Do you need upper body strength to climb? Surprisingly, no.
This is one of the most common questions I get from people interested in starting climbing.
To find the answer to this question I spoke to one of the wisest, and most experienced, climbers I know still in the game, my friend Mike. He’s been climbing now for nearly 60 years, and though he is well into his 80s, he still comes into the gym every week. His answer? “Hell no!”
It is a common misperception that climbing requires a great deal of upper body strength, in part because, to the untrained eye, it can look like we are pulling ourselves up the wall “by our fingertips.”
However, nothing could be further from the truth.
If You Can Climb a Ladder, You Can Rock Climb
We all master the basic skills for rock climbing when we are very young. The first time we climb up a jungle gym, a step-ladder, or even a staircase we are moving the same way we should on the wall.
Take climbing a ladder, for example. Picture yourself walking up to a ladder and getting ready to climb it. How do you think you’ll reach the top? Do you use only your hands and arms to climb? I’ll give you a hint, of course not. Where does most of your power come from to propel you up? You got it, your legs.
The thing to take note of here is that you use your hands to steady yourself and help shift your weight over your feet as you step up. You do not, for instance, drag your body up the ladder with your hands and arms. This would be terribly uncomfortable. Your chest, hips, knees, and toes would constantly bang off the rungs the whole time. It would also be needlessly strenuous.
This leads us to a basic principle that I use in all of my introductory climbing classes.
Your Hands are for Balance and Your Legs Provide the Power
Evolution has created legs and feet for the primary purpose of carrying your full weight for many miles and hours. Your hands and arms are decidedly not suited for the same work.
And the same is true for climbing, whether it be on a ladder or an indoor climbing wall.
At the highest levels of competitive climbing, climbs can require a greater level of gymnastic ability. It can demand more strength from the hands, arms, and shoulders.
The flashy videos you see on YouTube or the movies of professional daredevils on Netflix are NOT a good representation of the sport as a whole. You wouldn’t expect a kid in tee-ball to practice hitting a 90-mile-an-hour fastball? Don’t worry, that won’t be you either.
The majority of outdoor climbs are less than vertical. Over 70%! This means good balance is infinitely more critical than a strong grip or big shoulders. There are only a small fraction of routes that are overhanging enough to require the kind of pull-up strength that you see in popular videos.
Modern climbing gyms make it even easier for beginner climbers to get started. Gyms will have many walls that are low angle or low vertical giving them great control in creating how difficult the climbs are to beginners.
The great thing about a beginner climber is the simple equation of:
Bigger Handholds = Easier Climbing
You do not need upper body strength to climb. Far from the “clinging to the rock with your fingertips” experience that popular media often associates with climbing, easier climbs have large, comfortable handholds. They are aptly nicknamed buckets and are on low-angle walls, perfect for practicing your ladder-climbing skills.
The upshot of this is that there are few limitations on who can start climbing.
In my classes, I have had people start as old as eighty and as young as two. I’ve had beginners who couldn’t do a single pull-up. I’ve had folks who could do 100 pull-ups before they ever got on the wall. I’ve had all shapes and sizes, strengths and weaknesses, and even folks with disabilities get to the top on their first try.
You Will Build Upper Body Strength
Finally, it is important to point out that climbing is also an excellent way to build your upper body strength. Climbing has a self-paced nature. While you may start out on easy climbs if you continue to climb you will find your grip strength increases.
As you climb more, your forearms will get stronger, toning your biceps and shoulders, until one day those crazy gymnastics moves you see online won’t seem quite so crazy anymore. Who knows, you might even begin to think, “Maybe I could do that!”
In the meantime, don’t be afraid to take your time. There is a lifetime of climbing out there for you that requires no more than the ability to hold onto a bucket, keep your balance and push up with your legs!
You don’t need a strong upper body to rock climb, but you will find, in developing your technique, you will gain upper body strength if you continue to climb. So you don’t need it, but you’ll get it. Pretty cool, huh? Get out there and give it a try. Climb on!
What have you got to lose?
