Common Bouldering Mistakes to Avoid
Here are some of the mistakes climbers make and how fixing them can get you climbing better in a matter of sessions.
Neglecting Your Feet
Most new climbers are accustomed to climbing with their arms instead of their feet. When climbing with your arms you will find that you have a) get tired sooner and b) become less efficient. By using your feet to support your body and by placing your feet in the best spot possible, you will be able to climb for longer periods of time without getting as tired.
Skipping Rest Between Attempts
Bouldering is an activity that is performed in short, intense bursts of energy and it is vital that you are able to allow your muscles to recover between attempts. Most people require 2-5 minutes to enable them to return to optimum performance. It is also worth noting that finding out how your muscles recover between exercise sessions will also aid in your training on the wall and prevent you from doing too much too quickly and working against your body.
Ignoring Body Position
Where you put your hips in relation to the hold is critical. Try to rotate your hip into the wall as you move up the problem and keep your centre of mass over your feet as much as possible. This will allow you to make more ascents than if you were to stand straight up and try to reach for the hold in front of you.
Rushing Without Reading the Problem
Take a minute on the ground before you start climbing to work out the sequence of moves. This will allow you to identify the crux (or ‘crux’ as it’s known) and work out the most effective way of setting up for each part of the climb, including the footwork and body positioning needed.
Over-Gripping Holds
Over-gripping holds on the wall can lead to a number of issues including excessive energy expenditure and a rapid onset of tendon problems. Simply try to grip holds on the bouldering wall in a manner that is appropriate for the hold you are using.
Skipping the Cool-Down
It is easy to let 5 minutes of cool-down stretching slip by after a hard session of bouldering. But do take the time to make sure to stretch your forearms, shoulders and hips – they will thank you the next day.
Address these simple errors to start improving quickly. Small changes will have a huge impact within a few sessions.
