I’ve only been climbing for 3 weeks and I’m addicted. Already most people are telling me to slow down, do less, and keep it simple (which I’m not because that just isn’t how I roll). It’s nice to hear a more experienced climber recommend what feels more intuitive to me. I’m currently devouring all your vids and then some for new techniques to try. Thanks for the tips!
Hey Mani, I have been bouldering for about 6 months now, personally, your videos and advice have helped me to progress very quickly, I find it very helpful to watch your technique.
Nice video mani! I would say that it's true for beginners but for intermediate climbers as well! I did try a lot of different things in my early years of climbing and I continue to do so. Even when you are bouldering or sport climbing in the 7th or 8th grade, it's rare that you only need one aspect of climbing. I love bouldering to get the strengh and technique, sport climbing for my endurance and big wall for the mental aspect. I think that if you do a little bit of everything then you will be a better climber in general! But it's only my opinion! Thanks again!
Great video Mani! I am a 47 year old beginner. I started 8 weeks ago. The climbing gym I go to has bouldering, top rope, lead walls, auto-belay in a few spots too. I find it fun to mix it up and do everything. Recently a friend took me outside for the first time to Stony Point here in Los Angeles, and it was a real eye-opener to climb on real rock. I appreciate your approach, and have found that through my life so far, variety and exposure has been key to developing anything quickly. As well as training and resting enough.
Craiger hahaha, snap...I’m an almost 47 yr old (in 4 weeks) beginner who started 2 weeks ago and love it. Same, my indoor climbing gym has everything and loving trying it all. I can’t believe how much I’ve already learned and tackled. Some awesome information and content on UA-cam (especially Mani). Looking forward to trying outdoors again as I’ve not climbed on rock since in the Army when I was 16.
@O R just start! The starting grades for indoor bouldering don't require too much strength, and are more for training good technique. I could never motivate myself to do exercises consistently till I started bouldering, but now I'm motivated to exercise and keep lean in order to boulder better. (:
You gave some really good tips, thanks Mani! I climb for almost 2 years now and I think that I am somehow still a beginner..so this was really helpfull to me! Also, climbing outside is sooo much more fun...nature, fresh air, rocks...so many zen moments. Nothing compares to that in my opininon :)
I'm a beginner, one year into climbing, and I spent most of my first year researching and purchasing outdoor gear as I was able to while bouldering indoors. I did get a crash pad and a helmet right away (and shoes and chalk, or course!), and I did go bouldering outside a few times when I was about two months into climbing. Not much, but I did it, and I was unsure of what I was doing, but loved it! I spent the Fall and the Winter bouldering indoors, then I had my first outdoor sport climbing experience in March of this year, about a month and a half short of a year of climbing for me. It was great, because I had systematically amassed all of the gear that I needed by researching and getting a piece here and a piece there during sales and such over the past 11 months or so. I had also invested in a private lesson in the gym on basic belaying and rappelling, so I had an idea of what went on in roped climbing situations because I knew I wanted to try outdoor climbing. This first outdoor roped climbing experience came as a result of washing holds for competitions at the gym and gaining relationships with people through competing at the comps and being efficient and thorough at washing holds for extra gym membership time. The head route setter at my gym asked if I wanted to help set routes, and I gladly accepted. This was another way for me to learn more about climbing, and during the course of route setting, the head route setter became my climbing partner. He is also a coach for the youth climbing team, so he knows how to teach climbing, both indoors and out. Now that it is summertime, we have been going on a climbing trip outdoors every weekend, inviting various other people along to get them outdoor climbing as well! It is great fun, and I love outdoor climbing. In the Fall, another friend of mine is going to teach me to trad climb. I'm really looking forward to it! I look forward to any kind of outdoor climbing! I have also been outdoor bouldering this season. My advice would be the same as yours, Mani. Introduce yourself to the more experienced people at the climbing gym. Don't be afraid - most of them love to share their knowledge and are itching to take people out climbing and have more climbing partners! Invest in the gear as you are able so that you have your own to work with. One thing that my climbing partner did was make me use my own gear so that I got used to my own gear. He showed me how to use it and everything so that I could be comfortable with my own gear. Also, I would say, never pass up an opportunity! Washing holds for an extra month's gym membership turned into route setting (which I still do every weekend), and also got me a reliable climbing partner who is experienced and whom I trust! I have also participated in two competitions. Super fun! Great experiences! I do a lot of reading and researching and asking questions to learn as much as I can about climbing of different sorts and gear of different sorts all the time. Get a guidebook for your area and look through it to find something that interests you. Make it a goal of sorts - not an immediate one, but one that you can look forward to trying out when you get some experience under your belt. Most of all, enjoy the process!!! You may find that you do like one thing and you don't like another. That's great! At least you tried it and you know! Long story short, I agree with your advice, Mani. It's great advice. I still have not done any hangboard training or anything like that, and I think I will hold off on that for a while until I get stronger. Right now, I am just enjoying nature and what it provides!!! Thanks for the video, Mani! Great video!
VERY WISE ADVICE! Happy I found your channel. Avid climber in the early 80's. Got married, kids, so forth. left climbing 30 yrs ago. Now at 53, just started again. While in not even close to where I left off, im starting again. Man, there were no gyms in my days. I am however qualified enough to KNOW wisdom when I hear it. This is GREAT advice. CLIMB ON! david
Just to hook into what you said on the end. I've been climbing for just one year now and coming from a flat country (Netherlands) where there are no mountains or hills and moving to Berlin with a similar geography I found myself conflicted. I mean, there are about 12 climbing gyms in the city so there's always something to do and different gyms have different styles of setting. However, on my recent trip to Budapest, where the boulders start from 7C, I found a small piece of rock at the touristy citadella. Location wise it wasn't ideal; there was glass on the ground and a park bench you could swing into, but I found a nice traverse route and sent it after some tries. Bouldering on real rocks is so much different, but also similar at the same time. After I think about 20 tries doing different routes my skin was completely gone. After trying the plastic gym holds the week after again it felt soooo different. However, even the one day I spent outdoors reflected on my climbing ability indoors. It felt as if I suddenly had overcome a plateau. Very fun experience.
Hey Many, Thank you for your Videos. They have been a great help to me. I've started bouldering about 8 mounts ago and I'm completely in love with it. I'm a 40 years old man. Fortunately I've been training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for the last 16 years - so that my fitness level is already pretty good. Your suggested methodology makes 100% sense to me. I certainly try to mix things up. I try to climb different styles and it helps me to spot obvious weaknesses. Once I find one, I put some extra emphasis on Problems which demand it. I was very uncomfortable with overhangs, but now they are my favourites. Currently I'm working on pinches, and it is starting to pay of. One things I'm not sure about: When I solve a new problem, I repeat it 4-6 times before I move on. I try to search for variations. I modify my position and I try to save energy. I have the feeling it helps to correct my techniques (my first attempts usually rely too much on strength). On the other hand, it is time-energy spent on repetition (i.e. low new exposition). Am I over committed to repetitions? How do repetitions fit in your theory? Thxs for your help Many! Liebe Grüße
It recently came to my mind that I've actually never talked about this very valuable tip especially for beginners (but also for intermediates/advanced) on the channel to date, so I hope this will motivate some to increase the diversity of their climbing a bit :) Keep crushing!
Mani the Monkey I remember you did, but never so elaborate. love the content though dude, keep it up. I'm steadily progressing in bouldering, but maybe time to diversify a little. thanks for the reminder. I have been bouldering for over half a year now, how important did you think is coaching? did you take coaching lessons early on, or like me just watch others like a hawk?
I’ve just started climbing in the last 3 months and have been doing this approach. I love the outdoors & mountains, so alpine climbing is my current target. I have a good coach and live in a great area with varied rock so I’m always doing something different-outdoor sport, trad, multi pitch sport, indoor sport, bouldering, crack climbing indoors (hardest so far), bouldering inside & out. The one frustrating side to all of this is while I am making definite progress, there are tons of moving parts and important things to dial in, especially in trad & gear placements, let alone learning good belay techniques. Part of me wonders if it would be better to start as you did, bouldering for a year in a gym to build my climbing strength & technique but also confidence. There’s a lot to be said for the psychological boost of doing one thing really well versus a lot of things a just an “okay” level.
Hi there Mani. Thank you so much for all these amazing tips and tutorials, it's truly inspiring to see someone share their passion with so much clarity and generosity. We find watching your videos a source of motivation. So here's our situation, you might find it interesting and, who knows, might have time for some bespoke advice! I recently picked up indoor climbing again to introduce my daughter for her 13th birthday. She adores it, insists we go at least once a week, bought her equipment with her own money with the passion of a teenager. She is a monkey, got that from me, and apart from reach has good genetics. We're both quite short but muscular and flexible. We're talking total beginners here, well not me, but pretty much starting from scratch again. We're both serious about it. Here's the thing, after 6-7 sessions she climbs 5+ easily and many 6a's (English grades, so that's what, a French 6c?), which I believe is a pretty fast start. Proud daddy and all. But... I fear she might burn her passion too fast if she focuses too much on grades, might quickly get discouraged when the initial steep progress curve flattens, and am not sure what to do about it. From your experience, should I play the slightly boring wise father card and slow her down a bit? Staying on low grades and working her technique? Or let her passionate energy go full on?? For example she wants to learn lead climbing, as it only requires a comfortable 5+, which she has. But she can't even belay me yet as she's 13... Is that even possible? Given her monkey nature, should I wait a month? A year? Any idea what the norm is?
I'm a beginner, i started in rock climbing like a year ago but very sporadic, but i believe that practicing vinyasa and asthanga yoga has helping me a lot to keep the core and to give the proper attention to the importance that breathing has.... Thanks for sharing
Mani, I completely agree with your advice concerning experiencing diversity in climbing as a beginner! I have been climbing for only 14 months now and I began in a bouldering gym. I also, however, began saving up for and purchasing gear for outdoor bouldering and sport climbing as it came on sale and as I researched it. Many climbers at the gym helped me because I am so passionate about climbing. They would and still do give me recommendations and tell me about their own experiences. Best of all, I have very experienced climbers who love taking me outdoors and showing me how to sport climb. Since I have built up my own collection of gear, it makes it easier for everybody! I have climbed on several different types of rock, toproped indoors and outdoors, lead climbed outdoors for the first time just a little over a week ago, bouldered outdoors and indoors, gone to two competitions, and have set routes in the commercial bouldering gym in my short 14 months as a climber! This Fall, a friend of mine is going to travel up to where I live and teach me how to alpine climb with a gear rack that he has prepared for me from his own gear! If you go about it the right way and take people up on every opportunity possible, the climbing community will respond positively and help you to progress! Climbers generally want to see others climbers succeed, and this network of climbing partners and mentors is really something special! I am not rich by any means, either. As a beginning climber, I can confirm that the advice you gave in this vlog is sound and that this approach is very feasible if you are smart about it! Thanks, Mani!
Been climbing on and off for a few years, now that I’m getting more serious it seems to make sense to start by getting exposed to a wide variety of styles and types of climbing so thanks for the tip.
I've been climbing less than a month and I really appreciate your beginner videos! Your technique videos have been super helpful and my progress from week 1 to week 3 is amazing. However, as a woman I do feel very different climbing from my smaller body size, lower center of gravity, and generally less upper body strength. Do you have any advice from any female climbers you know about using smaller size to their advantage?
Totally agree mani, How as a beginner you progress so much faster and your progression slows down and you have to work A LOT harder to see smaller progress. My first year was indoor bouldering and just recently started hitting the outdoors and boy not only am I enjoying climbing even more but I am definitely seeing some progress. Great tips mani keep it up man!
Omg it is amazing how one moment you mentioning being a beginner. Next you are climbing with pro climbers, making sick video with the editing and helping others. Congratulations rockentry for your journey. Your videos had help me understand a lot on climbing when i knew nothing as a beginner 😭💯💯
Mani! Such useful tips! Brand new climber here! First route was a 5.8 top rope outside, second was 5.8 lead climb outside. I definitely learned more by not being scared to try something new on the climb! I will definitely explore all I can as I gain experience as a climber! Thanks so much! 😁😁
My first time bouldering was about half a year ago and I instantly loved it. In the beginning, I was overweight, hadn't done any sports for two years, and no clue whatsoever about climbing. Compared to my friends who had started with me, I really sucked at this sport. Then I came across your videos and took your advice on the right techniques, the importance of stretching/warmup, nutrition, body weight, diversity in training etc. very seriously. I am simply amazed by how much I progressed with your help. Not only am I now in the best shape of my life (weight loss thanks to your nutrition tips!) and can boulder harder and more diverse stuff than most of my friends, but I also stayed pretty much injury-free until now (thanks to your tips on injury-prevention and a proper warm-up). So, this is just to thank you, Mani! Keep the great content coming!
I am going to my first bouldering gym tomorrow, and climbing for the first time (other than the occasional tree throughout my lifetime). Watching these videos, i feel like i know enough to feel relatively comfortable in a bouldering space. thank you so much for making these videos!!!
If you go at least once a week I think its possible to quickly come up to grades like 7a+/7b. But for every routes harder than this you need to invest more and more time (just my personal experiences so far)
6b+ is my max for clean send in gym. for last 6 months Im in gym 1-2 per week. Now I have my personal goal wich is 7a, for that I must lost some weight and gain some strengt. But I think it is possible.
I am a beginner that actually wanted to start with outdoor climbing but don't have the means to do it right now, so I have been going to the gym and flashing problems, then working out afterwards with my friends. Also changing my diet, because I am overweight. Your videos are very informative. I appreciate them thank you so much :)!
some words from a 1 year beginner: i disagree a bit about the point with the longer projects. yes - try it only a few times, go on with other boulders after the fails - especially for fun's sake. BUT try it again some days/a week after - your fingers&muscles will now be more used to this kind of boulder(something like muscle memory).so i had progress on 3 totaly different problems with that so far, i didn't solved before - e.g. a volume problem with a heelhook. that felt REALY strange the first few attempts, but after getting used to it, i even used it on some unnecessary and easier problems.
Good point. Coming back some days/weeks later is very reasonable, this is actually an awesome approach to projects in the beginner phase. Because you might as well just already be a little stronger the next time you try it, allowing you to send the thing in only relatively few attempts in total, and in the meantime you got a lot of other stuff in as well. What I mean is when relatively beginner level climbers are getting stuck on a project. There's climbers out there who just want to go for their first 6a or 6b, whatever it takes, and invest even hundreds of attempts, countless sessions into one thing (happens mostly outdoors). Instead, they could progress much faster (and even likely send their project earlier) if they would instead focus on getting more diversity in. Here again: Coming back later, with more strength, a different attitude, a stronger mind - it often a very useful approach (not only as a beginner by the way, but I think especially as a beginner for the mentioned reasons).
I will really try to follow your advice. I have been climbing for about four months and I saw a lot of progress the first three months. But now I don't see any progress; however, I have learn some necessary skills for climbing like setting/cleaning a route. I tend to obsess over a problem or a sport route, and I try to climb them numerous times and I get frustrated. But now I'm going to focus in trying different things and having fun.
The same thing happened to me, i was improving for a while really fast, a new v rank per month and then i got a cold and now i havent climbed at the highest rank i once got for two months even though i am physically stronger
I am a new climber, I have been climbing for 3 months and have been progressing fairly quickly, finally getting up V6/7A cleanly! Being much larger than most climbers at 205lbs (92kg) due to mass training my whole life, I am focusing more on not using strength to get up every route/problem. I think what has been helping me the most is being obsessed with it! I am continuously thinking about climbing, technique, body positions, hand positions etc. For training I do lots of calisthenics (2x2x2 push-ups, pull-ups, dips) for warm up. At the end of the session I will do core strengthening.When I get home I will eat, hang board, rice bucket and Epsom salt soak my hands. On off days I will do some Interval Training. Having a membership to a gym that has 6 locations is also awesome for progression. Each gym is different and has different setters, some setters are power climbers and love to set huge shouldery moves, others love technical crimps. Outdoor is my favorite though, very humbling and centering. Every chance my friend and I have and the weather is permitting, we climb outside. Your videos have helped a lot (especially the body positioning videos) and I cant thank you enough! Diversity is always the best, you won't get bored, always have new experiences and meet new people to climb outside with!
Thank you for another helpful video. I just started Bouldering about three months ago and can't get enough of it. I really enjoyed your videos i watched so far and they helped me quite alot. My most recent problem is my lack of core strenght and followed by that body positioning. Your training videos are great, but i am quite far away from your level but i am on my way to develop a workout routine for myself. I like your genuine content and it keeps me motivated to continue my training. Your stories about other climbing disciplines are wonderful and i am looking forward to try indoor lead climbing in the near future and maybe outdoor rockclimbing next year (?). Thanks and keep up your great work!
Generally this advice makes sense. I’m a beginner, and I’m going to try shifting from projecting a climb slightly above my level for 1 hour + to getting more diverse climbs in and finding my flash level. That said, I think this could have been a blog post rather than a video.
Beginner here, I just try to climb as much as I can without injuring myself. I somehow managed to overtrain and had some overuse injuries but I am back at it again. I avoid crimps as much as possible and really take it slow. One thing that is really helpful is yoga stretches and lowering your body fat percentage. I train mostly indoors but I will go to rocks in spring, I think. Thanks a lot for the advice!
I totally agree with the argument for mileage! The greatest improvement I have seen in my own climbing is when I was climbing outdoors a lot and just got on everything I could. Did not matter if it was easy, or hard, I just wanted to climb. Awesome video dude!
Hey Mani, I have been climbing at rock gym for about 4 months now and one of the biggest contributors to my progress so far was watching your beginners playlist. I had a L4-L5 microdiscectomy last year in June and climbing has been a huge motivation to train and address imbalances in my body as far as physical weaknesses and increased flexibility. I have also dislocated my left elbow twice in my life which has lead to some weakness in the grip of my left hand so I have been using a grip strength tool to work on the weaknesses in my left pinky and ring finger. Overall I would have to attribute most of my progression to your videos which have taught me the value of body positioning over grip strength which has moved me up a couple of grades in the week since I watched the videos. I apologize for being a tad long winded and would like to end by saying thank you for content you produce, keep it up.
so im a beginner right now. ive been climbing for 3.5 months. i started climbing 2 weeks before i was supposed to go on an adventure to moab utah where i would be rock climbing and bouldering. I got to moab and realized how amazing outdoor climbing was, and that has been my goal since. i have been traveling all over, trying different gyms and going outdoors to various bouldering spots just to see them and feel them. I have been climbing every single day and have been working on a whole ton of styles. Its been so fun and i have progressed sooooo much by doing so. i havnt been lifting or anything, ive just been climbing. when i started i could hardly do a pull up. now i can do like 25 comfortably.
Hey Mani, thanks for these great content. Your explanations are very easy to follow. I'm a bout one month new to climbing The first week I was a struggling 5.8+, then someone gave me a tip, i watched your videos and became a 5.9 immediately. After going 4 days a week trying every corner of the gym, listening to my body to prevent injury and talking with anyone and everyone at the gym about small minor tips and adjustments I can make I'm pushing 5.11 now. Now my focus is to slow down and work on the fine motor skills and accuracy of my movements to help engrain them into my body. Your videos are the best, I knew nothing about climbing technique a month ago and now people are allready asking me for tips!!! haha, thanks to you I can pass your information onto them.
Amazing video Mani! I've recently got interested in climbing, like a couple of months ago, and even more recently in bouldering, like yesterday XD I'm 30 years old, beginnest (if that's a word) of all beginners and since a week ago I have been watching so many beginners level videos over youtube. I'm always looking for ways to improve and get better and I found this video great since I thought 'outdoors' meant 'advance'. I'll see how things go. Thank you !
Many... you have no script on this video... this is obvious... this makes this video 100% genuine... AND... you are HONEST, not to say PASSIONATE and SMART. Thank you for sharing this with us... the mortals of the world!
Thanks for the tips mani! I got into climbing about 3 months ago. I have been going 2/3 days a week to the gym that has bouldering and sport. Also been doing outdoors on weekends when it's nice. I can definitely tell I'm progressing faster than my friend who just stays at the gym and concentrates on bouldering. Love watching your videos. Keep them coming.
I have bouldered for one year at climbing gyms. Two weeks ago I went to a top rope course. I'm already feeling how climbing taller walls has improved my bouldering by educating efficiency and calmness - a lot to improve in this aspect when having had fear of heights!
I’m a beginner that started about a month ago. I haven’t touched a hangboard yet (but I do wanna try one). Instead, at the end of every climbing session I go to a route that is relatively easy and go up and down it with some breaks in between until I can take no more. This has worked some for me as I am seeing improvement. As far as the outdoor climbing, I live in south Florida, United States and the closest mountains are 14 hours away
went for my second climb today at my local gym, absolutely loving it, been watching adam ondra and alex honnold for ages and recently started climbing tree's in creative ways due to wanting to climb so badly haha, but glad to finally be going to a gym! excited to strengthen my body and see how much better i am at climbing trees then haha, also gonna start a climbing society in uni when i go back for second term after the summer holidays in 3 months, will hopefully be pretty good by then, picking it up pretty quickly as I've done gymnastics and free running n stuff in the past haha, nice vid cheers for the advice!
I'm a beginner and I a few weeks ago I started hangboarding. I would say it gave me a pretty strong boost on my finger endurance, but improving my technique made a far bigger difference for my climbing grade.
@M. Jones there are over 80k edible plants, and yet people eat the same 3-5 dead animals over and over again worried that eliminating them would be too restrictive
@@Rickles brown spotted are sweet and nice. They are not rotten. Green however are very hard and have that ugly kind of sour taste to them. That is of course only my opinion. :)
Hi Mani, I'm new to the sport, I've been climbing under one year, an awesome bouldering gym opened up very close to where I live, so that's where I'm training. I work as an arborist so have good upper and core body strength. I'm focusing a lot on my technique and finger strength atm, great video and very helpful advice, I agree with your approach and will implement that into my training! keep up the good work
Mani, thanks for your enjoyable and educational videos. I've been climbing about three months now doing a mix of bouldering and top roping in the new university gym. I've implemented "mani" of your techniques (see what I did there) and have improved significantly, in my opinion. Significantly meaning I can ascend most all V0, V1, V2, and recently started on V3's. As for top roping, I can ascend most everything up to 5.10. I'm obviously very much so still a beginner but have been happy with the progress made so far. As for training, I've been really focusing on technique, breathing, and mentality all while trying to cut some weight. I'm 6 foot and weigh around 185 lbs (~82 kilos) but would like to be 170-175 all while gaining core, muscle, and finger strength. I don't hang or campus board and I haven't tried climbing outdoors seeing that I currently live in South Louisiana, USA. While we have a plethora of swamps and bayous, there isn't a rock large enough to climb within several hundred miles. Just thought I'd share. Please let me know if you have any other tips or suggestions. Thanks, and keep up the good work!
i've started climbing just slightly over 2 years ago at age 35, and although i'm only doing lead 6a+ at most, i find that my focus on bouldering over the past one year helps the most! i consistently look out for problems, or sections of problems and try to work... thinking "there must be an easier way to do it" because my background was in running, so i have weaker arms generally, compared to those who started out young in the early 20s. it's a boon and bane that i keep on looking at technique - the most coincidental way i improved and learnt the backstop was when my first pair of shoes fit too tightly around my left foot's biggest toe, so i could only step on my small toes (outside edge). in the end i just evened it out by doing backstop in both directions on 6a top-rope routes. then subsequently i also added drop knees and knee bars into bouldering, because it's almost never found in top-rope routes :) i'm not in a hurry to do a higher grade, i'm doing climbing as a way to test my thinking skills and get me happy,,, so focusing on technique heavily did help me to improve significantly, i still remember my internal smile in my heart when i managed to do my first overhang boulder route although the way i did it was less than stellar :)
I started with bouldering as well and my personal opinion is it is the best starting point to climbing. You can really increase your skill repertoire much faster compared to starting with toproping. And I definitely agree that keeping the variety of climbing help a lot! after 1.5 years of bouldering now I do top rope climbing and trying to focus more on my weaknesses (e.g. overhangs) when bouldering and it all seems to help a lot overall. I would also recommend watching such videos on youtube though. it helps with getting the right mindset and learning how to approach to different problem when you're failing (instead of trying desperately)
Hey, I'm training for climbing now for about one and a half year, but I would say when I starded I was not a total beginner because my parents took my out climbing since I was 3, but I did not trained for climbing, I just climbed in holiday and sometimes at the weekend. I think you are right, I don't have an specific training programm, I just go leadclimbing and bouldering out- and indoors. Sometimes I use the campusboard and go to hobby-competition as well... And therefor I have good progress. Your videos are really cool, keep going.
I started a week and a half ago. When I find something I like I obsess over it till i get good at it. I've watched most of these beginner videos and they definitely help a tonn!
Hey Mani, started bouldering a month ago and your videos definitely have been helpful. However i feel like sometimes i can try and improve my technique, however unable to realise the mistakes I'm doing thats preventing me from improving even more. Which is why as a suggestion for future videos, if people were to send you videos of themselves climbing problems, and you were to comment on their technique and what they should improve etc. I think this would be helpful for beginners as myself to notice and prevent we newbies do. Whatever you do keep up the good work bud!
Started climbing about 5 years ago and spent a lot of time outdoors the first two years, slowed down for the next two due to other obligations then enrolled in an indoor gym last year since not too many chances climbing outdoors. I prefer the natural rock but I am able to work on my technique indoors. I plan to try bouldering but at my age, 57, I am hesitant since my knees are not as strong as they used to be. I do not like to jump down 10 feet even on a very thick mat. Very expensive to treat injuries. I have goals so I can try and make every situation work for me.
Funny, just before this I watched your reaction to Dave McLeod where you kinda disagree about the "breadth of experience" being the most important early on. Yet, here you are, saying exactly the same thing. Amazing.
I wonder if you maybe have a sensitivity to bananas?? At the start of this video your neck is fine, but by the end there is a slight redness that has developed after you eat the banana.
Hey Mani, I've been climbing for just less than a year now and I haven't really needed to go on the campus board and or do hang boarding sessions. My biggest thing I needed to work on was endurance. As a beginner, when I was trying a hard climb for me it was trying to fight the pump rather than not being able to do the moves. But now that I am climbing 6c-7a I can see that on some climbs the moves them selves are too hard and now I need to improve my finger strength and power. But that's my little back story. And thanks for the awesome videos always a massive motivator and help.
loved your opinion. for what i have seen and experienced i think is the best way to start climbing... same reasons and thougths. i did this and it worked for me and i am still doing it c: trying, watching, learning. and for the petition at the end... i started climbing october2016. i have been training with ups and downs but still getting progress every time. i have been training with the board and now with 3 fingers c: i also strated stretching a lot to improve in general at my house and also after and before training.
I'm in my second month of climbing, just starting, and I have been going three times a week to the gym, never two days in a row, and climbing pretty hard since I am an athletic, lighter weight guy. When my fingers hurt, I take a break. I eat well and get sleep. But I love climbing. I usually start my time at the gym at a traversing wall to practice and warm up, then go bouldering. After bouldering a while and climbing most of the routes I can climb, I go to the hang board to do simple pull ups, or off-sided pull ups (so like one hand on a big jug and the other on a slope or small slot) and I do two or three pull ups for each side, then switch around, then climb on the moon board, the go back to pull ups. I also hop into pull ups if I'm too tired but want to keep training. I've recently been taught to do easier problems much slower, especially to improve lock-off strength. I constantly watch World Cup replays on youtube though and so many videos on technique and training. So I love the technique aspect of climbing and am picking it up very quickly. I can climb almost all the V3's in my gym and am close to completely several V4's. I climb on the high wall now and then, but I don't have a partner usually so I don't do it often (I go to a very small gym). I also have some training stuff at home, but I mostly do core several times a week, some yoga, and running a couple times a week.
I started Climbing in 2013, but, only since 2015 I began to do it frequently, and from my experience all that many said on these video is true hahah, but I want to enfaces that also train hard and enjoying the climbing made me improve very fast, as an addition, been in a group helps sooo much, because climbing alone can quickly turn a bit monotonous, and also helps to have partner almost always, U get to know the group, potentially awesome people and the motivation can only grow, than is easier to organize climbing trips and these way u get a lot of rock type and climbing styles Thumbs up many!! :D I enjoy a lot ur channel, I’m on a mid/ 7a? Level of climbing and is starting to be more difficult to improve, but the thoughts behind the training u share is what helps me the most. thx
I have more or less followed your recommendation to try a bit of everything and am quite happy with my results. I started climbing around the same time that I started weightlifting just over 1 year ago. I would say my breakdown of climbing time has been about 70% climbing and 30% strength training, with climbing being done about 80% indoors in a large gym where I do mostly top-rope with some bouldering and sport climbing, and I both outdoor boulder and top-rope (tried Trad and it was just exhausting, will hold off on doing more Trad anytime soon). After watching your video it made me think I should try to give crack climbing another go, something I have not really developed outside of trying a long time ago and not being able to do it. For me the easiest weakness I can figure out are physical, limited forearm strength/endurance. I started hangboard training about a month ago and am seeing some progress (at least in my ability to hangboard a bit). I plan on building up my shoulder/back strength (can only do 10 consecutive pullups) a bit and then starting intro campus board training sometime in the next year. Still trying to figure out periodization, complicated stuff. Great videos man. I'm pretty happy being able to come home and find something new from you on a regular basis, hope you keep it up!
Awesome man! I like the way you think. I have been climbing for about one year now and still a gym rat ;) but I climb everything and anything I want to when I feel high walls and bouldering. I have a set of rock rings at home which is like a hanging board cut in half but suspended in the air like those ropes with knots in your room. I'm from Australia and havet met anyone to take me outside yet but it will happen one day. Top video mate!
Thanks for the great advice! Ive been climbing for about 7 months and unfortunately i can only climb on the weekends. So to keep improving i do some training at home like pull ups, legs lifts, etc. But what i really noticed that helps a lot is yoga. I feel much lighter, stronger, and more flexible.
Hey, I'm a total beginner. Been to the gym twice so far and signed up to my local place, I was into fitness but never climbing. I tried the campus board doing 1 2 3 2 1 sets and felt amazingly sore the next day in my forearms. I'm gonna continue to use it once a week a long with grip training in my regular gym and monitor improvements
Still a beginner, started a couple months ago and became obsessed! I’m slowly working my way up. The top of my performance record is a V4, but it also depends on the gym as some are easier and some are harder. My technique is stubborn motivation. I tell myself I can do a problem and throw myself into it. I fail and do it over and over until I’ve gotten to the point where I know I’m not strong enough yet to go further.
I climbed 2 years. 80% time I climb 3-4 times a week. I stuck in V5~V6 around 1 year. I travel to Malaysia last month and start outdoor sports climbing. I love it! But climbing is a little bit expensive, so I got a boulder gym membership and train for sports climbing.
Just started bouldering and I'm hooked! (Excuse the pun). I'm learning from friends at the moment and enjoying the challenge of trying more difficult routes to gauge where I'm at. I bet my technique sucks but at least I'll get the buzz from gradually improving it!
I am a beginner, about 7 months. I am a member of 3 gyms and have looked at lots of more around the uk, all the gym seem very modern and have a lot of variety in the UK. I tend to not do much bouldering but I do just try all different types of climbing in the gym. i would love to climb out side but it's not very accessible with the weather and other factors in the UK and where I live is quite flat, I recently got a rope and hope to go to cheddar gorge when the wether is good. thanks for you cool video!
Started climbing 5 months ago at 31years old... 3 months of top rope, then 2 Months of bouldering... 3 times a week... Got up to 6a now, v3 and imoroving quickly :)... Started using campus 2 weeks ago, mainly hangs 5-10 seconds
Thanks, Mani! I've been mostly following this approach, but have a tendency to cling to projects a little longer than you suggested. It's an ego thing, and probably something worth watching more closely. Thanks! Also- single takes are awesome! (but no shame if you need to go back to the 'jump cuts').
I do believe that the climbs you cannot flash improve you the most as a beginner. Because you learn most from mistakes. Additionally you will learn new moves because you may need those for that problem.
What's the best way to transfer indoor climbing techniques to an outdoor environment? How do you recognize the moves in a gym and see those moves outdoors?
I started off bouldering also but I found even early on I was getting into fairly hairy positions where a missed crux move was also going to mean a bad fall from height and having seen a few bad falls and the fact I could not risk injury I went to another local climbing wall that had Auto Belay along with lots of sports routes and that has been great for building endurance. I am still a very new climber and I really enjoy having none marked problems so I can make my own such as on a traverse wall etc, I think many gyms and climbers would do well to go back to none coloured problems as when you do go outside it will give you a heads up to the fact there are not massive bright coloured holds screaming out to where the route is.. I took up climbing later in life (34yo) and I work constantly on the fundamentals as set out by Neil Gresham, I certainly will not be a hitter any time soon but hopefully if and when I do reach a good standard I will have a firm foundation for progression. I have seen even in my limited time people start climbing to then progress quickly only to get into the mindset of chasing grades to then get disheartened and give up.. Regards
Love it, very helpful! I’m a beginner let’s say 4th month ...had strong muscles from gym, swimming and yoga plus genetics adaptable for sports. I am insisting in the Monkey room 😄...So I filmed a friend doing the whole sequence of a tiger with vertical and wall and created my version with short cuts...it’s great to have a model ! Bananas & flaxseed smoothie it’s top 💪🏻
Thanks, great video. As climbing is growing as a sport this kind of stuff is important to bring in to the open. It helps create a healthy climbing society, wich is important for it's continuational growth :)
Great video again mani! I have been climbing for 6 months now. I climb and train 3-4 times a week, I climb different sorts already from overhangs, ceilings, steep walls and found that the diversity has helped me, I notice it more when I go up to the next grade of problems. I am now after 6 months climbing around v4/v5 problems which I think is good progression? only thing I would add is true beginners toensurr they don't just climb but also train strength through pull ups, press ups, dips and core and back work outs which will also help massively.
Hey man pretty good vid, I just started climbing in a climbing because I live in pretty flat land :/ hopefully. But if i wante to go in a trip for climbing I I would need to learn all the rope techniques and stuff
i don't even know if I'm a beginner or not, all in all i have around 4-5 year under the belt, but never have they been more then 2 years without a break (seems like this time finally I'll break my curse of stopping). And i complete agree, that what is really important is getting your climbing mileage up, sadly it's not always possible to get to all the diverse form of climbing... where i Live, we have almost no natural rock, so outdoors climbing is not really an option, unless you leave for a trip. And all the gyms we have are just Boudlering gyms, at best with a top rope wall.
Thanks for your informative videos. I've been climbing for 3 months at an indoor gym with lots of climbing styles. I've been top roping and bouldering as I don't have a gym partner. Been doing easier stuff to get the fundamentals down instead of just going for the hard stuff. I do a full warmup before and start easy then go harder and try lots of different routes/problems. Best I can climb right now is 5.10/v2. I know I'm just beginning and I'm focusing more on my movements and having fun but are those grades kind of expected for beginner climbers? Thanks again.
I guess I'm still a beginner ? I've been climbing for almost 4 months now and I have no workout plans, I've just been climbing, at least twice a week. Like you said, I felt like I really improved a lot my first month climbing. And now I feel like I'm slowing down in progress, even though I climb just as much or even more, but I still have a lot to experience especially since I'm still a baby compared to the pro climber. It's still really fun and I'm looking forward to see how I improve in the next few months !
Quite interesting video, I’m actually a beginner, started literally like 2 months ago, am training a lot at local climbing center, they have there plenty of routes with different grade level. I’m trying to climb on everything, I am not focusing what kind of grade are the routes I think I just supposed to try everything like you just said. I’m trying to train at the gym at least 3-4 times per week after my work which is a tricky cause sometimes I’m just tired, but I’m keep trying. Have even build in my flat a small climbing wall with Beastmaker 1000, gymnastic rings etc. Before I’m going sleep I’m still using the hang board. I’m 31 years old, my body have changed since I have started. I was 7kg overweighted, have lost that already. I think I have an obsession with climbing. Maybe something is wrong me ? Question which I have for you, am I not to old ? Lots of people I see at the gym are really young. What are your thoughts? Kind Regards Patrick Beginner
1 year in and making great progress and popped my R4 tendon, 6 weeks and still pain, so still not climbing. Should have aimed for more variety. Variety will build the technique I need, instead of relying on strength.
This is all really solid advice at first, but I personally have hit a limit while doing essentially this. After about a year I can climb in the 5.11 and v6 range but have really stopped improving from just climbing a lot. I have tried both taking more time off and increasing my climbing time, but I still see no improvement. I can reliably flash all of the boulders from VB-V4 when the set goes up at my gym(I focus more on bouldering so I don't often rope climb except for occasionally with friends) but the V5-V6 stuff is a little harder and the V7-V9 stuff I have yet to climb even one of. I'd like to see a video for an intermediate climber(like ~1 year of climbing) and how to maintain improvement. I climbed my first V5 after a few months and have had very little improvement since.
Cool video, this is pretty much what everyone tells me when I ask how best to start hangboarding haha :D I just try to climb as often and as much as possible, and I sometimes add some training to it, such as bodyweight exercises, longer stretching sessions, and basic hangboarding on two hands... I usually just do deadhangs and am progressing to smaller holds there, I have tried campusing once or twice but I have neither the lock-off power now the contact strength required for that yet, so I will stick to the deadhangs and simpler exercises for now haha :)
I agree. Also climb for flow, look for the easiest ways to make moves to improve technique. Muscling up can be cool but you don't want to train that every run. Like Mani says, do a lot of variation.
Jana w you can really feel when something flows vs when you are pulling it. usually it's on the crux when you say "oh well let's do a pull up to send it". but that's the most important part to focus on making flow!
I got lucky that the nearest climbing gym near me has top rope, lead climbing, and boldering. I'm better at top roping right now, but I'm working on boldering since I'm still working on my my arm and finger strength.
I'm a new climber (about 2 months) and I've been facing two issues you didn't really address here - the first is that it's very easy to over-train as a new climber without even getting into targetted training. I didn't know how important rest days were and now I'm battling elbow injury - luckily I caught it early so it's not too bad but I feel that it's not clear enough to new climbers that it's not good to climb more than once or twice a week for a few months at the least. The second issue is that for a lot of people starting climbing, the best way of getting better is to simply lose weight. Climbing while overweight is just going to be harder and lead to injury faster if you're not careful. Apart from that I really enjoyed the video :)
I'm a new climber (4 months) and I've only been bouldering. mostly at the gym but I get outside maybe 2 times per month. flash level v2 on plastic. I'm at the point where I feel like I've learned enough at the gym that I really should go to my local crag (devil's lake, wi) but I don't have a partner nor the equipment yet.
Many gyms have times where climbers without (climbing-)partners can meet up. I'd think that you should find someone who is fun and reliable soon enough.
Many gyms have a "belay list" chalkboard or whiteboard where people can write their name and what they're wearing so that others that also show up without a partner can find them and start climbing together. If your gym does not already have this you can suggest it. Meetup groups (meetup.com) are also good in my area for meeting people. You can also just meet people bouldering and ask if they like roped climbing.
I found belay partners at my gym by just introducing myself, getting to know them a bit by climbing with them, and asking if they would be up for it. Offer to pay for gas, or offer something in return if there is a trip involved. Split the costs somehow and make it worth it for them. Most of the more experienced climbers like taking newer climbers out and showing them how things work, and that way they can show you how to belay them, and they get a climbing partner out of it, too!
0:05 neck fine before the banana.
3:00 it begins
11:10 full on reaction
11:12 time for another banana.
Lol
😂
I’ve only been climbing for 3 weeks and I’m addicted. Already most people are telling me to slow down, do less, and keep it simple (which I’m not because that just isn’t how I roll). It’s nice to hear a more experienced climber recommend what feels more intuitive to me. I’m currently devouring all your vids and then some for new techniques to try. Thanks for the tips!
Be careful of overworking yourself, i had a tendon injury that didn’t let me climb for almost 2 years.
Great videos Mani. I'm six months in, mid 30's and slowly getting stronger/fitter. Your videos are a great resource.
Hey Mani, I have been bouldering for about 6 months now, personally, your videos and advice have helped me to progress very quickly, I find it very helpful to watch your technique.
I'm very happy to hear that, keep it up!
Nice video mani! I would say that it's true for beginners but for intermediate climbers as well! I did try a lot of different things in my early years of climbing and I continue to do so. Even when you are bouldering or sport climbing in the 7th or 8th grade, it's rare that you only need one aspect of climbing. I love bouldering to get the strengh and technique, sport climbing for my endurance and big wall for the mental aspect. I think that if you do a little bit of everything then you will be a better climber in general! But it's only my opinion! Thanks again!
Great video Mani! I am a 47 year old beginner. I started 8 weeks ago. The climbing gym I go to has bouldering, top rope, lead walls, auto-belay in a few spots too. I find it fun to mix it up and do everything. Recently a friend took me outside for the first time to Stony Point here in Los Angeles, and it was a real eye-opener to climb on real rock. I appreciate your approach, and have found that through my life so far, variety and exposure has been key to developing anything quickly. As well as training and resting enough.
Craiger hahaha, snap...I’m an almost 47 yr old (in 4 weeks) beginner who started 2 weeks ago and love it. Same, my indoor climbing gym has everything and loving trying it all. I can’t believe how much I’ve already learned and tackled. Some awesome information and content on UA-cam (especially Mani). Looking forward to trying outdoors again as I’ve not climbed on rock since in the Army when I was 16.
47 in a few weeks. started climbing a month ago. ha! something about that age i guess!
@O R just start! The starting grades for indoor bouldering don't require too much strength, and are more for training good technique.
I could never motivate myself to do exercises consistently till I started bouldering, but now I'm motivated to exercise and keep lean in order to boulder better. (:
You gave some really good tips, thanks Mani! I climb for almost 2 years now and I think that I am somehow still a beginner..so this was really helpfull to me! Also, climbing outside is sooo much more fun...nature, fresh air, rocks...so many zen moments. Nothing compares to that in my opininon :)
absolutely, outdoors is where it's at
I'm a beginner, one year into climbing, and I spent most of my first year researching and purchasing outdoor gear as I was able to while bouldering indoors. I did get a crash pad and a helmet right away (and shoes and chalk, or course!), and I did go bouldering outside a few times when I was about two months into climbing. Not much, but I did it, and I was unsure of what I was doing, but loved it! I spent the Fall and the Winter bouldering indoors, then I had my first outdoor sport climbing experience in March of this year, about a month and a half short of a year of climbing for me. It was great, because I had systematically amassed all of the gear that I needed by researching and getting a piece here and a piece there during sales and such over the past 11 months or so. I had also invested in a private lesson in the gym on basic belaying and rappelling, so I had an idea of what went on in roped climbing situations because I knew I wanted to try outdoor climbing. This first outdoor roped climbing experience came as a result of washing holds for competitions at the gym and gaining relationships with people through competing at the comps and being efficient and thorough at washing holds for extra gym membership time. The head route setter at my gym asked if I wanted to help set routes, and I gladly accepted. This was another way for me to learn more about climbing, and during the course of route setting, the head route setter became my climbing partner. He is also a coach for the youth climbing team, so he knows how to teach climbing, both indoors and out. Now that it is summertime, we have been going on a climbing trip outdoors every weekend, inviting various other people along to get them outdoor climbing as well! It is great fun, and I love outdoor climbing. In the Fall, another friend of mine is going to teach me to trad climb. I'm really looking forward to it! I look forward to any kind of outdoor climbing! I have also been outdoor bouldering this season.
My advice would be the same as yours, Mani. Introduce yourself to the more experienced people at the climbing gym. Don't be afraid - most of them love to share their knowledge and are itching to take people out climbing and have more climbing partners! Invest in the gear as you are able so that you have your own to work with. One thing that my climbing partner did was make me use my own gear so that I got used to my own gear. He showed me how to use it and everything so that I could be comfortable with my own gear. Also, I would say, never pass up an opportunity! Washing holds for an extra month's gym membership turned into route setting (which I still do every weekend), and also got me a reliable climbing partner who is experienced and whom I trust! I have also participated in two competitions. Super fun! Great experiences! I do a lot of reading and researching and asking questions to learn as much as I can about climbing of different sorts and gear of different sorts all the time. Get a guidebook for your area and look through it to find something that interests you. Make it a goal of sorts - not an immediate one, but one that you can look forward to trying out when you get some experience under your belt. Most of all, enjoy the process!!! You may find that you do like one thing and you don't like another. That's great! At least you tried it and you know!
Long story short, I agree with your advice, Mani. It's great advice. I still have not done any hangboard training or anything like that, and I think I will hold off on that for a while until I get stronger. Right now, I am just enjoying nature and what it provides!!! Thanks for the video, Mani! Great video!
These comments XD thanks for the detailed input man!
Loving this. I love your genuinity and that you're still on it and sharing with us a bit of your journey. Love to you, brother!
VERY WISE ADVICE! Happy I found your channel.
Avid climber in the early 80's. Got married, kids, so forth. left climbing 30 yrs ago. Now at 53, just started again. While in not even close to where I left off, im starting again. Man, there were no gyms in my days.
I am however qualified enough to KNOW wisdom when I hear it.
This is GREAT advice.
CLIMB ON! david
Just to hook into what you said on the end. I've been climbing for just one year now and coming from a flat country (Netherlands) where there are no mountains or hills and moving to Berlin with a similar geography I found myself conflicted. I mean, there are about 12 climbing gyms in the city so there's always something to do and different gyms have different styles of setting.
However, on my recent trip to Budapest, where the boulders start from 7C, I found a small piece of rock at the touristy citadella. Location wise it wasn't ideal; there was glass on the ground and a park bench you could swing into, but I found a nice traverse route and sent it after some tries. Bouldering on real rocks is so much different, but also similar at the same time. After I think about 20 tries doing different routes my skin was completely gone. After trying the plastic gym holds the week after again it felt soooo different.
However, even the one day I spent outdoors reflected on my climbing ability indoors. It felt as if I suddenly had overcome a plateau. Very fun experience.
Echt jammer dat je in Nederland niet buiten op echt steen kan klimmen.
Hey Many,
Thank you for your Videos. They have been a great help to me.
I've started bouldering about 8 mounts ago and I'm completely in love with it.
I'm a 40 years old man. Fortunately I've been training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for the last 16 years - so that my fitness level is already pretty good.
Your suggested methodology makes 100% sense to me. I certainly try to mix things up.
I try to climb different styles and it helps me to spot obvious weaknesses. Once I find one, I put some extra emphasis on Problems which demand it.
I was very uncomfortable with overhangs, but now they are my favourites. Currently I'm working on pinches, and it is starting to pay of.
One things I'm not sure about: When I solve a new problem, I repeat it 4-6 times before I move on. I try to search for variations. I modify my position and I try to save energy. I have the feeling it helps to correct my techniques (my first attempts usually rely too much on strength). On the other hand, it is time-energy spent on repetition (i.e. low new exposition).
Am I over committed to repetitions? How do repetitions fit in your theory?
Thxs for your help Many!
Liebe Grüße
It recently came to my mind that I've actually never talked about this very valuable tip especially for beginners (but also for intermediates/advanced) on the channel to date, so I hope this will motivate some to increase the diversity of their climbing a bit :) Keep crushing!
Mani the Monkey Mani the Magician
Mani the Monkey I remember you did, but never so elaborate. love the content though dude, keep it up. I'm steadily progressing in bouldering, but maybe time to diversify a little. thanks for the reminder. I have been bouldering for over half a year now, how important did you think is coaching? did you take coaching lessons early on, or like me just watch others like a hawk?
I’ve just started climbing in the last 3 months and have been doing this approach. I love the outdoors & mountains, so alpine climbing is my current target. I have a good coach and live in a great area with varied rock so I’m always doing something different-outdoor sport, trad, multi pitch sport, indoor sport, bouldering, crack climbing indoors (hardest so far), bouldering inside & out.
The one frustrating side to all of this is while I am making definite progress, there are tons of moving parts and important things to dial in, especially in trad & gear placements, let alone learning good belay techniques. Part of me wonders if it would be better to start as you did, bouldering for a year in a gym to build my climbing strength & technique but also confidence. There’s a lot to be said for the psychological boost of doing one thing really well versus a lot of things a just an “okay” level.
Hi there Mani. Thank you so much for all these amazing tips and tutorials, it's truly inspiring to see someone share their passion with so much clarity and generosity. We find watching your videos a source of motivation.
So here's our situation, you might find it interesting and, who knows, might have time for some bespoke advice!
I recently picked up indoor climbing again to introduce my daughter for her 13th birthday. She adores it, insists we go at least once a week, bought her equipment with her own money with the passion of a teenager. She is a monkey, got that from me, and apart from reach has good genetics. We're both quite short but muscular and flexible. We're talking total beginners here, well not me, but pretty much starting from scratch again. We're both serious about it.
Here's the thing, after 6-7 sessions she climbs 5+ easily and many 6a's (English grades, so that's what, a French 6c?), which I believe is a pretty fast start. Proud daddy and all. But... I fear she might burn her passion too fast if she focuses too much on grades, might quickly get discouraged when the initial steep progress curve flattens, and am not sure what to do about it. From your experience, should I play the slightly boring wise father card and slow her down a bit? Staying on low grades and working her technique? Or let her passionate energy go full on??
For example she wants to learn lead climbing, as it only requires a comfortable 5+, which she has. But she can't even belay me yet as she's 13... Is that even possible? Given her monkey nature, should I wait a month? A year? Any idea what the norm is?
I'm a beginner, i started in rock climbing like a year ago but very sporadic, but i believe that practicing vinyasa and asthanga yoga has helping me a lot to keep the core and to give the proper attention to the importance that breathing has.... Thanks for sharing
Mani, I completely agree with your advice concerning experiencing diversity in climbing as a beginner! I have been climbing for only 14 months now and I began in a bouldering gym. I also, however, began saving up for and purchasing gear for outdoor bouldering and sport climbing as it came on sale and as I researched it. Many climbers at the gym helped me because I am so passionate about climbing. They would and still do give me recommendations and tell me about their own experiences. Best of all, I have very experienced climbers who love taking me outdoors and showing me how to sport climb. Since I have built up my own collection of gear, it makes it easier for everybody! I have climbed on several different types of rock, toproped indoors and outdoors, lead climbed outdoors for the first time just a little over a week ago, bouldered outdoors and indoors, gone to two competitions, and have set routes in the commercial bouldering gym in my short 14 months as a climber! This Fall, a friend of mine is going to travel up to where I live and teach me how to alpine climb with a gear rack that he has prepared for me from his own gear! If you go about it the right way and take people up on every opportunity possible, the climbing community will respond positively and help you to progress! Climbers generally want to see others climbers succeed, and this network of climbing partners and mentors is really something special! I am not rich by any means, either. As a beginning climber, I can confirm that the advice you gave in this vlog is sound and that this approach is very feasible if you are smart about it! Thanks, Mani!
Been climbing on and off for a few years, now that I’m getting more serious it seems to make sense to start by getting exposed to a wide variety of styles and types of climbing so thanks for the tip.
I've been climbing less than a month and I really appreciate your beginner videos! Your technique videos have been super helpful and my progress from week 1 to week 3 is amazing. However, as a woman I do feel very different climbing from my smaller body size, lower center of gravity, and generally less upper body strength. Do you have any advice from any female climbers you know about using smaller size to their advantage?
Totally agree mani, How as a beginner you progress so much faster and your progression slows down and you have to work A LOT harder to see smaller progress. My first year was indoor bouldering and just recently started hitting the outdoors and boy not only am I enjoying climbing even more but I am definitely seeing some progress. Great tips mani keep it up man!
Omg it is amazing how one moment you mentioning being a beginner. Next you are climbing with pro climbers, making sick video with the editing and helping others. Congratulations rockentry for your journey. Your videos had help me understand a lot on climbing when i knew nothing as a beginner 😭💯💯
Mani! Such useful tips! Brand new climber here! First route was a 5.8 top rope outside, second was 5.8 lead climb outside. I definitely learned more by not being scared to try something new on the climb! I will definitely explore all I can as I gain experience as a climber! Thanks so much! 😁😁
My first time bouldering was about half a year ago and I instantly loved it. In the beginning, I was overweight, hadn't done any sports for two years, and no clue whatsoever about climbing. Compared to my friends who had started with me, I really sucked at this sport. Then I came across your videos and took your advice on the right techniques, the importance of stretching/warmup, nutrition, body weight, diversity in training etc. very seriously. I am simply amazed by how much I progressed with your help. Not only am I now in the best shape of my life (weight loss thanks to your nutrition tips!) and can boulder harder and more diverse stuff than most of my friends, but I also stayed pretty much injury-free until now (thanks to your tips on injury-prevention and a proper warm-up). So, this is just to thank you, Mani! Keep the great content coming!
I am going to my first bouldering gym tomorrow, and climbing for the first time (other than the occasional tree throughout my lifetime). Watching these videos, i feel like i know enough to feel relatively comfortable in a bouldering space.
thank you so much for making these videos!!!
"looking for shortcuts makes you incapable of achieving any type of mastery" - favorite quote
I'm beginner for 10 years :D, please do not take any suggest from me...
A general rule of thumb for getting better at climbing is go the the climbing gym at least to or three times a week and work out at least once a week
If you go at least once a week I think its possible to quickly come up to grades like 7a+/7b. But for every routes harder than this you need to invest more and more time (just my personal experiences so far)
6b+ is my max for clean send in gym. for last 6 months Im in gym 1-2 per week. Now I have my personal goal wich is 7a, for that I must lost some weight and gain some strengt. But I think it is possible.
Same
I am a beginner that actually wanted to start with outdoor climbing but don't have the means to do it right now, so I have been going to the gym and flashing problems, then working out afterwards with my friends. Also changing my diet, because I am overweight. Your videos are very informative. I appreciate them thank you so much :)!
some words from a 1 year beginner:
i disagree a bit about the point with the longer projects. yes - try it only a few times, go on with other boulders after the fails - especially for fun's sake.
BUT try it again some days/a week after - your fingers&muscles will now be more used to this kind of boulder(something like muscle memory).so i had progress on 3 totaly different problems with that so far, i didn't solved before - e.g. a volume problem with a heelhook. that felt REALY strange the first few attempts, but after getting used to it, i even used it on some unnecessary and easier problems.
Good point. Coming back some days/weeks later is very reasonable, this is actually an awesome approach to projects in the beginner phase. Because you might as well just already be a little stronger the next time you try it, allowing you to send the thing in only relatively few attempts in total, and in the meantime you got a lot of other stuff in as well.
What I mean is when relatively beginner level climbers are getting stuck on a project. There's climbers out there who just want to go for their first 6a or 6b, whatever it takes, and invest even hundreds of attempts, countless sessions into one thing (happens mostly outdoors). Instead, they could progress much faster (and even likely send their project earlier) if they would instead focus on getting more diversity in. Here again: Coming back later, with more strength, a different attitude, a stronger mind - it often a very useful approach (not only as a beginner by the way, but I think especially as a beginner for the mentioned reasons).
I will really try to follow your advice. I have been climbing for about four months and I saw a lot of progress the first three months. But now I don't see any progress; however, I have learn some necessary skills for climbing like setting/cleaning a route. I tend to obsess over a problem or a sport route, and I try to climb them numerous times and I get frustrated. But now I'm going to focus in trying different things and having fun.
The same thing happened to me, i was improving for a while really fast, a new v rank per month and then i got a cold and now i havent climbed at the highest rank i once got for two months even though i am physically stronger
First off your English is great man! Secondly your videos are really opening my eyes and helping me feel more confident climbing outdoors. Thank!
I am a new climber, I have been climbing for 3 months and have been progressing fairly quickly, finally getting up V6/7A cleanly! Being much larger than most climbers at 205lbs (92kg) due to mass training my whole life, I am focusing more on not using strength to get up every route/problem. I think what has been helping me the most is being obsessed with it! I am continuously thinking about climbing, technique, body positions, hand positions etc. For training I do lots of calisthenics (2x2x2 push-ups, pull-ups, dips) for warm up. At the end of the session I will do core strengthening.When I get home I will eat, hang board, rice bucket and Epsom salt soak my hands. On off days I will do some Interval Training. Having a membership to a gym that has 6 locations is also awesome for progression. Each gym is different and has different setters, some setters are power climbers and love to set huge shouldery moves, others love technical crimps. Outdoor is my favorite though, very humbling and centering. Every chance my friend and I have and the weather is permitting, we climb outside. Your videos have helped a lot (especially the body positioning videos) and I cant thank you enough! Diversity is always the best, you won't get bored, always have new experiences and meet new people to climb outside with!
Thank you for another helpful video. I just started Bouldering about three months ago and can't get enough of it. I really enjoyed your videos i watched so far and they helped me quite alot. My most recent problem is my lack of core strenght and followed by that body positioning. Your training videos are great, but i am quite far away from your level but i am on my way to develop a workout routine for myself. I like your genuine content and it keeps me motivated to continue my training. Your stories about other climbing disciplines are wonderful and i am looking forward to try indoor lead climbing in the near future and maybe outdoor rockclimbing next year (?). Thanks and keep up your great work!
Generally this advice makes sense. I’m a beginner, and I’m going to try shifting from projecting a climb slightly above my level for 1 hour + to getting more diverse climbs in and finding my flash level.
That said, I think this could have been a blog post rather than a video.
Beginner here, I just try to climb as much as I can without injuring myself. I somehow managed to overtrain and had some overuse injuries but I am back at it again. I avoid crimps as much as possible and really take it slow. One thing that is really helpful is yoga stretches and lowering your body fat percentage. I train mostly indoors but I will go to rocks in spring, I think. Thanks a lot for the advice!
You pretty much just described me! I can only climb twice a week as I haven’t recovered enough to climb more often yet
I totally agree with the argument for mileage! The greatest improvement I have seen in my own climbing is when I was climbing outdoors a lot and just got on everything I could. Did not matter if it was easy, or hard, I just wanted to climb. Awesome video dude!
Hey Mani, I have been climbing at rock gym for about 4 months now and one of the biggest contributors to my progress so far was watching your beginners playlist. I had a L4-L5 microdiscectomy last year in June and climbing has been a huge motivation to train and address imbalances in my body as far as physical weaknesses and increased flexibility. I have also dislocated my left elbow twice in my life which has lead to some weakness in the grip of my left hand so I have been using a grip strength tool to work on the weaknesses in my left pinky and ring finger. Overall I would have to attribute most of my progression to your videos which have taught me the value of body positioning over grip strength which has moved me up a couple of grades in the week since I watched the videos. I apologize for being a tad long winded and would like to end by saying thank you for content you produce, keep it up.
Very happy to hear that, thanks for giving me even more motivation, I will keep it up!
so im a beginner right now. ive been climbing for 3.5 months. i started climbing 2 weeks before i was supposed to go on an adventure to moab utah where i would be rock climbing and bouldering. I got to moab and realized how amazing outdoor climbing was, and that has been my goal since. i have been traveling all over, trying different gyms and going outdoors to various bouldering spots just to see them and feel them. I have been climbing every single day and have been working on a whole ton of styles. Its been so fun and i have progressed sooooo much by doing so. i havnt been lifting or anything, ive just been climbing. when i started i could hardly do a pull up. now i can do like 25 comfortably.
Hey Mani, thanks for these great content. Your explanations are very easy to follow. I'm a bout one month new to climbing The first week I was a struggling 5.8+, then someone gave me a tip, i watched your videos and became a 5.9 immediately. After going 4 days a week trying every corner of the gym, listening to my body to prevent injury and talking with anyone and everyone at the gym about small minor tips and adjustments I can make I'm pushing 5.11 now. Now my focus is to slow down and work on the fine motor skills and accuracy of my movements to help engrain them into my body. Your videos are the best, I knew nothing about climbing technique a month ago and now people are allready asking me for tips!!! haha, thanks to you I can pass your information onto them.
Amazing video Mani! I've recently got interested in climbing, like a couple of months ago, and even more recently in bouldering, like yesterday XD I'm 30 years old, beginnest (if that's a word) of all beginners and since a week ago I have been watching so many beginners level videos over youtube. I'm always looking for ways to improve and get better and I found this video great since I thought 'outdoors' meant 'advance'. I'll see how things go. Thank you !
Many... you have no script on this video... this is obvious... this makes this video 100% genuine... AND... you are HONEST, not to say PASSIONATE and SMART. Thank you for sharing this with us... the mortals of the world!
Nice strategy! Good to hear your opinion on a holistic approach in the early year(s).
Thanks for the tips mani! I got into climbing about 3 months ago. I have been going 2/3 days a week to the gym that has bouldering and sport. Also been doing outdoors on weekends when it's nice. I can definitely tell I'm progressing faster than my friend who just stays at the gym and concentrates on bouldering. Love watching your videos. Keep them coming.
Hey Mani, I have been climbing for about two months and I just wanted to let you I love the videos and the content. Also nice song to end the video!
I'm a beginner (
I have bouldered for one year at climbing gyms. Two weeks ago I went to a top rope course. I'm already feeling how climbing taller walls has improved my bouldering by educating efficiency and calmness - a lot to improve in this aspect when having had fear of heights!
I’m a beginner that started about a month ago. I haven’t touched a hangboard yet (but I do wanna try one). Instead, at the end of every climbing session I go to a route that is relatively easy and go up and down it with some breaks in between until I can take no more. This has worked some for me as I am seeing improvement. As far as the outdoor climbing, I live in south Florida, United States and the closest mountains are 14 hours away
went for my second climb today at my local gym, absolutely loving it, been watching adam ondra and alex honnold for ages and recently started climbing tree's in creative ways due to wanting to climb so badly haha, but glad to finally be going to a gym! excited to strengthen my body and see how much better i am at climbing trees then haha, also gonna start a climbing society in uni when i go back for second term after the summer holidays in 3 months, will hopefully be pretty good by then, picking it up pretty quickly as I've done gymnastics and free running n stuff in the past haha, nice vid cheers for the advice!
I'm a beginner and I a few weeks ago I started hangboarding. I would say it gave me a pretty strong boost on my finger endurance, but improving my technique made a far bigger difference for my climbing grade.
dude, you have like an allergic reaction to that banana or something. look at your neck o.O
@M. Jones there are over 80k edible plants, and yet people eat the same 3-5 dead animals over and over again worried that eliminating them would be too restrictive
M. Jones Or he’s just having an allergic reaction like millions of meat eaters do...
@M. Jones lol, thats far fetched
Yup definitely alllergic to that banana. Strange he didnt notice it! Would have been itchy.
@M. Jones there is literally no evidence backing up that statement. Ridiculous.
I think you're allergic to those organic bananas.
I react to over-ripe bananas . Green are ok, but brown spots I have to stay away.
@@Rickles brown spotted are sweet and nice. They are not rotten. Green however are very hard and have that ugly kind of sour taste to them. That is of course only my opinion. :)
Hi Mani, I'm new to the sport, I've been climbing under one year, an awesome bouldering gym opened up very close to where I live, so that's where I'm training. I work as an arborist so have good upper and core body strength. I'm focusing a lot on my technique and finger strength atm, great video and very helpful advice, I agree with your approach and will implement that into my training! keep up the good work
Mani, thanks for your enjoyable and educational videos. I've been climbing about three months now doing a mix of bouldering and top roping in the new university gym. I've implemented "mani" of your techniques (see what I did there) and have improved significantly, in my opinion. Significantly meaning I can ascend most all V0, V1, V2, and recently started on V3's. As for top roping, I can ascend most everything up to 5.10. I'm obviously very much so still a beginner but have been happy with the progress made so far. As for training, I've been really focusing on technique, breathing, and mentality all while trying to cut some weight. I'm 6 foot and weigh around 185 lbs (~82 kilos) but would like to be 170-175 all while gaining core, muscle, and finger strength. I don't hang or campus board and I haven't tried climbing outdoors seeing that I currently live in South Louisiana, USA. While we have a plethora of swamps and bayous, there isn't a rock large enough to climb within several hundred miles. Just thought I'd share. Please let me know if you have any other tips or suggestions. Thanks, and keep up the good work!
i've started climbing just slightly over 2 years ago at age 35, and although i'm only doing lead 6a+ at most, i find that my focus on bouldering over the past one year helps the most!
i consistently look out for problems, or sections of problems and try to work... thinking "there must be an easier way to do it" because my background was in running, so i have weaker arms generally, compared to those who started out young in the early 20s.
it's a boon and bane that i keep on looking at technique - the most coincidental way i improved and learnt the backstop was when my first pair of shoes fit too tightly around my left foot's biggest toe, so i could only step on my small toes (outside edge). in the end i just evened it out by doing backstop in both directions on 6a top-rope routes. then subsequently i also added drop knees and knee bars into bouldering, because it's almost never found in top-rope routes :)
i'm not in a hurry to do a higher grade, i'm doing climbing as a way to test my thinking skills and get me happy,,, so focusing on technique heavily did help me to improve significantly, i still remember my internal smile in my heart when i managed to do my first overhang boulder route although the way i did it was less than stellar :)
I started with bouldering as well and my personal opinion is it is the best starting point to climbing. You can really increase your skill repertoire much faster compared to starting with toproping. And I definitely agree that keeping the variety of climbing help a lot! after 1.5 years of bouldering now I do top rope climbing and trying to focus more on my weaknesses (e.g. overhangs) when bouldering and it all seems to help a lot overall. I would also recommend watching such videos on youtube though. it helps with getting the right mindset and learning how to approach to different problem when you're failing (instead of trying desperately)
Hey, I'm training for climbing now for about one and a half year, but I would say when I starded I was not a total beginner because my parents took my out climbing since I was 3, but I did not trained for climbing, I just climbed in holiday and sometimes at the weekend. I think you are right, I don't have an specific training programm, I just go leadclimbing and bouldering out- and indoors. Sometimes I use the campusboard and go to hobby-competition as well...
And therefor I have good progress.
Your videos are really cool, keep going.
Nice videos you have. Easy to understand, good explanation. I am a beginner and find your videos very helpful.
I started a week and a half ago. When I find something I like I obsess over it till i get good at it. I've watched most of these beginner videos and they definitely help a tonn!
Hey Mani, started bouldering a month ago and your videos definitely have been helpful. However i feel like sometimes i can try and improve my technique, however unable to realise the mistakes I'm doing thats preventing me from improving even more. Which is why as a suggestion for future videos, if people were to send you videos of themselves climbing problems, and you were to comment on their technique and what they should improve etc. I think this would be helpful for beginners as myself to notice and prevent we newbies do. Whatever you do keep up the good work bud!
Started climbing about 5 years ago and spent a lot of time outdoors the first two years, slowed down for the next two due to other obligations then enrolled in an indoor gym last year since not too many chances climbing outdoors. I prefer the natural rock but I am able to work on my technique indoors. I plan to try bouldering but at my age, 57, I am hesitant since my knees are not as strong as they used to be. I do not like to jump down 10 feet even on a very thick mat. Very expensive to treat injuries. I have goals so I can try and make every situation work for me.
Funny, just before this I watched your reaction to Dave McLeod where you kinda disagree about the "breadth of experience" being the most important early on. Yet, here you are, saying exactly the same thing. Amazing.
I wonder if you maybe have a sensitivity to bananas?? At the start of this video your neck is fine, but by the end there is a slight redness that has developed after you eat the banana.
Good eye!
Hey Mani,
I've been climbing for just less than a year now and I haven't really needed to go on the campus board and or do hang boarding sessions. My biggest thing I needed to work on was endurance. As a beginner, when I was trying a hard climb for me it was trying to fight the pump rather than not being able to do the moves. But now that I am climbing 6c-7a I can see that on some climbs the moves them selves are too hard and now I need to improve my finger strength and power. But that's my little back story. And thanks for the awesome videos always a massive motivator and help.
loved your opinion. for what i have seen and experienced i think is the best way to start climbing... same reasons and thougths. i did this and it worked for me and i am still doing it c: trying, watching, learning. and for the petition at the end... i started climbing october2016. i have been training with ups and downs but still getting progress every time. i have been training with the board and now with 3 fingers c: i also strated stretching a lot to improve in general at my house and also after and before training.
I'm in my second month of climbing, just starting, and I have been going three times a week to the gym, never two days in a row, and climbing pretty hard since I am an athletic, lighter weight guy. When my fingers hurt, I take a break. I eat well and get sleep. But I love climbing. I usually start my time at the gym at a traversing wall to practice and warm up, then go bouldering. After bouldering a while and climbing most of the routes I can climb, I go to the hang board to do simple pull ups, or off-sided pull ups (so like one hand on a big jug and the other on a slope or small slot) and I do two or three pull ups for each side, then switch around, then climb on the moon board, the go back to pull ups. I also hop into pull ups if I'm too tired but want to keep training. I've recently been taught to do easier problems much slower, especially to improve lock-off strength. I constantly watch World Cup replays on youtube though and so many videos on technique and training. So I love the technique aspect of climbing and am picking it up very quickly. I can climb almost all the V3's in my gym and am close to completely several V4's. I climb on the high wall now and then, but I don't have a partner usually so I don't do it often (I go to a very small gym). I also have some training stuff at home, but I mostly do core several times a week, some yoga, and running a couple times a week.
I started Climbing in 2013, but, only since 2015 I began to do it frequently, and from my experience all that many said on these video is true hahah, but I want to enfaces that also train hard and enjoying the climbing made me improve very fast, as an addition, been in a group helps sooo much, because climbing alone can quickly turn a bit monotonous, and also helps to have partner almost always, U get to know the group, potentially awesome people and the motivation can only grow, than is easier to organize climbing trips and these way u get a lot of rock type and climbing styles
Thumbs up many!! :D I enjoy a lot ur channel, I’m on a mid/ 7a? Level of climbing and is starting to be more difficult to improve, but the thoughts behind the training u share is what helps me the most. thx
I have more or less followed your recommendation to try a bit of everything and am quite happy with my results. I started climbing around the same time that I started weightlifting just over 1 year ago. I would say my breakdown of climbing time has been about 70% climbing and 30% strength training, with climbing being done about 80% indoors in a large gym where I do mostly top-rope with some bouldering and sport climbing, and I both outdoor boulder and top-rope (tried Trad and it was just exhausting, will hold off on doing more Trad anytime soon). After watching your video it made me think I should try to give crack climbing another go, something I have not really developed outside of trying a long time ago and not being able to do it.
For me the easiest weakness I can figure out are physical, limited forearm strength/endurance. I started hangboard training about a month ago and am seeing some progress (at least in my ability to hangboard a bit). I plan on building up my shoulder/back strength (can only do 10 consecutive pullups) a bit and then starting intro campus board training sometime in the next year. Still trying to figure out periodization, complicated stuff.
Great videos man. I'm pretty happy being able to come home and find something new from you on a regular basis, hope you keep it up!
Awesome man! I like the way you think. I have been climbing for about one year now and still a gym rat ;) but I climb everything and anything I want to when I feel high walls and bouldering. I have a set of rock rings at home which is like a hanging board cut in half but suspended in the air like those ropes with knots in your room. I'm from Australia and havet met anyone to take me outside yet but it will happen one day. Top video mate!
Thanks for the great advice! Ive been climbing for about 7 months and unfortunately i can only climb on the weekends. So to keep improving i do some training at home like pull ups, legs lifts, etc. But what i really noticed that helps a lot is yoga. I feel much lighter, stronger, and more flexible.
Hey, I'm a total beginner. Been to the gym twice so far and signed up to my local place, I was into fitness but never climbing. I tried the campus board doing 1 2 3 2 1 sets and felt amazingly sore the next day in my forearms. I'm gonna continue to use it once a week a long with grip training in my regular gym and monitor improvements
Still a beginner, started a couple months ago and became obsessed! I’m slowly working my way up. The top of my performance record is a V4, but it also depends on the gym as some are easier and some are harder. My technique is stubborn motivation. I tell myself I can do a problem and throw myself into it. I fail and do it over and over until I’ve gotten to the point where I know I’m not strong enough yet to go further.
I climbed 2 years. 80% time I climb 3-4 times a week. I stuck in V5~V6 around 1 year. I travel to Malaysia last month and start outdoor sports climbing. I love it! But climbing is a little bit expensive, so I got a boulder gym membership and train for sports climbing.
Great video Mani! Living in the Netherlands makes outdoor climbing a bit challenging tho, Because of the lack of big rocks/mountains.
Yep, I can imagine. Well we all have to work with what we've got in the end, maybe you will have to get your outdoor meters in on your trips :)
Tell me about it lol, I live in Florida
Just started bouldering and I'm hooked! (Excuse the pun). I'm learning from friends at the moment and enjoying the challenge of trying more difficult routes to gauge where I'm at.
I bet my technique sucks but at least I'll get the buzz from gradually improving it!
I am a beginner, about 7 months. I am a member of 3 gyms and have looked at lots of more around the uk, all the gym seem very modern and have a lot of variety in the UK. I tend to not do much bouldering but I do just try all different types of climbing in the gym. i would love to climb out side but it's not very accessible with the weather and other factors in the UK and where I live is quite flat, I recently got a rope and hope to go to cheddar gorge when the wether is good. thanks for you cool video!
Deine Videos sind einfach super hilfreich super content!
Hat mich bis jetzt gut weiter gebracht.
Really good advice for begginers ... Thanks Mani
Started climbing 5 months ago at 31years old... 3 months of top rope, then 2 Months of bouldering... 3 times a week... Got up to 6a now, v3 and imoroving quickly :)... Started using campus 2 weeks ago, mainly hangs 5-10 seconds
Thanks, Mani! I've been mostly following this approach, but have a tendency to cling to projects a little longer than you suggested. It's an ego thing, and probably something worth watching more closely. Thanks! Also- single takes are awesome! (but no shame if you need to go back to the 'jump cuts').
I do believe that the climbs you cannot flash improve you the most as a beginner.
Because you learn most from mistakes. Additionally you will learn new moves because you may need those for that problem.
What's the best way to transfer indoor climbing techniques to an outdoor environment? How do you recognize the moves in a gym and see those moves outdoors?
I started off bouldering also but I found even early on I was getting into fairly hairy positions where a missed crux move was also going to mean a bad fall from height and having seen a few bad falls and the fact I could not risk injury I went to another local climbing wall that had Auto Belay along with lots of sports routes and that has been great for building endurance. I am still a very new climber and I really enjoy having none marked problems so I can make my own such as on a traverse wall etc, I think many gyms and climbers would do well to go back to none coloured problems as when you do go outside it will give you a heads up to the fact there are not massive bright coloured holds screaming out to where the route is.. I took up climbing later in life (34yo) and I work constantly on the fundamentals as set out by Neil Gresham, I certainly will not be a hitter any time soon but hopefully if and when I do reach a good standard I will have a firm foundation for progression. I have seen even in my limited time people start climbing to then progress quickly only to get into the mindset of chasing grades to then get disheartened and give up.. Regards
Great video, very useful! Thanks!
Love it, very helpful! I’m a beginner let’s say 4th month ...had strong muscles from gym, swimming and yoga plus genetics adaptable for sports. I am insisting in the Monkey room 😄...So I filmed a friend doing the whole sequence of a tiger with vertical and wall and created my version with short cuts...it’s great to have a model ! Bananas & flaxseed smoothie it’s top 💪🏻
Thanks, great video. As climbing is growing as a sport this kind of stuff is important to bring in to the open. It helps create a healthy climbing society, wich is important for it's continuational growth :)
Great video again mani! I have been climbing for 6 months now. I climb and train 3-4 times a week, I climb different sorts already from overhangs, ceilings, steep walls and found that the diversity has helped me, I notice it more when I go up to the next grade of problems. I am now after 6 months climbing around v4/v5 problems which I think is good progression? only thing I would add is true beginners toensurr they don't just climb but also train strength through pull ups, press ups, dips and core and back work outs which will also help massively.
Hey man pretty good vid, I just started climbing in a climbing because I live in pretty flat land :/ hopefully. But if i wante to go in a trip for climbing I I would need to learn all the rope techniques and stuff
i don't even know if I'm a beginner or not, all in all i have around 4-5 year under the belt, but never have they been more then 2 years without a break (seems like this time finally I'll break my curse of stopping). And i complete agree, that what is really important is getting your climbing mileage up, sadly it's not always possible to get to all the diverse form of climbing... where i Live, we have almost no natural rock, so outdoors climbing is not really an option, unless you leave for a trip. And all the gyms we have are just Boudlering gyms, at best with a top rope wall.
Thanks for your informative videos. I've been climbing for 3 months at an indoor gym with lots of climbing styles. I've been top roping and bouldering as I don't have a gym partner. Been doing easier stuff to get the fundamentals down instead of just going for the hard stuff. I do a full warmup before and start easy then go harder and try lots of different routes/problems. Best I can climb right now is 5.10/v2. I know I'm just beginning and I'm focusing more on my movements and having fun but are those grades kind of expected for beginner climbers? Thanks again.
Thank you!
I guess I'm still a beginner ? I've been climbing for almost 4 months now and I have no workout plans, I've just been climbing, at least twice a week. Like you said, I felt like I really improved a lot my first month climbing. And now I feel like I'm slowing down in progress, even though I climb just as much or even more, but I still have a lot to experience especially since I'm still a baby compared to the pro climber. It's still really fun and I'm looking forward to see how I improve in the next few months !
I don’t have any questions as I have just been taking in your tips but just here to say thanks.
Quite interesting video, I’m actually a beginner, started literally like 2 months ago, am training a lot at local climbing center, they have there plenty of routes with different grade level. I’m trying to climb on everything, I am not focusing what kind of grade are the routes I think I just supposed to try everything like you just said.
I’m trying to train at the gym at least 3-4 times per week after my work which is a tricky cause sometimes I’m just tired, but I’m keep trying.
Have even build in my flat a small climbing wall with Beastmaker 1000, gymnastic rings etc. Before I’m going sleep I’m still using the hang board.
I’m 31 years old, my body have changed since I have started. I was 7kg overweighted, have lost that already. I think I have an obsession with climbing. Maybe something is wrong me ?
Question which I have for you, am I not to old ? Lots of people I see at the gym are really young. What are your thoughts?
Kind Regards
Patrick Beginner
1 year in and making great progress and popped my R4 tendon, 6 weeks and still pain, so still not climbing. Should have aimed for more variety. Variety will build the technique I need, instead of relying on strength.
This is all really solid advice at first, but I personally have hit a limit while doing essentially this. After about a year I can climb in the 5.11 and v6 range but have really stopped improving from just climbing a lot. I have tried both taking more time off and increasing my climbing time, but I still see no improvement. I can reliably flash all of the boulders from VB-V4 when the set goes up at my gym(I focus more on bouldering so I don't often rope climb except for occasionally with friends) but the V5-V6 stuff is a little harder and the V7-V9 stuff I have yet to climb even one of. I'd like to see a video for an intermediate climber(like ~1 year of climbing) and how to maintain improvement. I climbed my first V5 after a few months and have had very little improvement since.
I am newer to climbing I have been climbing for about 6 months and I have progressed pretty fast I climb 5.12 sport and v6 bouldering
Cool video, this is pretty much what everyone tells me when I ask how best to start hangboarding haha :D
I just try to climb as often and as much as possible, and I sometimes add some training to it, such as bodyweight exercises, longer stretching sessions, and basic hangboarding on two hands...
I usually just do deadhangs and am progressing to smaller holds there, I have tried campusing once or twice but I have neither the lock-off power now the contact strength required for that yet, so I will stick to the deadhangs and simpler exercises for now haha :)
I agree. Also climb for flow, look for the easiest ways to make moves to improve technique. Muscling up can be cool but you don't want to train that every run. Like Mani says, do a lot of variation.
Jana w you can really feel when something flows vs when you are pulling it. usually it's on the crux when you say "oh well let's do a pull up to send it". but that's the most important part to focus on making flow!
I got lucky that the nearest climbing gym near me has top rope, lead climbing, and boldering. I'm better at top roping right now, but I'm working on boldering since I'm still working on my my arm and finger strength.
I'm a new climber (about 2 months) and I've been facing two issues you didn't really address here - the first is that it's very easy to over-train as a new climber without even getting into targetted training. I didn't know how important rest days were and now I'm battling elbow injury - luckily I caught it early so it's not too bad but I feel that it's not clear enough to new climbers that it's not good to climb more than once or twice a week for a few months at the least. The second issue is that for a lot of people starting climbing, the best way of getting better is to simply lose weight. Climbing while overweight is just going to be harder and lead to injury faster if you're not careful.
Apart from that I really enjoyed the video :)
I'm a new climber (4 months) and I've only been bouldering. mostly at the gym but I get outside maybe 2 times per month. flash level v2 on plastic. I'm at the point where I feel like I've learned enough at the gym that I really should go to my local crag (devil's lake, wi) but I don't have a partner nor the equipment yet.
good advice, thanks.
I have nobody to belay me, but I go to the gym and boulder anyway. How did you guys find climbing partners?
Michael Hand
I talked a friend into it.
And now I got to know people from work who are doinh it, too.
Many gyms have times where climbers without (climbing-)partners can meet up. I'd think that you should find someone who is fun and reliable soon enough.
Many gyms have a "belay list" chalkboard or whiteboard where people can write their name and what they're wearing so that others that also show up without a partner can find them and start climbing together. If your gym does not already have this you can suggest it.
Meetup groups (meetup.com) are also good in my area for meeting people.
You can also just meet people bouldering and ask if they like roped climbing.
I found belay partners at my gym by just introducing myself, getting to know them a bit by climbing with them, and asking if they would be up for it. Offer to pay for gas, or offer something in return if there is a trip involved. Split the costs somehow and make it worth it for them. Most of the more experienced climbers like taking newer climbers out and showing them how things work, and that way they can show you how to belay them, and they get a climbing partner out of it, too!
thank you! great video and perfectly comprehensive english)))
Grazie come sempre Mani!!!!!
Nessun problema amico!