Cross Training for Climbing Fitness

Whilst in an ideal world we would train by climbing every single day , the fact remains that we are not in an ideal world. So at times we have to alter our training to fit with our lifestyles. So whilst we may not be able to make it to the climbing wall every night, there may well be somethings that we can do in order to maintain or develop areas of fitness.

With more general fitness in mind it is possible to do many different type of activity that will have an effect on your climbing. One of the main things is developing a higher level of aerobic fitness, now whilst you might want to be working on your strength unless you have a pull up bar, finger board, multi-gym or training wall in the house that might prove impossible.

However going for a run or cycle might not be as hard as you expect, you might even find that the local swimming pool or aerobic class is closer than the wall. Generally any form of exercise that raises you pulse rate above the everyday amble is going to do you good, even if it is just boosting the power and efficiency of you heart and lungs.

Activities like swimming, aerobics or circuit training that exercise the upper body as well, will also help with helping build and strengthen cappilaries in the arm muscles by forcing blood through them, this will help deliver more oxygen and fuel to them when your need it climbing.

Whatever the activity you choose there is a right way and a wrong way to develop it into a habit and not shock your body too much into your new regime, and instead break it in gently. So to start with limit the activity from twenty minutes to half an hour and build up slowly, starting with exercise every other day. The best thing about cardiovascular work is that you can do it on the rest days from climbing.