How to Warm Up for Climbing
Warming up is the part everyone skips and everyone regrets. A few minutes of preparation makes you climb better on your first hard try and protects the fingers, shoulders and elbows that climbing loads so heavily. Here is a simple routine you can do before any session.
Why warming up matters
Cold muscles and tendons are stiff and easy to strain, and climbing puts big loads through small structures, especially the fingers. A warm up raises your body temperature, gets blood into the tissues and wakes up the connection between brain and muscle. The result is simple: you feel better, you climb better, and you are far less likely to tweak something on your first hard move.
Start off the wall
Spend the first few minutes getting your whole body moving, before you touch a single hold. Anything that raises your heart rate works: a brisk walk to the gym, some easy skipping, or a few minutes of arm swings, leg swings and gentle twists. You are aiming to feel warm, not tired.
Wake up the shoulders and wrists
Climbing hangs everything off your shoulders and wrists, so give them a moment. Roll your shoulders, make big slow circles with your arms, and gently move your wrists through their range in both directions. A few press ups or scapular pulls switch on the muscles that keep your shoulders stable when you pull.
Ease into the climbing
Now climb, but start ridiculously easy. Do several problems or routes far below your limit, focusing on smooth movement and quiet feet rather than difficulty. Each lap should feel a little harder than the last. This is where your fingers get their real warm up, so do not rush from the easiest problem straight to your hardest project.
Warm up the fingers last
Fingers need the most careful, gradual loading of anything in climbing. By the time you have climbed a few easy laps they are already waking up. If you use a hangboard, only hang on big, friendly edges as part of the warm up, never small crimps while you are still cold. When your hands feel ready and your movement feels loose, you are good to try something hard.
A quick warm up checklist
- A few minutes of easy full body movement.
- Shoulder, arm and wrist circles.
- Several climbs well below your limit, getting gradually harder.
- Big holds only until the fingers feel ready.
- Stop while you feel warm and springy, not pumped.
Ten minutes is usually enough. Warming up well is one of the easiest habits to build and one of the best for a long climbing life. New to it all? Start with our guide to bouldering for beginners, and the Climbers Delight newsletter keeps the tips and stories coming every week.
