This Thought Has Crossed My Mind A Multitude Of Times—It’s Time We Look At This Method
Rippling back muscles, insane grip strength, outrageous forearm endurance—I’m not describing an armwrestler, but a rock climber. It’s time we took a look at whether rock climbing and bouldering and translatable to armwrestling!
Personal Foreward
As an athlete myself, I have dabbled in weightlifting, rock climbing, armwrestling, and bouldering. I will say, in terms of bicep, forearm, back strength, both armwrestling and rock climbing offer unparalleled training. For both sports, you are primarily focused on intense, static and powerful holds of pulling (bicep and back) positions. I truly believe that the right armwrestler could be an exceptional rock climber and that an exceptional rock climber could be a phenomenal armwrestler.
Why Rock Climbing And Armwrestling Are Translatable
The physical demands offer a ton of overlap. Training for one sport inherently trains you for the other sport!
Muscular Endurance
Rock Climbing: When hanging off a wall, your arm strength must last a long time.
Armwrestling: Sometimes, you will need to hold a move against and opponent to tire them out and win (Devon Larratt’s entire strategy).
Finger, Forearm, Bicep, and Back Strength
Rock Climbing: Every link in your kinetic chain for rock climbing has to be strong. The kinetic chain is your hand to your arm to your back—the linking of your musculoskeletal system to perform a movement.
Armwrestling: Has the same kinetic chain as rock climbing. All of these aforementioned muscle groups have to be rock-solid.
Core Strength
Rock Climbing: This helps you balance your body on the wall and move it to perform your desired movements.
Armwrestling: Devon Larratt will be the first to tell you that armwrestling engages your core. It is integral to holding your entire body firm against an opponent’s pull.
Coordination
Rock Climbing: The ability to move your arms exactly where you need them in a gym or while climbing a rock face.
Armwrestling: The ability to perform a proper armwrestling technique and move your arm into the correct position.
Power
Rock Climbing: Dynamic, fast, and power-related arm movements are integral to complex “problems” on a rock climbing wall.
Armwrestling: The ability to use your power to dynamically execute a toproll movement at the start of a match can make or break the competition.
Mental Prowess
For both sports, I cannot tell you how often we have all seen the mind take precedence over the body’s physical limits. Rock climbers push their arms in unimaginable ways, and armwrestlers push their biceps and forearms to complete failure. Both sports require faith, adrenaline, and the belief that you are the strongest athlete.
How To Incorporate Rock Climbing Into Your Armwrestling Regimen
If you want to be a better athlete, it can be a great idea to vary your training to keep your muscles feeling fresh and powerful. Joining a rock climbing gym can be an excellent opportunity to translate your skills, meet a welcoming community, and perform a workout that changes how you look at grip strength.
You can also start with bouldering walls—it will accomplish the same task. There is no need to buy ropes if you are afraid of heights.
I can attest that groups of rock climbers and communities of armwrestlers are fun-loving people looking to better themselves. Join the club!