Perfect Genetics for Rock Climbing

[@ManitheMonkey]

Sorry for the audio rollercoaster, next time everything will work again :) Here one more time the shortcuts: My Understanding of "Genetically Gifted": 1:42 Geometrical Body Morphology: 3:31 Muscle Qualities: 14:46 The Mind: 19:20 Don't forget to drop some likes, opinions and experiences if you've got something from this one, I'd highly appreciate it, and until then, stay strong, I'll see you soon!

[@learntodrivenow]

I am 5' 8", have a little more than +3" ape index, I do have longer legs for the most part but still a pretty proportionate torso but on the smaller end. My legs have a little meat on them, however my weight atm is 150lbs. So I'd say I'm kind of close to what you described in the video. Anyways I have been climbing for almost 6 months now and I'm bouldering V7's at my local rock climbing gym. I don't say this to brag but rather confirm what you say because I find myself more capable of performing many beta's people smaller and taller can not do. However, I usually can replicate any of theirs. I can't speak much of L.E.A.D. because I don't do it often but I have lead 5.10+ in real life and 5.11 in the gym.

[@mortimersnead5821]

I did my first chinup when I was 53. I thought I had bad genetics, but maybe I was just lazy.

[@zamiel5435]

How old are you right now?

[@charlottenordset3180]

I thought my finger strength was doomed to always suck because I have creepily long and skinny fingers (my friend calls them "Lord Voldemort hands"). But what do you know, a few months of climbing and suddenly I can open any jar and hang from only one hand in a crimp grip. Could it be that the body is actually pretty.... adaptable??!!

[@thebaconsnake]

Necromorph. That's the body shape to aspire to. Great video.

[@gordon4952]

😂

[@gemmatus]

What I notice with my friends who try climbing for the first time is that some are naturally much better coordinated while others are quite clumsy. This makes a huge difference in how good they are at their first few tries.

[@tpvlyrm]

Those deep, flaring muscle attachments are also seen in the better arm wrestlers (an exciting and technical sport with huge genetic variability in potential/ability), who require strength in unusual, disadvantaged-leverage positions (much like climbing). The flaring forearm, in particular, which when activated rises part way up the biceps, almost, is a real tell-tale sign. Great video, very genuine treatment of an unnecessarily controversial issue.

[@porter9632]

Very interesting. Gotta emphasise the importance of dedication. Whether it's becoming a great carpenter, great doctor, or great climber, you've gotta have the patience and tenacity to put in the years and repetition it takes to become great. Which is hard in the age of instant gratification.

[@ManitheMonkey]

Very true.

[@christophkuhn6632]

What do you mean with "age of instant gratification". I dont see things like sports, making music, learning something, understanding something deeply or even playing video games skillful as something which is reached instantly. Dont get your thought. ^^ Valuable skills(etc.) which require effort, always require effort, dont they? Independent from the specific "age". So what i want to say is: that it is something universal - time independent - and it is nothing, people of this age would not know or would be surprised about. If they achieved at least one thing, which took time and intense effort.

[@ChabineDoucelette]

Excellent video! Thanks so much for sharing your opinions and research. I started climbing at the end of last month and have found your channel very helpful. Keep up the great work!

[@j.w.matney8390]

Thank you for producing this in depth video. I got a late start in climbing (age 60), but have noticed that one of the benefits of being a lifetime runner is that I can train for longer periods of time than my 34 year old climbing partner. I particularly was surprised about your explanation of "reach" vis-a-vis the width of the shoulders. I could go one, but, just want to add, well done! Happy Holidays!

[@newhuman9]

Im pretty tall, about 6'4. With an ectomorph type body. I find i definitely benefit from my reach, sometimes being able to skip holds that are a bit less desirable. However i also notice that climbing in scrunched positions where most people are not requires me to use more energy. Also on overhangs if im unable to get my feet placed in a way where my hips are close to the wall its put alot of strain on my hands/ shoulders. and if my feet cut on a overhang im much less likely to be able to bring my feet back up than someone who is under 6ft tall due to the leverage issue. super interesting tho. wouldnt mind more videos on similar topics.

[@ManitheMonkey]

Thanks for sharing, interesting stuff, sounds like you could benefit from more body tension and flexibility quite a bit!

[@newhuman9]

Mani the Monkey your right!!

[@RonaldoMessina]

I think that when you are at the taller side of the spectrum, core strength is super important. I had to be away from climbing and training for a long time this year and now that I am getting back into business (2 sessions so far), I feel that I miss my previous core strength the most, even more than finger strength (I'm 1,81m and now at 81kg, ouch)

[@ryanmarshall96]

yo same with the hight and problems that ive been having

[@ice1]

@@ryanmarshall96 that sucks!

[@kylenieber7380]

Great video Mani. Just got done with Eric Horst’s training for Climbing book that dives into genetics briefly (mainly looking at Muscle Fibers), and this was a great exposition of that. Keep it up!

[@markscherle8645]

I'm glad you brought up muscle insertion points. And you nailed it spot on. Tendons are much stronger than muscle, so having more of them is beneficial for strength. This topic can get very detailed, so for now I'll leave it at this.

[@climbingchris6621]

Das Video auf das ich gewartet habe. Sau gut, merci Mani ! ;)

[@ManitheMonkey]

War mir eine Freude Chris!

[@reddrift3022]

what if you are a necromorph?

[@martinmartin6300]

Great video! I like that you included the thing of finger length and thickness (size of hands in general). This basically applies for the feet in the same way. Smaller feet help to stand on small footholds, too.

[@ekoden]

Am I the only who caught the Dead Space reference?! I loved this guys vids before, but that solidified it even more 😭😭😭

[@sketchdan]

Great video! I know this is a small detail but I think it would be interesting to hear about the genetics of how there are differences in perspiration of the hands.

[@dancehooker]

sketchdan yes that would be cool! I have always had chronically sweaty hands and feet. I seriously feel like it's one of my big challenges as a climber. My climbing partner will chalk up once maybe twice throughout a whole route, where I have to chalk up about every move and the holds are literally wet if I hang on them for more than 10 seconds

[@isaacegglestone5526]

Eli Hooker your right , however I don’t think that’s a genetic issue. It’s a system imbalance and yes you could have had that imbalance from child hood. Both Aryuvedic and Chinese medicine as well as Mayan medicine and even western herbal medicine talk about these issues which are resolvable. Here is one link that talks about it www.shen-nong.com/eng/exam/internal_sweaty_palms.html

[@patrickwhite8144]

I looked at a list of the ape indexes of famous climbers (including Adam Ondra and Chris Sharma) and they were all around +1, which is around average. This would suggest that a very large ape index is actually a disadvantage.

[@jzjzjzj]

yes maybe, many chinese weight lifters have very short arms, and are some of the best lifters in the world, like leverage, longer arms= more force need to hold the body up, but less reach it's a trade off in different ways

[@gobbidimerda2496]

I think it's very important to lead climb a lot outside the gym, to achieve a good mind control. Not only on overhanging routes, but also on 6a/6b slabs, where you really have to overcome the fear of falling.

[@nsewnsew1]

Mani, you're a legend. Thanks again for the vlog. "Chase the stoke, not the grade," that's my motto.

[@wolfemooney7188]

angus benson Woah. That’s some good advice

[@ponkimonkoro5001]

I think one genetic factor is also the resistance against diseases. Helps you to train more constantly. Besides great content Mani ;D

[@91722854]

I like your mathematical thinking towards shoulder width vs strength, just like In physics

[@sanferrera]

at 19:21 I read "megos climbing demi god", but of course, it's exactly the same :D

[@raymusimust543]

Well it looks like I'm genetically built for climbing. Pretty hurt I'm not getting great fast lol. Great vid Mani. Happy to see these number chasing vids :)

[@MANIRES]

great video, i agree to all points! one thing i want to mention though: this video is about the genetics for the most hardest climbs in the world. Imo genetic trade offs significally change with grade. for the hardest routes, most of the time it's better to be 5kg lighter than 5 centimeter longer. easier routes often have better holds, resulting in a less need of finger strength and lightness. my point is, that for beginners and mediocores the trade off between weight and height shifts more to benefit taller people compared with pro climbers. Would you agree?

[@ManitheMonkey]

Interesting question. I would not necessarily agree, although there might be some truth to it. I think that if you are very short (and therefore very light, if you are a pro) being very selective with high end routes will give you a nice time. On routes that fit you (without long moves) you will crush, however on routes that don't fit you you almost do not stand a chance. The audience never gets to see the avoided routes though, only the successes, which is why it looks like being very short is the ideal on the high end level. And this is not what I would call perfect genetics, since for me this means to be able to send almost all routes regardless of what their cruxes look like (and those who seem to be able to do that, all have a decent amount of height on their side, interestingly). This is what I called the selection factor in the previous ideal height for climbing episode. So to your question: I'd say having a bit of reach is quite an advantage, also on the pro level, the challenge is combining that reach with a light body.

[@MANIRES]

good points!

[@corneliuschoong6349]

Very well rounded video but I feel like there's a few missing elements although that's unavoidable when it comes to such a wide-ranging topic, including bone mass, bone density, flexibility, recoverability, blood circulation, not to mention the endless factors when it comes to the mind

[@susanholl5994]

Fascinating topic. Stuff like long arms/legs and short torsos, light bones/body weight certainly helps, but I personally think finger strength is more important than anything else and you can't see that easily. The taller you are the less flexibility you need. Best predictor of climbing potential is the parents. If mom and dad climb well, the kids probably will too.

[@antoinehalik]

Very nice video! I wish to say only, that what you call "musce attachement", can be privilage in sport climbing (leading, bouldering) but the same time is disadvantage for speed climbing (which is important looking at olimpic format). Generally short muscles with closer muscle attachements are weaker, but faster same time.

[@DannyDorfel]

Very interesting video. I see the genetics part as the foundation. Some people are more flexible than others. But you can change the fibers if you train flexibility consistently enough (although you will never get as good as the top end). So I think the same applies for the muscle/fingerstrength/mental side. I think it would be good to emphasise that genetics is not a question of having it or not having it. It's a spectrum and you can have more preferable genetics or less on different areas. And being weaker in one area could be compensated with being stronger in another. In general, I think genetics on its own plays a smaller part than we think. But it's the foundation and its effect can be magnified by consistent effective training.

[@lushedleshen]

I JUST started rock climbing. I’m 200cm and 104kg (with a REALLY bad strength to mass ratio). I only had my first climb two days ago and managed to get halfway up a 2.5 story indoor wall. I actually took up climbing BECAUSE of my mechanical disadvantages to the sport. I’m going to get so much more out of my climbs due to how much more I have to work to get the same performance.

[@chra3427]

Tolles Video und Thema (zumindest, wenn man nicht zu lange gedanklich drin hängen bleibt und das ganze zur permanenten Ausrede wird). Ich denke der genetisch relevanteste Faktor ist die Belastbarkeit und Regenerationsfähigkeit der Finger, die maximal erreichbare Fingerkraft und vllt das koordination Bewegungstalent. Alles andere ist über gutes Training langfristig für die meisten auf ein sehr hohes Niveau trainierter.

[@91722854]

What other sports complement with bouldering? Shall I start long run, some squats? What else? THanks in advance

[@sillychinas]

I am very happy because you have described me. However, I only climb around v6

[@ryanmarshall96]

i got lucky because im 155 lbs, have basically no fat, im 6ft 4in and have an ape index of +6 and i have really narrow shoulders so the length is all in my arms. ive been climbing for 8 months and my first outdoor route was a 5.11 slab in moab that i was able to do after only 2 weeks of climbing because i could reach all the good holds.

[@nickjason4480]

Same weight, same ape index except im 6ft0.5in , long monkey arms are definitely and advantage and I could lead 5.11a rather quickly as well. I think on easier routes it makes it a lot easier, but as the grades shoots up there's no easy way out, especially overhangs (my opinion)

[@ryanmarshall96]

@@nickjason4480 yep i agree, also for somereason youtube just told me you comented this... so weird. but im still stuck at 5.12 and roofs. they kill me

[@Elpela96]

Strong pulleys, strong finger flexors (both of them). Maybe decent proportions too, but that's almost everyone. Then everything else is either achievable or indifferent. Also, I believe that your analysis about ape index is SO accurate, but in the case of legs I believe that average legs are better, otherwise you need great flexibility, and long legs are heavy as hell no matter how chicken-like they are.

[@vgashuthoshreddyp3818]

i just realized that i have the PERFECT genetics required for climbing , narrow shoulders , long limbs, long strong fingers , skinny build , low body fat , 5'9 , i always loved climbing trees and hanging . man im a natural born monkey😂

[@vincentcheng62]

How about inborn flexibility?

[@ManitheMonkey]

Good point, this is something which can definitely help as well.

[@charlottenordset3180]

yes good point. I'm female and benefit from the fact that we have more estrogen, which increases all flexibility, but regardless I'm naturally more flexible than most girls/women I know (without any training I can always come pretty close to a split, and it will only take about two weeks of stretching before I can do a complete split, either direction). And this definitely helps me in climbing!

[@abclimbing]

While the majority of good climbers are in your height range, the best in the world (ondra) is 6’1” and arguably the strongest boulderer (hojer) is 6’2” (sorry I dont know how these convert to cm). In sprinting for years people though you had to be on the shorter side (5’9” to 5’10) but now the best sprinter in the world is 6’5” (Usain Bolt). The taller someone is the less finger strenght they need to climb at the same grade. Maybe we just havent seen an elite taller person yet much like sprinting prior to Bolt.

[@Szynszula]

Mani! I love your videos, because you can focus on details that wouldn't even come to my mind. I don't mind that it's long, perfect for evening :D You put a lot of effort, huge amount of research, I appreciate it very much ^^ Well, this video super motivated me to train harder, I have better genetics than I thought, time to work on falling!!! "Unproductive tissue" XDDD

[@corneliuspoth9785]

I'm 1.86 m tall at about 75 to 76 kg. Got to about 8- UIAA onsight (indoors) after two years of climbing starting at the age of 30. Bouldering about 6b/6b+ onsight (indoors). This always depends on the actual location a bit. I have very small fingers and a very small head compared to my height. The Petzl Sirocco size 1 (small variant) fits perfect and is still not in the extremes of it's adjustment possibilities. When I buy gloves, most male gloves at the smallest size are still too slackly. I think this is may be a quite good combination: small fingers but tall and quite light weight :)

[@monica2757]

I just started climbing and find flexibility is probably my biggest hurdle.

[@samuelchow6474]

Great video!

[@Jsoccer1999]

Mani that point about arm length was spot on. Personslly I️ have a +1.5 inch wingspan, but I️ think it’s all in my shoulders. My clavicles are really long and I️ don’t think many people understand that. I️ look like your drawing haha

[@ManitheMonkey]

I feel ya, I look a bit like my drawing too :P

[@nickjason4480]

I'm pretty much the other drawing LOL I'm 6'' and my wingspan in +6 inches, but I'm happy to have monkey arms haha

[@Drinkyoghurt]

I'm 1.84m at 73kg and have very thin fingers for my size. I injure them pretty easily because of this. Compared to one of my friends who climbs really hard at 1.70m who has fingers twice the size of mine and rarely injures them. I agree it's easier to hold onto smaller edges and pockets, but what good is that if you can't pull hard on them because you're injured? I also think that bigger hands make more sense when it comes to sloper. They just have a bigger contact area to grip the rock with, but won't help much with small crimps and shallow pockets.

[@ManitheMonkey]

Thanks for sharing your experience, absolutely, thin fingers seem to be a double edged sword.

[@charlottenordset3180]

This was really interesting! I'm a new climber and very fond of a scientific approach, especially since i never tried climbing before, believeing it was not for me (low self esteem i guess). But now I am extra motivated and have more belief that I can become a decent climber, now that I realize my body is actually pretty close to ideal I think?? 168 cm, BMI around 17, very little torso - ape index +5 cm despite narrow shoulders - basically very flexible body consisting mostly of limbs. However Im conserned about my very long, thin and weak fingers. Many small holds seem more difficult for me to grab because there's too much finger with no place to go. I haven't gone through all your videos yet, but I hope to find one about how different size/length of hands and fingers can be utilized to their best potential. Great channel! Thank you!

[@someone4673]

Your bmi is too low i dont think its healthy, you should get to 176 to 178 cm height, your arms need to be longer if you can improve these thing you will probably be a very gud climber . How good is your finger strength

[@charlottenordset3180]

@@someone4673 Well I have put on some muscle mass and am up to a 18.5 BMI which is juuuust within normal range. I am not sure how I would go about growing 10 cm in height as I am a 28 year old female, and frankly I am quite happy with my height in general, though I agree for climbing purposes it would be nice to be a little taller. Suggestions appreciated. Finger strength is steadily improving, used to be extremely bad, but now at least I can save myself from falling with only one hand crimp grip.

[@charlottenordset3180]

@@someone4673 also I don't know how I could get my arms to grow longer, again tips are highly appreciated. But with already an ape index of +5cm, I don't really consider it a debilitating problem. Thanks for your interesting answer!

[@someone4673]

@@charlottenordset3180 how many pull ups can you do?

[@charlottenordset3180]

@@someone4673 only 4 unassisted.... Still sorely lacking upper body strength. To practice more pull ups I use rubber bands as assitance, and when climbing I am lucky to have pretty strong and very flexible legs, so I just solve anything with a heel hook lol

[@henryritterpusch5116]

I think it would be important to note the physical ability to "wire" climbs. When watching top climbers there are definately differences in mental style when approaching a project and Adam Ondra seems to have some innate mental awareness due to seemingly spacial resoning that allows him to perfectly execute climbs. This is not due to technique as someone with horrible technique but this ability would hypothetically be able to "wire" a climb and do it while not nessecarily knowing how to approach other climbs. An example would be Alex Megos destroying LaSportiva Legends only but not doing *as well* in the boulder WCs he has been in. In conclusion climbing is awesome.

[@stratocasterbeast]

Heh germans talking about perfect genetics lol

[@xaverzweigenbaum1603]

*austrian

[@xaverzweigenbaum1603]

@@mnapoletano7723 exactly hahah

[@wolfemooney7188]

Xaver Zweigenbaum Hmmmmm I sure don’t remember any Austrian talking about perfect genetics, do you?

[@xaverzweigenbaum1603]

@@wolfemooney7188 what about Mani?^^

[@wolfemooney7188]

Xaver Zweigenbaum Was making a hitler joke

[@MarkusSojakka]

This gives hope to my thin semi short fingers😎

[@Chelblue1]

Do you have a video on your channel about your weekly workout routine? Like what u focus on each day? If so could u let me know what it is called? Or perhaps if u don’t have one it could be something you do in the future. Thanks, love your vids!

[@Jsoccer1999]

I️ almost feel like short muscle attachments would be better than long. Like you can get equal strength but with less muscle length and more tendonal length which would be lighter

[@SeraphinoII]

The leverage of the arms is very bad for weight lifting. So if you can make the force (muscle insertion) closer to the resistance (the hand) you will have a huge advantage that will outweight by much the weight of th muscle itself!

[@davidportej]

great vid

[@nemil238]

Damn,habe gerade erst mit ein bisschen bouldern angefangen aber ich scheine die perfekten geneischen Vorrausetzungen für den Sport zu haben. Mal gucken wies weitergeht.

[@matthewmcintyre2866]

Do you have any suggestions/workouts on how to thin out your legs?

[@TijmenHatesads]

I know this video is old but I'm going to comment on the thin legs point. My legs are pretty weak compared to the rest of my body, especially in squat and jump type moves. For most problems it doesn't matter much, but every once in a while there is a move i cannot physically do. It feels like being able to do a pistol squat would open up a lot of options for me. Also, i disagree with the thin finger conclusion. I have very thick fingers and while i agree they are bad for the smaller holds (ive scaled up a few holds by % based on my girlfriends hand nd the difference is huge) thicker fingers also have more space for connective tissue. For me, most of the issue is my fingertip pulp deforming too much when holds get smaller than ~7mm. There are tricks to work around that but a finger 75% as fat will be able to hold an edge 75% the size. Small cracks can be a real show stopper though.

[@jzjzjzj]

also, state of body, when i was younger like 13 i weighed alot less and didn't carry around as much of a gut as i do at 16 and climbing at that age around 10-13 was so easy it was second nature but now it isn't , at low bmi high muscle and on an empty stomach expect to climb like 2x better

[@jzjzjzj]

one thing i've learnt is to never eat before excersise, it's natural, same way in the past, hunter gathering, you must work to gain food so your body isn't made to eat before the work is done.

[@jzjzjzj]

because your body has it's own fat, by not eating your body is burning that pre existing fat instead of gaining energy from food or whatever people think about taking energy supplements before exercise

[@susanholl5994]

Not arguing with you but a couple of observations. Angy Eiter is 5'1" (155 cm). Other women who have climbed 5.15 (9a+) are Anak Verhoeven (5'4"/162.5) and Margo Hayes (5'3"/160). The super elite women are quite a bit shorter than average. Hmm. Would be interesting to see relative climbing abilities in families that climb. In my own family the climbers range in height 170-192 cm. Ability ranking is 170 > 175 > 188 > 192. Everyone is pretty thin.

[@ibrahimabdullah8949]

I am 183cm 58kg very lean low bodyfat 6% My grades are as followed Lead 7c+ Boulder v7 almost v8 I have only done 4 training sessions This is my story I first climbed at age 10, I would climb indoors4 times a year as a sort of day out with the kids kind of thing until the age of 15, at this age I climbed consistently for 5 months, then I completely stopped for 4 years . Now I've been climbing consistently for 3.5 months and I went from 6c to 7c+ and v4-v5 to v7-v8. I haven't really put in too much effort at all. I'm genuinely asking what do you think of my genetics. Based on what I am telling you do you think that 9a is achievable

[@fritzbox6764]

Sehr gut, v.a. die erste Säule.

[@peterjeavons4003]

My two cents is that you're spot on. Here are my personal specs: 182cm Ape index +1cm Relatively narrow build Very small hands 72kg (with a bit of unnecessary body fat) Hypermobile (but with good joint stability) Started climbing almost 3 years ago, at 19 years old, never done any significant training, and still relatively weak upper body strength (only just started being able to do a full lock off), but I recently climbed my first V11, my strength lies in good sequencing, problem solving for my body type and route climbing/longer roof boulders. Also never been injured because I was told early on how to avoid it (basically climb lots and don't bother with training until your body is ready). I start training full time (6 days a week) with a coach next year.

[@danieldrudolph]

Something I like about climbing is that everyone has their individual strengths and weaknesses and so every climb either suits an individual or it doesn't. I disagree with your general supposition that there is one "perfect genetics for climbing." It's too broad a claim. Climbing is such a diverse sport so different climbs favor different bodies. Think about running, which is not nearly as complex a sport. You wouldn't say, "here's the best body for running," because that ignores the different disciplines. An ideal sprinter will be different from an ideal mid-distance runner from a long distance one. And like I said climbing is even more complex. You say smaller hands and fingers being better on crimps and pockets while big hands crush slopers and pinches. It should also be mentioned that smaller, lighter folks are usually able to crush long overhanging routes where holds are more closely spaced. Boulders get less of a disadvantage from carrying heavy muscles around. Hold sizes and spacing really determine which is the best body type for a climb. If you can comfortably reach all the moves while being 4 feet tall, it's probably best to be 4 feet tall and not carry all the extra weight. Likewise, there are certain climbs that have gone un-reapeated because the first ascensionist was super tall. I think it would be helpful to breakdown climbing into different categories based on length of route, type of hold and distance between holds and then use those to look at the ideal body type for each.

[@peterjeavons4003]

danieldrudolph i agree with breaking it down further into the sub disciplines, but you'll end up with hour long videos on each. I think Mani isn't saying the perfect genetics for climbing full stop, I think he's saying the ideal genetics for the best overall performance. Essentially look at Ondra, who performs at the highest level in lead and bouldering. Whereas Jimmy Webb is strictly a boulderer, and Kim Jain is strictly a lead climber. Both incredibly good climbers, but both have shortcomings (which is a weird thing to say about them) in areas of climbing that don't suit there body types. Or compare Daniel Woods, who is literally one of the strongest boulderers ever, but has terrible technique (Dai Koyamada's opinion too, not just mine) he's far better at bouldering than route climbing because of it. When he and Dave Graham climbed Thor's Hammer in Flatanger, Graham said he couldn't use a lot of Daniel's beta because it was too powerful. Dave on the other hand was able to utilise heaps of kneebars in it. How much better would Daniel be if he had a head for efficient movement and didn't waste so much energy, or Graham if he were as genetically gifted in strength as Daniel. Mani is describing a theoretical ideal that given the huge varience in each factor, will never exist. A good example of this in humanity is when you try and find the average person of a group of people. Once you have that average, no matter how big the group, you'll never find someone who matches it because of all the variables. This is theoretical, but I think a good way to prove it's validity is to compare the best overall climbers in the world to it, and see how many of the factors they have stacked in their favour.

[@dialupsyndrome1910]

Adam Ondra at 185cm: hold my beer

[@jasontoliao7167]

I used to watch you every day last year when u were at about 6k subs. Unfortunately I broke my finger playing volleyball an I haven't been able to climb or train my body. What do you think I should do to train my fingers again .

[@NikoxD93]

I have very heavy legs, I wonder what will be my maximum!

[@jstekic]

You didn't mention the TURN OUT HIPS. They are must in ballet dancer and I know that many of the best climbers have them, and they work a lot to get them. They give you a perfect balance on the rock. Usually you have to be born with them.

[@BiggieChungulus]

This video basically told me I'm suboptimal for climbing. I have wide broad shoulders, a huge head, am 184cm 80kg and most of my weight is in my fat legs! I also have fat ass hoglike fingers

[@max_4209]

I think the most important factor is the age you start at if everyone starts climbing at the age of 5 then many people will climb 9+ at the age of 20

[@sorenashcraft2312]

Didn’t expect the Naruto music at the end

[@wolfemooney7188]

The attachments thing is interesting. Over about a half a year, I went from training my biceps with only free weights (dumbbell curls, etc) to only pull-up style exercises, though I do add weight. Not only did I see a huge spike in strength, the muscle size and belly got longer and lower. Just me though, still could be genetics and not training.

[@davidobermann2574]

Sorry if this a stupid question, but i was wondering if you do any indoor route climbing, since your main disciplin is outdoor sport climbing? In all training vlogs we just see you bouldering and this made me curious :D

[@CatFatism]

Really nicely done video, you could do a PhD in climbing!

[@liamboyd6882]

im 5'8" and 120 pound, with a wingspan of 5'11" with narrow shoulders. I just started climbing only over the summer and have done one v6 indoor. is this good progression?

[@sdaiwepm]

2:28 "Plastic warrior"? I think I've just been insulted!

[@henkiedebomb]

How do you mean "died during one of his rope falls"?

[@ManitheMonkey]

According to what I know he enjoyed the thrill of falling a lot, so he started to do jumps into climbing ropes from high points, from cliffs and stuff. On one of these jumps something went wrong (I think the rope wasn't properly fixed, but I'm not sure) and he grounded fatally.

[@MANIRES]

"Osman died on November 23, 1998 at the age of 35 after his rope failed while performing a "controlled free-fall" jump from the Leaning Tower rock formation in Yosemite National Park." quick google search

[@henkiedebomb]

That sounds like the most horrible death

[@hansfrost-schimpf2110]

henkiedebomb Wenn you drown, at some point you just "breath" in water and it then still takes one minute or so, till you are dead. When you burn to death, you have incomprehensively strong pain. I agree, that dying is just terrible and awful, but I rather die unexpectedly at a moment, in which I am having fun, than in a lot of other ways (e.g. the above ones) So in my opinion, it's one of the best ways to die. (but of course it's a horrific thought, that my rope could break)

[@2rfg949]

that's Lev Pinter I think no?

[@j-dragonclimbing2718]

Honestly, I feel like tendon recovery is literally everything; I got to V5+ in 7 weeks of climbing, but have been needing to take it easy for the past 1-2 weeks or so due to minor tears in my A2 on my ring fingers although I can still climb V5 sloapers and project sloapy stuff without any pain afterwards.

[@THRCGreatLakes]

are we talking indoor or out though?

[@j-dragonclimbing2718]

Indoor (there's a vid on my channel it's called 4 V5's part 2) ; I don't have either the luxury or the resources to outdoor boulder atm.

[@boulderingnoobs8279]

Feel like we’re the same dude. Finger strength being the main thing holding us back from going V6 upwards (indoor).

[@THRCGreatLakes]

Watched all of your vids. Nice job on the climbing, but if/when you do climb outside be careful with your fingers and joints. These v5 problems you're climbing are typical of soft indoor setting.

[@boulderingnoobs8279]

Henry __ we’re hoping to get outside as we don’t want to just stick to plastic and it’ll be good to test skills on real rock.

[@jipe4153]

maybe the small male to female gap is due to fewer female practioners?

[@90Gonia]

"they have to carry more, in a sport sense, unproductive tissue which is actually a good thing in my opinion" :D

[@hansfrost-schimpf2110]

Thank you for the good video! About the third pillar: Even if there is a genetic aspect to your mind-set (which there most probable is), you should never believe it!! I know it sounds stupid, but if you believe that, it will be even harder to change those habits, that you want to change. (e.g. My parents are lazy, so I'm genetically programmed to be lazy. DON'T BELIEVE THAT)🙃

[@benruefmedia]

*Takes Biology in Uni Modern Biology: Epigenetic change actually contradicts the main assumption underlying your studies. Oof

[@SamuelFabrizio]

What’s the point to blame or boost our genetics? It’s not like we can change it. You have to do your best with what you got.. that’s life.. blaming genetics for our limits is still an excuse. There have been cases in athletes where their genetics was against them (according the ideals).. but they got in the world bests anyway.

[@verbalwound5874]

It's been awhile since I found a German talking so enthusiastically about genetic.

[@cell2809]

What is your body hate

[@swishsplash]

176cm is 5'9 and 178cm is 5'10

[@roastedman8384]

My hands are very heavy a

[@sapinva]

Too little time spent on the mind. At the very highest level of the sport, body type can separate the possible from impossible. But for the other 99.9% of us I think it is mostly mental. In other words body characteristics creates a ceiling, but everywhere under that ceiling is purely mental.

[@pieschen09]

Conclusion: Be a spider.

[@clintcaldwell865]

Just nitpicking on your English because I didn't understand what you were saying at first, "height" in English rhymes with "kite", not "hate".

[@91722854]

Anyone here is a necromorph?

[@ryant8162]

Such a good, video. But this cuts awfully close to eugenics rhetoric.

[@ianbrannan9608]

12:26 so no ones gonna comment on this pic lmao

[@Route_2_V11]

14:00 did you just make a cheeky comment about boobies here?

[@blakes8901]

Just an FYI Mani, most westerners think about length in feet and inches, so instead of saying 5.77 feet, it would make more sense to them if you said 5 feet and 9.25 inches or 5'9.25" for short (with ' meaning feet and " meaning inches). Not a huge deal but if you want to reach out to the highest demographic possible, it would make sense to do it this way.

[@momatotsosrorudodi]

I'm never going to sacrifice my legs to be a better climber. Deadlifts and squats for life. I'm just brute forcing my way through anything, until my grip strength can't get stronger. I won't become an elite climber, but that's not my goal either. I want big forearms and I want to be able traverse difficult terrain.

[@samuelcarr4973]

Darn almost perfect climbing genetic. +15cm wingspan disadvantage leverage.

[@jasonstopwatchingmyname6407]

Hmmm, 23 mins one could have been out climbing.

[@dundeedolphin]

If I was German, I would focus less on the idea of ideal genetics. I thought we had learned that lesson. Just saying.

[@hypperphone93]

But thic fingers Aint genetic

[@jzjzjzj]

short fingers are, and those lead well to a more stronger force, like how weightlifters with short arms have an advantage to long armed people.

[@profd65]

Bullshit. Far and away the most important thing is having a ton of slow twitch muscle. Real climbers (and alpinists) almost always look like the scrawny, sunken chested, sickly fuckers you see running on the cross country team or in marathons. They have no muscle, no speed, no explosion; they just have the ability to go forever

[@Petitgaaateau]

The whole argument that women are at at disadvantage in climbing is a 'argumentum ad verecundiam' - in other words - you are using a point of bias that in considered true today but will not always be true in the future. As such, to say that the gender with the stronger fingers, lighter body weight and higher pain tolerance, will not surpassed the other gender (that must relay on height alone) in climbing is absurd. No doubt Mani, I have loved your frank talks (a lot) but to be so irrational is incredibly disappointing.

[@User-cf3mj]

The perfect aryan race WHITE BLOND HAIR BLUE EYES 😂😂

[@ninasoler6070]

Amazing video!