What's the No-No? Avoid the 'M' Position.
Following up on our article on how to properly weight-shift in ‘What Every Climber Needs to Know About Balance,’ this article explains how and why you shouldn’t rely on the ‘M’ position. But why do climbers need to avoid it? Simply put, the common practice of the ‘M’ body position can waste unnecessary climbing energy. And one of the main concepts of climbing is to conserve energy. Let’s learn what we need to know.
(Note that this rule is an exception at the end of this article.)
What Is The ‘M’ Position?
Though this position is common at all angles, it begins to cause the most problems at the vertical.
Climbers frequently want to feel secure. Who doesn’t? Therefore, climbers unconsciously look to get both feet on the wall at roughly the same level.
This leads to a position with the hips suspended between the legs, with knees bent. (This makes the lower body look like an ‘M’). When a climber pushes up in this position, they do not get their hips over one foot or the other. Rather they split the difference between both feet, like doing a squat.
This not only interferes with weight-shifting but can also severely limit your reach.
‘M’ Positions and Lack of Weight-Shifting
Why does the ‘M’ position interfere with weight-shifting? The reason is that it is extremely rare for any two footholds you are using to be at exactly the same height.
One foot will generally be lower than the other. Frequently significantly lower. Therefore, although you are trying to shift your weight onto your higher foot, keeping both feet on the wall will result in your reach being limited by the lower foot.
Visualize It
To see this in action, imagine there is a $100 bill. Imagine it dangling from your ceiling just a few inches out of your reach when you stand on your tip-toes.
Now, imagine you have a small, wobbly stool. It is just high enough that if you stand on it, you can reach that $100 bill.
If you put one foot on the stool and keep the other on the floor for stability, no amount of straining will get you that money. Try as you might, you simply cannot grow anymore. Remember, the foot you have on the floor determines your maximum height in relation to the $100 bill.
In order to grab the money, you must step up completely onto the stool. This, of course, will mean that, at some point, that lower foot will need to come up off of the floor.
Maximizing Your Reach
Climbing a wall is no different.
To maximize your reach, you must give up your lower foot. How do you avoid getting trapped in the “M” position?
You should get into the habit of pushing off of your lower foot until that leg is straight. Next, aim to settle your hips onto your higher foot while keeping it straight. And finally, allowing, when necessary, the lower foot to leave the comfort of its former foothold.
By the way, when you use your lower foot in this matter – pushing off of it until it is straight – you are using the lower foothold as what is called an oppositional foot.
Exception to the RULE
There are times when you will be able to reach your next handhold without giving up the lower foot. But these should be viewed as the exception, rather than the rule.
As climbs become more difficult, holds get further and further apart. If you do not have the habit of giving up that lower foot, you will find that as you try to progress through the grades, you will frequently come up short on many moves.
Simply put, the exception to this rule is when you are properly resting.
Beware of This Climbing No-No: Avoiding the ‘M’ Position
Don’t do it unless you are resting. The ‘M’ position limits your ability to weight-shift efficiently because your feet won’t be set up properly for your next move. Got it? Great. Continue reading our articles for the best tips and climbing techniques.
All material is reprinted with the permission of the author. Copyright 2022 David H. Rowland. All rights reserved.
