Climbing – whether you opt for sport climbing, bouldering or something else – is a brilliant workout. If you climb outside, it can also be a fun and active way to spend time in nature.
But in order to climb effectively and safely, as well as to continue progressing, you'll need more than just arm strength. Climbing works plenty of other muscles in your body.
What muscles does climbing work?
Climbing is actually much more of an all-body workout, using your arm, shoulder, back and leg muscles.
Your shoulder and back muscles are the groups most likely to benefit from a climbing session – specifically your lats, rhomboids, deltoids, and rotator cuffs. These muscles work hard to keep you stabilised on the wall, as well as pulling for and maintaining holds.
You can expect your biceps, triceps and the muscles in your forearms (such as flexor digitorum profundus, flexor pollicis longus, and pronator quadratus) to get a workout from climbing. These muscles will engage as you pull yourself up the wall and hang off of it – as well as tackling mantles. While your arm muscles do a lot of work while climbing, you'll risk injury if you rely on the strength of your arm muscles alone. The muscles in your hands and fingers also work hard to maintain your holds.
Core muscles such as your abs, obliques and hip flexors will also be engaged in order to stabilise your spine and keep you parallel to the wall.
A lot of strength in pulling up the wall comes from your legs, so expect your quads, hamstrings and calves to be worked. Surprisingly, your ankles and feet will also benefit as you reach for holds.
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