Ten Tips to Injury Free Gym Climbing

by Heidi Zinser

It's a beautiful, sunny Fall day and most climbers are busy making weekend plans. Will it be the Gunks? Rumney? Cathedral? Maybe a local day at Crow Hill? Aah, the cool, dry days of Autumn. Kind of makes one want to hang on to those precious last couple of months before the cold, wet, dark days of November set in. And when they do arrive, what's a climber to do? Hit the rock gym, of course. With the onset of winter the climbing gyms see a surge of climbers seeking a way to continue climbing through the winter months. And, unfortunately, many climbers start seeing gym related injuries part-way through the winter. Gym climbing is typically more strenuous on the joints and tendons than outdoor climbing. While we strive to push ourselves to the next higher level of climbing, caution and moderation is needed in order to strike a healthy balance and stay injury-free. I have been climbing on a regular basis at the rock gym for three years. I would like to share, based on my personal experience, practices that have helped me get stronger, climb harder, and stay injury-free.

1. Limit the FIT Factor: The FIT factor is an acronym for what I'm calling Frequency, Intensity, and Time (Duration). While I will elaborate more on each separate component, what I want to convey here is that the risk of injury increases when two or more of these components are increased together. For example, if you typically go to the gym three nights per week (Frequency) for two hours at a time (Time, or Duration) and climb 5.8's and 5.9's (Intensity) and then suddenly start going four times per week for three hours at a time and work on 5.9's and 5.10's, your tendons and joints will probably not be able to support this increased workload for very long before you start feeling the pains of overuse. What I would suggest is to either increase one factor at a time, or make a smaller adjustment to two factors. For example, you might stay on a three night per week schedule (Frequency remains the same) for perhaps two and a half hours (Time or Duration increases by 25%) and add in maybe one or two manageable 5.9's per session (Intensity increases by only one or two climbs at a grade that is still appropriately challenging). Of course, everybody is different and what works for one person may be too much for another. The key is listening to your body and doing what works for you.
2. Frequency: Be aware of how many times per week you can comfortably gym climb before you start feeling those tendon and joint pains. From my personal experience, I have found that once per week barely maintains my climbing fitness and "leader's head." Twice per week is enough to maintain and three times per week is just about the right balance between improving my climbing and still feeling healthy. More than three times per week is very stressful on my fingers and elbows and moves me into an injury-risk zone.
3. Intensity: Be aware of what grade you can comfortably climb and what grade presents a struggle for you. It is this harder grade which puts undue stress on the tendons and joints - especially in the fingers, elbows, and shoulders. It is my personal opinion that it is better to get very good at the comfortable grade before struggling at the harder grade. Certainly we're there to challenge ourselves and improve our climbing, but once again listen to your body. Instead of spending the night struggling aimlessly at the harder grade, perhaps try one or two climbs at the easy end of the harder grade. The strength and technique you developed at the lower grade will directly transfer to the harder grade. Though it may still be quite challenging, the "muscle memory" developed at the lower grade will enable you to make a good effort at the harder grade.
4. Duration: Be aware of how long you can spend climbing at the gym before you tire and your climbing noticeably declines. When this happens, consider a cool-down climb at a lower grade, followed by some stretching, and then calling it a night. Injuries are more likely to happen when we are tired. Moves become less obvious, technique declines, and more effort is expended to do easier climbs.
5. Warm-up, Cool-down: When we climb outdoors, generally we have some kind of hike into the base of the climb which helps serve as a warm-up. When we gym climb, all we have is about a 45 second hike from our car to the front door. While there is controversy over stretching muscles that have not been warmed up, it is my opinion that some easy stretching before climbing is beneficial. I would like to stress the word "easy". Don't go beyond a comfortable range of motion. I also believe some cool-down stretching after climbing is beneficial. After all, at that point the muscles are warm from an evening of climbing.
6. Start Easy, End Easy: Don't jump right on a climb which immediately challenges your climbing ability. Start out at a grade and on a climb where the holds are substantial to allow your major muscles to warm up. Starting on a difficult, crimpy climb can be bad news. You've likely been sitting at a desk all day - don't shock your joints on something crimpy, pumpy, or otherwise taxing. The same logic applies to the end of the evening. When you feel yourself tiring, don't be afraid to go down a grade or two before calling it a night.
7. Don't Jump The Grade Too Quickly: While I talked about this a bit in point number three, it is certainly worth reinforcing. While we all want to improve and climb at that next harder grade, use caution when moving up to that next level. Also realize that as the grades increase, it takes more time to acquire the ability and even the joint, tendon, and muscular strength to climb at that next harder grade. I strongly believe that it is important to be able to climb quite consistently at a certain grade before attempting the next higher grade. I'm not suggesting, for example, that you need to be able to climb every single 5.10 in the gym before attempting a 5.11. What I am suggesting is that you should be comfortable on the majority of 5.10's before you start introducing some easier 5.11's into your workout. Your joints and tendons need a chance to catch up with your ambitions. Just because you're ready to try some 5.11's does not necessarily mean that your joints and tendons are ready to support the extra workload if the increase is too sudden. Get proficient at the grade you're at, add in some harder climbs with caution, and listen to your body.
8. Mangi, Mangi!: I've always been very fortunate to have a flexible work schedule which allows me to go home after work and eat dinner before heading off to the rock gym. I oftentimes see folks come into the gym after work and ravenously eat an energy bar, calling that dinner. I also know many climbers who do not like to eat before climbing, as it contributes to an uncomfortable fullness and a weighed-down feeling. However, if you're like me and you prefer to have dinner before climbing, then don't settle for a bar! Your body needs the energy to climb at its best, not to mention how much more pleasant it is to climb when your stomach isn't growling with hunger. Consider taking something to work that you can eat at your desk shortly before you leave for the day. Maybe you work at a company with a full service cafeteria and can purchase a soup and sandwich later in the afternoon that you can have before leaving work. Perhaps you can pack some leftovers or stop at a sub shop and eat when you arrive at the gym. Or, consider eating something light before climbing that will fuel you and satisfy your hunger more than a bar would, yet not contribute to that weighed-down feeling. Then have something light when you get home from climbing to help your body recover without stuffing yourself right before you retire for the night. Experiment - be good to yourself. Life is too short to call an energy bar dinner.
9. Hydrate, Hydrate!: This is similar to point number eight. Your working muscles need to stay properly hydrated. Perhaps carry a Nalgene or similar type of bottle with you. If you stay properly hydrated, you will also recover better.
10. Make Fun of It: While we all push ourselves to improve, remember that we're also there because we love to climb. If climbing wasn't fun, would we be there in the first place? So, while you're pulling, crimping, or deadpointing your way up that next challenging climb, remember why you're there in the first place: its all about the spirit of climbing and the camaraderie of fellow climbers.