What’s More Important in Climbing - Technique or Strength? (In-Depth Comparison)

[@Tr1gg3e]

@6:47 - 6:57 Wow! Kaitlynn has FLOW! that was butter smooth, each move linked seamlessly! 👏👏👏

[@nilsp9426]

And it is almost all in the legs and hip position, reminding us that excellent climbing is not about pulling hard...

[@chriss4855]

in my experience having been climbing for nearly 15 years yet remaining hardstuck on v6-v8 for half of that since practically all i train is strength, i can confidently say that obviously strength is more important because it lets me campus v1's

[@json_bourne3812]

Anything to WOW the new climbers at the gym! 😂 though to be fair (as someone 3 months in and has climbed a max of V3) I'm often as or more impressed by someone making what I considering a tough climb look just SO smooth

[@ST-vt4nu]

@@json_bourne3812 People sometimes tell me that I made a climb look so easy, while in fact I had been projecting that climb for 2 weeks and the first time I finally did it looked messy as hell. 😅The thing they are seeing is me repeating that climb for like the 5th time. I always make sure to tell them that, as to encourage them to keep trying the climb

[@json_bourne3812]

@@ST-vt4nu Yeah absolutely! I'm a perfectionist in other aspects of my life (and therefore often bail out of activities/ideas that I can't immediately be good at!) but bouldering has been a great suppressor of that feeling; you have to just try and try and fail until you don't!

[@xilefx]

as if that makes you a good climber. doubt you did 15years if you think that. technique = efficiency so you need less strength. what you need for harder problems is muscle endurance though

[@TheValinov]

@@xilefx no... we are not talking about climbing routes... for boulders you need max power. small levers and low weight makes every climb easier, that isnt out of reach. thats why the girl's "technique" looks so much better then that of the guy.

[@CaffeineStu]

Would have loved to see Sam retry that powerful boulder with something closer to Kaitlynn's technique!

[@ComputerManDanMiller]

To be fair I doubt Kaitlynn's fingers are really much weaker than Sam's which on most climbs is going to be the more important strength metric. It just sounds like she doesn't do max hangs on a hangboard very often. That said I'm sure you're already very aware of this! Also Sam's finger strength is monstrous considering how new he is to climbing.

[@nickdefrancis]

Ye pull-up strength != finger strength. Sounds like she was doing longer hangs on the beastmaker already.

[@raphaelfalque683]

Also, she is probably more flexible

[@staticoverplastic7456]

@@nickdefrancis exactly! one can easily argue she's stronger

[@soccutd77]

@@staticoverplastic7456can you though? If the guy is one arming a 20 mm edge, I really doubt that girl is stronger in any way other than flexibility.

[@staticoverplastic7456]

@@soccutd77 if she's hanging for longer yes. She's probably got better contact strength than him in most situations.

[@Mathnapkin]

I would have loved to see them try the climb with opposite style after they mentioned they wanted to try it.

[@santinosartoris]

I was thinking the same thing

[@veryaware]

Me too

[@json_bourne3812]

As someone who's only been climbing 3 months with a max of V3, I LOVE seeing this difference. I'm a male that's not starting out strong (no real serious gym/weight time almost ever) so I've put a lot of focus on trying to improve my technique, and the strength is slowly coming naturally. I admire the good technique and hope to replicate it and I'm super motivated by both the climbers' styles here!

[@chrisembry3736]

Two terrificly gifted climbers. Can't wait to see them in a few years.

[@SharonMonton]

Really enjoyed this video. I relied on strength to climb for many years. Now, after a 15 yr hiatus, I’ve come back to climbing on the wrong side of 60. Strength just doesn’t develop that quickly anymore, so I’ve been focusing on the technique I never developed before. If I had a Time Machine I’d go back and tell my younger self to focus on both - also maybe more open hand, less crimping.

[@EmilAbrahamsson]

First

[@CatalystClimbing]

second

[@ComputerManDanMiller]

@@CatalystClimbingThird?

[@nutsforstrongbones100]

@@CatalystClimbing fourth

[@kajtekmccranck9978]

I guess Kaitlynn's economical way of climbing gives her an advantage of climbing more per session/week. The more energy you save theore you can climb. I mean - powerful moves exhaust the nervous system more what can result in longer rest needed or shorter session. The more one can climb the better..

[@TheRockinPunk]

Interesting comparison, I definitely feel that to be a good all-round climber you need to work on both strength and technique rather than being blindly focused on one or the other. I would have thought it would be worth mentioning in the analysis the differences in height and proportions which is going to have a big impact on technique choice.

[@recessiv3]

3:52 She is a super powerful climber too, look at that lock off!

[@Madsishannibal]

Absolute beginner - technique leads to quickest gains, as simply knowing how to move like a climber allows you improve faster than your strength improvement. Then you hit eventually a point where strength (particularly finger strength will prevent you from progressing further regardless of technique unless you get stronger as you just can´t hold onto the holds or hold body tension for moves (technique is still important). Once you´ve built up the strength, (much like as a beginner) technique takes center stage even more than before as there will be many climbs where you can physically do the individual moves, but lack the technique to do them optimally/link the moves/conserve energy to complete the climb, etc.

[@jamesclark6257]

Think it actually takes a certain level of strength to perform climbing techniques. There is some evidence to suggest beginners climb with bent arms because it actually gives them more grip strength. It's only once you've built some strength that it becomes easier to climb with straight arms.

[@Cristyface]

@@jamesclark6257 Ohh, is that why? I never understood why people would climb with the bent arms, though I am positive I did it at the beginning, too. I always attributed it to being scared of letting go, so they overcompensate by trying to cling close to the wall and expending more energy, but it makes sense that perhaps a lack of grip strength could be the reason.

[@lolzguyl]

​@@Cristyface Very possible that fear of falling/letting go is why as well! My thought process was that since the goal is clibming upwards, the perception is before mild exposure to climbing fundamentals is that pulling your way closer to the top is the way to go.

[@SpartaSpartan117]

​@@jamesclark6257What evidence?

[@jamesclark6257]

@SpartaSpartan117 dude, I'm just a gut commenting on KZbin. I can't list studies but m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/f6nchIyemch4ia8

[@JBsoable]

Nice comparison of the two very far ends of the spectrum we see at the boulder gym these days: 40kg yoga girl vs 90kg gym bro :) I would have liked a bit more investigation on the finger strength component though. Kaitlynn’s fingers are probably equally strong if you compare to body weight maybe even stronger! Pull ups don’t matter that much I think. Both are amazing climbers. Keep it up!

[@leftcoastbeard]

Having solid foundations in both strength and technique is mutually beneficial. Remembering to practice both is a challenge sometimes.

Hello from France. Love your channel. I'm a beginner in climbing (1 month) and the max i climb is 6A. I'm learning a lot when climbing (for sure) but also when i'm watching your video. Always a loooooot of good advices in it. Thank's for sharing your knowledge and thank's for editing with split screen and arrows/circle palet witch made it really easy to understand. ✌️✌️✌️

[@diegovd7215]

I really enjoyed this video. La grâce et la finesse de Kaitlynn, vs. la force brute de Sam. Great editing on the side by side comparison. Really good stuff. Thanks

[@Lokigh]

I love these videos as a regular at euston/harrow. It's really interesting to see the routes I try broken down! :) I believe I flashed the slab by doing a split (skipping out the terrible foothold) and matching on the crip, like sam did on his first try:) Sam just needed to turn his right hip into the wall at 12:23 so he could get more leverage from the crimp and pull through slowly!

[@robk5745]

Man her footwork is beautiful, I have lots to learn 😂

[@cloud-fg5cb]

Strength and technique are synergistic in climbing. Trying to separate one from the other is pointless imo. Reality is, you can't position yourself properly off a 6mm edge unless you are strong enough to pull on it. The same can be said for heel hooks, toe hooks, lock offs... ect.

[@hyteclowlife]

Yep! Strength unlocks technique. There's no point in trying to get fancy if your base ability to create oppositional force isn't good enough. If you can get into a difficult position and hold it, you are, by definition, strong enough to apply the technique. There's also different kinds of strength that you can apply to climbing, as strength in terms of mobility and power do not overlap very well. I know Obstacle Course Racing coaches who can campus juggy overhangs all day, and can flash comp problems that require lots of coordination and the ability to move the center of gravity effectively. But put them on a crimpy V3 with toe or heel hooks and they can barely even start. If they do train climbing-specific techniques they progress REALLY quickly because so much of the basic fitness and strength is already there, they just need to learn how to apply it.

[@RiversideM]

Had kinda the experience they are talking about at the end. I came from a powerlifting background and when I started climbing, I was able to muscle through the lower grades. Not needing technique meant however that I didn't learn to do it properly. So when I came to grades where strength isn't enough, I was stuck for month at a point where lower grades were too easy and harder grades were too hard. So in a way, strength actually hindered my progress

[@skatenec]

This channel is so great. As a new climber, I really appreciate the comparisons and breakdown of each climb.

[@1804-m7l]

Love this channel! Quickly became my favorite climbing channel, Louis is the best host and an amazing coach, love the energy this guy brings with all his guests. Another great video guys, keep it up!!!

[@mirjamhoferichter5560]

I really enjoyed the video. The only thing that bothered me was that you talked TO Sam and ABOUT Kaitlynn most of the time.

[@skidude121]

I noticed that as well. Though, I think that's largely because he's using Kaitlynn's technique to teach Sam. Kaitlynn has less to learn, and so needs less direct feedback.

[@agentdarkboote]

Would love to have had side by side comparisons!

[@catinabox3048]

Kaitlynn is very strong! You may not need bodybuilder-type strength for climbing, but it requires immense finger and forearm strength, core strength, as well as the ability to do pull-ups, to be at her level. Even if she hasn't done one hand on a hangboard, but that doesn't mean she has less finger strength, because her climbing builds that same strength. Not to mention, hangboards don't seem very good at helping with pinches and slopers, which are by far the hardest (often impossible) for novice climbers. Also, let's not undermine how difficult pull-ups are, and you DO need to do a pull-up to get to their level. Many women who have been strength training for YEARS can't get a pull-up and only manage one or two after months of targeting that specific movement, and this is after many years of regular strength training. To say you don't need to be strong for climbing just because Kaitlynn can climb well is inaccurate, because she is well above the average person in terms of strength, and well above the strength threshold needed for decent climbing.

[@dalivanwyngarden3204]

I think it's mostly body weight limits me and I can get around it mostly with technique., I don't want to advocate eating disorders! But what I notice right now after a year of injury is, that my body weight that I gained (around 10kg) changed a lot of how I climb currently. The muscles I gain adding to this body weight and making it more difficult to actually use that strength that I had remained, so I need to focus on technic a lot rn - what I quite enjoy, cuz I used too much power and too little technique when I was on my peak strength in climbing. I'm trying to maintain that. Also all of my female friends are way lighter than me but crushing me with awesome techniques easily.

[@ComputerManDanMiller]

Just give it more time to build up your strength, most people are waaaaaaaay stronger than they need to be to climb the grades they are. No offence to Sam but his strength metrics are like V12+ already.

[@outandabout259]

exess body fat is a bit of a problem, I've been climbing for 9 and a half months now ant pretty much on a plateau since the middle of summer but mainly because I've been steadily gaining weight while getting an equal amount stronger. I have probably 5 to 10 kg I could lose without going too low on body fat, I'm trying to get rid of it right now but it's a bit difficult since studying takes up a lot of time I would normally use for exercise.

[@marks3440]

I think it would be interesting to compare both climbers’ flexibility/mobility. On the V6 it looks like Kaitlynn is able to gain a better footing by squaring her hips tighter to the wall and pointing her toe in allowing a slightly better rock over. Sam’s right hip is rotated ever so slightly into the wall. The toe points a bit more parallel to the face and his center doesn’t quite get on top of that left foot. I’m assuming Sam isn’t quite able to open his hips wide enough to reach that left hold without the rotation.

[@joeleesam4062]

It's worth noting that while he is much stronger than her, power to weight ratio is more important than brute strength in rock climbing. She certainly weighs a lot less than him so she would require less strength to get herself up the wall. That's not to discount her technique, I'm just pointing out that their power to weight ratios are not nearly as contrasting as their brute strength. So, for all the short people out there, you may have to reach further for the holds but you generally have a better power-to-weight ratio so you have that going for you!

[@carina-nonbinary]

However the pull-up question was about that i think. 10kg on hers and 80kg on his, so his weight to strength ratio is better than hers. On the other hand being small can help because she can get her center of gravity closer to the wall

[@MissSummerAlice]

This video is so so so helpful and inspiring for a not so strong climber.

[@Riptyphoon]

As I've been going to the gym for years before my first climbing session, I was able to essentially brute force my way into overhangs and higher grades just with strength alone. Managed to go way past my peers who started climbing at the same time. But I know I eventually have to fine tune my technique, as the routes get significantly harder without proper movements.

[@TheBigMe0w]

Great video! Would love to see more comparisons of these two!

[@matteobecchi1210]

Really loving these comparison/analysis video!

[@gingobingo1567]

Actually insane how he can hang on 20 mm with one arm after just 1 and 1/2 year of climbing. Makes it more impressive at his weight which is prob 90+

[@fishmate5443]

I'd disagree. If you look at his forearms, they are so well developed. You can tell he knows what hypertrophy is. He was already halfway prepared for it when he started. What's impressive is that he has spent 18 months transfering his existing strength profile to a more climbing specific strength. It's called a bit of hard work. Achieveable by everyone. Train for 6 months, including relevant strength exercises for shoulder stability etc. and you too, will be hanging off one arm.

[@gunnaruppstad3574]

Hanging from your fingers in a crimp or open hand is more than the muscular profile -- tendon stiffness, structural changes to pulleys and joint capsules in the fingers just to mention the trainable aspects. Then there's morphology of the fingers, their relative length to each other, their lever arms, how well aligned each individual finger is with the line of pull / wrist, elbow, shoulder i.e. good joint integrity ... he's definitely got a talent for this. I can't do 20 mm hangs on one arm, yet I climb V8-V9s inside and V7-V8 outside. Sam's hangboard results also shocked me. They're both stronger than me on the board for sure.

[@zacharylaschober]

would assure he has great finger morphology for this and likely an amount of training history and focus if he has already been testing one arm hangs. Would at the same time assure he has limited force production of the fingers due to his relative climbing history.

[@fishmate5443]

@@gunnaruppstad3574 I agree with much of what you said. However, have you put specific, focused effort into hanging 1 arm off of 20mm? He has. I would argue that whatever discipline he did prior to climbing (or still does), prepared him for climbing specific work, quite well. What will be interesting will be seeing whether his strength hampers his ability to learn technique much or not.

[@gingobingo1567]

Hypertrophy has nothing to do with fingerstrength though. Its not achievable by everyone to hang on 20 mm after 6 months, that prob 0.01% of people.@@fishmate5443

[@firewalk312]

Excellent climbers. & a really helpful breakdown!!

[@mystishio]

Cool seeing the analysis after, depite being a heavier guy, with a background in powerlifting, I find my style closer to Kaitlynn, just not as good (yet, I hope). Sam is pretty damn strong though, and got good movement for a year an a half.

[@andrewwebber421]

I’d be interested to see Sam go back and try that first climb again and do it more like Caitlin. In particular without legs cutting loose. Plus do that last move with his leg on the higher hold so it’s not the large dynamic move. There are elements though about flexibility and also size. Sometimes moves feel really cramped and awkward for the bigger climber. I’m very much now trying to improve my flexibility and have better technique. As now nearly 50 I can’t rely on strength!

[@Claudia18915]

Clicked to see Ink, v sad to see he is not there (still looks like an interesting video though)

[@CatalystClimbing]

Next week Ink is back in the limelight!

[@Claudia18915]

Yessss! Ink should always be in the limelight, like all cats!@@CatalystClimbing

[@TLPWRlifter]

Strength is king (specifically finger and general pulling strength) on everything except for slab. I don't care how technical you are you won't even be able to start boulders above a certain grade if you don't have adequate strength. Also technique can be refined in a matter of weeks to months with dedicated effort. You cannot rush strength development it takes years. That's the reason why she's stuck at a mid grade after nearly a decade of climbing even with flawless technique. Technique is important but it is almost always secondary to strength once you understand the basic technical principles of climbing and beta.

[@hugo334]

Obviously it's harder with higher weight on slabby footholds. Similar ish surface area with completely different weights on top.

[@Roko333]

Great video, thanks😊

[@LiterallyAndy1012]

Kaitlynn climbs like a beast! I reckon she’d climb around v9/v10 if she began a more comprehensive strength program. I started climbing about 1 1/2 years ago and am now around v7/5.12+yds. A lot of my progression came from having had a solid foundation in calisthenics and running. I had a lot of the endurance and strength to start climbing at v4/5.11 within 6 months. All my progression beyond that point came from copy-catting the technique of all my friends and the better climbers at my gym. I learned heel-hooks, rock-overs, rose moves, bat hangs, and all that other fun stuff from watching how they got up the harder stuff. And another thing, size matters! I’m 5’4, so observing and learning from the shorter climbers is always more beneficial to me than those taller.

[@dylansmith3452]

Love that the Way they sit beside lewie make him look tiny

[@survivingzgamer]

surely we can get a viewing table for the review segment to save their poor knees

[@patrickjosephrogan9714]

really enjoyed this video, felt i was learning without actually being aware that I was. if that make s sense. [Paraphrasing you Louis LoL]

[@asterixzm]

Im like Sam, going into climbing with fast progression that demotivate my friends, could u please make video like this but in competition where technique wins with big difference? . Also endurance

[@MK_climbing]

Very good video indeed but, really, that v4 dyno that should be representing "powerful" boulder style, i mean... yeah kind of i guess... because there are many examples of overhanging really powerful endurance style boulders, with strong shoulder pulls, locks, underclings etc. that are not necesarilly elite level hard climbs, but just much better examples of raw power that he should be representing.

[@octaneaandmusic]

I have 1 question - where are your trousers from?!

[@em48361]

Climbers with better technique are a lot more graceful. It's interesting

[@jonathanyes112]

My friend sent me the insta application after it had ended, would’ve applied just to get Louis to coach me for a bit lol

[@n3v3r1s4]

cool comparrison

[@ripapa6355]

height was the diff on the slab

[@shihp9574]

Sick video

[@EstudioKitchin]

you are awesome!

[@cwehden]

Strength is relative though, the young lady is pulling probably 1/2 as much weight up the wall on fingers that have been training for 7 years! She's MUCH stronger than he is 'relatively' even though I'm sure he can do more pull ups etc..

[@Crazyoldman84]

Exactly

[@ComputerManDanMiller]

He said in the video that on a good day he can 1-arm hang the 20mm edge on the hangboard so he's pretty damn strong.

[@stippystips9418]

she's not even 'relatively' stronger, he pulls 180% and she pulls like 120%, and he can 1 arm hang too which she definitely would know after 7 years if she was able to

[@joaofarias6473]

So cool 😎👌

[@Juanperez-nm9kj]

she has more strength related to climbing, but of course the other dude pulling strength is way higher

[@watografic7554]

to be honest i dont see this as a fair comparation, i think if you take into consideration body mass/gripp force relation she is way stronger than the guy, plus she got way better tecnique and she is/climbs beutifully, i will wath her climb all day long, the guy is just a big muscular guy learnig to climb, tought he is good for a begginer they are not in the same league.

[@phillippearce9680]

👍

[@trentonmouser]

All the technique in the world is useless if you can't hold onto the tiny holds they use in v4's and up. The real test should be more of a strength to weight ratio vs technique

[@anthonybclimbin]

Absolutely no chance this guy is one arming 20mm

[@MichaelJohnson-kw2mx]

Er… weight?

[@QuizAndTests]

Let's see Sam retry that black boulder

[@Crazyoldman84]

No talk about the weight difference?

[@myriamdiatta2678]

ya but the 'strong' climber has great technique... i wouldve liked to see a brand new 6 month climber whos extremely strong vs this 'technical' weaker climber

[@chndrl5649]

Didn’t watch but let me guess, technique is more important. Let’s see…

[@michptrs]

how can dude one arm the 20mm while embarrassing himself on a V6 slab

[@Crazyoldman84]

Nothing in-depth about the comparison

[@LatticeTraining]

Cool analysis video Loui. Sam is very strong indeed, I assume he had some of this strength before he started climbing! It would be cool to explore Kaitlynn's flexibility more. Both strength and flexibility are physical attributes that provide affordances (opportunities for movement solutions). So Kaitlynn might have the physical advantage in some situations, despite the experience and technique differences. Maybe a 'strength vs flexibility' comparison and it's effect on technique/beta choices would be cool?

[@flwi]

Wow - she climbs like a cat. Very silent and elegant. And so flexible. His performance is also very impressive. Only 1,5year..? Amazing! I really enjoyed this comparison video!

[@nilsp9426]

he trained with Catalyst Climbing, I guess ;-)

[@Trowa71]

As a weaker climber myself, I have to focus very hard on technique. For example, I make it a point to essentially never cut feet. I think about flagging and twisting always instead of doing big pullups to the next move. I think these differences are really exasperated on longer climbs, where even the strongest climbers will gas out without efficient technique.

[@djdrogs]

The focus on Kaitlynn's left foot during her second attempt at the slab was masterful. Carefully placed with max rubber on the hold, and the heel stayed down and didn't move he whole sequence. That is smearing perfection.

[@sneakysnake123]

I really like the arrow and circle drawings while showing the next climb :) Nice editing

[@manicantsettleonausername6789]

Really enjoyed that! Obviously it's cool to see people do big powerful moves, but my favourite kind of climbing to watch is people knowing their technique so well it looks effortless. Props to both climbers and to you for this video!

[@MidLifeCrux]

Really enjoyed this video. I relied on strength to climb for many years. Now, after a 15 yr hiatus, I’ve come back to climbing on the wrong side of 60. Strength just doesn’t develop that quickly anymore, so I’ve been focusing on the technique I never developed before. If I had a Time Machine I’d go back and tell my younger self to focus on both - also maybe more open hand, less crimping.

[@18Margaretta]

I really like Kaitlynn’s moves and techniques, she is confident in her way to solve problems 😊

[@maarten541]

Yes! This is great content! The deep analysis afterwards is so helpful. Would love to see more of these comparison videos, short vs tall climbers, or different ape index, dynamic vs static, strong vs weak, flexibel vs tight, or even (I don't know how) but some dare devil vs careful climbers? Anyway! Great content, more of this! ❤

[@weemeemoo]

Yesssss to all of these comparisons

[@farahazizahzaini9643]

up!!!!

[@muumarlin1731]

Fantastic video! Love the analysis and the side-by-side comparison - that's extremely helpful as a teaching tool I think. Look forward to many more of these!

[@djinn1985]

Super interesting watch!! As a smaller climber who's not able to do much hangboarding due to injuries,I've been focusing more on technique, body tension and posterior chain(stuff like deadlifts up super light)and that seems to compensate for not being super strong.

[@ST-vt4nu]

I'm a 5'2 female who didn't do any strength based sport before I started, so I was forced into learning techniques from the very start. Getting up a V1 even required decent technique for me. I can see with a lot of the tall and strong climbers that they have now hit a point where their strength and height don't help them enough anymore and I sometimes see frustration when they have been stuck at the same grade for ages. What I would say to people with that issue, is work on your technique on the climbs you can already do and see the bettering of technique as progress, same as you would with going up in grades. I had to go through something similar in building confidence and I see each bit of confidence I gain as progress, even if I didn't finish a single climb of a higher grade the whole session. And in the end climbing is just a lot of fun

[@TheValinov]

dont shame the "technique" of other guys. you dont have their worse weight, levers and center of gravity. it starts with longer fingers and end with longer feet. range can be an advantage on some problems/routes, maybe even so that you cant finish a problem because you are to short to even reach the next hold dynamicly. but reach/height also comes with a lot of disadvantages on every single route! remember: on worse holds you always have advantages compared to the tall strong guys. thats maybe why you think, they have bad tec. they work with what they have, aswell as you do. overstaticly climbing is a blessing only smaller and lighter people can enjoy. bigger, taller guys have to dyno a lot because its faster and in that way more efficient. greetings from your 96kg indoor boulderguy

[@iasyama1999]

​@@TheValinovtell that to my 6'0 65kg friend that just reaches holds that I need to jump to. Being taller is definitely better than being shorter in climbing unless youre 5'7/8

[@La0bouchere]

@@iasyama1999 Depends on the route. Being lighter is extremely important in climbing, especially for sport. Short people can train their crimp to god levels without even trying that hard, and don't have to trash their mental health dieting to stay light lol

[@thunderball11111]

@@La0bouchere Resident short arse checking in. Dieting when you're small is hell, having two and a half sandwhiches as a days food is horrific and it becomes almost impossible to lose weight and get all your nutrition. I also personally can't crimp worth shit. I've found the biggest advantage for me comes in generating force and leverage in specific places but honestly speaking, you don't need to generate that force in the first place if you're taller a solid 95% of the time as you can just reach the hold to begin with. Oh and obviously some climbs are set quite scrunched up which is easier for me because I can reach everything eliminating my usual issue and I'm not pushed off the wall like taller people.

[@kevedwards]

I find Boulder gyms reward strength over technique a lot more nowadays anyway. Plenty of times my 10 year experienced ass has been burnt off by the new guy yarding up in rental shoes and thick socks. 😂

[@huntergreene3453]

I hope i can climb like Caitlin one day.

[@davidzenkert8759]

Was the idea of this video to help the guy get better? Don’t know if you notice this, but you refer a lot to the guy as “you” and the girl as “Caitlyn”. Was the point of the video to help the guy, by having Caitlyn as reference? It feels like you forget that she is sitting next to you?

[@CatalystClimbing]

Hey! Appreciate the feedback. I think you’re right & noticed this in hindsight. Louis coaches Kaitlynn on a regular basis and knows her climbing weaknesses / strengths very well. However he’d only met Sam on the day of shooting, and I think in the analysis was conscious of ensuring he wasn’t favouring his regular student. I think this was just an over-correction on his part but aware of the way it comes across in the video. Louis and Kaitlynn have sessions every week so she’s very used to insights, tips, progression and critique so is not missing out!

[@18Margaretta]

Exactly, especially when he talked all time personally to Sam and Kaitlynn was sitting behind his back . It looked terrible not polite, like she was a tool to show the mistakes of Sam

[@ethandoades]

super cool video - I found it really interesting as I can relate a ton to Sam - We're not exactly the same, as I'm 15 and relatively light at about 130lbs whereas he's an adult and seems to have a lot more muscle mass, but because of my weight it's really easy for me to muscle through moves versus going more slowly and technically. The footwork discussion really hit home as I've been climbing for a year to the day as of posting this and although I climb almost all the V8's (V2's in your gym) my home gym puts up I have no chance on any sort of footwork intensive problems, which I'm assuming is simply due to my lack of slab/technical climbing experience. If anybody has tips for sticking to really slopey, low-texture footholds I'd loved to hear them.

[@gioko]

Drop your heels low when using slopey, low textured holds rather than try to stand tall on your toe. Maximize contact!

[@La0bouchere]

Practice finding exactly how much you can stand on them. Get on the footholds and put weight on them until you actually fall off. People with bad footwork tend to massively underestimate how much they can step on bad holds, and don't put enough weight on their legs to even get into the correct positions.

[@jakubj2827]

massive factor will be that Kaitlyn is probably about 50 kg, while sam is probably about 80kg or so. 30kg or so of extra weight on a slab are much harder to cancel out with upper body strength as slaps dont per say require that much anywyas. when it comes to overhangs as long as someone is strong enough they can make up for the extra weight but slabs are more down to balance.

[@jamesclark6257]

Now do a ballet dancer verse a gym bro. What is better, arm strength and power or footwork and flexibility?

[@shaneh7519]

I definitely climb more like Sam so it was great to see the comparison side by side. Such a great video with lots of insight

[@nilsp9426]

What a wonderful and instructive video!

[@alejand5]

Just one year and a half and already can one arm hang on a 20mm? You gotta be kidding

[@fellowes58]

Anyone else notice she has really good posture. Back is really straight while his back is slouched forward. That probably affects his ability to reach overhead and shortened his overall reach.

[@wazzup105]

Excellent coaching. Not only knowledgeable, but so much confidence inspiring!!

[@jasonwong4619]

Wowow super psyched for this type of video!! I was trying that black v5 and that pinch is reallyy bad, glad I can get some beta from this vid!

[@simonbellemare2289]

Strength is irrelevant. Weight and strength/weight ratio is.

[@hhehdh3876]

very interesting, Im new to bouldering i climbed maybe 6 times total and can do v3 or v4 if its mostly pure strength and not finger strength, which i have from calisthenics(front lever, one arm pull up) but i dont have any technique i use brute strength. its cool to see how one problem solution differ technique/strength

[@dennis1802]

Take care of your fingers and elbows try to climb smoothly and standing and pushing up really instead of pulling up with your fingers. It will save some injuries later on, but respect thats pretty hard for a beginner 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@hhehdh3876]

thanx you should have told me that before haha i did 4hr session on some v3's and well now i have inflammation ill wait two weeks and start more.. lets say not 4hr session on v3's-4's, fun sport tho@@dennis1802

[@philipmitchell7660]

That just like asking is breathing in or out nore important

[@JanNowak-ss1fq]

Nice climbers, great content, Louise!

[@peterhu7039]

very dank

[@MoXy33]

As an avid gym goer, I'd say both are required but technique is more important, I flashed a fully overhang v3 with nice big holds purely on pulling strength first time going but can't do anything with smaller or different shaped holds yet

[@ShyBandGeek]

She is so impressive

[@Hampshire87]

The guy in glasses always reminds me of one of thos kids tv presenter, like one of the guys of CBBCs