Introduction
It is evident that climbing harder routes requires greater physical strength. The holds are generally small, moves can be long and the climbs themselves tend to be steep. Baláš et al. (2014) found a significant interaction between the inclination of a wall and the force-time integral of foot support, and accordingly, the load on the upper extremities increased by 1% for each 1% increase in inclination. Moreover, elite climbers display high levels of maximal finger and upper body strength (For reviews see Langer et al., 2023a; Saul et al., 2019; Stien et al., 2022)
Incorporating strength training within training for climbing has been shown to enhance climbing performance and climbing-specific strength outcomes (For reviews see Langer et al., 2023b; Stien et al., 2023). While not all effect sizes/interaction effects were significant, the training groups improved their climbing performance and strength test outcomes in all of the studies, whereas, for the control/climbing-only groups, this was mostly not the case.
Strength training can be complex with a lot of variation in training metrics such as frequency, volume, load, and proximity to failure. Our aim when we selected this study was, therefore, to provide insights on how to design a strength training program to maximize gains. However, the relationship between strength gains and training metrics also depends on the level of training experience of the study population (Grgic et al., 2022; Schoenfeld et al., 2021; Suchomel et al., 2018). Given that, this review looked at studies exclusively with trained competitive athletes, the conclusions can be applied to climbers with a lot of experience, climbing at a high level.
Study details
How was the study conducted? What was the methodology applied?
- Meta-analysis
- Performing a literature research on published studies
- Calculation of mean effect sizes from the included studies
What were the inclusion criteria of the studies?
- Participants had to be competitive athletes at the collegiate or professional level.
- Studies needed to employ a strength training intervention. This includes strength measurements before and after the strength training program.
- Necessary data for calculating effect sizes had to be included: Effect sizes were calculated to determine the relationship between training variables (intensity, frequency, volume) and strength gains.
How many studies were included in the review/meta-analysis?
- 37 studies with a total of 370 effect sizes.
What are the main characteristics of the included studies?
- Characteristics of the participants:
- Competitive athletes at the collegiate or professional level.
- Male and female athletes of varying ages.
- Participants had varying levels of training experience.
- Characteristics of the training interventions:
- Training intensity (percentage of 1 repetition maximum, 1RM)
- Training frequency (days per week)
- Training volume (sets per muscle group)
What does the review leave out?
- The effect of training intensities higher than 85% of 1RM remains unclear.
- Specific dose-response differences for varying creatine supplementation, periodization models, and training to failure need further investigation.
Conclusion and practical application
Central conclusion:
- Based on the study’s findings, training 2-3 times per week, with a volume of 8 sets per muscle group at an intensity of 85% 1RM has been shown to maximize strength gains in athletic populations.
Corollary or secondary conclusions:
- Training intensity
- Training at an intensity of 50-70% of 1RM elicited minimal strength improvements.
- Other studies have shown, that high intensity is the most important metric for strength training (Currier et al., 2023) and higher strength gains are elicited by training at higher intensities (≤ 8RM, >60% 1RM) (Lopez et al., 2021; Refalo et al., 2021). Experienced athletes, however, need to train at a minimal intensity of 80% 1RM for further strength gains (Kraemer et al., 2002).
- In climbing research, the following studies related to training intensity exist
- Lopez et al. (2012) applied different strategies to manipulate the load in dead hangs, firstly by using a relatively deep rung (18mm) and adding weight (MAW), and secondly by reducing the rung size (MED). The most significant improvement in maximum strength was found in the MAW group after 4 weeks of training.
- Hermans et al. (2017) investigated the effects of high load, few repetitions (5RM) vs. low load, high repetitions (20RM) on climbing performance and climbing-specific strength tests. Both training groups improved climbing performance by 11-12% (vs. 4.5% in the control group) but did not show any significant differences between them.
- Devise et al. (2022) compared hangboard training protocols at different intensities. The groups that trained at 100% and 80% of Maximum Voluntary Contraction (MVC) improved their maximal finger strength whereas the control group and the group that trained at 60% did not. Training at 60% and 80% of MVC however, improved finger stamina and endurance, whereas training at 100% MVC did not.
- Training volume
- Training with very low (1-3 sets per muscle group per session) and very high (16 sets) volume decreased strength gains.
- Training frequency
- No additional benefit was found in training 3 days per week compared to 2 days per week for the same muscle group.
- In climbing-research, Stein et al (2021) compared the effects of 2 weekly vs. 4 weekly, volume equivalent campus board sessions. While the 2 weekly sessions increased bouldering performance, there were no group differences in strength outcomes and the 4 weekly sessions tended to increase the Rate of Force Development (RFD) more than the other interventions.
- Sex-related differences
- Effect sizes were similar for women and men
- Influence of other variables
- Participants using creatine, periodized training programs, and training protocols that involved training to failure elicited greater magnitudes of strength gains. However, these variables did not significantly alter the overall dose-response trends.
Given the limited evidence in climbing-specific studies, designing a training plan in accordance with the findings from Peterson et al (2004) is a good choice for climbers with several years of training experience who wish to improve their maximum strength.
Original Study
Peterson, M. D., Rhea, M. R., & Alvar, B. A. (2004). Maximizing strength development in athletes: a meta-analysis to determine the dose-response relationship. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 18(2), 377-382.
References
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Devise, M., Lechaptois, C., Berton, E., & Vigouroux, L. (2022). Effects of different hangboard training intensities on finger grip strength, stamina, and endurance. Frontiers in sports and active living, 4, 862782.
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Stien, N., Saeterbakken, A. H., & Andersen, V. (2022). Tests and Procedures for Measuring Endurance, Strength, and Power in Climbing-A Mini-Review. Frontiers in sports and active living, 4, 847447. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2022.847447
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