Top 10 UNDERTRAINED Muscles that Hold Climbers Back (#1 Will Surprise You)

[@HoopersBeta]

☝ FREE FINGER INJURY SELF-ASSESSMENT: www.hoopersbeta.com/finger-tool 🩹 $19/MO SCIENCE-BACKED INJURY RECOVERY PROGRAMS: www.hoopersbeta.com/recoveryblueprint Do you think any of these are holding you back? What kind of training have you found most useful to your climbing?

[@fane7965]

I've had a desk job for most of my life and so my hip flexors are a huge issue for me. However, the most benefit I've gotten from a workout has been to train my glute medius and posterior chain. With both stretching and strength exercises. I've shared my routine with two beginner climber friends and they've found themselves more aware of their legs and felt less strain on their arms. Thanks for the video, now I'll add strong toes to my routine!

[@BoulderingHighlights]

@@fane7965 agreed, glute medius and everything that externally rotates or extends the hip great for climbing, life, and love

[@josephearley9530]

The last one definitely for me. I feel I generally have decent mechanics, but my mind muscle connection just doesn’t like to engage closed grip positions. Been doing some bw high half crimp hangs and really focusing on actively closing my fingers and not sagging onto the pulley friction mechanism thing. Three months later and seems to be paying off, I’m having this weird sensation where my fingers suddenly start going into closed positions on their own, almost like they want to!

[@burstintotreats6654]

My shoulders are kind of bad so the first training I did when getting into the sport was strengthening rotators, based on your earlier video. I think I need to keep training them specifically though, they didn't magically get really strong when I started climbing lol

[@Protoman888]

lack of regular core training and low hip flexibility are absolutely holding me back

[@aharonov]

As Wolfgang Güllich said: "The head is the strongest muskel!" If you believe something is impossible, the body will believe it too.

[@HoopersBeta]

The mind is an extremely powerful tool!

[@brandonhoang]

Hey, I ran into you at the Potato Chip boulder at Red Rock Canyon. It was really nice talking to you and I forgot to mention that your video with GeekClimber helped me rehab my strained A2 pulley and wanted to give my thanks. Hope you and your crew had a nice trip.

[@HoopersBeta]

Hi Brandon, it was great to meet you! What a great area and yeah we had an excellent trip :) Hope you had a successful trip as well!

[@cedricrust9953]

Damn, I gotta watch that video now! I have two strained A2 pulleys (I think) on my left hand, and it's not really going away

[@raiemie7365]

the face pull really hit the spot for me, I hadn't noticed but my pullup's form was getting horrible and while hangboarding I felt that I had no strength to keep my shoulders down ! I feel really blessed that resources like these exist for free, thank you !

[@zacharylaschober]

Good to see climbing specificity in the majority of this list, especially the top spot, and mention of minimal focus when doing anything leg related. Solid list.

[@stone_cold_climber]

This is exactly what I needed! Getting back into the gym after 3 months off from a wrist injury. Happy climbing!

[@HoopersBeta]

Happy Climbing and welcome back!

[@marielion971]

One of the best climbing videos I've seen in a while.

[@HoopersBeta]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@MegaCoolzip]

This is a great video, not only is it super educational which I LOVE but you also give great exercises to work everything you bring up. Education + Action is amazing. Thank you for taking the time to make this!

[@jcmana]

I learned about my weak #4 lower trapesius about month before watching this but it is nice to have a confirmation. Thank you.

[@jcmana]

Also I would recommend doing the facepull excercises with active full exhale to engage your core correctly.

[@slapthesloper]

I managed to get pretty good at climbing while being terrible at toeing down hard and as I’ve been working on that I keep getting noticeably sore/fatigued in the muscle shown in #7 and nobody else seems to have experienced this haha. Cool to see it here

[@HoopersBeta]

Hah well now you know! Have to work those small muscles too ;)

[@murphybouldering3988]

Amazing video, would have loved to have seen this 5 years ago, somehow managed to stumble across most of these exercises over the years except the 'toe curls', which I'll be adding to the routine. Thanks!

[@HoopersBeta]

Nice! Glad there was still 1 in there for ya :)

[@garryreed2725]

Good video given me more to think about in supplemental training sessions. I'll be sure to follow more of your video's

[@HoopersBeta]

Thank you! Glad it helped stimulate some thoughts about your training!

[@ellieinspace]

Great premise for a video

[@HoopersBeta]

Thank you!

[@sofiazasheva6234]

this is such an awesome video in so many ways. sometimes thinking that maybe it's not so necessary what i'm doing - training these groups of muscles, but it feels so much better now when i see that i'm on the right path haha

[@HoopersBeta]

True! That is always a good feeling :)

[@keavinly3868]

Gotta say, as a SoCal climber, I absolutely love that you included climbs from Black Mountain and Malibu Tunnels. Sick vid!

[@EmileModesitt]

Heck yeah!!

[@GJ_0008]

Great vid as always. So good I watched it twice (partly as you do rattle through it!). :)

[@HoopersBeta]

Yeah we do try and get through all the information pretty quickly, but thank you for watching twice!! :)

[@donpeterson1090]

Thanks!

[@HoopersBeta]

Thank you for the show of support!

[@ERROR204.]

I'm consistently surprised when I look at the subsciber count on this channel. The production quality and expertise make it easy to forget this isn't the multi million subscriber channel it deserves to be.

[@HoopersBeta]

Thanks for your support! Love to hear that our quality is on that level! Hopefully if we keep it up the sub count will match soon ;)

[@Bernadettemckeevercoaching]

So freakin’ good Hooper! As always great explanations.

[@HoopersBeta]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@eliotrocks1]

Fabulous video, as always. I'll be taking this one to the gym from now on

[@TheTonVeron]

I've had both lumbrical injuries and painful wrist instability on slopers. I initially tried training wrist curls and occasional stretches/pulls for my lumbricals, but found they didn't help. What helped the most was training 3 finger drag. I'm still significantly weaker but no longer feel like I'm about to hurt myself on slopers and pockets

[@harrytaylor4360]

Was it the open-handed training that made you weaker?

[@Aaron-xq6hv]

I'm kinda late here. But as a dancer, while going on pointe in climbing shoes is a cool party trick, having "worked out" my toes, so-to-speak for a long time has most definitely been helpful on small footholds as well as just footwork in general. The same goes for the hamstrings and heel hooks.

[@HoopersBeta]

Strength of the foot (and hamstrings) certainly helps! Especially in creating more confidence on those not-so-confident small footholds ;)

[@christianjagers6657]

High feet are not only limited by hip mobility, the lower back mobility (LWS) is also very important. Don't forget that

[@RimshotKiller]

Fantastic video, got lots of new things to incorporate into my training now!

[@HoopersBeta]

Happy training! Hope these help :)

[@chrisblake3112]

Very useful! Thanks for this

[@veniode1814]

hey, love the video! im going to try to incorporate this into my training. i think my lower traps are weak so gonna def do some Ys

[@quiquealfaro5476]

Definitely flexor hallucis longus training has become a primary concern for me since several months ago i suffered a lisfranc joint sprain and has been a terrible injury as has modified completely my way to walk and stand on that foot and has brought much ankle and knee pain in the last months. Adapted shoes, toe mobility, and similar exercise to those seen here are slowly returning my foot and biomechanics to normal

[@henning_jasper]

Really good video! Thanks for the effort :)

[@HoopersBeta]

Appreciate your comment!

[@griffinb6683]

Hooper, it would be great if you would do an episode on different body types and how that effects movement pattern. It would be beneficial to know their strength and weaknesses. People with externally rotated hips or duck footed generally are better at wide stances and drop knees. People with narrow tight hips are better at crimping small edges and keeping their feet under them. I would love to know the general strengths and weaknesses of each body type. Thanks! I’m a PTA and I really enjoy getting the PT point of view.

[@dennishansen3241]

Thanks for another useful and pleasant episode Dr Best regards ❤

[@HoopersBeta]

Thank you for the support!

[@natecrna]

Woah, at 10:20 you moved your pinky while keeping your ring finger straight! Did you train that? I can't even come close to doing that. My ring and pinky are bros that move together...How do I train my hand to do that?

[@martinschwartz9078]

Awesome video! Most important muscle is the head/brain according to Wolfgang Güllich.

[@michaellimm]

Updated my non-climbing day training list!

[@HoopersBeta]

Nice! Glad you're keeping a list ;)

[@marks3440]

Great set of exercises! For my limiters, I’ve been working with the hamstrings a lot but am going to start thinking about the face pulls as more of a workout item than a warm up item. I like the RDLs but also ‘seated good mornings’ for the hamstrings plus a nice hip opener/stretch. The other area that gets me is the inevitable awkward reach back that happens on some ‘Gastons’ and single handed mantals. I think I’d actually include something for that pressing motion on the mental - a move that isn’t used a lot but is essential for a lot of climbs. Thanks for this one!

[@marks3440]

Mental exercise …

[@dizietz]

Maybe rear delts for additional external rotation (face pull hits it too though) and pecs for those slopey compression problems.

[@James-mr5kb]

My favorite way to train the anterior tibialis is with a band. Put it around something, sit way far away and move your foot toward you.

[@jasonpaine2448]

Always surprised I never see anyone talk about the piriformis, most people seem tight there. I’ve got a few climber friends to touch there toes for the first time in years/there life just by rolling this and alleviating that sciatic pressure. Also made there lower back glutes hamstrings have less tension and be more active

[@6raquelita]

Super helpful!

[@notericmoore9479]

Definitely the glutes. Everyone I train struggles to really activate the cheeks in a way that pushing their hips and lower body into the wall. When they do it maximizes foot stability and takes load off the fingers on worse holds.

[@pedrom.309]

Great video! thanks

[@HoopersBeta]

Glad you liked it!

[@josefanon8504]

A common short table like in school or uni can help you train your toe hooks. Put your toes on one end and your hands on the other. Pull your chest up to the table as far as possible and repeat until your toes stop holding you. Use one foot if it gets easy.

[@skepticnow2525]

Hey Mr Hooper, have you thought of developing an app with exercises for climbers on it? I for one would use it

[@DutchBoulders]

Great vid! Especially the concise but complete breakdown of hip mobility. Hits so close to home!

[@HoopersBeta]

Thank you! Hope it provides extra motivation to work on them :)

[@BananaP1zza]

I'm a beginner, so I haven't invested in a fingerboard yet (I can't even do an unassisted pull-up yet). But I have been training my fingers (ie. lumbricals) using the doorway frames in my house. All of them have different lip thicknesses, and are just the right amount of distance off the ground for me to either keep my toes on the ground or hang, if I so wish. Also, hamstrings are important for speed and projection - so if you want to dyno, train those hammy's! An exercise I would recommend is nordic bench hamstring curls (@kneesovertoesguy has a good video on this), but just be careful not to overdo it.

[@the.Aruarian]

Face pull to overhead press is absolutely lethal. I love doing these on my weightlifting days as a finisher with an adjustable cable machine. The OHP variation is possible till about 50% of the weight of my normal face pulls.

[@HoopersBeta]

Right?? I love doing them! I use bands or cable machines (whichever is available) but love the cables since they are a bit more objective.

[@the.Aruarian]

@@HoopersBeta And as an added benefit, I love chasing my final work set with a mechanical dropset, doing as many (clean) reps as possible at each weight stack increment. Fantastic for that bit of endurance. Also 1.5kg face pulls feel like hell at the end of them.

[@guillermosanchezdionis9475]

This is gold!

[@HoopersBeta]

Thank you!

[@sammo1789]

Q: regarding lumbricals and the surrounding area. I have visible dupuytren's contracture in my left hand, is my contracture likely to cause me issues in staying strong and pain free in that hand? Are there solutions to train around it? Appreciate your channel and the time you put into it! ✌

[@JasonWilliams84]

I also have DC on my left hand pinky. As of now it’s never noticeable and has never affected my climbing or been a source of pain. However, a video/deep dive on DC in climbers and what to do/not do about it would be appreciated. I’d be interested to hear your take on it.

[@rockstarjazzcat]

I'd love to see these exercises done on the wall as opposed to via other mechanisms. Certainly the antagonist exercises are a special case, but aren't most of these possible through actual climbing motions? Thanks for considering the question. Kind regards, Daniel

[@jonconnelly483]

Great Video. What do you think of false grip ring training for FTP? Such as false grip rows

[@aitmusic49]

I really liked this video, but that was a lot of information to digest in one go. Could you help with a training routine of a month or so to fix most of these issues? Also it would be amazing to have a list of the material you would recommend in case our gym doesn't have bands or weights?

[@HoopersBeta]

Thanks for the suggestions! We will try to incorporate home equipment alternatives in our videos more frequently! As for the training routine, it probably wouldn’t be ideal to try to address all these muscles at the same time in one routine; rather, pick a couple that are your biggest limiting factors and work on those until you see solid improvements, then assess whether you need to continue working on them and/or if you can add in more exercises/load to your routine. And of course, the primary movers that aren’t in this video like lats, biceps, triceps, etc are still very useful to train for many climbers. We will consider making a general workout routine video to address the biggest limitations many climbers face, however!

[@simeoncheshmedjiev-shraik4719]

Very nice video!

[@HoopersBeta]

Thank you!

[@TheS4ndm4n]

I get the impression that the age old saying that we were always bothered with by more experienced climbers "climb slowly and pay attention to good form" would solve all of these issues we have with undertraining. Except for the last one.

[@nickyman007]

good information😊

[@HoopersBeta]

Thank you!

[@carlesmolins3269]

I had a hamstring injury precisely doing a heelhook that took me out for 2 months

[@HoopersBeta]

That's the common way to hurt them, especially if they aren't trained enough to handle the forces we place on them.

[@ermahgurt]

Thank you!

[@TomasCordilheira]

Hey Hooper awesome video, I love the videos you talk about different exercises. You could make different videos with gym training routines, from noobs to pro. Or even sell a training routine course I would definitely buy it. I am a Gym rat, have been for years, now that I started climbing I need to adapt part of my training, your videos are helping me changing one exercises here other one there, but a course for about 50 to 100 bucks with a routine set would be awesome.

[@HoopersBeta]

Thanks for the suggestion! We’ve been wanting to make structured courses for a while now and this is great motivation. 2023 will be the year!

[@maizalima2493]

Two things. The Copenhagen plank hurts more my glutes and they fatigue quicker than anything else. Thoughts? I injured my hamstring a year ago heel hooking and it hasn’t healed. There’s a lump there and it affects my sciatica

[@letsplayclimbingindia]

Good video 🙏

[@HoopersBeta]

Thank you 🙌

[@kailashsiddharth1464]

I am still growing but want to prodressive overload my grip strength. I’ve been told to not use a hang board and do you have any recommendations

[@ardelnarouroboros860]

Hi Hooper! Thanks for this once again very clear and instructive video. I have a question about wrist exercises (as it is my big weakness): why do you recommend reverse curls for extensors work out and not small range wrist extension like for the flexors?

[@HoopersBeta]

Good question! Small range wrist extension is also fine, but I like the added benefit for the brachialis with the reverse curl as well as the coordination between muscle groups.

[@itsmyboardwhotalk]

most underrated muscle group in my opinion: chest and legs. lost my shot on a professional career as an athlete bc of muscular disbalance, bc I mostly trained what I needed. If I would have spend 15-30min more in a session... who knows. but seeing climbers and seeing what an great overall training climbing can be, I dont get it why people ignore what is not trained. but then again I had to learn it on the hard way and probably a disbalance between chest and back is less problematic than in the hip. still in hindsight I always had the best results when I trained the most balanced/was the most balanced

[@baleka5826]

One thing often underestimated in addition is hamstring strength combined with hamstring flexibility. It changes the whole game, especially when working a lot in a seated position in front of a computer. Thanks for your video!

[@antonkeskinen7645]

This is very good 👌

[@BabbelBaba]

As a smaller climber especially in overhangs: definitely the kind of core muscles that help to put pressure on the footholds. Lower back and those muscles in the upper back that are active doing inverted rows I think should be targeted more. A lot of old-school 9a climbers like e.g. Alex Huber climbed so many overhanging lines in LaSportiva Mythos with jus this one ability to bring tons of tension down to their feet despite have real shit shoes...amazing

[@erickmortenson3537]

Can you do the second to last excercise with something else that’s not a resistance band?

[@olepetersen6116]

Can we do an example Training routine? For Exemple: climbing grade 7. From Monday to Sunday?

[@Bork23476]

Great video super informative, I have just 1 question. How do these tips apply if I am solid in every catagory in terms of strength and mobility, but struggle on endurance. For example, I have great trap(upper and lower) strength in bouldering but end up hanging on my bones on lead routes where endurance comes much more into play. Same with my toe strength, I can push on the tiniest hold with my toes bouldering but if I have to stand on a micro and place gear my calf and toes are crying for help. Is this just a function of aerobic capacity or is there more the the equation?

[@brewnelly]

Video topic idea… climber assessment - how to identify climbing specific weaknesses that need training

[@HoopersBeta]

We’ll be doing that on Anna Hazelnutt’s channel soon! Might do one here too in the future

[@8d6qjdoahdu58]

great video

[@HoopersBeta]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@aboucher0319]

What role do you think obliques play in high stepping? Anecdotally at least, I've noticed oblique training can help with high feet quite a bit, as well. You're not just lifting your leg, you're also pulling your hips up on the side you're stepping and creating a concave space where your midsection is to make room for your leg to come up. This is a place where obliques can either help pull your hips into position, or where you struggle to make the space for your leg to come up, no matter how flexible. I could be overstating, but I've noticed worse high strapping ability when I fall out of oblique training.

[@christianv-b.nielsen1505]

This is so true, especially if you're in a pressing position with both hands bridging between two holds and needing to get your feet up

[@benegesserit9836]

I have the feeling that in general hamstring and glute is quite overlooked. Isn't it those muscles that allow one to push down the feet, keep them on the wall and reduce the weight on your arms? Especially compared to ab flexing exercises, I think one should train the reverse movement like bridges much more. Does it make sense??

[@Mike-oz4cv]

It’s strange that the most common way to train the flexor digitorum profundus is with static holds on a hangboard (i.e. isometric exercise). Why is that? Do the pulleys create too much friction under tension? Is it because it trains tendons and ligaments more and in a safe way? (apparently isometric or eccentric exercise is great for tendon growth/strength)

[@johnathangillespie2075]

I recently discovered i have gout in my left foot and I'm worry about the impact it might have on my climbing, are there any foot exercises i can do to maintain motion and strength in my feet after a flare up of gout?

[@enjufi]

Hey Jason! Any chance you could add timestamps, so it's easier to visit back later?

[@HoopersBeta]

Added!

[@enjufi]

@@HoopersBeta Thanks!

[@harrisonjschultz]

So, when can we purchase training plans from Hooper's Beta - U can have all my $$$

[@davidneedham8715]

My FDP got aggravated due to overuse. Extreme pain all the way down my muscle starting at the attachment point near my elbow. Are there good antagonist exercises for popular climbing muscles? Will that help a FDP injury?

[@HoopersBeta]

We have a full video/article on FDP injuries. www.hoopersbeta.com/library/flexor-digitorum-profundus-strain-how-to-heal-this-common-climbing-injury

[@yannbezain9791]

I think the movement we do to get closer to the wall is more of a horizontal abduction than an external rotation!

[@HoopersBeta]

It certainly can, yes! It depends on the shoulder position, of course ;) Pure "T" position, more pure horizontal abduction. Overhead, more "Y" position, horizontal abduction with scapular retraction in and activation of the lower trap. But, we often find ourselves pulling into holds / positions that require good external rotation strength, which is not addressed often enough in our climbing training.

[@yannbezain9791]

@@HoopersBeta Yes I a totally agree with you but I still dont understand how pulling into holds requires external rotation, I find it more of an internal rotation Iso or concentrically when topping out a boulder or doing mantle like moves. I think external rotators might be mostly activated when doing an overhead move with an undercling which doesnt happen very often.

[@HoopersBeta]

@@yannbezain9791 biomechanics are challenging to understand. But just think of the facepulls position. That is scapular retraction, horizontal abduction of the humerus, and external rotation of the humerus. Even if the arm isn't at that exact end range, the fight to get our chest closer to the wall relatively places more demand on the external rotators. If you were reaching up to a big volume/sloper and pulling down/compressing into the hold, that would be more internal rotation strength but even in that scenario it would require stabilization from the external rotators. Hope this helps!

[@yannbezain9791]

@@HoopersBeta I agree with you biomechanics is a complex subject but I have been studying a lot while doing my bachelors and masters degree in sports science. It's not by close an important agonist of climbing movements in my opinion and there are many other more important shoulder exercices we as climbers can focus on like scap pull ups variations, shoulder extension, adduction, horizontal abduction/adduction .... When youre face pulling unless you do add voluntarly an external rotation there isnt any. In climbing if you're externally rotating instead of internally you would just slip especially on small holds. It's not because there is co-activation of antagonists, triceps while pulling up that I am necessarily going to improve pulling up by doing pressups . Anyway if we don't agree I agree to disagree hehe, I agree with all the rest and appreciate a lot the content you post online! Thank you!

[@kevo_969]

I tried to train my external rotators once with the scarecrow. It doesnt matter how much weight I use my shoulders are making a cracking sound and it doesnt feel really comfortable. Do you have any idea what the problem could be?

[@z50king29]

Wow, thanks.

[@MrTwohunnidpercent]

Is #7 also considered a calf raise??

[@qorazx]

I think everyone should watch this video

[@HoopersBeta]

I like that idea :)

[@leolunacoolj]

I feel like you could make a whole video on just the information you mention at 7:00-7:27.

[@HoopersBeta]

True! The hips are quite complicated. We do have a video on high feet with climbing (focusing on the hips) as well as a yoga collaboration that also focuses on the hips 👌

[@Symaethis]

The copenhagen plank hurts my shoulder a lot, especially if I try to add hip dips into the mix... am I doing something wrong? Or should I train my shoulders first lol

[@HoopersBeta]

Yeah you might need to train the shoulders first. That's a good discovery though! Shoulder stability/strength is crucial for climbing.

[@lippwig]

i think for climbing specifically it is not important at all, but the erector spinae muscles are very undertrained among climbers, which often leads to to a compromised back and head posture

[@e.n.a.h4118]

i found it s so hard to make sure the scapular is in the game while climbing .

[@daanschone1548]

Number 10 to 8 are super true for me😂

[@burstintotreats6654]

The toe hold one made me aware of my toe muscles, thanks now I don't know how I'm gonna sleep at night

[@HoopersBeta]

Hopefully with stronger toes ;)

[@floijd]

Handstand push-ups and planche are the best exercises to impress climbers.

[@haukepiet9834]

What about the thumb?

[@lisaschuster9305]

I have huge respect for climbers.

[@Josh8far]

Tempted to replace a trip to the gym with just these exercises for a week and see if I can come back climbing higher grades

[@HoopersBeta]

That would be interesting to see! Especially if you're solely climbing and don't have any current complimentary training.

[@LorenziLéo]

To train your toe hook ability, you can also walk with 3kg good old rangers shoes, you'll feel it quite fast.

[@HoopersBeta]

haha natural training :)

[@lleberghappy]

While climbers have great upper body pulling strength due to obvious reasons. I find the pushing strength could be weak. Thus being prone to backpain and not seeing the gainZ, when the back is strong but chest / triceps is not gaining as much use. That's why I do a lot of press action every time I climb, pushups in rings and is working on ring-dips. Omg. And yes, pushing strength is used in climbing too. Shoulder moves, press and whatever, be creative.

[@alexgalays910]

So If I'm comfortable on sloppers and pockets but yell about my pain on crimps, my FDP is probably OK, right?

[@HoopersBeta]

FDP is probably OK yes but definitely want to figure out what's going on with those crimps!

[@ZackRaborn]

Nice.

[@coleramey3483]

Is that crag Pine Mountain?

[@HoopersBeta]

Which part? The AG1 shots are at Black Mountain, Idyllwild (CA).

[@moochonthemic7228]

Train the anchovies in ur hand

[@HirogenCD]

Nr. 10... 2 weeks ago...exactly what happened to me O_O

[@baleka5826]

To all the kid crushers proudly forming their rounded backs out there: Listen carefully, since this includes all the antagonist training you need.

[@TheZealousPeanut]

For an athlete who has been a gymrat for 7 years and it’s only been 7 months since I started climbing, I would say my weakest and the absolute dumbest muscles in my body are my wrists 😂! They would take the first place in this pyramid for me 😂