Bouldering, Rock-climbing, Etc...

Discussion in 'Training & Conditioning' started by Buddy Rydell, Aug 12, 2015.

  1. Buddy Rydell

    Buddy Rydell Boxingpress Alumnus

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    Does anybody here do that? With the rise of Ninja Warrior Japan and American Ninja Warrior, I've seen how great the rock climbers are at the obstacles. It's a full-body workout because you are tensing everything to do it. I was wondering who has tried it and whether or not they like it?
     
  2. mw314159

    mw314159 Undisputed Champion

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    I've tried indoor rock climbing. It's fun. You get an adrenaline rush from hanging from tiny handholds 40 feet up, trying to figure out where to go next. It feels risky even though it's 100% safe with the rope and harness thing.

    I've never tried the real thing outdoors.
     
  3. Buddy Rydell

    Buddy Rydell Boxingpress Alumnus

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    The place I tried today, you can only go up 15-16 ft without the harness, but that's what I want---to do it without a harness. I've done similar stuff in the past, but this was bouldering without a harness and someone leading out a support line. Rough on the hands even with a chalkbag, but I did some of the beginner's climbs fairly well. I can tell this is going to get REALLY rough on my hands, and I'm going to make sure I take potassium so as not to cramp up.

    I really liked it. Fuck, does it ever inflate the forearms though. Of course, your hands and forearms are going to be the weak link, but one of the people there was talking to me about keeping your hips close to the wall and also the importance of warming up. He snapped a tendon in his ring finger because he was climbing cold without warming up. Ouch.
     
  4. mw314159

    mw314159 Undisputed Champion

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    I've been lifting weights my whole life, so I didn't have a problem with my hands or grip strength. Deadlifting builds up calluses and more grip strength than you need for climbing. The hard part for me was trying the more advanced difficulty levels. You need experience to know how to approach certain things. Muscling yourself up the easiest route is easy, at least with indoor climbing places.

    I used to go to a place called Planet Granite. They have walls 50 feet high for climbing with a rope and harness along with some less high areas for bouldering. I actually haven't gone in a couple years. I snapped a biceps tendon lifting weights, so I wasn't strong enough to climb for a while. I should go back at some point soon.
     
    Last edited: Aug 12, 2015
  5. Buddy Rydell

    Buddy Rydell Boxingpress Alumnus

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    I've been lifting weights since I was 13-14, and I'm 43 now. I'm just not used to grabbing variable surfaces like this. My forearms felt like inflated balloons afterwards. I've done wall-climbing before, but that was rope-walls, doorknob grasper walls, and under-grip walls. I'm definitely taking the slow approach even though I went up a number of different routes today. The routes are colour-coded so that you don't just go up easily with whatever's nearby.

    The gym looks really big to me, so I think I'll have lots of fun doing it.

    Sorry to hear about the bicep tendon. That's rough---it must have cramped like crazy. I partially tore my brachialis when I was 20, so I remember the searing pain and being unable to use it. Not fun.
     
  6. Buddy Rydell

    Buddy Rydell Boxingpress Alumnus

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    You definitely need experience on how to approach some climbs. I did a few today that were new, and I wasn't sure how to approach it. I wanted to make sure I didn't fall because even if I'm landing on a thick foam mat, I can still hit the side of the climbing surface and snag on something on the way down. This place has high walls with harnesses and repelling ropes, but I don't know if they are 50ft.
     
  7. mw314159

    mw314159 Undisputed Champion

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    The place I went to made us take a belaying class before we got started so the rope / harness thing would be safe. You know it's safe, but it's still scary reaching out for a handhold when you're up so high. It's a different kind of workout when you get that adrenaline rush.

    I really need to get back into it. I should try bouldering too. I don't know if I'll ever be crazy enough to do free climbs for real up in the mountains.
     
  8. Buddy Rydell

    Buddy Rydell Boxingpress Alumnus

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    Not unless I have my Will all filled out. :lol:I'd want an upgrade on my life insurance policy as well. Right now, bouldering is the way to go for me. Great exercise and fun getting up that high.
     
  9. Buddy Rydell

    Buddy Rydell Boxingpress Alumnus

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    I bought a membership to the climbing gym today. It was a very easy decision. I'm going to do it three times a week, and maybe I'll do it sometimes four. It depends on whether I can get the little lad interested in it as well. He likes watching the tv show Ninja Warrior---both the Japanese and U.S. versions, so I think it should be very easy to get him to do this.

    It's a lot of fun, and you develop great strength. The trails are colour-coded, so you get an idea of what you can and can't do. As mw said, you can muscle up a course, but it's the harder grasping ones when you're stretched out that really work your body.

    It's amazing.
     
  10. mw314159

    mw314159 Undisputed Champion

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  11. Buddy Rydell

    Buddy Rydell Boxingpress Alumnus

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    5 days a week weights? Damn, that's not bad at all. I try to hit that on a weekly basis, but the weekends always get a bit away from me. More like 3-4 days of weights and 3-4 days of cardio. Figuring out my new routine will take some work, but I'll get there.

    That place looks really cool. Are you doing rock-climbing with the harness? Myself, I like bouldering, but that's mainly because I want to be in control and not rely on someone else.
     
  12. mw314159

    mw314159 Undisputed Champion

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    I've been obsessed with weightlifting / bodybuilding for a long time. I go to the gym with my friends at work on our lunch break 5 days a week. I do 40-45 minutes of weights followed by 20 minutes of light cardio, then I do a second cardio workout at night after work. I feel bad about skipping workouts. The only problem is I'm always on the edge of overtraining. If I add a new workout like rock climbing, I'll have to cut back somewhere else.

    Planet Granite is awesome. :) I've only been to the Belmont location. I'm closer to Sunnyvale now, so I'll check out that location. I haven't actually been rock climbing since 2012.

    I used to go with friends and do the rope / harness thing. You're still in control the whole time, unless you fall. When you get to the top, they lower you down slowly with the rope. It's fun. I haven't gone by myself, but there are always people there looking for a climbing partner. You just have to go through a class your first time and take a test so you know what you're doing.
     
  13. Buddy Rydell

    Buddy Rydell Boxingpress Alumnus

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    I'm extremely stubborn. Bouldering means only 15-20 ft up, no harness, and I have to do it all myself or I'll fall, so of course I chose bouldering. :l2:

    I took the young lad today, and he loved it. Looks like I'm going to get him a membership too. It's like a playground for all ages. They have all kinds of fun stuff.
     
  14. Buddy Rydell

    Buddy Rydell Boxingpress Alumnus

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  15. Roll With The Punches

    Roll With The Punches WBC Silver Diamond Emeritus Champ

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    how many times have you been? thats a very easy climb you're doing in that pic :nono:
     
  16. Rich ´Money´ Mustard

    Rich ´Money´ Mustard DIE!

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    How fucking contrived?
     
  17. Rich ´Money´ Mustard

    Rich ´Money´ Mustard DIE!

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    Me and my fucking kids-time, again.

    Why dont yiou take your fat wife and get her into shape?

    Prick.
     
  18. Buddy Rydell

    Buddy Rydell Boxingpress Alumnus

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    I prefer bouldering without a harness. They've told me I can't go higher than the second hitch point.
     
  19. Buddy Rydell

    Buddy Rydell Boxingpress Alumnus

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    People see what they want to see. My wife was on the balcony and wanted to take a shot. It was contrived that I was facing her---after all, nobody turns all the way away from the wall unless someone wants to take a picture, but her wanting to take the shot was because she saw me happy and having fun. Fortunately THAT wasn't contrived.
     
  20. Buddy Rydell

    Buddy Rydell Boxingpress Alumnus

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    That's a weird reaction. If a person has family, they'd want them to have fun---unless they're a parent who doesn't want their family to have fun.

    As for the rest, why bother? I don't want to fight with you, DM.
     
  21. Rich ´Money´ Mustard

    Rich ´Money´ Mustard DIE!

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    :crying::shadow:
     
  22. Roll With The Punches

    Roll With The Punches WBC Silver Diamond Emeritus Champ

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    that's not bouldering wall though :dunno:

    this is: (below)
    (or do you mean you traverse across the entire gym wall?)
    [​IMG]
     
  23. Buddy Rydell

    Buddy Rydell Boxingpress Alumnus

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    The setup where I am is a bit different. They have different courses based on level of ability and the tracks are all the same colour. The area from my photo was mainly for the harnessed climbers. Another part of the gym looks similar to your picture. I go all over the place from room to room.
     
  24. Rich ´Money´ Mustard

    Rich ´Money´ Mustard DIE!

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    Buddy - what was all this about you having a massive body but with T-Rex arms?
    You look in-proportion in this pic...
     
  25. Buddy Rydell

    Buddy Rydell Boxingpress Alumnus

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    People say all kinds of stuff, DM. I used to wonder about some of the comments myself because I've had fair-sized arms since I was a teen. I also have fairly wide shoulders. Perhaps it wasn't as noticeable when I was carrying the extra weight? I've actually LOST a fair amount of muscle in addition to the bodyfat I lost when I slimmed down.

    I did a lot of powerlifting in my 20s and 30s, so I have a thick, solid core, but I don't think I look like an oil drum with pipecleaner arms. LOL.
     
  26. Rich ´Money´ Mustard

    Rich ´Money´ Mustard DIE!

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    steve_dave maybe?

    Anyway, do squats and deadlifts make you have a 'thicker' torso? Do you still do 'em?
     
  27. Buddy Rydell

    Buddy Rydell Boxingpress Alumnus

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    I don't keep track of who has said unflattering things about me. If I forget about it, then I don't hold a grudge and it makes it easier to be nice. At this point, I'd rather just do that. Sure I like to joke around, but only with those who can take a joke from me.

    I found squats and deadlifts gave me a thicker torso, but I did them for a long time and I'm about 5ft7. A taller person could get away with thicker obliques, but I'm trying to go the opposite way. I can get my maximum lifts back up in 2-4 months, but right now the rock-climbing and bouldering is really appealing, so I'm starting to train specifically for that.
     
  28. Buddy Rydell

    Buddy Rydell Boxingpress Alumnus

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    The squats and deadlifts will thicken your torso, but that's over the long haul. If you're fairly lean, you have nothing to worry about. I plan on going back to them in the early spring.
     
  29. mw314159

    mw314159 Undisputed Champion

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    This is from 2012 when I was doing indoor rock climbing. I was squatting in the mid 300s and deadlifting in the high 400s at the time. :) I had a friend take these pics specifically so I could post them on okcupid and get laid.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    I really need to get back into it. I've had some distractions come up recently, but I should be able to get back into rock climbing at least one night a week soon.
     
  30. Buddy Rydell

    Buddy Rydell Boxingpress Alumnus

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    I'm not seeing anything, mw.
     

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