Alta Climbing is an intensely physical sport, but it also requires concentration. Accomplished climbers ascend rock as though they are dancing, transferring their weight fluidly to maximise efficiency and placing their hands and feet precisely to create momentum.

Climbing is not an elitist sport, and the biggest rock-stars regularly rub shoulders with first-timers at gyms and crags. But what really separates the good from the great is a combination of strength, technique and self-belief.

Climbing is a full-body workout that requires the coordination of multiple muscle groups. It also works the tendons and joints of the feet, hands and arms. The body is forced to work in close harmony with itself, and this gives it a unique and satisfying feeling of accomplishment.

In climbing, the skillset is split almost evenly between physical strength, technique and psychology. A strong climber can often out-perform a weaker competitor if they have perfect technique, but even the most skilled climbers can be undone by a poor attitude.

The best climbers are able to maintain an equilibrium between their psychological, physical and technical strengths over long periods of time. This takes a great deal of patience and self-confidence. Many climbers have a laser-like focus and dedicate their lives to the sport. They are willing to risk serious injury for the chance to scale a steep wall of rock.

This is a dangerous sport and it is not uncommon to see paramedics at the crags. To be safe, it is important to strengthen the muscles that support your centre of gravity. A good place to start is with the floor exercises that can be done without any equipment. Yoga and Pilates are both excellent options. It is also a good idea to spend some time working on the antagonistic muscles, like the triceps and pectorals. This will help to prevent injury when you return to climbing.

Flexibility

The image of muscular climbers silhouetted against steeply overhanging rocks has been a staple on motivational posters and travel advertisements for decades. But despite its reputation as an incredibly challenging and solitary sport, climbing is actually quite a social activity. Climbers rely on each other for safety, so they need to work together to create a system of trust that allows them to enjoy themselves even when they’re far above the ground. Whether they’re working together to solve a bouldering problem, or acting as someone’s belayer, climbers build strong bonds with people from all walks of life.

Flexibility is the ability to move muscles and joints through their full normal range of motion (ROM). It helps with performance, promotes correct body alignment, and increases balance and decreases injury risk.

One of the most important aspects of flexibility for climbers is the ability to twist and bend at the hips. This involves a lot of rotational flexibility, and it can be improved with simple exercises like the scorpion stretch. Another important aspect of flexibility is being able to use different planes of movement, such as the transverse or frontal plane, and improving this can help with hold selection on a wall.

Finally, a good flexible person will be able to balance the tightness of the muscles that are strengthened by climbing/bouldering with the flexibilty of those that are predominantly shortened by this same activity. This balance is what will prevent injuries.

Mental Stamina

Climbing requires a high level of mental concentration and focus. It also helps to build a strong sense of self-belief and perseverance. It is a great way to relieve stress and burnout, as it gives you a sense of accomplishment with each new challenge. It is also a great way to socialize with others who have a similar passion.

The practice of climbing also improves a person’s ability to manage and control their emotions. Many people find that the sport alleviates feelings of anxiety and depression by allowing them to express their frustration and anger in a healthy manner. It can also help to reduce the symptoms of ADHD and ADD. In addition, climbing can be a great way to increase one’s flexibility and coordination, as well as develop a healthier cardiovascular system.

Many people find that the activity of climbing reduces their fear of falling or of failing. In order to overcome these fears, it is necessary to understand that the fear is a result of past experiences and expectations for the future, and not a reflection of who they are as individuals.

To reduce the feeling of failure, it is important to break a difficult route down into smaller parts and to focus on each individual move or sequence. This can make the climb feel less overwhelming and allows you to build your confidence with each new step.

Patience

Patience is a calm response to life, whether waiting for something to happen or dealing with frustration and pain. In climbing, patience is key to remaining focused on the task at hand and not getting frustrated by a setback. It’s also an important part of mental regulation, as it allows you to diffuse tense moments and calm the emotional storm that can arise during a tough climb.

Deciphering a sport climb’s sequence from the ground requires good spatial awareness and memory. It’s a bit like playing chess, where you look for the next move and make a plan. This is a crucial skill to develop for onsighting. The more you can anticipate moves and sequences, the better your chances of success.

The primary factor that determines endurance is how much your body can climb before becoming too fatigued to continue. Climbing more often on hard routes and practicing more difficult moves can help train this.

However, there is no simple formula to determining how many climbs you should do before fatigue sets in and it’s hard to find an optimal balance between training for endurance and the other aspects of climbing. Almost any type of climbing session that is designed to train endurance will do the trick as long as you are able to keep the intensity up and avoid excessive fatigue. Route laps, large circuits and even just repeating a few boulder problems over and over can work well to improve overall endurance.

Coordination

Climbing requires many different muscle groups to work together in order to achieve a goal. Climbers use their legs and arms to move up, but they also need the rest of their body to balance, and their senses to tell them where they are. Climbing improves coordination by requiring your brain and muscles to work as a team. It increases the strength and flexibility of your muscles, as well as your balance and endurance. It can even help you develop your decision-making skills and improve your cognitive functioning.

Coordination is a skill that can be improved through practice, although it is not as easy to learn as other climbing skills like strength or power. It is important to have good coordination because without it, your strength, speed, balance, and endurance are wasted. Poor coordination can make it difficult to use the right muscles at the right time, or to apply the correct amount of force.

One way to improve your coordination is through visualisation. Visualisation is the process of imagining yourself performing a physical activity. It is often used by athletes to prepare for a competition or to practice specific movements. The connection between imagery and performance success has been proven in multiple studies.

Self-confidence

Climbing is often a physically demanding sport, but it’s equally as mental. It requires a high degree of concentration and self-belief to push yourself to the limit when it matters most, and top athletes, coaches and trainers across all sports all agree that proper sports psychology techniques can significantly increase your climbing ability.

The best climbers are able to focus on the physical movements and problem-solving of their climbs, shutting out other worries and distractions. This helps them to relax and improves their decision-making ability on the wall.

It can also reduce the likelihood of mistakes and enables them to take appropriate risks. For climbers, self-confidence is crucial because it allows them to climb at the very top of their ability.

A strong sense of confidence is based on accurate knowledge of a climber’s skills and strengths, along with a healthy amount of preparation and training. It is also bolstered by positive feedback from climbing partners, family and friends.

Climbers also use a variety of psychological tools to help them break through barriers and maintain control during stressful situations, such as visualisation and controlling doubt. These techniques can be just as important as the training they do physically, and are essential for a climber to achieve their full potential. To build their confidence, climbers can consider their personal and climbing strengths, recall past successes and use imagery to enter a ‘zone’ of peak performance.