Combat Training... for Rock Climbing?

Hi all…

I weight 225 pounds (6 foot 1, 10-12% bf).

I am relatively strong (180kg deadlift) and have been strangth training for about 2 years.

recently i have developed a taste for rock climbing, but find im the biggest person at the centre every single time by about 50-60 pounds.

I am looking to trim down to maybe 210 and then make up for my excess weight by making every extra pound count. So I want mainly explosive and absolute strength gains, coupled with much better body control, but without gaining weight (if anything losing some)

I know i know too many goals.

So if i just left it at: + strength with no weight change i figured that combat training (mixed martial arts style workouts) would do the most for me?

let me know what you think

cheers

Ahhh… why don’t you train specifically for rock climbing?

Most climbers have thick forearms, very, very strong backs, and smaller legs because it’s less weight to deal with. Pick you goal and train for it.

Saying that MMA training will help you with rock climbing is like saying that Westside will help you with grocery shopping.

well I see your point, but I was trying to capture the elements of mixed martial arts preparation that give you good results while keeping weight unchanged. So im not going to be sparring and working on the minutia of MMA but more learning from the way you eat and weight train to stimulate strength gains without piling on the pounds.

most rock climbing programmes / advice is designed for 160 pound people who couldnt put weight on if they tried.

I have read over whats available and if I did what they suggest id put on extra weight.

similarly my legs are 27 inches in circumference so ive missed the smaller legs boat. I am trying to get advice on how to opimise what I have rather than change it…if that makes sense?

and yes i get that im never going to be a champion rock climber, but id just like to be more ‘efficient’ in every type of physical exercise I do.

[quote]chutec wrote:
well I see your point, but I was trying to capture the elements of mixed martial arts preparation that give you good results while keeping weight unchanged. So im not going to be sparring and working on the minutia of MMA but more learning from the way you eat and weight train to stimulate strength gains without piling on the pounds.
[/quote]

Yea, but what, to you, does MMA training mean?

Mostly it’s skill work- shadowboxing, pads, heavy bag, rolling, technique… these things, while they’ll get your endurance up, will not help you climb rocks.

I mean, I can shadowbox for four rounds, hit the pads for three, and jump rope for three, but my forearms would be fucking SCREAMING if I was rock climbing- I’ve prepared to fight, not to climb.

What do you need explosive exercises for? You’re not going to be leaping up the rocks, are you? No, you’re going to be moving at your own pace in a sport that requires extreme endurance and flexibility.

What’s the difference between a program meant for a 160 lber. and one for a 200 lber.? If they’re training sport-specific strength, it doesn’t matter how big you are.

And nutrition and caloric intake is going to play the biggest part in whether you get bigger/heavier- not the type of weightlifting you’re doing.

[quote]chutec wrote:
and yes i get that im never going to be a champion rock climber, but id just like to be more ‘efficient’ in every type of physical exercise I do.[/quote]

I wasn’t going to say that. You very well could be a champion rock climber if you worked hard enough at it. But what I’m saying is that you’re kind of buying into some of the bullshit that personal trainers talk about instead of REALLY sitting down and thinking about what you, as someone who wants to participate in a sport that requires very specific skills, should be working on.

Look at this guy from Gym Jones: http://www.gymjones.com/disciples.php?id=1

He’s a rock climber. He’s far from the strongest guy on deadlifts/squats, but he does pullups with 106 lbs. on him. Very sport specific.

If that’s what you’re getting into, start doing alot of pullups, a lot of forearm work, and CLIMB as much as you can. That’s what’s really going to get you better at it.

If you have access to one of those rope pull cardio machines, that wouldn’t go amiss either. You generally want to get your weight down and relative strength up especially in pulling and arm exercises… maintain lean mass… climb, just like FI alludes to. MMA is not necessary for all this.

thanks for the advice. it may seem obvious but you just need to hear it sometimes.

as for explosive, I am bouldering rather than top roping, so its a 1-2 minute climb up a short distance. If my technique is right then endurance doesnt play as big a role.

guess ill now have to spend some time figuring out how much and when to eat to allow strength gains without weight gains.

Another potentially dumb question…is it better to under eat or overeat when unsure? I.e if my maintenance is 3500 cals/day would I want to work up from 3k/day while linearly progressing my lifts, until i hit a point where i put on a say pound in body weight and then scale back the intake just a little?

[quote]chutec wrote:
thanks for the advice. it may seem obvious but you just need to hear it sometimes.

as for explosive, I am bouldering rather than top roping, so its a 1-2 minute climb up a short distance. If my technique is right then endurance doesnt play as big a role.
[/quote]

OK. But still- is that an “explosive” movement per se? Like the act of throwing the punch? Or is it just something that’s anaerobic in nature, like fighting for one round?

HIIT, or barbell complexes, will help you with this one.

[quote]
guess ill now have to spend some time figuring out how much and when to eat to allow strength gains without weight gains.

Another potentially dumb question…is it better to under eat or overeat when unsure? I.e if my maintenance is 3500 cals/day would I want to work up from 3k/day while linearly progressing my lifts, until i hit a point where i put on a say pound in body weight and then scale back the intake just a little?[/quote]

Well, I’m far from an expert on nutrition- just getting to the point where I understand my own needs. But what I would say is that if you’re eating at maintainence and doing a powerflifting program meant to raise your 1RM, you’ll gain strength. You’ll only start gaining the size if you begin EATING like you want the size. So that’s something you may have to experiment with and see how it goes.

Caloric intake is all that really matters here. You won’t get bigger if you’re not eating to get bigger. Likewise, you won’t get smaller if you’re eating big.