Muscles Worked During Rock Climbing

Muscles Worked During Rock Climbing

While some climbers prefer steep ridges to the air free with difficulty of crossing ledges, other climbers prefer the relative safety of climbing indoors. Whichever type of climbing you prefer, the muscles used are very similar. It is a full-body activity, but there are some muscles that must work harder than others to pull your body up against gravity.

Wide dorsal muscle

The main muscle used in climbing is your latissimus dorsi. Which is located on the side of your back, this large winged muscle is responsible for pulling your arms down and inward as you pull yourself up using your arms. Climbers develop this muscle by making lateral movements or chinups using a variety of hand positions and resistance training methods.

Brachial Biceps

Located on the upper arm, the brachial biceps - literally the two-headed arm muscle - is responsible for flexing your arm. Commonly referred to as your biceps, the biceps works in conjunction with your latissimus dorsi to pull your body up. Due to its relatively small size, the biceps is often fatigued before the larger and more powerful latissimus dorsi. Strong biceps are especially important on inclined routes or when fighting with a ledge.

Forearm flexors

There are numerous muscles that are responsible for flexing your fingers and forearms so you can cling to the rock. These muscles collectively called your flexor muscles of the forearms include the ulnar flexor of the carpus, radial flexor of the carpus and flexor pollicis longus. Long or exhausting escalations can leave these muscles full of blood or very tired and fatigued. Climbers call this feeling pumped. Once your forearms are pumped, it is only a matter of time before your grip fails and you will fall or need a hands-free rest before continuing to climb.

Gastrocnemius and soleus

Climbers spend a lot of time swinging over small support points and often have to support the full weight of their body on one foot. Climbing shoes are designed to keep your foot rigid and provide a rigid lever from the tips of your fingers to the powerful calf muscles. You have two major calf muscles - gastrocnemius and soleus. If you spend a lot of time at your fingertips, you may find your muscles trembling with fatigue.Climbers euphemistically call this condition disco leg because it looks like you are moving your foot to the beat of fast music.

Video Tutorial: Muscles used in Mountain Climbing.

Like This? Share With Friends: