Climbing session for Beginners (60-120 minutes)

This program can be used during your sessions in the early stages of your climbing career. Print it out or throw it on your phone as a file or image so you have it at your fingertips while at Boulders.
Frequency: min. 2 times a week to see noticeable progression.

1. Warm-up (10-25 minutes)

   - Start with 5 minutes of light jogging or jumping on the spot to get your heart rate up (can be skipped if you have cycled/run in Boulders)

   - Dynamic stretching exercises such as arm swings, leg swings (high back and forth, one leg at a time) and back twists to prepare the body for physical activity.

   - Hang on to a hangboard or pull-up bar in the training area with both hands. Tighten your arms and shoulders slightly so you don't hang by your tendons. Hang for 5 seconds and pause for 25 seconds. (2-3 minutes in total). This activates the hands and tendons in the arms and shoulders and prepares them for use on the climbing walls.

2. introduction to climbing walls (5-10 minutes)

    - Put on your climbing shoes and start climbing the easiest and least imminent of the green problems. class 30 second break between each go. Start by climbing down from the problems and finish by jumping down about halfway down the wall, gradually turning your legs and core to come down from the climbing walls.

  - Slowly increase the difficulty and slope of the climbing walls. Try some of the harder green or easy yellow problems and try the more overhanging walls. Now, one step at a time, you can increase the difficulty until you're fully warmed up and ready to climb more difficult problems.

3. practical climbing (30-60 minutes)

Now you're all warmed up and ready to go on the climbing walls. Choose one of the approaches below every time you have a session and give it some time. The rest of your session should be fun climbing just the way you want it.

   - Find a problem you've climbed before that was pretty difficult for you. Now, climb the problem again 5 times in a row with a 2-3 minute break in between. Focus on using fewer and fewer muscles each time you step on the wall. This exercise takes advantage of the fact that you have already climbed the problem and know exactly how to do it. The focus should be on relaxing your mind and feeling your body. Think about where it is necessary to exert effort and where it can be beneficial to relax. This exercise provides good technique and teaches you to conserve your energy and keep track of the beta you use.

   - Try all types of climbing walls during your session, such as slab, vertical walls, overhangs and roofs. It's great to be a versatile climber who can utilize the entire climbing gym. A wall type you may not be fond of can become a favorite wall.

   - Try all types of problems and grips during your session. Same reason as above. You'll be nice.

   - Start a project. What is a project? A project is something that takes a long time for you to climb (2+ sessions). Find a problem you haven't climbed before that is difficult for you. For example, a new difficulty level. The problem should preferably be on climbing walls and holds you like, so you want to give it a lot of attempts. When solving a project, you need to be methodical and use your energy wisely. Work on the hard part of the problem (the crux) early in your climbing session so you have good energy. It's important to wait 5+ minutes between attempts so that you have maximum energy and therefore maximum opportunity to peak. Remember to brush the climbing holds between EVERY attempt for maximum friction. Get crackin'.

Training after climbing (training area)

When you've finished your climbing session, it's a good idea to go to the training area and do a few exercises to get more out of your visit. Note, max 2 times a week to avoid overtraining and injuries. All the exercises below can be found on YouTube in many variations from beginner to expert.

1. bodyweight exercises (10-15 minutes)

   - Plank: Start in a push-up position, class the body in a straight line from head to feet, and class the position for as long as possible. If you can hold it for more than 60 seconds, this exercise does not make sense for you.

   - Pistol Squats: This exercise is very relevant to climbing as you often use a lot of force in one leg at a time, especially on slab and vertical walls.

   - Pull-ups or modified pull-ups: Use a pull-up bar or good grips on our hangboards. If you're a beginner, use an exercise band to decrease the weight you lift until you can do the exercise unassisted. Aim for 5-10 repetitions. There are many variations on YouTube that can help you do your first pull-up or learn how to do more pull-ups.

   - Push-ups: Start in a plank position and bend your arms to lower your body down until your chest almost touches the floor, then push back up. Perform 5-15 repetitions depending on your level. This exercise can also be done on your knees instead of your toes if you don't have the strength for a "real" push-up yet.

2. Cooling down (5-10 minutes)

   - Stretch your buttocks, inner thighs, glutes and chest muscles (YouTube). class each stretch for 15-30 seconds, focusing on calm breathing along the way.

Important Information

- Offers on class and personal training: If you need to get on a class or personal training, hop on over to Boulders.dk.

- All training is at your own risk. It is important to listen to your body and avoid injury. Consult a doctor or physiotherapist if you experience discomfort, pain or are unsure about your physical condition during or after exercise.