscles and exercises for the leg extensor muscles. If a beginner doesn’t like general physical training, but is capable of climbing more than anyone else, let him climb; over time, if he stays, he will do everything. And if he hasn’t disappeared in a month or a month and a half, then he can gradually increase the amount of physical activity and teach him the first basics of rock climbing techniques.

With the advent of a group of beginners, you can often hear from coaches that, having looked closely, they divide them into three groups:
a) those who have good abilities for climbing, they succeed at something to begin with, quickly grasp the elements of climbing and whom one would like to rely on,
b) those who do well, but have worse data (for example: due to weight or height), and therefore there is not much hope for the future,
c) those who do not yet inspire confidence, due to various problems (for example: they do not attend training well, are very weak physically, lack courage...), so they fall into the category of unpromising ones.
I would like to warn you that first impressions are not always correct, you need to work with all newcomers, and time will judge.
Usually, at first, those beginners who have already been involved in some kind of sport do better, and especially those who have strong arms, are more coordinated, moderately courageous and have little weight. But after two to four months, everything can change places, and previously weaker ones can outstrip those who were previously stronger in climbing.

And now the next stage of working with a newcomer is learning the basics of technology. The trainer needs to pay attention to the following:

1. Every climbing movement begins with footwork. It is easiest to practice the initial preparation of leg lifts on positively inclined areas. This type of work will teach you to move your body weight from one leg to the other. This will also strengthen the galenostop.
It is useful to climb vertically for a long time and go down along the holds, because... a beginner will not be able to move on his hands for a long time; he will have to transfer most of the load from his arms to his legs.
It is important to teach foot placement techniques. The athlete must determine which hold will be used. After this, place your foot in a pre-planned and reliable (for standing) place on the toe. It is necessary to ensure maximum contact of the rock shoe with the surface of the hold (on small holds it is necessary to rest against the wall of the simulator, or the vertical part of the hold). The main work is on the inside of the big toe. The athlete should know that it is possible to load the toe of a rock shoe, the inner or outer welt, and sometimes the heel, everything will depend on the location of the toe, its size and the need for the knee to be positioned (inward or outward). At the moment the body weight is transferred to it, the point of contact should be motionless. The more body weight is transferred to the foot and toe, the less likely it is that the foot will slip. The stability and reliability of the athlete's position on the hook is higher, the closer to this hook the axis of the athlete's center of gravity is located.

2. Draw the attention of the beginner that with each step he must watch how his foot is placed on the toe. Show the student in practice different configurations of toes and how best to place the foot (on the inner surface of the big toe, on the toe, on the inner or outer welt of the foot, on the heel). The athlete must determine for himself which method is more reliable and convenient for a particular case. Train the climber to correctly use a variety of supports for climbing, even small, obscure and sloping ones. In any case, you should try to have a larger contact surface between the sole and the toe. The foot should stand naturally on the toe, without tension, without lowering or raising the heel unnecessarily.

3. The athlete must remember the golden rule: if he doesn't get the next hold hand, that is legs don't work. Movement always starts from the foot. You need to look at the holds or the terrain under your feet and figure out how to place both legs higher, and then check your knees to see if they are fully straightened when moving to the next hold.

4. It is necessary for a climber to develop a sense of balance. Know what the center of gravity is. Show the coach in practice, on the track, that the correctly chosen position of the body (i.e. along the axis of the center of gravity) relative to the toe for the leg allows you to save strength in the fingers and hands.

5. Always when moving with one limb, the other three should be on hooks; in extreme cases, one of the legs should be pressed against the wall to maintain balance (if there is no hook for it), and it is better to work on the side (leaning on the toe of the foot - lifting yourself by friction) .

6. A beginner must learn to load the holds in different ways, from above, from below, from the side (in a reclining position) ... We must try to ensure that all fingers of the hand cover the hold. Fingers will get less tired if the grip is performed with one of the edges (edges) of the palm.

7. The coach must ensure that the athlete is as relaxed as possible when climbing. Pay special attention to maximum relaxation of the arms; they should mainly be used to support the body.

8. When climbing, you should not hold your breath; it is very important to ensure that your breathing is normal and natural; the strength of your arms and the duration of movement on the route depend on regular breathing.

9. Your arms will get tired faster when climbing when they are constantly extended upward. Therefore, it is better if they are often no higher than shoulder level. Explain to the athlete that it is better to load two holds with your hands up to shoulder width; if your hands are wider, it will be difficult to move further without losing balance.

10. It is very useful for young climbers to watch how experienced masters climb, to adopt interesting elements of movement, this makes it easier to learn climbing techniques.

11. To climb well, you need to climb as much as possible, and it is very important on varied terrain, then your skill will grow and the climbing experience necessary for competitions will appear.

How to do the rock climbing exercise?

The category of universal exercises that can be used both in the gym and in home workouts includes the rock climbing exercise. The benefits of such training are not limited to traditional weight loss. It can be found in various training programs, including it is popular in CrossFit. First of all, because during the exercise different parts of the body receive load. We will consider below which muscles are stressed in the climbing exercise, how to do it correctly and how to complicate the training.

Benefit

In the climbing exercise, different muscle groups receive intense load. It is rightfully considered universal and truly effective. Are the benefits of rock climbing limited to abdominal training? The exercise is useful because it engages different muscles, strengthening and toning them. With its help you can achieve the following results:

  1. General strengthening of the deep muscles of the trunk, which ensures stabilization of the spine.
  2. Tighten and tone your arms, legs, and abs.
  3. Maintain a healthy spine and royal posture.
  4. Strengthen the muscles of the lower body, work on the elasticity of ligaments and tendons.
  5. Ensure natural compaction of bone tissue.
  6. The exercise can be used as an effective warm-up.
  7. The climbing exercise helps burn calories at an intense pace, which is effective for developing sculpted abs and overall weight loss.
  8. Increase endurance during physical activity and overall vitality.

Variations of the exercise and their technique

The classic technique of performing the “climbing” exercise cannot be called complex. To get the desired result in the form of a strong core and general tone during training, you must follow three simple rules:

  1. Breathing rule. Free and even breathing is your ally in the “climber” exercise.
  2. The rule for gradually increasing the pace of the exercise. Don’t chase speed, but develop your technique by gradually speeding up the movement with your legs.
  3. Rule of body position. The correct body position is tense and level, as in the starting position.

Basic exercise

Let's take a closer look at how to do the climbing exercise correctly. You can master the technique by carefully listening to the sensations, first slowly and consistently performing all the actions. You can gradually increase the pace of the workout and use more complex variations.

So, the “climber” technique:

  1. We take the starting position in a lying position. Arms are straightened, legs are shoulder-width apart. We rest our palms and toes on the floor. We keep the body straight, do not bend the lower back and do not push the buttocks up, and evenly distribute the body weight on the supports.
  2. We exhale while simultaneously tensing the abdominal muscles. At the same time, we pull the knee of one leg towards the chest (without moving the knee to the right or left).

    The lower back remains flat, without bending.

  3. We return the leg back as we exhale. The abdominal muscles remain tense. We repeat the exercise with the other leg.
  4. We perform the required number of repetitions in the approach. After which we rest.

The target muscles for the “climber” are the abdominal muscles. The exercise also involves the chest and buttocks.

With twisting

You can complicate the classic “climber” by slightly modifying the technique. Let's look at how to do the climbing exercise with twisting:

  1. To do this, we take the same starting position as for traditional push-ups (hands shoulder-width apart, legs together, keep your back straight).
  2. We inhale, and as we exhale, bend the right knee and, by twisting at the waist, direct it to the left side towards the shoulder. As you exhale, we return to the starting position, then repeat the exercise on the other leg.

There are 2 options for this twisting climber:

  • We perform all repetitions with one leg first, then the second one;
  • alternate legs, performing the same number of repetitions on each side.

The target muscles for this exercise are the internal and external obliques, as well as the rectus abdominis. On the side of the legs, this is the quadriceps femoris muscle. Accessory muscles are the pectineus and biceps femoris.

“Climber” with hands on a bench or on a ball

To perform a complicated “climber” you will need additional equipment: a bench, a ball (a medicine ball, a gymnastic ball or a Bosu hemisphere). Technique:

  1. We take the position while lying down, placing our arms on a support (ball, bench) so that they are directly under the shoulders and are fully straightened.
  2. We tense the muscles of the torso, especially the abs.
  3. Raise your knee to your chest (as you exhale), while trying to keep your torso as straight as possible.
  4. While inhaling, we return to the lying position and repeat the exercise with the other leg.

The exercise will be most effective if you keep your body straight while doing it using tense abdominal muscles. When raising your knees, you need to pay attention to your lower back. It should not be rounded or bent. While climbing, you should not bend your elbows.

"Climber" bipedal

Exercises for rock climbers at home can be complicated. After mastering the traditional technique of the exercise, you can move on to the advanced version of the two-legged climber. The main difference is that two legs are involved in the main movement. How does this training work?

  1. We take the starting position (lying position).

    Hands shoulder-width apart, feet together.

  2. We check the position of the body. It should be like a straight line. We do not round the lower back.
  3. As you exhale, pull the knees of both legs to your chest in a buckle. As we exhale, we come back.

In addition to the abs, the target muscles in this version of the climber are also the arms and back. Auxiliary muscles are the core and delta muscles.

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About finger strength...

Continuation of the article: A few words about rock climbing training methods

It is impossible to write a universal formula for training an ideal climber, because it simply does not exist. The only guidelines are the principles described above and some aspects that almost all climbers should work on.

Finger strength. There is no such thing as too strong fingers in climbing, so training to develop your fingers is never a bad idea unless you do them at the expense of your other climbing training, or unless doing them causes injury. The best way to develop finger strength to a certain level is bouldering, because by doing it you can work on a variety of grip types and at the same time on your overall climbing technique.

You have to accept the basic principle that if you want to master the technique of mountain climbing, you need to find the angle of the machine and the movements that will allow you to achieve the goal. If you are new to climbing, you can simply use a vertical section of the wall.

Finger development aids, such as a campus board or fingerboard, are helpful. But even for the most ambitious climbers, these devices should remain only an aid. Their use should in no case completely replace climbing itself. Otherwise, in an almost imperceptible way, they will only make you worse.

By developing finger strength too hard, it is easy to develop chronic tendon and ligament injuries. Your fingers are not very big things, and they are not designed to support the weight of your entire body, so treat them accordingly (ie with special attention). It takes years of slow, hard work to gradually train them to hold on to the bare minimum. That is, you should try to climb in such a way that you are ready to stop climbing at any time if you encounter a movement that could damage your fingers.
The most common situation in which toes are damaged is when the foot unexpectedly slips off a hold, which sharply increases the load on the toe ligaments.

If your workouts are very repetitive, such as on the campus board or the same series of challenging trails, try to vary the exercises and don't be afraid to take a few days off if you're not feeling well. Remember that good recovery (sleep, diet, lifestyle) after exercise greatly reduces your susceptibility to sports injuries.

Fingerboarding is a very powerful tool for developing fingers because you can install this simple and cheap structure at home in a doorway and perform short exercises on it as often as you like. The result is that you train more, but get less tired than during a full workout at a climbing wall.
But you need to be sure that these activities do not replace the climbing itself, otherwise your technique will inevitably suffer. You can combine fingerboarding with endurance training - perform a short (20-90 minute, depending on your condition) set of exercises before endurance training at a climbing wall (or on the rocks). With a different order, the effectiveness of the lesson may noticeably decrease.

Fingerboard. In stores you can find many different options for fingerboards that can be hung above the door. But it is not at all necessary to buy these devices in the store. What you need is a 20mm thick sanded board with slightly rounded edges. You can also use holds in a bouldering room or on rocks. Be sure to use magnesium, as sweaty, wet fingers under heavy load can slip and cause tendon strain. It is better to start the exercise by hanging on your arms slightly bent at the elbows (as if you are starting to pull yourself up). Hanging with straight arms often causes elbow injuries.

First, do a few simple hangs and pull-ups to fully warm up. It is useful to start the lesson with hanging on the bar, which accelerates the blood and warms up the muscles, only then you should begin light hangings and pull-ups on the fingerboard itself. Warm-up should last 10-30 minutes. Work on as many grips as you can (the number depends on your fitness), for example:

Passive 4 finger grip
Passive 3 finger grip
4 finger hang on one phalanx
Hanging on 4 fingers on half the phalanx
Hanging on a pocket under 2 fingers (middle and ring)
Hanging on a pocket under 2 fingers (index and middle)
Hanging on a pocket under 1 finger (middle).

Your goal is to hang for 5-8 seconds at your limit.

There should be a feeling that you are hanging “I can’t”.
There are many ways to adjust the right difficulty level for good intensity. You can hang on two hands or on one. If your weight is too heavy for you, you can rest your foot on a suspended loop - a shock absorber or rope, or simply on a chair placed at a certain distance in front of the board. You can hang on different combinations of fingers, for example, on 4 fingers of one hand and two on the other (changing hands each approach). Doing weighted hangs or pull-ups also increases the difficulty of the exercise.

To begin with, the entire workout can consist of just a few approaches. Over time, you will understand how much load is enough for you. You should increase the load very carefully; sometimes it can happen that you stagnate in the same place for months. I have been training hard for 10 years, doing 5 sets of each grip on average 4 times a week, 8 months a year. You can change the pattern of your exercises in such a way as to correspond to a period of excess strength or, conversely, weakness.
If you are going to rocks where routes with a lot of pockets are typical, you can increase the number of hangs on the pockets.

Music or television can be a good way to combat boredom while exercising. Since these exercises take little time, you can do them quite often (several times a week). But it’s better to take breaks from time to time, because these exercises are very boring. Finger strength develops very slowly, especially after the first few weeks of training, so it is necessary to continue training for months and even years in order for your efforts to truly bring tangible results. On the plus side, you will feel the difficulty of the routes you climb slowly but steadily increase, and this type of training (provided you don't forget about other exercises) can be your ticket to the highest level of climbing.

To be continued…

Anastasia Nagornaya, personal fitness trainer:

Pumping up your abdominal muscles is not limited to abdominal crunches and crunches. We offer a professional way to get a flat and toned stomach.

Less common, but recognized among professionals, the “climber” exercise effectively trains the abdominal muscles. And by the way, not only the press! The exercise also uses the muscles of the legs and shoulder girdle, which in turn provides additional calorie burning.

How to pump up your abs: technique

Starting position - emphasis on your palms and toes (like push-ups). The body is parallel to the floor. The arms are perpendicular to the floor: the shoulder and elbow joints, as well as the wrists, are clearly aligned under each other. The stomach should be tucked up, the lower back should not bend, but should be slightly rounded if possible. Make sure that your abdominal muscles are tense throughout the entire exercise.

As you exhale, pull your knee to your chest. As you inhale, return to the starting position. Alternately change legs.

As a separate option, the same exercise can be performed with an emphasis on the obliques, pulling the knees to the opposite chest: the right knee to the left chest, and the left knee to the right.

THIS IS INTERESTING: The press is not divided into “upper” and “lower”. In reality, the abs, which is the rectus abdominis muscle, cannot be divided into upper and lower, since the fibers of the abdominal muscle are located from top to bottom throughout the abdomen. Thus, when performing abdominal exercises, the fibers contract equally in both the upper and lower parts.