Grip training is our specialty and if you are looking on improving your grip training for climbing then you have come to the right place.
Climbing
Ask any serious rock climber. When was it you knew you were hooked on rock climbing? 99% of the time they will tell you its after conquering their first rock face. The sense of excitement, accomplishment and defeating the unknown is a feeling that is hard to beat.
Not only is it a challenging, technical sport that requires many different skills. It also brings with it a number of great health benefits.
- Improved flexibility and agility, you constantly have to change body positions and adapt to your surroundings.
- Improved Grip Strength ( Our favorite). We’ve all seen those ‘cliffhanging’ moments in films.
- More developed arm / upper body musculature.
- Increases the body’s cardiovascular fitness.
- Aids the development of problem solving, you always have to work out your next move strategically to work your way up the rock face.
One of the most important skills for climbing is a strong grip.
Although you will develop a solid grip over time whilst climbing there are a few other ways you can work on your grip training for climbing specifically. These will aid your development and speed at which you can conquer tougher climbs.
Warming Up
One thing we always stress here at Gods Of Grip is the importance of warming up. Warming up properly is ultimately going to help you prevent injuries, recover quicker and progress faster.
There are a number of ways you can effectively warm up for climbing.
Finger Exerciser
This versatile accessory can be used for both warming up or developing finger strength. Having strong fingers is essential for climbing. Just using these for a couple of minutes a day will give you great results. Especially before / after climbing.
How To Use It
Although they can look a little confusing at first, the finger exercisers are really simple to use. Just hook the hoops over your fingers. Using the bottom middle on your thumb.
You want them to be on the tips of your fingers, high enough so you get a full range of motion, but low enough so they don't fall off.
Once you have attempted it a few times you will find the sweet spot no problem.
When To Use It
As mentioned above, the finger exercisers are perfect for warming up before you begin climbing. They are also ideal for recovery, it is best to use the lower resistance bands before / after climbing. But on your non climbing days you can switch them out for the tougher resistance bands to try and build up your strength.
Piano Finger Exerciser
Another great accessory for improving your individual finger strength. One of the great things about this is that you are able to specifically target each finger. We have found people who have had previous hand / finger injuries have found this particularly useful for
How To Use It
Resting in the palm of your hand, with the hook shaped side resting on your thumb side. It should feel comfortable in your hand but can be awkward to use at first. You want to use each finger individually on the ‘keys’ of the piano gripper.
When To Use It
Ideally you would use this on rest days or after your climbing session. It is a great tool for helping build strength in the fingers and also recover from any niggles or pains you may have. By using the keys on the piano you are able to focus on specific fingers which is great!
Adjustable Hand Gripper
They have been around awhile and there's a reason why they’re still so popular. The adjustable hand gripper is such a great piece of equipment.
With soft rubber padded handles they offer a great feel that won't irritate your hands while crushing the gripper and with an adjustable resistance there’s a starting point for everyone.
- Increased Hand Strength
- Improved Dexterity
- Increased Forearm Muscularity
- Builds Crush Grip
How To Use It
Really simple to use, just pick it up and crush it. There is technically no right or wrong way to use the gripper. Depending on your goal you will want to adjust the resistance and reps to suit. As a climber you are probably looking to build strength so a higher resistance / lower rep range is probably best.
There are a few different ways you can use the adjustable grippers, check out our hand gripper training guide for more information.
When To Use It
Whenever wherever. The Gods Of Grip headquarters has them scattered all over the place. They are perfect for keeping on the desk at work, using from the comfort of your own couch or even in bed. Not only will your strength improve you will also find your forearms becoming more defined and wrist strength explode.
Grip Ring Plus
A relatively new product within our line, but one that has become hugely popular. Larger and tougher than the original O-Zone Grip Ring, they really are an amazing accessory that can be used for a variety of reasons.
Now available in 6 different resistances they are your perfect training aid, 30lb upto 80lb. The first levels 30lb - 50lb are ideal for warming up before a climbing session and the 60lb + are ideal for building strength.
Adding these into your daily routine or as a separate exercise to focus your grip training for climbing will really help aid development of your skills and grip.
How To Use It
Sitting in the palm of your hand, the grip ring PLUS fits comfortably due to the ‘flower’ style ridges. You can simply just crush it. Use all of your hand strength, or just a few fingers. Just whatever feels best. We would advise keeping a higher rep range on the lower resistance rings for warming up and a lower rep range on the tougher resistance ones to help build strength.
When To Use It
As said above the best way you can use these grip rings is keeping the resistance lower for warming up before climbing / recovering after a session. Then using the higher resistance one's for building strength. You will be surprised by the tension of the higher level rings as they are tough!
Healthy Hands
Climbing is a great sport that requires a large amount of full body strength and finger / grip strength. To progress in the sport you want to make sure you keep your hands healthy. Building a strong grip and keeping your hands healthy is ultimately going to help you improve your climbing ability and help prevent any injuries.
Grip Training for climbing is something you should focus on a couple of times a week.
We recently created a rehabilitation and recovery bundle which actually includes a selection of the accessories mentioned above, as well as a short guide.
If you are looking at adding some grip training to your routine some of the below packages would be perfect for this.
