Rock Climber's Exercise Guide

Developing an Exercise Program for Better Climbing

The Rock Climber’s Exercise Guide is divided into four parts containing thirteen chapters. Part 1 provides an overview of the core principles of effective conditioning, as well as the most detailed self-assessment worksheet ever devised for climbers. Accurate self-assessment is an essential precursor to developing a comprehensive program that will really work for you. Like a prism, this forty-question assessment will separate out all the areas that influence your climbing performance, thus revealing your true limiting constraints and empowering you to target them with training.

Parts 2 and 3 provide the most complete array of training-for-climbing exercises ever assembled in a single book. Chapters 3, 4, 5, and 6 cover all aspects of general conditioning, including warm-up and flexibility exercises, entry-level strength training and weight-loss tips, essential antagonist and stabilizer exercises, and more than a dozen fabulous core-training exercises. Chapters 7 through 10 then delve into the rich area of climbing-specific training. With a narrow focus on training the finger and pulling muscles, there are individual chapters dedicated to training limit strength, power, strength/power-endurance, and aerobic endurance. If you are serious about becoming a stronger climber, these are your go-to chapters!

In the final section, part 4, you will learn how to assemble a comprehensive training program that works. Based on the results of your self-assessment, chapter 11 will guide you in selecting and combining exercises from throughout the book to make up your weekly training program. Workout schedules are provided for beginner, intermediate, and advanced ability levels, so this book will remain your companion for effective training as you climb your way up the grading scale! In chapter 12 you will find what I hope is enlightening and inspiring information on optimizing training for youth, women, and over-50 climbers—three groups that I view as especially gifted at climbing. Chapter 13 then wraps things up with coverage of three important subjects—ironically, topics overlooked by many climbers—including the power of performance nutrition, the importance of rest days and planned breaks from climbing, and the secrets to avoiding injury.