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Why do climbers powerscream?

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 James Oswald 10 Oct 2008
Any science or psychology behind it? Is it just used to draw attention to themselves?
Wrongfoot 10 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald:

I don't know ANY climbers who do this...
OP James Oswald 10 Oct 2008
In reply to Wrongfoot:
You never seen it in climbing videos?
 Humpty Dangler 10 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald:

Do they secretly wish they were tennis superstars?
 Michael Ryan 10 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald:
> Any science or psychology behind it? Is it just used to draw attention to themselves?

Hi James,

Some climbers power scream, some don't. It isn't all climbers as your thread title suggests.

Power screaming can be extremely useful on moves that require your full extension as the exhilation of air from your body makes you taller.

Quite simple really.

Try it down your local climbing wall, and it helps if you take you shirt off and do the moves bareback when you scream.

Good luck.

Mick

 Strife 10 Oct 2008
In reply to Wrongfoot: Sharma...
Wrongfoot 10 Oct 2008
In reply to Strife:

Never met him.
 Strife 10 Oct 2008
In reply to Wrongfoot: Did you mean 'know' as in 'know of' or as in 'know personally'?
 The Lemming 10 Oct 2008
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

> Try it down your local climbing wall, and it helps if you take you shirt off and do the moves bareback when you scream.
>
> Good luck.
>
> Mick



That's all I need now, a bunch of climbers breaking the peaceful atmosphere with screams of extacy while they lunge for a hold. I thought I'd left all that behind when I gave up martial arts.

Please, please, please could we knock this craze on the head before it becomes a fashionable craze?

Better still why not include some poff in the equation?
In reply to james oswald:

I've got a better question for you:

Why do people use abhorrent words like "powerscream"?
neilinut 10 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald:

you can reach higher and it makes the trunk rigid if you exhale hard
 last ascent 10 Oct 2008
yep. there is physiological reasons for doing it. which is exactly why it's taught in martial arts. i didn't used to do it until i started doing a style of aikido that trains kiais. still don't do it much but sometimes one slips out. think mine is more of poweryelp though.
 Dominion 10 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald:

I occasionally let out a big grunt, when I go for and get a hard move.

The exhalation will change - very marginally, I admit - your reach, if it is at full stretch, because it changes your rib-cage from being wide and fat to long and thin.


Actually, I wonder?

We can test this, by doing a simple test to see whether you can reach higher with your left foot (for example) flat on the ground, and your right hand at full stretch - with your lungs full to busting, and whether your reach is longer with your lungs emptied.

 Sandas Man 10 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald:
the bit that helps is the exhalation of air not the actual noise but if making a scene helps them why not eh.
 Michael Ryan 10 Oct 2008
In reply to victim of mathematics:
> (In reply to james oswald)
>
> I've got a better question for you:
>
> Why do people use abhorrent words like "powerscream"?

It helps to label things.

You have an alternative suggestion?

 Humpty Dangler 10 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald:

Sometimes I break wind during a crux move. I suspect the dynamics are different though.
 Alejandro 10 Oct 2008
In reply to Humpty Dangler:

Depends if you light it or not...

Although, if you scream after lighting your farts, i'm not sure it'd be referred to as a "powerscream", but more of a girly cry for help, because MY *SS IS ON FIRE!!
 shark 10 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald: Any science or psychology behind it?

Dave Mac has referred to studies that demonstrate that shouting at someone while they are pulling weights enables them to pull bigger weights.

Who cares if it is science or psychology - it works
 shark 10 Oct 2008
In reply to last ascent: think mine is more of poweryelp though.


The variance is intersting as it reflects the personality.
 shark 10 Oct 2008
In reply to Humpty Dangler: Sometimes I break wind during a crux move. I suspect the dynamics are different though.


You have engaged your core I think they say in - what is it again? - quick google - pilates
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

That's as maybe, but 'powerscream' sounds like some horrible Americanised management jargon nonsense

How about Jugreachenablingmegaexhalation? Jreme for short?
 MRJ 10 Oct 2008
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:
> Try it down your local climbing wall, and it helps if you take you shirt off and do the moves bareback when you scream.

Mick, while the removal of the shirt is an important factor, you cannot forget that 90% of power is lost through the head. You've gotta have that beanie, guys.
 shark 10 Oct 2008
In reply to victim of mathematics:

The scream gives you more power. Powerscream sounds OK to me even though 'send' still makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. 'Bon effort' even more so.
Clauso 10 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald:

Personally, I prefer to powergibber... In the Swiss Alps, climbers poweryodel.
 Ian Paterson 10 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald:

I do these powerscreams, if i am on a particulary hard route for myself, it gives me a sorta power boost, adrenaline rush for a particulary cruxie move.

Well for me anyway...
 Liam Copley 10 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald: if you want some power screaming, search dreamcatcher in youtube. Also i have been told before that power screaming does help you get through hard moves moves (?) sometimes i find myself power screaming..mostly on long sustained climbing, it seems to help push through. But on delicate stuff i will probably not powerscream lol. So for me sometimes it helps.
 EddInaBox 10 Oct 2008
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

> You have an alternative suggestion?

Drama Queen Scream.
 SonyaD 10 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald: I'd never even heard the term 'powerscream' before! But I do tend to make a aarrrrrrrrgggghhhhhh kind of noise if I'm going for a move I find hard. I don't do it consciously, it just slips out. Quite interesting to hear about this reach thing though, wonder if that's why I do it cos I'm a short ass and sometimes struggle with reach, but I don't tend to make the noise if I'm doing a reachy move, it's more if I'm doing a strenuous move.
 aln 11 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald: Sometimes when tentatively groping towards a distant hold, while in a position I'm unable to reverse, arms feeling like jelly, with an unpleasant fall looming, I emit a nopowerwhimper.
 lithos 11 Oct 2008
In reply to Simon Lee:
> (In reply to james oswald) Any science or psychology behind it?
>
> Who cares if it is science or psychology - it works


psychology is science !
 aln 11 Oct 2008
In reply to lithos: Yeah right.
 Timmd 11 Oct 2008
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:
> (In reply to james oswald)
> [...]
>
> Hi James,
>
> Some climbers power scream, some don't. It isn't all climbers as your thread title suggests.
>
> Power screaming can be extremely useful on moves that require your full extension as the exhilation of air from your body makes you taller.
>
> Quite simple really.
>
> Try it down your local climbing wall, and it helps if you take you shirt off and do the moves bareback when you scream.
>
> Good luck.
>
> Mick

In Lynn Hill's book she mensions how she found taking a deep breath ment she could reach up a little bit higher. Though i appreciate your tounge is in your cheek.

Cheers
Tim

 Timmd 11 Oct 2008
In reply to Timmd:Mentions.
 aln 11 Oct 2008
In reply to Timmd:
> (In reply to Timmd)Mentions.

Meant. I. Tongue.
 JSA 11 Oct 2008
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:
> (In reply to james oswald)
> [...]
>
> >
> Power screaming can be extremely useful on moves that require your full extension as the exhilation of air from your body makes you taller.
>
>
AARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

nope, hasn't made me any taller Mick, i'm still laid on the sofa...

 Null 11 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald:
> Any science or psychology behind it? Is it just used to draw attention to themselves?

It's theatre (in the broad sense of knowing people are watching you).
Gives a public form to an individual experience. Raises the complex issue of the grey line of where the individual ends and society begins. The strange truth that doing the same thing alone or with others watching is in fact a "different" experience.

Similar to the reason they encourage footballers to symbollically copulate when they score - in football the homoerotic component is more significant.

I noticed in Dave Mac.'s (no personal criticism intended, just inevitability) new video trailer he screams a lot "giving form" to his huge efforts, his suffering creating a "sign" for hardness. Often this is encouraged by video makers by showing approval when screams, or simply editing in all the screamy bits and cutting the long mute sequences.

Porn is another example - the need to articulate with vocal expressions and the same tendency to exagerate.

In the end it wears out, folk become enured. Art is based on narrative. Screaming and rolling around means nothing in the end.
 The Lemming 11 Oct 2008
In reply to Gavin Taylor:

> In the end it wears out, folk become enured. Art is based on narrative. Screaming and rolling around means nothing in the end.


And that is why I'd like these primadonnas to stay out of my local climbing wall.

I don't mind the odd grunt through frustration but to hear ecstatic screams every other second would really get on nerves.
 Undertow 11 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald: Powerscream? lol iv never heard this word before! i shall work it in to everyday conversations from now on though
 Undertow 11 Oct 2008
In reply to The Lemming:
> (In reply to Gavin Taylor)
>
> [...]
>
>
> And that is why I'd like these primadonnas to stay out of my local climbing wall.
>
> I don't mind the odd grunt through frustration but to hear ecstatic screams every other second would really get on nerves.

it does make it sound like someones sitting in the corner of the wall watching low budget porn....

 dirtbag1 11 Oct 2008
In reply to Gavin Taylor:
Are you joking?
Do you really have so little clue about this subject?
D
OP James Oswald 11 Oct 2008
In reply to lithos:
Social science!
 Al Evans 11 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald: I haven't read the whole thread so somebody may have already said this, but its a common technique among power/weight lifters too, I think it must just help with the moment of most extreme effort?
 Paul Bowen 11 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald:

Dony no about powerscreams, but i've heard plenty of 'fake orgasams' recently on sport routes both indoor and outdoors, is this a new trend??
 Null 11 Oct 2008
In reply to dirtbag1:
> (In reply to Gavin Taylor)
> Are you joking?
> Do you really have so little clue about this subject?


Go on then ...save me from ignorance.

 SonyaD 11 Oct 2008
In reply to The Lemming: Me thinks you exaggerate (who's being a drama queen now?) I've never heard anyone, outdoors or indoors making 'ecstatic screams every other second.'
 Panda 11 Oct 2008
In reply to lasonj:
> I've never heard anyone, outdoors or indoors making 'ecstatic screams every other second.'


I do frequently, just not when I'm climbing..









(Ha, that will teach Panda to leave herself logged on to my computer!)
 zorro 11 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald:

You'll find its mostly tw*tty American climbers who scream. Normally they just can't help it when there's a camera rolling and one of their buddies is constanty shouting out "C'mon dude send it!"

Try finding an American Bouldering clip on youtube without either things happening and you win a box of 'celebrations'.

PS the clip will also have some cringey post production stuff and WILL always have a 5-10 second montage of people failing to do the crux whuch is to emphasise the difficulty of the problem
 Bruce Hooker 11 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald:

Powersob, maybe, powerscream... never
 duncan 11 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald:

This has infiltrated from martial arts hasn’t it? As well as being breathing (out) muscles, the diaphragm and the deeper abdominal muscles are trunk stabilising muscles, so breathing out forcefully might help stabilise the trunk. Weight-trainers advocate breathing out during the harder phase of the lift (usually the lower), possibly for this reason. Shouting and screaming involves the diaphragm and abdominal muscles too and it would be mildly interesting to know if shouting makes the deeper abdominals work any harder than just breathing out forcefully. A possible MSc research project for someone.

It is currently fashionable to suggest a strong trunk benefits climbing as it gives a steady base from which the major limb muscles can work more effectively. It’s an attractive idea but with little direct evidence to support it at present.

Fine sociological analysis from Gavin, we just need a psychologist to chip-in with the effects of shouting at yourself…

 Null 11 Oct 2008
 MRJ 11 Oct 2008
In reply to zorro:
^ funny because it's true.
 Michael Ryan 11 Oct 2008
In reply to duncan:
> (In reply to james oswald)

> It is currently fashionable to suggest a strong trunk benefits climbing as it gives a steady base from which the major limb muscles can work more effectively. It’s an attractive idea but with little direct evidence to support it at present.

Core strength? Little direct evidence? Are you sure? I think gymnasts and their trainers/coaches might disagree that there is no direct evidence!

Would love to know more.

Mick

 jazzyjackson 11 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald:

It focuses Chi
Helps with psychological and physical cruxes. it works.
Anita Grey 11 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald: it's very weird when it happens at the wall! Everyone tries very hard to pretend they didn't hear it and they all start looking at the floor. Is it just attention seeking behaviour?
 Traveller 11 Oct 2008
In reply to Anita Grey: I bet Dougal Haston, Joe Brown etc didn't powerscream. Sounds like it's just a new thing for the tops off beanie wearing brigade.
 duncan 11 Oct 2008
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

I have some interest in this, I invited a Pilates teacher into our hospital in 1993 and started my own research into core stability in 1996. There are certainly a lot of articles published which all say something like 'it seems like a logical idea and my patients/athletes do well if they do these exercises'. Which doesn't tell us much, frankly.

What I meant was that there have been very few comparisons of doing 'core' stability exercises with doing nothing or another kind of exercise. Their results nearly always suggest core stability training is better than doing nothing but has no greater effect than other kinds of exercises, for both athletic performance or spinal pain.

Some examples:

Core stability training for athletic performance:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18208424?ordinalpos=3&itool=EntrezSy...

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15320664?ordinalpos=15&itool=EntrezS...

Core stability training for injury prevention:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18208428?ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSy...

Core (Spinal) stability training for back pain:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17572614?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSy...
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/schools/biohealth/research/applied/laysummary.html
 lithos 11 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald:
> Social science!

not the way we do it but there ya go.
 kareylarey 11 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald: I've been known to do it more as a grunt, accidentally because I was holding my breath and couldn't stop myself.
OP James Oswald 11 Oct 2008
In reply to lithos:
Haha
 Michael Ryan 11 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald:

I hate to admit it but I did a 'powerscream' twice in the last 24 hours.

Once last night whilst free running....... I frucked up on a wall jump but landed safely.

And this afternoon whilst mountain biking.
 shark 11 Oct 2008
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:


Those qualify as screams of fear rather than power screams.
neilinut 11 Oct 2008
In reply to duncan:

trunk stability or strength means you can free up limbs for movement to keep you in a given position. e.g. If you can lock your trunk out to keep a lower foot on this can be the difference between you being able to get the other foot on a hold. With this kind of strength the body tends more towards a system of 'rigid bodies' rather than a big sloppy bag of flesh which is easier to co-ordinate too with more versatility in what shapes you can effectively arrange the skeleton into*. What's easier to lift of the floor a heavy weight in a box or the same weight in sand in a loose bag? The idea that trunk stability/strength aids mobility/athletic performance would be imo fairly axiomatic.

If rigidity isn't useful why did bones evolve anyway?
Wrongfoot 11 Oct 2008
In reply to Gavin Taylor:
> It's theatre ... Screaming and rolling around means nothing in the end.

Loving your work.

Actually I think you're right as well, for every 1 climber who is trying to improve performance with a further contraction of the abdominals and movement of the diaphragm <sp?> there are probably 99 others who sieze on the excuse to play up the drama and "share" their experience with everyone in earshot. Whether they want to be included or not!

If it's about exhalation improving performance then just forcibly exhale folks, don't scream!

Bloody premadonnas!
Wrongfoot 11 Oct 2008
In reply to neilinut:
> What's easier to lift of the floor a heavy weight in a box or the same weight in sand in a loose bag?

Really bad example, it depends on the shape and size of the box. a £20kg TV is a bugger to carry a long way a 20kg sandbag is easier. As I found out last week.

> If rigidity isn't useful why did bones evolve anyway?

Why haven't they all fused?

> The idea that trunk stability/strength aids mobility/athletic performance would be imo fairly axiomatic.

I probably agree but your examples are bobbins!

 shark 11 Oct 2008
In reply to duncan:

Maybe for trad shuffling but not steep limestone ! At a simple level how else would your toes maintain contact with the rock ? The problem might be specificity. I suspect that there is core strength that can be built up and that isnt esoecially useful for climbing and core strength that is. Maybe the core exercises employed in the studies arent that applicable to building up the useful-for-climbing-type-core-strength in the way regular steep bouldering would. Just conjecture.
In reply to james oswald:

you have to make the right noise for the right move
 The Lemming 11 Oct 2008
In reply to Al Urker:
> (In reply to james oswald)
>
> you have to make the right noise for the right move

Now, you've just opened a whole new can of worms with that comment.

You could develope a whole vocal range for all the different styles of moves.

Failing that why not belt out a power ballad while climbing a 7b+?
kas_m 12 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald:

I power grunt, and it is not done with any forethought, it just kinda comes out....only when I am going for a hold which is just out of my reach and I have to leap for it. On seeing the other threads it is believable that it empties the lungs thus promoting fuller extension...it is probably also a psychological trick which helps your mind overcome the fact that you are about to take a risky move....
 jbird 12 Oct 2008
In reply to Al Urker: I heard one guy do an arpeggio of screams
 @ndyM@rsh@ll 12 Oct 2008
In reply to james oswald: i sometimes powerscream when doing high impact moves really close to my limit, on holds that are really hard to hold, eg big overhanging deadpoints to rubbish crimps, as its easier than trying to hold it in, however as i work a move or sequence the screaming goes away as the move gets reduced to the minimum amount of effort required to make it.
 @ndyM@rsh@ll 12 Oct 2008
In reply to @ndyM@rsh@ll: Usually overhanging, something to do with body tension too i guess, all the core muscles of your front and back exploding into action all at once has to force some air out.
 Rob15 15 Oct 2008

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