The first time I climbed I was doing a lot of pulling and certainly felt that afterwards lol. Regrouped and realized what I was doing wrong so the next time I went, I used more hip and boy was that a huge difference, and I was able to do more climbing because I and much more energy. However after that round I realized I wasn't using great technique after I got home and that was frustrating. I just started reliving all the moves I couldn't do and now am like why didn't I drop knee, why didn't I heel hook! It's so obvious afterwards. But now I know for next time what I need to be focusing on. The nearest climbing gym is pretty far for me, so I have to make the most out of each trip I do by learning and training as much as possible at home.
I think for a lot of these tips, it's only after you've experienced the energy-wasting method of climbing, then you can truly feel and appreciate how valuable and golden these tips are. Thank you so much for this video!! Keep up the good work!!
this is honestly a fantastic breakdown of climbing movement! obviously the more you advance in difficulty the more nuanced efficient movement becomes, but the principle and in general the frame in which to view movement remains the same. great stuff!!
Excellent, thank you so much for the kind words and for watching!!! Exactly agree with the nuances movement. Sometimes an angle change of 2-5 degrees in an ankle for example makes all the difference
This video is a gem. I'm always trying to improve my movement on the easy climbs and tried to focus on things like "drop knee" etc. but never deeply thought of momentum. Thank you so much, Alex, this video is super helpful!
Wow, I really needed this! Its going to be hard to retrain my brain to move more like this but it definitely looks worth it. Thanks for the great video! The comparison makes it a lot easier to wrap my head around vs just showing the right way only
An excellent instructional video - Alex demonstrates an inefficient technique v an efficient technique and this contrast really illustrates how it is possible to use the feet and hips to generate momentum in order to execute the arm reach to the to the target hold. The explanation of using straight arm and leveraging the axial skeleton during movement and resting is clearly explained and demonstrated - of the numerous climbing technique videos I have watched this is the finest! thank you Alex for sharing your expertise and very obvious passion for climbing!
Thank you so much! A lifetime of climbing has made her pretty damn good at it, but it’s her “know-how” and analytical side we are looking forward to tapping into and sharing with you. :)
Don't think I've ever had climbing efficiently broken down so well or clearly before. Really helpful and immediately impactful! Thanks for the great video.
Thank you so much for the kinds words, we really appreciate it!! When I coach, this is one of the key aspects we cover (if necessary). Most of us climb inefficiently, so are guilty of pulling far too much.
7:55 that specific movement pattern probably just improved my climbing an entire grade - FANTASTIC detail and demonstration. Thank y'all so much for making this content available.
man... i wish my gym had good beginner boulders to practice moves on (just like the red from this video). But no! We get jug ladders with almost no possible technique application, as they are already so easy for even absolute beginners, that you wont possibly get tired from them by overusing arms or so on. My gym has a custom difficulty system(1-8) and theres just a gigantic leap in the middle. If the setters at my gym got these red holds, they'd 100% make an overhung v7 out of them, because they do not care about people who have not been climbing for 4+ years at all...
Yeah, this is fairly "old-school" mentality and it is frustrating. I remember it used to be the case in the UK and then I visited Cafe Kraft in Germany and they had beautiful V1-3s a=set with thousands of dollars worth of holds AND, most importantly, climbs that prompted technique. Many gyms lack the budgets and probably foresight that the setting is THE product they sell and more money should be spent on setters and holds. Then, these holds should be shared across the grade range to help climbers of all abilities feel valued and gain experience and climbing IQ.
I watched so many videos on technique, but this is honestly one of the very best and most useful. After few years of climbing I know good technique is the most important factor and my limit. I'm gonna practice these tip a lot. Thanks.
Wow, thank you, high praise indeed! Glad it was useful. Yes, refer to it in your session and let us know how you get on. Remember, you often go one step backward before taking two forward when implementing new methodology.
Great Q!! In short, yes! Hips lead the way. Being able to drive and create linear power, starting from the opposite direction is just as, if not more, important. Driving so our center of mass goes up and along the contour of the wall is key, rather than locking and fighting gravity, letting all the weight out on your arms! Try it on singular moves!
What helps in applying this at the wall, is to do leg exercises to make them strong. Then you are really aware there is a lot power to get from those. Feels almost like somebody is pushing you up the route. Very nice video.
I'm not gonna be popular here, but I don't think these are like golden rules of efficient climbing. I mean, sure, might but energy saving in some way and sometimes, but always using momentum and dynamic movements are a risky way of climbing if you are not 100% accurate every single time. And I feel like this video is implying that if you don't climb like this, than you are doing it the wrong way, which is absolutely not true, especially if you are doing it outside of the gym on actual rocks. Of course you wanna be more careful there and not just jumping around the rocks. What you show here is basically just the difference between dynamic and static climbing in my opinion. And least but not last, for beginners, a few of these misplaced dynamic grabs (or even accurate ones) can cause injury much quicker than when they do it statically. Just my two cents on this topic.
Haha, the beauty of opinion and perspective. Yes, being too dynamic can be bad/dangerous for beginners. But having worked with literally thousands of beginners, the larger issue is that they are too static, lock-off far too much and are static climbers. Adding flow and momentum is crucial. Thanks for watching and your POV.
That's true, beginners tend to be too static, and some of them won't do anything about it without being told otherwise. Somwhere in the middle is the way to go maybe. I agree this needs to be talked about, but I wouldn't call them efficient and inefficient climbing. @@roapcoaching917
You guys put out amazing content. This is so basic, yet I have not seen anything online similar to this. I immediately put this in practice in my session yesterday and noticed a difference straight away. I did notice it is hard to apply while climbing at my max though and I'm needing to use my arms a lot more.
Thank you! Yes, far better to start making it a learned move/practice in your comfort zone. Over time it’ll become autonomous and you’ll do it on limit climbs without thinking.
Agreed! I wonder if one still has to deliberately practice this on progressively harder climbs, though. Maybe I'm just impatient, but I often forget to practice this at my limit and haven't found it to automatically "bleed over" into harder climbs, so to speak. Thanks too for a great video. @@roapcoaching917
I have been doing gym bouldering for many years and have watched quite a few videos. However this is the first time I've seen the specific "build up" of momentum explained and demonstrated. So helpful. And the quality of the instruction was top notch as well! Thank you Alex.
I barely lift. I'm a true mesomorph, which means I can build muscle and fat very easily (blessing and a curse), so most of this is purely from climbing. As I age, I do lift, but mostly for conditioning and looking at high reps and low intensity
The more I see different sports (Grappling, Running and Sprinting, Olympic weightlifting/Lifting disciplines, Swimming and Climbing disciplines) the more I swear stuff can be boiled down into "situate hips into a certain advantageous plane and angle, contract muscles to transfer power through a stiff complex like the trunk to resituate and repeat by way of your hands, feet and whatnot Basically, whomever has the most developed butt area is usually going to be pretty damn athletic or have a much easier time trying different sports than others who eschewed it
Yep, essentially it’s having the proprioception to control your body well. And that means your center of gravity (hips). Yes, it’s a skill sport, so having coordination and technique is crucial, and yes it is also a strength/power:weight sport, so having strong fingers etc help. But being able to move and control your hips well is key. We are releasing a video on slopers today with Alex teaching. Watch it, it’s all to do with your hips ;)
Thank you so much!! Well, try, refer back to the video. Watch and video yourself and see how you can improve. Often you take one step back when implementing new techniques, before they click and make sense and you make two steps forward as a result. Good luck!
Thanks Alex for these great tips and demos on how to move more efficiently! 00:31 For each move, set up a good neutral base from which you can drive pressure through your toes up through your legs to your hips and core for a better reach. 2:28 As you move, position feet, hips, and then hands. Try as much as possible to keep your hip close to the wall and your arms straight. 6:36 Gain momentum for every move by initially shifting your hips in the opposite direction of the hold you are reaching for. Then, as you reach for the hold, swing your hips in the hold’s direction. 9:05 Example of inefficient climb 10:47 Example of efficient climb 12:02 Kilter Board 19:54 Repeat boulders to improve your performance with better technique until the climb feels like it is one grade easier than the listed one.
As someone who literally just started climbing last week, this is super helpful and extremely valuable!! Thank you!! No wonder my arms were killing me…
Good for you. Keep it up 'cause it's a great sport for core, back and shoulder muscles. As someone who's been climbing for 3 years now, I did not learn anything new here, but for beginners this is the basic stuff you should be focusing on.
hey im new to rockclimbing so i might not ask the right question, but, something i noticed when you were doing the pink obstacle and were comparing keeping the arms straight, you were kind of pushing outward to keep them straight, which i thought was bad because you want your hips close to the wall. How do you know when to keep your hips close or outward?
So if the lever (arm) stays fully straight then, yes, the body will go out. This isn’t ideal and often why we will pull as well. Often the body is controlled by the ankle and legs, so they will play a factor too, but can you link the timeframe to what you are talking about please?
Was going to ask about shoulder position and the scapula protraction on the pink comp style climb she did.. if that would put the shoulder in a more vulnerable position and be more likely to lead to injury. Then I looked up that she climbs V14 so that answers that😂 must be working well enough
Great observations. Essentially, when we climb, we need to be able to go in and out of engagement. If we are hanging/shaking, resting on a good hold, then we can disengage. But when we move again, we should engage before initiating the move. You'll see weaker climbers are less able to engage properly and will collapse more often too. This is really visible in world cups (lead climbs) when you'll see them get tired and collapse more often. Then, when they are faced with harder moves or cruxes, they are unable to generate as they have collapsed.
I practice straight arms and side hip to wall regularly, but when I'm on a overhang [tr/lead] I revert back to pulling with the arms. The momentum aspect was really well explained, can't wait to practice it at the gym! Thanks!
Yes, super common - it's fascinating, as it's so counter-intuitive. As we pull more, we unweight the feet and therefore are more likely to cut. Stay low, weight the feet and use that momentum! It will be a game-changer for you. Thanks for watching!
Love how Alex demostrates " inefficient " climbing and still looks smoother and better than 99% of people you see on the wall 😂😂😂 and I need to MASSIVELY work on how much my hips open 😮
Good video, but dependend on mobility. I find as an older climber sometimes I have to sacrifice technique a bit to save my joints. Especially the knees and the hips can suffer in (extremely) low/bunched up positions.
Absolutely true, and the worse your mobility is the more weight that gets put onto your upper body! Double whammy! That said, adding resistance training for improved mobility and strength throughout range is crucial. As we age, this just has to be done with more care and attention to detail!
True. Women, as a generalization, are better at open hip (front on) movement, but this theory applies to every move. We can initiate with “closed hips” (one hip in and the other out) as well.
This is by far the most helpful video for a beginner like myself. The momentum movement is just key and pretty much a game changer. Thank you so much Alex and team! Looking forward to more content!
Alex, great instruction! I loved the "energy pod" explanation (especially since I like to cut and campus). I have a RU-vid channel also, do you think we could do a collaboration?
Thank you for the super detailed explanation and demonstration! I am a beginner who just started climbing recently, and my biggest concern is I use my forearm too much so I always end up hurting them. What you did made climbing look so much more enjoyable instead of painful. Can't wait to try this technique once I recover!
Yes!!! This will definitely help you from over-gripping and your fingers and arms from doing too much. Looking forward to hearing how you get on! Have fun and thanks for watching!
Lots of points I never thought of. Brilliant, I think I climb defensively. This is probably because I subconsciously want to land on my feet if I fall, my belay isn't paying attention, gear rips etc.
Before I watched this video I could barely complete a 5.10A. After watching it, I got 90% of the way through a 5.10D! I kept thinking I wouldn’t be able to reach the next hold, and then I grabbed it. It felt like the holds were closer! Amazing. Thank you. Who knew hips would make such a big difference!
Thanks for the tips. In my training I tried out keeping the arms even more straight and pushing with the hips than I was already doing. For my boulder routes it worked well. But in rope climbing I was exhausted much faster than usual and climbed one level lower. My arms felt super exhausted after one climb already which is usually note the case. I felt like through keeping the arms longer, there was much more weight on the wrists and shoulders. Happy for any advice or feedback 😊 Do you have any experience with climbers feeling more exhaustion in the beginning after trying to keep arms longer?
For sure. So straighter arms are only useful if you can maintain directional force (perpendicular to the hold). If your bodyweight is out from the wall and your arms are straight (think wind-surfing position), then your fingers and forearms still have to do a fair amount of work. The straight arms concept has to be fluid. The arms can bend as the legs and hips drive. And, of course, the arms can and should engage and pull when they have to. Typically, it’s all about rotation (from the ankle up) and keeping those hips glued to the wall so your weight is on your feet. Then, you have to concentrate on relaxing your arms and grip!
11:20 goes against what I have learned. Her first move is foot and hand simultaneously, but I thought it was ideal to only move one limb at a time where possible, and to do it controlled, not with a swing. The first move is basically a dyno, is that wasted energy to catch yourself? And then there is a dyno that ends up with her feet off the wall, but the instructions are to maximize the use of your feet? The last move is basically a dyno also. I was hoping she would address those points after the climb.
Yes, great question(s). When we are first starting out, we are taught slow and controlled movements are key. In part, this is true. Drills, warming-up and on the whole you’ll be safer and feel more confident. But… Slow and controlled is not always the most efficient. We see beginner and intermediate climbers (even advanced climbers) climbing in this defensive way and throwing away a load of energy. Controlled, yes, efficient, no! So like everything, there’s a time and a place. Even cutting loose. When running clinics we often show this World Cup super-final between Ramon Julian, Jakob Schubert and Adam Ondra (I think from 2011). Ramon is cutting loose on almost every move (he’s 5”2), but he’s the only one to top. Sometimes, fluid movement is the most efficient.
Cool! Its the principle of martial arts.Due to my golfers elbow, I cant pull with my arms very strongly; so using my feet, legs and hips more. Its exactly that
Exactly that - well, head controls the body, but otherwise - centre of gravity, using momentum etc. Yes, sometimes injuries c a create a blessing in disguise. Really try to focus on optimal directional force through the holds, and make the lower body generate the momentum! Thanks for sharing and watching!
If you dont mind, I share why I started climbing: I come from traditional chinese martial arts. Structure and grounding are the most important principles of power generation, hips are the engine and the arms are just transmission chords, they stay most of the time "empty". You basically hit the target with the floor, if that makes sense😊. So, I went to the boulder gym wanting to improve pulling and grip strength. Pulling because in Kung Fu you grab and pull as well; and here I am, literally "hooked" to bouldering! Cheers to you both, hoping to attend a retreat soon😊... first fixing that elbow
Glad it was helpful, for sure - it is designed for all levels though. We often coach V11+ climbers with the same issues. Strong, doesn't always mean good! Thanks for watching!
awesome video! really liked the breakdown of the kilter board problems and comparison between more efficient/less efficient. could make that it's own video series lol!
Definitely some board session videos coming with some friends and well known climbers too. Obviously with the focus being on analysis and comparison (coaching). Thanks for the feedback.
Thank you so much. Yes, although genetically gifted here as my brother is a mesomorph too. I do a lot of conditioning work now (didn't when I was younger), but typically high reps and low weight as I can put muscle on just looking at a weight!
Thank you so much for this tip. I tend to try to use mostly upper body for climbing. Going to really climb more with my hips as opposed to fingers and upper body.
Great advices, put in a very understandable way! I really liked the energy pod analogy and the upper body assisting the leggs. Thanks Alex! (and the video crew ;-)
This was such a great video! They always say feet and hips are important, but your breakdown and comparisons really helped show why and how that's true. Thank you :)
Truly helpful and very easy to follow. What an awesome tutor you are Alex 👍 I'm sure it's beneficial to rewatch after trying to apply all these tips. Subscribed ASAP 🙌
One of the most educational videos! Love all the detail breakdowns and different movements. Please film more! And really related to the end speech about trying the same route efficiently.
Thanks so much for this Video, I am just watching it the second time to prepare myself for the Boulderseission tomorrow. You explain everything so incredible and I love the beauty and "fluidity" of efficient technic, like an energywave going through the body - wich reminds me of certain aspects in the martial arts! I think you are a great teacher! Also I really appreciate your overall attitude, you seem like a really nice person. :)
Awwww, thank you for the kind words ☺️ Good luck today and let us know how you get on! The beauty of RU-vid is that you can always reference it! Thanks for watching and your support!
Hola muy buen video, es bacán que cada vez haya más información sobre la escalada, saludos desde Chile. Hi this was a great video, it’s amazing to have more information about climbing, greeting from Chile ☺️
I don't understand, don't these dynamic jerks force you to strain your muscles harder to maintain your balance on the wall? Especially when you lose your feets sometimes.
Good Q! Ultimately, no. We see most climbers climb in this defensive way. Over-weighting their arms and locking-off, pulling, not really trusting their feet, let alone driving with them (and legs and hips). So although cutting loose (intentionally) can look strenuous, if done correctly and relying more on the skeleton, it can be fluid and efficient. Think chimpanzee and you’ve got it
Thank you so much for this video. I've been climbing for 6 months and watch a lot of climbing videos. But this has been by far the most helpful. I love you explained AND demonstrated both the most efficient as well as the least efficient techniques. And then isolated the moves to explain it further.
Excellent news - glad it has been helpful. Yes, there are a lot of drill videos out there (which we will also address shortly), but this looks at practical movement. Hips are discussed a lot - "keep them close" etc, but never about generating momentum. Let us know how you get on with applying this one! Thanks for watching!
The efficiencies in the hip and more dynamic movement are good but they don’t always translate to actual climbing outside of a gymn where there is a lot more to go wrong or you’re on really shitty holds. Especially some of the dynos. But the overall point is a good one. ‘Push don’t pull’
Absolutely correct. With rock, holds go into the rock rather than stick out, like holds do indoors. As a result, we have to be more accurate. That said, initiation should still come from the legs and hips most of the time. The same principles apply, it’s just more subtle.
I am 52, did a bit of climbing when i was young; started again about 10 years ago but had to stop as i was getting really bad climber's elbow. i'd love to start again as i had to completely stop and didn't want surgery. any tips? maybe i started doing too much too quickly? i can now do pull ups with no pain at all but haven't done any fingers strength exercises at all. do i need to? can't i rely on climbing to get stronger fingers? should i just do it once a week to start with given that i do go to the gym already (been doing crossfit for a few years)? any answers or tips are welcome.
Lots of climbers go through this and we’ve helped so many physios identify why. Classic reason is being “too front on”, pulling a hell of a lot (and unnecessarily) and ultimately over-gripping. RE fingers: in theory yes. The problem is, most people don’t know how to try hard. Seems odd, but it’s true. The hangboard is a great tool for making safe gains and teaching people their upper limits of effort. With elbow issues, check in with your physio before hanging weight and potentially over stretching the ligaments.
Some "medical students" commented in other vids that you shouldn't let your arms straight and dangle, but lock the arms to avoid tendon damage in long term. Is that true?
So what they’re referring to is being overly straight. Especially if you’re hyperflexible. “We” use the term ‘climb on your skeleton’ to stop people engaging too much muscle. Locking-off etc. But it is also true if you are fully collapsed (shoulders, elbows, wrists) you can create impingement and soft tissue damage by over-stretching connection points.
Thanks, Alex! It seems like there should be some hips popping exercises to solidify the efficiency you talked about. Can you point me to how isolate these hips movements?
Hip drills are crucial. The key is for you to be aware. You can start by holding two good holds and drop your center of gravity below them. Make sure you are on OK/decent feet. Then, rather than just pull or just push, be aware of swinging your hips back and forth. This is a drill in itself. After it makes sense, try releasing a hand and standing a little so you can make a move to another hold - but note how much energy you spent. See if you can improve it. try both directions and increase the distance/angle of the wall too.
Really taking away alot from your videos, the section on the kilter board where you did one move with bad technique then repeated witb good technique is really useful, the generation of momentum by moving away from the target is something I definitely don't do at the moment, so will be trying to implement next time I'm climbing!
Omg, I knew that I was doing something wrong but I couldn't figure out what that was exactly. 🤦🏼♀️ I'm a rookie (obviously) and this is super helpful! Thank you!
I feel very lucky that I found your channel on the first month I started climbing! This video made my body movement so much more efficient that I can spend good enough time at the gym trying multiple problems without exhausting my arms. I love your other videos, too. Please keep up the good work and thank you for the thorough and in detail walk through and demonstration!
Thanks a lot, Alex, for this brilliant training session!! You are obvously not only a tremendous climber, you are also an excellent trainer!! Please, keep on showing us how to excel above our own self-perceived limitations, achieve more and remain injury free ... With the most humble greetings from good old Europe!!
Thank you so much! I’ve been climbing professionally just as long as I’ve been coaching professionally (since I was 16! 😳), so I like to think I’m both a coach and climber, but I am so excited to share more and more content with you this year! Thank you for watching and your support
