UKC

This has probably been done many times previously,BUT-here goes,How many of us warm up before any form of climbing and how??
I've been involved in exercise in one form or other all my working career,(some 32 years it pains me to admit),but i'm still amazed how very few folk choose not to warm in any sort of way.
My real Pet Hate is seeing people 'cold stretch'. My own personal and indeeed professional opinion is that if you haven't got time to warm up- then you haven't got time to train!At my local indoor wall i recently with permission of the owners/staff put up a small poster with this in bold capital...."WARM UP TO STRETCH..DON'T STRETCH TO WARM UP".
In doing so i've been questioned by quite a few fellow members,of all ages it has to be said,and not one of them as yet as come up with any form of tangible statement/evidence to the contrary.I'm very open to debate,please discuss.............Ee

In reply to Ee:

Don't most people warm up for climbing by ... climbing?

In reply to quadmyre: Not sure if you've missed my point there quadmyre.If you had just started your car/vehicle,i'm pretty sure you wouldn't slip it into 5th and attempt to drive off?? A 'PULSE RAISER' possibley followed by some mobility(arm circles,light squatting motion,ankle and wrist shake outs etc),is the type of thing i'm advocating.Not sure what the BMC advise?
I trained originally as Royal Marine,and afterwards as a strength and conditioning coach,i now mentor/tutor other trainee fitness instructors,so i've got a pretty decent background knowledge IMO.I certainly agree that starting a sesion with progressively more difficult routes does count as a form of specific warm-up,but that's not quite my original point.
Ee

In reply to Ee: Are you kidding???

Have you not seen all the peeps down your local wall doing the "windmill"?

The one and only true climbing warm-up...

In reply to fireman_al:Nice one Al,i know what you mean there pal.i've checked out the BMC website since my original post,and i think its spot on in it's advice.Just a shame more folk don't/won't listen. Ee

In reply to Ee: does the walk to the wall count as a warm up

In reply to Ee: Stick the heat on 'High' in the car?

In reply to Ee: I usually cycle to my local wall which is only 15 mins but still in part a warm up. Once at the wall I do some easy climbing inter-spersed with stretching before pushing things. I find it crazy when folk turn up and do maybe 2 or 3 problems then hit the hard stuff!

In reply to Ee:

Climbing up a grade f4 jug ladder acts a pretty good warm up. You're using all the climbing muscle groupes, but at way less intensity than if you are climbing at your max grade.

I just do a few easy routes before progressing onto harder stuff.

In reply to gd303uk: It's a good start,as is walking into an outdoor crag.Check out the BMC web site it makes a lot of sense imo.
Ee

In reply to jules699: Now that's what i'm getting at! Mostly common sense i'd say Jules eh? Well done mate. Ee

In reply to Ee: Ta. Yeah a cardio is best place to start. Common sense defo...but I'm ex-RAF so its second nature still!

In reply to jules699: Hi Jules,Love your phot of Bosigran-"heaven"......excellent phot and great venue.Weather was a damned site worse when i was last - there on NY day!! Ee

In reply to Ee:

Thats why you start by climbing a few 4s and 5s instead of jumping straight onto a 7.

In reply to Ee: Thanks. It is great, yeah. Sadly its been too long since i last visited. NY day you say? Bet it was still beautiful.

In reply to jules699: J,Aye NY day 2012. Had a great Cornish Ny @ St.Just the night before,so was a wee bit hung over to say the least!! The weather was honking and we only saw 2 other NY folk until walking back to The Count House where met about 12 oriental guys all armed with at least 2 cameras each it seemed lol.Have climbed @ Bosigran several times inc. Commando Ridge last summer.....seems a looong time ago now.Happy/safe climbing. Ee

In reply to timjones: Agreed Tim,even Usain Bolt has to warm-up.I bet he does a lot of 'limbering up' tho. even before he jogs/runs 3/4 pace etc.
Ee

In reply to Ee: Sounds like a great NY! I've stayed at The Count House. Awesome facility and location. Commando ridge great fun, isnt it? So much amazing multi pitch...must try asnd get back down there!

In reply to Ee:

I'm fortunate in having a fairly physical job. I probably spend most of the day "warmed up"

In reply to Ee:

No, but I wouldn't attempt to drive off in 5th with a warm engine either. And to warm the engine up to the point where it works efficiently and peak performance can be reached the best thing to do is to start driving, gently...

In reply to timjones: That must be you in an 'ever ready' state working as a Farmer i guess.Just as a point of interest Tim,do you have a specific warm up-routine/sequence?? As i said in one of my original posts i personally work in a gym,and most often join in with clients/demonstrate/teach specific classes throughout my working day.I worked 0600-1430 today,and before i worked out for 25-30 quite intensley,i warmed up very steadily for 8-10mins before my main workout inc. some easy stretching afterwards. Ee

In reply to Ee: I start with some aerobic activity, dynamic stretching easy problems and easy routes before getting on to the hard stuff.
For my cool down it's basically the same but in reverse with some static stretches at the end.

Have you got a link to the article on the bmc website?

In reply to Ee: I think stretching for anything other than flexibility is usually pointless and can be counterproductive, the best time to stretch being when muscles and connective tissue is warm. Since stretching does not require energy reserves, you can do it with glycogen depleted and so end of workout/climbing session/after running etc is the best time.

Warming up by climbing alone, gradually increasing intensity, is better than warming up by cardio alone. However, a bit of cardio before gentle climbing is probably best provided the cardio doesn't interfere with glycogen reserves needed for climbing.

In reply to Ee:

I do have a specific warm up routine which looks weird.

If I don't then I might do some bodyweight squats to get my pulse going, or if I'm at a crag I might have a run about (if there hasn't been a big walk in). Then I try to warm up my functional range of movement with dynamic stretching - i.e. don't hold any stretches, don't stretch 'ballistically' but do swing my legs and arms gently in an approximation of the movements I need to do when climbing. I specifically try to limber up my thoracic spine (which is stiff) and my hips (as after sitting all day at a desk at work I am tight).

At the wall then I'll do technique drills on easy boulder problems or routes. After about 30 minutes I'm ready to crank!

At the crag there often isn't the option to do something easy so I might try to do some easy traversing or single easy moves between jugs (if available).