Would this be good for general fitness or in the offseason? i know there is no running involved,but you would gain higher body awareness and movement, maybe even more strength.
I did rock climbing this year for about 6 weeks. It was great fun and I suppose if you were a really inactive person, it could be considered ‘training’ - but really, if you’re rock climbing correctly, all of the strength comes from your legs and its no different from doing a series of bodyweight step-ups.
Higher body awareness? No idea.
It was great fun though, very satisfying when you finally reach the top of a difficult wall.
It probably would improve your focus and concentration.
We have an indoor climbing facility here (why I dont know, being in the mountains), but I do feel that it is an overall body workout. And there are times when you do rely on your upper body. Plus, it provides some good core work. All in all, it may not be an answer from heaven, but it is a break from the usual.
dlive, do you live around Asheville? I’ve got a friend from there that was telling me about the artificial climbing walls there.
I climb indoors on my “off” days sometimes. Very grip intensive, functional grip work too because the holds dont all provide great leverage or a good place to anchor your fingers.
Also, in my experience, it is much more of a muscular endurance activity than explosive strength…but still great fun!
xlr8
The better you get at it the less work it is.