Bodyweight Exercises to Help You Be a Better Climber

A few weeks ago on our blog, we shared yoga poses that offer benefits to rock climbers. This week, we offer strength-building exercises to help you climb better. These bodyweight exercises involve no equipment, making them easy to do and ideal to teach and conduct from home if you are teaching and learning in a school that is currently distant. Even though climbing helps build muscular strength on its own, climbers can still benefit from cross-training with these strength-building exercises.

Squat Thrusts

How to:

• Stand with feet together, hands by your side like an “I.”
• Squat down and put your hands on the floor.
• Jump your feet back into a push-up position.
• Jump your feet forward between your hands.
• Stand up.
• Repeat 15 times.

Climbing Benefits:

• Builds strength in shoulders, back, arms, glutes, legs and abdominals
• Develops cardiovascular endurance

Tuck Jumps

How to:

• Stand with feet together, hands by your side like an “I.”
• Bend your knees and jump as high as you can.
• Bring your knees up to your chest.
• Land with bent knees.
• Repeat 15 times.

Climbing Benefits:

• Builds strength in legs, glutes and abdominals
• Develops cardiovascular endurance

High Plank

How to:

• Start on your hands and knees.
• With hands placed directly under your shoulders, extend legs straight back. 
• Hold your body in a straight line from the top of your head to your heels.
• Weight should be on your toes and hands. Hold your core tight.
• Make sure you have a flat back. 
• Hold for 20 seconds.

Climbing Benefits:

• Builds strength in shoulders, back, arms, legs and abdominals
• Develops cardiovascular endurance

These exercises, and many more are part of our StartFIT® Activity Package for grades 3-5. The package includes instruction cards, equipment and a robust teacher resource guide to help instructors bring more physical activity and fitness into children's lives.