Whether you’re a beginner rock climber or a competing professional, it’s vital to understand that rock climbing is a sport that requires dedication and regular training. Preparing your body well before you embark on this activity is the key to success, and no matter how many years you’ve spent practicing this sport, you need to train for it always. In this article, we’re going to look at whether and how kettlebell training can improve your rock climbing.
So, can kettlebell training improve your rock climbing? Kettlebells improve two important systems and body parts used when rock climbing which are connective tissues and the hips. When it comes to connective tissues such as ligaments and tendons, kettlebell training strengthens them for more muscle power to use when climbing. And when these parts are stronger, it means they’re less prone to injuries. For the hips, kettlebell training helps to improve an individual’s core and balance. A better core contributes a lot to having enough strength, better endurance, a stable body, and proper balance, qualities that make an excellent climber.
Kettlebells are underused in the climbing community, but I suspect once more people realize the benefits that they will become a vital part of high-level climbing routines. Read on for more information.
Page Jumps
- How Kettlebell Training Can Help Rock Climbing
- Scientific Studies on Kettlebells and How These Relate to Climbing
- The Muscles and Parts of the Body That Kettlebell Training Improves
- A Kettlebell Training Routine for Rock Climbing
- How Kettlebells Can Help Improve Your Mental and Physical Health
- Do You Often Get Injuries From Kettlebells?
How Kettlebell Training Can Help Rock Climbing
If you have been rock climbing for a while, then I’m sure you know how susceptible soft tissues are to injuries. Due to overstretching as you try to reach a particular spot, parts such as tendons may get strained. They may take a long time to recover if they’re not strong enough. This can disrupt rock climbing for days and even weeks, bringing various consequences especially if you’re a competitive rock climber. You need strong ligaments and tendons to reduce the chances of these occurrences.
Ligaments connect different bones while tendons connect muscles to bones. Since they’re connecting elements, they’re crucial for stability, better mobility, and movement control. Kettlebells for climbing improve the strength and flexibility in these parts of your body for optimal function and better performance. As you swing a kettlebell up, down, and sideways, you improve the condition of your tendons and ligaments so that they can withstand elongation and stretch and resume well. This way, you can have more strength to climb and resist injuries.
The other way kettlebells improve rock climbing is by boosting core strength. When training in rock climbing gyms, many beginner and intermediate climbers focus on grip strength and forget the core. But when you ask professional climbers, they’ll tell you core strength is equally important as grip strength. The core is what facilitates the transfer of energy between your hands and feet as you climb.
Also, the muscles around your core are the ones that provide the tension needed to make long reaches and access difficult-to-reach spots. If you lack enough core strength, climbing steep rocks can be challenging for you. You may be forced to use a lot of energy, which means you’ll get tired fast.
Therefore, if it’s always a challenge for you to climb through overhanging routes or steep terrains, the problem may be lying in your core. Improve core fitness by incorporating kettlebells into your rock climbing training program.
Scientific Studies on Kettlebells and How These Relate to Climbing
Several scientific studies have been conducted on kettlebell training, and the results support it for rock climbing. Let’s look at some of these studies to help you understand better.
Kettlebell training effects on core strength, flexibility, and body composition
A study conducted and published on MINDS@UW shows that kettlebell training has significant effects on core strength improvement. The study was conducted on 9 males and 8 females who volunteered to train kettlebells twice a week for 8 weeks. There was also another group of 11 individuals who served as control.
After the training, flexibility and body composition did not show any notable improvements. However, core strength had a whopping 70% increase, an important element to rock climbing. Dynamic balance also increased with 10.7% in the posterolateral direction and 13.7% in the posteromedial direction. The improvement in core strength, dynamic balance, and endurance show that kettlebell training is an excellent choice for rock climbing because this activity requires these elements.
Kettlebells as powerful rehabilitation and exercise tools
An article published on Gale Academic OneFile shows the effectiveness of kettlebells as rehabilitation and exercise tools. The article indicates that these tools challenge both the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems to improve balance, strength, agility, and endurance. These fitness skills are all vital for rock climbing and rehabilitation after injury. Also, kettlebell training enhances a person’s posture, grip, and breath. With grip being another critical element in climbing, this kind of training makes a lot of sense.
Kettlebell training effects on aerobic capacity
This study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research sought to determine whether kettlebell training has any effects on aerobic capacity. 17 subjects participated in the research from pre-testing to post-testing, with 9 adopting kettlebell training while 8 serving as the control. The 9 individuals were to use kettlebells thrice a week for four weeks. At the end of the study, the 9 individuals who adopted kettlebell training were heavier and taller than the control.
These people also experienced a 6% increase in aerobic capacity, which was significantly higher compared to the control’s increase. Since rock climbing is an intense activity that requires better-performing muscles, climbers can use kettlebells to increase their aerobic capacity – better aerobic capacity means more oxygen can reach the muscles from the lungs and heart.
Health effects of kettlebell training on musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems
The objective this study published on JSTOR was to determine the effectiveness of using kettlebells to improve musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems. The study involved 40 participants from jobs with higher chances of causing musculoskeletal pain. 85% of the participants were women with pains in the neck, shoulders, and lower back. They were divided into two groups: one adopted kettlebell training while the other served as the control.
At the end of the study, individuals who participated in the training showed a significant decrease in pain intensity in the neck, shoulders, and lower back. This group also had enhanced muscle strength. The ability to reduce pain in these parts of the body is crucial to rock climbing because it’s an activity that strains different body areas. And by increasing muscle strength, you can climb better next time.
The Muscles and Parts of the Body That Kettlebell Training Improves
As we have already mentioned earlier in this article, kettlebells are excellent for core strength. Especially if you’ll be doing techniques like flagging, overhanging climbs, and heel-hooks, these are challenging and require enhanced core strength. The core consists of muscles that connect the lower and upper bodies, which means it enhances energy transfer between these two areas.
Kettlebell training works these core muscles for increased strength and better endurance. With these qualities, a climber can navigate difficult routes and terrains effectively without feeling overly strained. Kettlebells also contribute to better posture and balance, which are vital to helping control your body as you climb.
In addition to strengthening the core, kettlebell training also strengthens a person’s forearms. Why are powerful forearms essential? Because they’re the parts that lift your body against gravity. Kettlebells can help; they work the tendons and ligaments in your forearms to make them strong and more flexible. They can stretch and resume their original forms with lesser risks of injuries. With increased forearm strength, you can lift your body more efficiently and climb better.
A Kettlebell Training Routine for Rock Climbing
If you want to incorporate kettlebells into your rock climbing training routine, you need to know how to do it suitably. First things first, choosing the right kettlebell weight. For beginner adults, the recommended starting weight is 15-20 lbs for women and 35 lbs for men. These are neither too light nor too heavy. You can even try a few to know which one is the most appropriate for you. A suitable weight is meant to offer you the benefits of kettlebell training without causing any injuries.
Kettlebells can be bought from a local gym store or they can be bought online from company’s such as Amazon. You can get a three-piece set or individual kettlebells.
A great kettlebell workout routine is doing swings, cleans, and high-pulls for one minute each while switching hands after every 30 seconds. This means kettlebell swings on your right hand for 30 seconds and then switch to swings on your left hand for 30 seconds. Repeat the same process for the cleans and high pulls. Take 1-minute rests after completing each technique and repeat the whole process 3 times. You should do this 3 or 4 times a week if possible.
To get maximum gains, remember to engage your core every time you train – this is great for climbing. And when doing cleans, take care not to bang your wrists to avoid injuries.
Here’s a video for a separate 5 minute kettlebell routine:
How Kettlebells Can Help Improve Your Mental and Physical Health
Kettlebells help to improve flexibility, strength, balance, and endurance. These are the main features of physical health and fitness. If your body is flexible, you can move well, have a better posture, and coordinate different body muscles without risking injuries or soreness. A strong body can complete tasks effectively, while improved balance means better movement control. Increased endurance means your body can tolerate difficult situations well.
Kettlebell training also has various mental health benefits. When you exercise using these tools, your brain releases the feel-good chemicals to improve your moods. Exercising allows more pumping of blood to the brain, promoting clear thinking. And if you train regularly, you can decrease stress, anxiety, depression, and even sleep better at night.
Rock climbing isn’t all about physical fitness, even mental health plays a crucial role. The lesser depressed, anxious, and stressed you are, the more you can concentrate on this activity and protect yourself from any accidents.
Do You Often Get Injuries From Kettlebells?
Kettlebell training is one of the safest options. Only a small percentage of people who have used these tools to train have injured themselves. Injuries happen because of two main factors: wrong weight choice and wrong techniques. If you use a heavier weight than your body can handle, then expect strains in your arms, neck, and shoulders. Similarly, if you swing and fling kettlebells improperly, you may injure your wrists and thighs.
The frequency of injuries depends on how careful you are – more care when it comes to swinging the bell and choosing the right weight means lesser chances of injuries.
From the information in this article, no doubt kettlebells improve rock climbing. They give a climber the vital qualities needed to climb efficiently and effectively. However, note that no matter the passion you have for this fantastic sport, don’t push yourself beyond your own strength and endurance levels. Let the whole process be gradual, and build up as time passes. Know when to take breaks and give your body a chance to relax and rejuvenate.
For a more in-depth video, check this out from Pavel Tsatsouline which is a perfect introduction to kettlebells for beginners. Not only does he explain how to use a kettlebell safely, but he also gives you a few different exercises. Just ignore how many times he says comrade.