Housed!
Tonight, I headed back to the rock climbing gym to get checked out on the belay gear, and once that was out of the way, I was cleared to climb all over the joint. I had one day left on my complimentary week-long pass to the gym, so Brenda came with and we figured we could climb together.
The belay test was a joke, and three minutes later I was good to go. So Brenda & I headed upstairs to the little walls and first made sure that she could arrest my fall. Sure enough, the mechanical advantage of the belay device made it easy for her to stop my 200 lbs from falling once I popped off the wall. Pretty impressive!
With all the formalities out of the way, we commenced taking turns up the same routes. After a couple of easy ones, we tried a harder one that I simply could not make the last little bit. I tried a couple times, and gave up. Then Brenda tied in, and proceeded to sprint right up the damned wall; like, in 30 seconds she was at the top. She rappelled down, and I said “how did you do that?”, she shrugged her shoulders, and I half-jokingly said “do that again”, and she proceeded to do it again, just as fast, and just as effortlessly. Wow. In your face, Rob.
Then we went downstairs and Brenda rocked a couple of the taller routes while I was her belay bitch. In my defense, I have received zero training on climbing, all I was shown was how to tie myself in and shit. I think I do alright for making it up as I go, but clearly I have much to learn. This is not a problem, as I need something to do all winter so I can emerge in the spring in shape for once in my life. I think I have found my winter exercise.
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Awesome! So from one 200 lb. dude to another, here are a few pointers I find useful:
1. Use your legs. People tend to think with their hands, but if you think with your feet, you’ll be amazed at the difference.
2. Three points on the ‘rock’. So move one foot while your two hands and other foot are secure, then one hand, etc. Trying to move a foot and a hand at the same time will turn your body into an off balance barn door, and off the ‘rock’ you’ll go.
3. Free up your hands by getting those feet up - basically, if your legs are totally straight, then it is your legs that need to move first. Your hand will magically be let free if you get a good foot hold up high by your hips.
4. Keep your hips close to the rock - this puts your weight over your powerful legs/feet, and takes some pressure off your wimpy arms/hands (assumption about strength based on my physique =)
5. Hang from your skeletal structure so your muscles do not fatigue. Basically, keep your arms straight except for when moving from one hold to another. If your arms are ‘pumped’ you’ll tire out faster than
6. Watch Brenda, I bet she does steps 1-5 beautifully from your description of her climbing =)
7. When you’re done at the end of your workout, go up one more time somewhere and do pullups (or hang) from the finger board until you fall off. Over time, you’ll get so much stronger if you wear yourself out at the end like this every time you go.
I’m psyched you found this winter sport! Now just promise me you’ll go a few times outside on a south facing sunny boulder before the summer is out . . . =)
Thanks for the tips, Jimmy (I sure can use them)!
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