Strengthening Core Muscles for Climbing: Exercises to Try at Home and in the Gym
When it comes to climbing, everyone talks about finger strength and upper body power, but let’s be real: your core is the unsung hero here. Without a strong core, your upper body’s just over here doing all the work while your legs sort of dangle around like useless noodles.
So, here’s a guide to core exercises that’ll help you stay balanced, build control, and make sure that your feet stay solid on all those holds. Plus, you can do a lot of these at home, so no gym excuse needed!
1. Planks
What It’s About: Planks are the bread and butter of core exercises. They look simple, but they’re sneaky hard—and make you question your life choices.
How to Do It: Start on your elbows and toes, keeping your body in a straight line from shoulders to ankles. Hold it for 30 seconds or more if you can. For an extra challenge, try lifting one leg or one arm without tipping over (spoiler: you might tip over).
What It Helps: Core endurance, balance, and the ability to hold on tight while gravity tries to say otherwise.
2. Hollow Body Hold
What It’s About: This classic gymnastics move is a must for climbers. It’s like becoming one with the floor, while also turning your abs into steel.
How to Do It: Lie on your back, press your lower back to the floor, and lift your arms and legs a few inches off the ground. Hold it tight! Imagine you’re trying to look like a banana. A really, really stiff banana.
What It Helps: Full-body tension and core control, which is key for sticking tough holds and not swinging like a pendulum.
3. Russian Twists
What It’s About: Great for targeting those obliques — because turning sideways without falling is the goal, right?
How to Do It: Sit on the floor with knees bent, lean back slightly, lift your feet off the ground, and twist from side to side. Try holding a weight.
What It Helps: Core rotation, balance, and twisting power, so you don’t look like a windmill on every side move.
4. Mountain Climbers
What It’s About: Get ready to pretend you’re running up a mountain while lying on the floor. Welcome to climbing core strength in motion!
How to Do It: Get into a plank position and quickly drive your knees up toward your chest one at a time, like you’re jogging in place but horizontal. Go fast for cardio, or slow it down for control.
What It Helps: Core stability, endurance, and the ability to keep moving when you’re tired but stubborn enough to not give up.
5. Bicycle Crunches
What It’s About: It’s a classic, but it works. These bad boys will torch your abs and prep your core for those overhanging routes that want to pull you right off the wall.
How to Do It: Lie on your back, hands behind your head, bring one knee toward your opposite elbow, then switch. Keep those legs up in the air like you’re pedaling a bike. Except it’s a bike that hates you.
What It Helps: Core rotation, endurance, and getting those obliques ready to keep you balanced on the wall.
6. Leg Raises
What It’s About: Lift those legs up like you mean it! This exercise targets your lower abs—important for keeping your lower body in check as you climb.
How to Do It: Lie flat on your back, keep your legs straight, and lift them to a 90-degree angle, then lower slowly without letting them touch the ground. Pretend you’re painting an invisible wall in front of you with your toes.
What It Helps: Lower core strength and control, perfect for those times when you need to “stick” a foothold way above your head.
7. Dead Bugs
What It’s About: You’ll look ridiculous, but it’s effective. Plus, it helps keep your lower back safe and your core controlled.
How to Do It: Lie on your back, lift your arms and legs in the air, then slowly extend opposite arm and leg without letting your back arch. Alternate sides, but avoid feeling like a squashed bug.
What It Helps: Core stability, body coordination, and the ability to keep your limbs under control when gravity wants them to do their own thing.
8. Knee Tucks on the Pull-Up Bar
What It’s About: Let’s take the core work vertical! This one’s especially useful if you’ve got access to a pull-up bar (or happen to be hanging on one in the gym).
How to Do It: Hang from the bar, keep your shoulders engaged, and lift your knees up toward your chest. For extra fun, try extending your legs straight out in front of you instead.
What It Helps: Hip flexor strength, core engagement while hanging, and a new appreciation for gravity’s cruelty.
9. Side Plank Dips
What It’s About: Side planks are great, but side plank dips are next-level for those side abs. We call this “spicy core work.”
How to Do It: Get into a side plank, then dip your hips down and lift them back up. Keep your core tight and imagine you’re floating above the ground. Repeat until you can’t take it anymore.
What It Helps: Oblique strength, balance, and the power to hold those sideways positions on the wall without flopping over.
10. Twisting Hanging Leg Raises
What It’s About: This one’s all about twisting, turning, and using your abs to do it. If you like knee tucks, this is the next evolution.
How to Do It: Hang from the pull-up bar, then lift your legs up and twist to one side, then the other. Move slowly to feel every muscle complaining as you go.
What It Helps: Core rotation, oblique strength, and the coordination to move sideways on a wall without swinging all over. Bonus: it’ll impress any onlookers!
Tips for Staying Core-Crushing Consistent
1. Set Goals: Start with holding a plank for 30 seconds, or completing 10 reps of leg raises. Little milestones keep you going.
2. Add Variety: Do a mix of these at home and at the gym. After all, you’re bound to feel cooler doing knee tucks at the pull-up bar than at home clinging to your kitchen counter.
3. Recover Well: Give your core muscles time to rest and recover — your core needs a break after lifting all that weight! (a.k.a., you.)
In Summary: A Core Powerhouse
Climbing is so much more fun when your core is rock-solid. With these exercises, you’ll gain more control, balance, and—eventually — the ability to pull off some impressive moves without toppling like a tree in the wind. Remember, a strong core helps you climb with confidence, reduces strain on your arms, and keeps you glued to the wall longer. So keep up with these exercises, and you’ll soon be a core-master, climbing without the spaghetti legs and powered by pure core awesomeness.
Next Steps: Try taking a yoga class to help improve your core and flexibility
When it comes to climbing, everyone talks about finger strength and upper body power, but let’s be real: your core is the unsung hero here. Without a strong core, your upper body’s just over here doing all the work while your legs sort of dangle around like useless noodles.
So, here’s a guide to core exercises that’ll help you stay balanced, build control, and make sure that your feet stay solid on all those holds. Plus, you can do a lot of these at home, so no gym excuse needed!
1. Planks
What It’s About: Planks are the bread and butter of core exercises. They look simple, but they’re sneaky hard—and make you question your life choices.
How to Do It: Start on your elbows and toes, keeping your body in a straight line from shoulders to ankles. Hold it for 30 seconds or more if you can. For an extra challenge, try lifting one leg or one arm without tipping over (spoiler: you might tip over).
What It Helps: Core endurance, balance, and the ability to hold on tight while gravity tries to say otherwise.
2. Hollow Body Hold
What It’s About: This classic gymnastics move is a must for climbers. It’s like becoming one with the floor, while also turning your abs into steel.
How to Do It: Lie on your back, press your lower back to the floor, and lift your arms and legs a few inches off the ground. Hold it tight! Imagine you’re trying to look like a banana. A really, really stiff banana.
What It Helps: Full-body tension and core control, which is key for sticking tough holds and not swinging like a pendulum.
3. Russian Twists
What It’s About: Great for targeting those obliques — because turning sideways without falling is the goal, right?
How to Do It: Sit on the floor with knees bent, lean back slightly, lift your feet off the ground, and twist from side to side. Try holding a weight.
What It Helps: Core rotation, balance, and twisting power, so you don’t look like a windmill on every side move.
4. Mountain Climbers
What It’s About: Get ready to pretend you’re running up a mountain while lying on the floor. Welcome to climbing core strength in motion!
How to Do It: Get into a plank position and quickly drive your knees up toward your chest one at a time, like you’re jogging in place but horizontal. Go fast for cardio, or slow it down for control.
What It Helps: Core stability, endurance, and the ability to keep moving when you’re tired but stubborn enough to not give up.
5. Bicycle Crunches
What It’s About: It’s a classic, but it works. These bad boys will torch your abs and prep your core for those overhanging routes that want to pull you right off the wall.
How to Do It: Lie on your back, hands behind your head, bring one knee toward your opposite elbow, then switch. Keep those legs up in the air like you’re pedaling a bike. Except it’s a bike that hates you.
What It Helps: Core rotation, endurance, and getting those obliques ready to keep you balanced on the wall.
6. Leg Raises
What It’s About: Lift those legs up like you mean it! This exercise targets your lower abs—important for keeping your lower body in check as you climb.
How to Do It: Lie flat on your back, keep your legs straight, and lift them to a 90-degree angle, then lower slowly without letting them touch the ground. Pretend you’re painting an invisible wall in front of you with your toes.
What It Helps: Lower core strength and control, perfect for those times when you need to “stick” a foothold way above your head.
7. Dead Bugs
What It’s About: You’ll look ridiculous, but it’s effective. Plus, it helps keep your lower back safe and your core controlled.
How to Do It: Lie on your back, lift your arms and legs in the air, then slowly extend opposite arm and leg without letting your back arch. Alternate sides, but avoid feeling like a squashed bug.
What It Helps: Core stability, body coordination, and the ability to keep your limbs under control when gravity wants them to do their own thing.
8. Knee Tucks on the Pull-Up Bar
What It’s About: Let’s take the core work vertical! This one’s especially useful if you’ve got access to a pull-up bar (or happen to be hanging on one in the gym).
How to Do It: Hang from the bar, keep your shoulders engaged, and lift your knees up toward your chest. For extra fun, try extending your legs straight out in front of you instead.
What It Helps: Hip flexor strength, core engagement while hanging, and a new appreciation for gravity’s cruelty.
9. Side Plank Dips
What It’s About: Side planks are great, but side plank dips are next-level for those side abs. We call this “spicy core work.”
How to Do It: Get into a side plank, then dip your hips down and lift them back up. Keep your core tight and imagine you’re floating above the ground. Repeat until you can’t take it anymore.
What It Helps: Oblique strength, balance, and the power to hold those sideways positions on the wall without flopping over.
10. Twisting Hanging Leg Raises
What It’s About: This one’s all about twisting, turning, and using your abs to do it. If you like knee tucks, this is the next evolution.
How to Do It: Hang from the pull-up bar, then lift your legs up and twist to one side, then the other. Move slowly to feel every muscle complaining as you go.
What It Helps: Core rotation, oblique strength, and the coordination to move sideways on a wall without swinging all over. Bonus: it’ll impress any onlookers!
Tips for Staying Core-Crushing Consistent
1. Set Goals: Start with holding a plank for 30 seconds, or completing 10 reps of leg raises. Little milestones keep you going.
2. Add Variety: Do a mix of these at home and at the gym. After all, you’re bound to feel cooler doing knee tucks at the pull-up bar than at home clinging to your kitchen counter.
3. Recover Well: Give your core muscles time to rest and recover — your core needs a break after lifting all that weight! (a.k.a., you.)
In Summary: A Core Powerhouse
Climbing is so much more fun when your core is rock-solid. With these exercises, you’ll gain more control, balance, and—eventually — the ability to pull off some impressive moves without toppling like a tree in the wind. Remember, a strong core helps you climb with confidence, reduces strain on your arms, and keeps you glued to the wall longer. So keep up with these exercises, and you’ll soon be a core-master, climbing without the spaghetti legs and powered by pure core awesomeness.
Next Steps: Try taking a yoga class to help improve your core and flexibility