UKC

I try to get video of myself climbing as often as I can, both on climbs I feel I do well and where I'm stuck/struggling. I find it's really helpful in identifying strengths and weaknesses.

I can see 2 glaring 'habits' in recent vids.

1. Hunching my shoulders, especially on less positive holds. It looks WEIRD and I think it may be due to not having the world's strongest arms so trying to utilise as much of my shoulders as possible.

2. I look like I'm testing handholds, like an ankle bounce but my hands - WTF! After careful thought I think I may be trying to find sweet spots/best grip.

Bad habit number 2 is nobbling my quest for better pace/flow so very annoying. Habit number 1 is nobbling my desire for an epic vanity post quality video (for fear of Quasimodo comments).

The bit I like best viewing myself climb is the accuracy of my footwork on features.

So - when you see yourself climb what don't/do you like?

If anyone has amazing cures for the above (aside from pull ups!) please share...

In reply to flopsicle:

I used to do #2 (and still do sometimes). I didn't realise until I watched a video of myself (on some traverse on the cromlech boulders). I wasted so much energy and time trying to get a slightly better hand placement by bobbing up and down, it was crazy.

I found concentrating on breathing helped, and making each move really deliberate.

My other bad habit is falling off hard climbs - if you have any tips for not doing that it would be appreciated!

In reply to Pewtle:




Test the handholds better? (Sorry - couldn't resist).

In reply to Pewtle:


That's a much better habit than calling take, keep it up.

(* assuming these are safe hard climbs)

In reply to flopsicle:

The only time I videoed myself I was astonished at how slow my climbing was. Very disappointing.

In terms of your number 1 it sounds like the obvious thing to do is get stronger arms. Pull-ups, chin-ups and curls and hammer curls should help quite a bit if done at least a couple of times a week. Also climbing/bouldering on steep, juggy problems so finger strength isn't the limiting factor. Roofs are great if you can find a good one to practice on.

Number 2 could be to do with muscle recruitment. Sometimes such behaviour seems to help to get the muscles properly recruited before a hard pull. Alternatively it could be a psychological unwillingness to commit to the next move, which is a very typical thing to do in roped climbing, particularly when moving from good holds to poorer ones. Adam Ondra's quote is worth bearing mind: hesitation is the climber's biggest enemy.

In both cases I think the fact you've identified the problems is the biggest factor in working towards change.

In reply to flopsicle:

Until I videoed myself I kind of hoped that my climbing didn't look like how it felt and would instead appear beautifully graceful and effortless.

It didn't.

I haven't videoed myself since. (Although i know it would be a good idea!)

In reply to ClimberGirl:

It probably is better than you realise. If you've taken the video to see where you can improve, and if you have just enough knowledge to see things that are improvable, then the way you view is going to be different. I don't walk round looking at everyone else's mistakes, I notice climbers I want to be more like and occasionally 'floppy'/not trying beginners look rubbish to me, but everyone else is just the same as me - different levels but the same, just trying, learning, falling and reaching the top.

Problem is I CAN'T see videos of me with the same attitude I watch other climbers, I would look critically at myself whether I wanted to or not, so I may as well get the benefits of it. Maybe look back at the previous one you got and find one thing you think you could change - it's shedloads cheaper than coaching!

In reply to flopsicle:
Well one for videoing yourself for non-narcissist reasons!
1 sounds like scapular (shoulder) instability, not arm weakness. Other than specific strengthening exercises for your scapluar stabilisers and rotator cuff, try climbing (and walking/standing/sitting) as though you're holding an orange between your shoulder blades, posture like a ballerina.
2 sounds like an ingrained effort-waster (think of all the time you're locked off on the other arm while you bounce), only genuinely useful when climbing on loose rock. Try 'glue hands' drills to unlearn it - don't adjust hand once placed during easy/warm up climbing.

In reply to John Kettle:



Spooky! (ok not really). The physio said the same re posture regarding a nerve trapping C5-6. And, I have wondered whether not being able to indicate on my bike unless I twist my arm round (the other arm) was rotator cuff related. Couldn't be bothered to worry about the latter as I don't care which way my hand faces to indicate.

In reply to John Kettle:

+1 for this perhaps being a shoulder issue. I used to do this hunching thing a lot and think it was due to unstable shoulders and being stronger in the front muscles (pecs, abs) with weaker back / lat muscles.

Solution for me was (i) getting nasty shoulder injury as I pushed myself harder (ii) physio, to learn lots of scapula stabilising exercises with theraband (iii) improving lat strength via lat pulldowns (focussing on form, with shoulders squeezing together) and shoulder strength via shoulder press with dumbbells. I've now got visible lats which I never had in spite a lot of training in the past.

I now only come up against this issue on really shouldery moves on overhangs, where you have a handhold really off to one side. I can then feel my shoulder moving forward out of its socket as I try to transfer all my weight onto that hand (I recently met a guy who actually dislocated his shoulder on such a move). My solution to that is mostly to not do the move and do more therabanding!