# PT to improve rope climbing



## Jarnhamar (24 Feb 2012)

Aside from climbing a rope to get better at climbing a rope- what kind of PT or exercises can someone do to improve their ability to climb up a free hanging rope?


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## aesop081 (24 Feb 2012)

Chin-ups ?


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## Blackadder1916 (24 Feb 2012)

Pole dancing?


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## Jarnhamar (24 Feb 2012)

CDN Aviator said:
			
		

> Chin-ups ?


That's what I thought too.




			
				cypres78 said:
			
		

> Climbing a rope is 90% technique. It was a pass/fail point on many a SarTech PT test during selection.  Pinch the rope between your feet and stand up. Lots of videos on youtube.


What's the criteria for SarTech's for rope climbing? Just make it to the top of the rope? I got half way up using upper body alone but I was gassed and had to slide/drop back down to the mat in unglorious defeat.  I'll try pinching it between my feet, didn't think that would be enough but it's worth a try.



			
				Blackadder1916 said:
			
		

> Pole dancing?


have you seen some of the stunts those girls can do?  Talking serious core muscles there


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## MJP (24 Feb 2012)

Grimaldus said:
			
		

> That's what I thought too.
> 
> What's the criteria for SarTech's for rope climbing? Just make it to the top of the rope? I got half way up using upper body along but I was gassed and had to slide/drop back down to the mat in unglorious defeat.  I'll try pinching it between my feet, didn't think that would be enough but it's worth a try.



If you want to climb efficiently you have to use your legs more than upper body.  Arms guide, legs do the heavy work.  The video that cypress put out has the best technique out there IMHO.  It takes some coordination to do but once you have it rope climbing is a snap.


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## The_Falcon (25 Feb 2012)

MJP said:
			
		

> If you want to climb efficiently you have to use your legs more than upper body.  Arms guide, legs do the heavy work.  The video that cypress put out has the best technique out there IMHO.  It takes some coordination to do but once you have it rope climbing is a snap.



Agreed, also what hasn't been mentioned is grip strength.  If you don't have a very strong grip especially if you happen to use thicker rope, it makes life harder.


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## daftandbarmy (25 Feb 2012)

I did the Commando Course in the UK. 

It consisted of an orgy of rope climbing .... plus some other stuff. I am convinced that, in order to climb a rope successfully and consistently (wearing 40lbs of weapons and equipment), you should have one - on - one coaching from someone who knows what they are doing. 

Yes, really.

And by the way, the advice given above is all good too.


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## cp140tech (25 Feb 2012)

Try hanging a towel over a chin up bar and using an all around grip on the towel like it was a rope.... chin ups like this will smoke your hands and forearms.  Grapplers often use this  to improve grip strength, it's worked well for me.  It won't replace good rope climbing mechanics, but it should help.


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## blacktriangle (25 Feb 2012)

I tend to do L climbs (google the term or check youtube) and I usually start from a sitting position. It's a really good workout that was shown to me by a French soldier I know.  It's a great upper body exercise and works your core if done right as well. I am not a big fan of having a big bulky upper body, I'd much rather be lean with strong legs and back...

As for practical use, MJP and other's have posted the best method (especially if you have kit) and once you learn the form it is the most efficient. Not as fast or as much fun as my method though


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## dale622 (25 Feb 2012)

I had an ex para coach me to being pretty good with the rope. The S-Wrap is the most effective I found for me but ground work and strength building is key first. Chinups will get you so far but core and legs make up most of the effort. One really good exercise I started with was stepping up to the rope and extending as high as I could with my arms. Take a tight grip on the rope and curl your body up until your knees touch your elbows. This is a great prep workout for core strength. Leg workouts consisted of box jumps and weighted squats. To get the grip and arm strength better lay on your back with your arms straight up the rope. Your heels become a pivot point while you only use arms to climb a few feet up the rope. Any more questions let me know. I still use the ropes in a lot of my workouts.


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## i_was_here1st (8 Mar 2012)

Truth be told, you can learn to climb a rope without using your feet with a simple training device. They keep them in most back yards in in BC, not so sure about the flatlands and back east. Trees, go climb trees.
Both me and my kid brother practically lived in them since we could climb. I could do a 35 foot rope climb with no feet in training load out, and my Kid brother (Now a Navel Cadet at RMC!) could equal or beat me.
The real trick to rope climbing is balance, using all your force to up, not side to side. Climbing a tree will teach you this (or kill/maim you, one of the two). 

Yes, i know it sounds silly, but go climb a tree to about 40 feet a few times and see what starts burning, it will be mostly your shoulders and forearms, with a weird burn in your stomach.


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## cross (19 Mar 2012)

I can see how chinning and treeclimbing would build the arm/core strength, but besides a rope I can't figure how else to train bending/grabbing the bottom rope with feet to stand up using the leg muscles.

Are we basically not supposed to use our biceps/lats to pull ourselves up, but rather we just hang our weight on the rope with straight arms briefly while we raise and re-set our feet?


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## MJP (19 Mar 2012)

cross said:
			
		

> Are we basically not supposed to use our biceps/lats to pull ourselves up, but rather we just hang our weight on the rope with straight arms briefly while we raise and re-set our feet?



Yes and then once feet are set, stand up using your legs as the primary driver.  Arms (and by extension the lats are used to stabilize and for some of the pull.  But they fatigue quicker than legs so the less you use them the better.


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