UKC

I have recently started to do a little bit of yoga with an instructor to help me with my lack of flexibility and build up core. I have found it to be very good and a nice addition to my climbing training (for punter).

I have tried to replicate it at home, but the poses I can remember are mostly shoulders and quads oriented, and I can't really remember the ones that absolutely destroyed the abdominal belt, in particular the sides (that felt actually very good in a way).

Does anybody have a set of poses s/he uses for climbing training? I'm curious. I could go through the whole collection of poses in books, but it's quite boring.

I'll try to have a proper course from time to time to correct my poses, but unfortunately I can't have courses as often as I would like.

In reply to drolex:

I can think of one, a quick search says it's called Boat or Low Boat. Non-Yoga work out videos call it V-sit or something like that.

Sit on your bum with straight legs raised upwards at an angle: thighs, knees, feet together. Back straight so you make a V shape, really makes my core quiver which makes me think it's a good work out. Hands arms can either be horizontal or I suppose you could put them straight up behind your head in line with your upper body to make it even harder.

On a side note, I've been doing the Insanity Max30 work outs (5 x 30 minute workouts a week) and I've found it to be a massive help for building core strength and endurance. I can't recommend it enough. It includes a 15 minute extra workout just for your core, you might find that on YouTube or something.

In reply to drolex:

http://www.climbing.com/news/yoga-for-climbers/

I've got this DVD, it has two routines one for post climbing and one for strengthening/conditioning.

In reply to drolex:

Try going into downward dog, kicking your right leg back to the ceiling, holding that, then pulling it back into you and aim to touch your right knee to left elbow and repeat a few times on each side. Concentrate on perfect form, and move slowly.

Mrs P is a yoga teacher, and has come up with a routine to help me with a few climbing issues like my ridiculously tight hip flexors and shoulders (shameless plug, she does classes in South Manchester!).

In reply to drolex:


My wife does yoga and one of my kids does various obscure Chinese martial arts, while I started Jujitsu a few months ago. What's struck me is that there's quite a lot of overlap between all of these and gym training. Since they're obviously all focused on the same generic human body, I quite cheerfully draw from any of those areas that I find useful and that also seem to have some theoretical link to climbing.

For example, I'm doing body-weight squats which my martial-arts son also does as part of his routine, but I also do them with barbels, like they do down the gym. That helps strengthen my legs which can get neglected over the winter as I cycle less and climb indoors more, but it's also good for balance and core. Planks are good for core too. Apart from yoga, does your wider training cover finger, arm and shoulder exercise too?

In reply to Andy Morley:


I do a fair amount of various "regular" training: fingerboard, classic weight exercises and planks/squats/push-ups/pull-ups, but I was quite happy to discover a few new pairs of muscles which seem to be forgotten in my wider training.

To be honest I don't think yoga will make me climb 8a suddenly, but I quite enjoyed the stuff and it seems to be good for me, so I'll try to continue.

In reply to elliot.baker:

Thanks for the layman description and avoiding the word "tailbone". That sounds good.

In reply to Pewtle:

Ah that's the one I was trying to remember. I knew I did a lot of downward dog but couldn't remember the transitions.

In reply to drolex:


I find it good for recovery as well - nothing stretches out tight calves like a downward dog! I also think it works wonders mentally, just giving yourself 20/30 minutes every day or two (or three) to forget the stresses of life, training and projects on/off the rock.

In reply to Pewtle:

Does she do any classes, have a website?

I see the Depot have a "Yoga for climbers" class every Tuesday and Thursday at the mo? I'#m assuming this is not her?

In reply to drolex:

I'm reliably informed that the biggest challenge is to avoid breaking wind during group yoga sessions, falling asleep or sometimes doing both. Life is full of such unexpected pitfalls.

In reply to Andy Morley:
For me, that is quite common!!

Fortunately most people are too engrossed too notice.

Falling asleep is considerably less embarrassing.

Did laugh last nite, we have 3 early 2o's females join our session. After 15 minutes they were all over the place and in a bedraggled out of breath lump on the floor. Our instructor - who has a dry sense of humour and is excellent - said " I bet you thought this was going to be easy with all these oldies"- they laughed.

The best is when you get some extremely fit / strong bloke thinking "wtf" this should be easy. Their breathing is shot to pieces ( always remembered my first sessions in a similar vein) and they usally end up flat on the floor .

In reply to galpinos:

She's at www.kristyoga.com - her class schedule up on the website. I'm naturally biased so I think its great, it's a bit more core and upper body strength focused than normal yoga, although its got all the hip openers etc in as well.

In reply to drolex:

If your looking for yoga to do at home I use some of Rodney Yee's DVD's and find them really good. The Total Body Workout, Yoga Burn and Yoga Ab's would give you plenty to work on.

http://www.yeeyoga.com/rodney-yee-yoga-dvds-books

In reply to drolex:

Search for Yoga with Adriene on YouTube

In reply to drolex:

Yogaglo (online) is really good, lots of classes including some specially for climbing. I have done yoga for years, and taught for quite a few, and there really is no better thing for the body. Perfect antidote to climbing as you can open up all the bits that get tight! It also does not require a massive investment, and you can easily incorporate the poses you find useful into a pre or post climbing session. Glad you have found it so good so far

In reply to drolex:

For free stuff: search for "Jason Crandell" on YouTube. He did a fantastic series of video podcast classes for Yoga Journal, all about 20-30 minutes long. I've probably used them more than any other yoga videos.

They're not climbing-specific, but very good -- Iyengar-based, very focused on correct alignment and not injuring yourself.

The shoulder-opening one in particular is great for counter-balancing climber's hunch:

youtube.com/watch?v=q4x0oCiRB8I&

In reply to galpinos:

Yeah, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7pm to 8ish. I think the yoga class at the Depot is £8 on the day, but if you want to climb and do yoga then it only costs £10! Pretty good value and the classes are really good too.

In reply to peeturd:

Did they change that? I went there and you needed to pay for yoga AND for climbing.

It was very good though. Would still recommend it.

In reply to drolex:

Try the Tibet an rites. I like it.

In reply to drolex:

Yeah I think it's quite new, but makes sense! Paying for both separately is way too expensive.

In reply to Yanis Nayu:

Been using yoga with adriene for a while. Good channel. Most barable american online.