Does losing weight help climbing reddit The “problem” with cardio for weight loss is that you have to do it for hours to burn large amounts of calories. Alternative exercises aren't going to help you lose weight, changing your diet will. Notice, I did not say weight loss diet, which you may not even need. It mostly impacts climbing and I think initial acceleration - weight does help with maintaining momentum quite a lot and descending. I also do bodyweight exercises and lift weights. Definitely more intense than just taking a walk on flat terrain and better for building muscle even though it's cardio. But at what point does body weight really start to matter? Is it v7? v10? v13? At what point does "being strong" hit its limit and the only way to climb harder is to weigh less? This subreddit is pretty against any discussions around weight loss for the purpose of improving climbing, sometimes rightfully and other times wrongfully imo. Before I started climbing I was super skinny and had no muscle so I started bodybuilding to bulk up for like 2 years and then got into climbing, stopped weight lifting entirely, and noticed I was gaining more muscle than I was when I had Losing weight can make you faster, to a point (obviously losing too much weight will have consequences). Aug 11, 2021 · Rock climbing is a fun form of exercise that can be beneficial for your body and mind, and yes, it might also help you shed some pounds. So 2000-2100 cal. However, bouldering and climbing is literally the best, but I wouldn't do it to help you lose weight. Based on my experience, stair climbing not only sheds Bouldering is awesome motivation for losing weight. k. My goal weight is 170 lbs. I'd suggest doing measurements with a tape measure. Reply reply more repliesMore replies Groghnash • Losing weight off the bike is always great, don't listen to those who say why bother losing 1kg off your bike when you are 15kg over weight etc. This thrilling activity not only provides a full-body workout but also helps burn calories and improve overall fitness. Even though correcting my overweight problem and becoming good at climbing are important to me, right now I want to do what's best to improve my climbing performance. But there are so many other things that affect your pace. You should increase climbing time and decrease weight lifting time. I recommend doing all of your negatives using this grip until you can do a real pull-up 166 votes, 109 comments. Many climbers, especially beginners, wonder if there's an "ideal" weight for bouldering and how their own body weight might impact their performance. Your body composition will start to shift naturally. By losing weight, some individuals may experience a reduction in sweating, especially if their excess body fat was contributing to the issue. Definitely, I would even say cleaning up the diet and skipping the running will benefit you more for quality climbing sessions. I think in this sub we should be careful not to equate weight loss with better climbing, because that can be dangerous. Dec 9, 2023 · Losing weight to climb better isn't always necessary, but here are some tips from a climbing instructor on how to become a great climber. I've been Apr 28, 2025 · Climbing stairs can help lose belly fat, and it is a good cardiovascular workout routine. Yes, you can climb while overweight, and doing so will help you lose the weight. Can lead climb comfortably outdoors on most 17s, some 18s, have done a 20 and 22 (New Zealand/Australia grading system, I don't know how to convert these grades) I would consider climbing my 'second' sport, I work as a mountainbike guide Placing MY ideal climbing weight around 20 BMI but ideal training weight around 22. It's s fine if you are overweight or not super fit at the beginning. KPI’s) for climbers. They work very hard (and proud) on the “strength” side of that equation, so it would be foolish to ignore the “weight” side. Bouldering as a workout is indeed mediocre however bouldering as motivation was the best for me. So last week, I have been doing a mix of walking, running, riding the elliptical or the bike. The easiest grip is hands facing you, about 4 inches apart. I Jun 7, 2024 · But sustained weight loss can be more challenging than the latest Eva Lopez contrasting deadhangs program because strength building comes through changing your exercise program, while long-term weight loss requires changing your life. And therein lies the problem: most people don’t have the training, guidance, or hours and hours of free time for research to do it right. Climb stairs for about 10-15 minutes or do 45 to 60 seconds of stair climbers at a fast pace, alternating with some incline push-ups at the machine for optimal weight loss results. You just started so don't worry too much about your progress or how hard you're sending, just climb and have a good time. Sep 1, 2020 · Go climbing! Or do some whole body strength training for climbing! Not only is it a better use of your time, and is more specific, but it also has a huge impact on weight loss. If it’s too hard, up it by 100 so 2200 cal a day. There's lots of ways to become a better climber or have more fun as a climber that don't require losing weight. The weight goal I want to reach is definitely a personal health thing. A significant factor why we tend to be heavier in modern society is our everyday lives and that we always have food available. NormalLife6067 Does climbing stairs have an impact on the knees for obese people? I am a guy in my mid-thirties. Losing weight will come with a clean diet, trying to speed it up by adding a run will eat in your recovery time and does not help your climbing. When you start seeing how much easier some problems get as you get lighter (without going overboard, of course), it will be easier to do what you need to keep your weight down. 5 months now, I started climbing as a way to gain muscle and lose weight but I’m not sure if I’m losing weight : ( ( My weight is increasing and I believe I’m gaining muscle and muscle mass but I can’t help but I’ve been trying to be toned so the weight increase is making me self conscious : ( does anybody understand what Bouldering won’t help you lose weight but it’s a great way to gain muscle if you get seriously into it. This article aims to demystify the relationship between a climber's weight and their bouldering abilities, providing a balanced perspective for Aug 9, 2024 · Are you looking for an effective and enjoyable way to lose weight? Rock climbing might be the perfect solution for you. Yes, weight matters in climbing performance (especially hypertrophy outside of finger flexors and pulling muscles). Reply reply More replies At your weight, biking will not be comfortable at the start so you need to ease into it and avoid any injuries. Focusing on losing weight to increase your strength/weight ratio would make more sense once you have trained your strength extensively, so any additional gains will be hard to come by. Source: Am a skinny male and would be much worse at climbing (V8ish) if I lost any weight. If you're going to climb, climb because you like doing it. I feel like I can still make big strides in climbing for a long time before weight becomes a factor. I am in my second week of climbing stairs in my building (8 floors up and down), and I've lost a handful of pounds. If you can lose 5-10 lbs that's all fat, then it'll probably help. With stair climbing, though, a good chunk of the work being done is lifting your own weight up, so calories burned scale with weight a lot better than for something like bicycling. The documentary Light is a great discussion on eating disorders and climbing. For weight loss, you want to be focusing on cardio, and climbing is not really cardio. Given your description of your build, I don't think you have anything to gain via weight loss until you're climbing harder than V7. If you want a leaner stomach area, then your best bet is to keep to a cardio and/or weight lifting regimen while starting a decent fat loss diet. Many climbers—particularly competitive climbers—try to optimize that by losing weight. You can do spins, climbs and even manage inverts. trueI'm surprised by the lack of people suggesting rope climbing first. I started the gym and was doing a lot of heavy weights, focussing on my legs as i always wanted muscly legs. My point is that being lean can help you be a top climber, but being a climber won't necessarily make you lean. While improving your technical and mental skills is always paramount, training to increase your strength and power metrics is just as essential for reaching the higher grades. Cycling can be a great way to burn a bunch of calories, but if you just replace them with more food, that ain't gonna help. trueHey guys, I know this post is 10 years old but hopefully you guys will be able to see it and help me? I‘m 5’9 and I weigh 230 lbs. I definitely agree with u/icantsurf about finding something you can enjoy regularly. That's because, typically, boulders require more raw power and you aren't really worried about pumping out. Athletes should strive I saw a post here complaining that they only lost 4 pounds in one month and were demotivated. I've even had staff members at my gym comment on my weight loss and my rapid improvement in my climbing. What is the “real” way to lose weight, what actually works? What are the best meals and exercises for weight loss? It seems to take me forever to lose weight and when I do, I gain it back immediately. I'm not an expert but being low BMI and seeing if you need to lose weight miiiight be a light touch of an eating-disorder. Moving on, generally the best amount of calories to eat to lose weight is 500 less than your TDEE with a bare minimum of 1200 for women and 1500 for men, obviously when not losing weight the best is maintenance. Weight loss is going to be tied much more to diet rather than the exercise you do. I can relate to food disorders. If weight loss is the primary goal, then cardio may be the best option over climbing which is both strength and cardio. Told myself I would start climbing once I lost weight. Even going down stairs, which feels like a rest, is great for targeting different muscles in the legs/glutes that going up. I'm climbing stairs to outer space. Doing strength training (or bouldering) may not appear to have the same immediate weight loss component, but what it does is ramp up your metabolism for longer. Many people attempt to lose weight by eating below their calorie intake and valid physiological responses prevent weight loss, namely the hypothalamus creates irresistible cravings that cause people to overeat and “yo-yo diet”. Climbers go to great lengths to develop finger and upper-body strength, with the aim of improving their strength-to-weight ratio in order to resist the pull of gravity. Head over to r/fitness and look at the wiki, there is a lot there that should help you with the push. You also need to lose weight which will make biking easier. I figured these posts are basically around to say like oh you can't run to lose weight but if you purchase my workout plan or whatever you will lose weight and I Controlling body weight is critical to maximizing climbing performance. Lets face it running on a treadmill does far less than skipping one snack during the day. This is my 30-day cutting journey — from 74kg down to 69kg — to see if losing weight would really help my climbing performance. Whether you need to lose 2 lbs or 400 lbs, you are welcome here! Reddit's rock climbing training community. As of recently i have felt a bit as if i am not really recovering sufficciently. Climbing is amazing for weight loss. Be sure to remain skeptical of all advice here including my own comment of course. No, losing weight doesn't necessarily mean you will lose muscle mass. After the weight loss, my nephrologist wanted to put me on a schedule of bi-annual visits rather than annual, but I was too paranoid about my kidneys to take him up on the offer. My personal recommendation would be intermittent fasting. I’ve been doing kickboxing 3 time a week to help lose weight and gain muscle and I’ve been gaining weight? You can get a lot better at climbing without losing any weight at all. Dedicated to increasing all our knowledge about how to better improve at our sport. When I reach my goal weight, is there a chance that my penis will looker larger on my body due to the less amount of fat and just overall weigh? Reply reply yeahitsokk • Yep Reply reply More replies I think doctors usually recommend weight loss if you are overweight for two reasons: First, too much fat in your body (especially visceral fat) increases inflammation; and second, the extra weight adds pressure to your weight bearing joints (hips, knees, and feet). We discuss everything from the philosophy to the science of training. Chronic stomach problems swing my weight a bit. I'm finding hill walking and stair climbing are a super challenge to my cardio and strength. And when you do your negatives, hang like your life depends on it. For me, I gain 5 lbs and I go down a grade on overhung problems. If you're serious about weight loss, look into it. I personally climbed much worse while losing weight and that mental toll along with the calorie restriction was very difficult to go through. I feel like there are days where i feel "light" after not eating anything and crush and there are days where I feel heavy and do much worse. Yes. Casual climber, Boulder/lead climb once a week/2 weeks indoors, once a week outdoors in the summer, sometimes more. It doesn't have much to do with performance. Climbing is a strength to weight ratio sport so cutting any weight that's not utilized much for climbing does help. However, I noticed that my knees hurt when I try to climb each stair. Work on losing weight simultaneously while doing negative pull-ups 3 times per week. But I've recently moved to intermediate and oh boy, it's getting harder and harder and well, the girls who manage to do all the moves are the skinnier ones. Hm, is weight loss really the only way that you can make quick progress in climbing though? I've seen people similarly feel much better on the wall after a round of fingerboard training or flexibility training, etc. But with your current finger strength, you can see gains while just training. If you plateau and want to loose weight at some point, go for it. Climbing stairs is a great cardio workout. I saw somewhere you can rough estimate your calories w deficit by taking your weight and multiply by ten. If you want to lose weight, look into exercises that are good for burning calories. Suggest a decent mix of HIIT to keep the muscles working and longer slower rides to burn calories as you lose weight keep protein high, drop carbs. But just to say it right at the start, you don’t have to be skinny to climb. Hey all, I'm interested in whether I can use bouldering as a way to get fit / exercise method or whether I'm going to have to lose weight and gain muscle before I start. This can vary from 1200 calories for petite sedentary women all the way up to 3K+ for tall active men. Be careful as to make sure you don't reduce workouts as you lose weight. But you might also take a peak at the Rock Prodigy forums or the Rock Climbers Training Manual, which has a significant section on eating well for climbing. With that said, I am looking into losing some weight myself, which is going to be difficult, and I might have to do some tracking after all to get the consistency you mention. First ever climb, we all start somewhere. I'm in the camp that losing a few pounds can absolutely help, and for me at 5'8" and 145 and fairly active, I just had to cut out extra calories if you have 15 pounds to lose without it being detrimental to your strength (Aka fat) then it will only have a positive effect on your climbing. I have interest in climbing stairs as an exercise to lose my weight. Being lighter would help, but you are probably better off worrying about weight at a later point in your climbing career and focusing on getting strong at the moment. Been doing this for probably a year now. Atleast 4 seconds from top to bottom. Even a few pounds makes a big difference. I wouldn't expect you have much fat left to easily lose. Though, I think it really depends on your goal. Start there. To answer your question, plenty of people have lost weight while climbing. Realized that was stupid and decided to make climbing part of my weight loss / fitness journey. Remember, sustainable weight loss involves adopting lifestyle changes rather than following short-term fad diets. Muscle is denser than fat so weighs more, so if you do a lot of lifting, but don't see the scale move, you should probably start using other measurements. Yes, losing weight will help you climb faster. I average probably about 15 miles per week. You will get a lot better just by practicing. . As you drop weight, biking will become much much easier but in the mean time, walking should be your primary exercise and healthy eating the primary way to lose weight. Weight loss is best done in the kitchen, while fitness is best done on the bike. There are a million youtube videos about the basics of climbing - I wouldn't treat them as gospel but you'll probably find them helpful. As someone who's got a small pot belly and on the higher end of fat% among climbers, I find it way better to train on low bouldering walls and high wall auto belay first for both technique and cardio. I'm currently 91kg (186cm) and have a mainly sedentary lifestyle (which is what I'm trying to change). If you're already running lean and much of that loss is going to be muscle mass, then you're probably not going to see much benefit. Additionally, it might help if your climbing gym has additional fitness equipment like treadmills and some weights. The gradients you're talking about are pretty wild, though, so you may have to dip into the mountain bike parts bins to get low enough ratios. I think it’s mostly because I exclusively climb on real rock now (due to gym closures) but losing weight and improved fitness has likely helped my climbing. It’s a slippery slope, but at 6’0 I can really feel the difference between 160 and 170. I realized that some of you might need some additional motivation and tips and threw together a few of my own to give back to this amazing You cannot say you climb better due to losing weight over the last couple months if you also started climbing a shit ton and trying hard to get better over the last couple months where previously you did not. I interpret this as meaning if I lose some weight I could climb much harder. I feel very lean (relatively low fat) right now- i could include a picture- but my bmi is You're going to have more success getting advice from a sub like r/climbharder, for sure. The increased metabolism from climbing stairs helps burn body fat. My BMI is currently 42. I dont think that losing weight is the path to actual better climbing but if your heavier than you should be, even if it's muscle but in places that are not necessary (for instance excessively large hamstrings or quads) , consider losing the weight. For one your bike is lighter no matter how much you weigh, the total system weight is still lighter. So I started running about a month ago and before starting I did a little research about running to lose weight, but when you Google this all you see are articles and videos saying that running is not an efficient way to lose weight. Whether you need to lose 2 lbs or 400 lbs, you are welcome here! We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Stay stable with healthy, "whole" foods if possible. The hills near me in a high-end neighborhood aren't a constant grade, but instead are very steep for a hundred yards or two and then you turn around and go back down. Years ago I used to struggle with stairs and there were a particular large set on a walking trail that used to kill me. My speed is sloooooowly climbing for my 5k times but i’m wondering how much I’ll improve if I lose some weight! Of course, experience and climbing several times a week has something to do with that but I think the weight loss has a considerable effect on it as well. The thing that irritated me a little bit is that my nephrologist never told me that I could improve my kidney function by losing weight. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. 158 votes, 128 comments. I feel like that weight doesn't matter that much when you start. Oct 14, 2020 · Don’t get me wrong, weight training definitely CAN be effective, specific training for climbing, but only if done right. Keep up with your pull-up training and upper body exercises, and you'll be doing unassisted pull-ups in no time! Nov 8, 2023 · Would you like to know whether bouldering is suitable for weight loss? Well, the article contains everything about bouldering and how it can help. Focus on establishing healthy habits that you can maintain in the long term. My endurance is also better, i can climb longer. Stair climbing increases leg power and may be an important priority in reducing the risk of injury from falls in the elderly Stair climbing can help you build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints. However, it will absolutely help increase your calorie deficit should you elect to diet. Every kilogram that I lost was immediately noticed on the walls. I personally have noticed improvements in my aerobic capacity and leg muscle and joint strength. At what point do you think body weight starts to inhibit your climbing ability? Most elite level climbers sit at around 135lb-165lb (from what I can tell). Not because the act of climbing really helps you lose weight but because it provides the motivation needed to to stick to a diet. Aug 17, 2024 · What Are the Benefits of Rock Climbing for Weight Loss? In addition to helping you lose weight, rock climbing offers several other benefits, including: Improved cardiovascular health: Rock climbing is a great way to get your heart pumping. How much is very relative but you want to look at watts per kilo to get an idea. A place for people of all sizes to discuss healthy and sustainable methods of weight loss. But it's definitely not what limits beginner performance or something you should worry about at this point, especially for you with your low bf%. It's not as efficient as a lifting program, sure, but anyone who boulders 3-4 times a week for a few years is going to have plenty of strength in muscles that are used in climbing. As you get closer to your goal weight of 140 lbs, it's likely you'll find pull-ups more achievable. Climbing stairs to Space to lose weight! I thought I'd tell you nice people about my unusual goal. Not to say larger people can’t have healthy offspring, but naturally people will look for the most healthy partner they can find, which is typically someone that is of healthy weight and general fitness. a. Climbing is a ridiculous sport in general. However, it's important to note that sweating is a natural and necessary process for the body to regulate temperature and eliminate toxins. I kept losing weight because I wanted to climb longer and harder routes. I am not thinking in terms of hypertrophic gains that weight lifters get from bulking and cutting since normal training for climbing doesn’t produce hypertrophy, but instead the extra weight being more like a natural weight vest. With the right amount of cardio worked in to lose weight, falling from height would become way I ask because I’ve been running for roughly 8 months consistently. I would also say my legs were pretty weak before I started cycling. May 30, 2025 · Most climbers think that the simple act of losing weight will help them climb better. I'm overweight and trying to not just lose it but to build strength at the same time. However if you are like me and sweat regardless of your weight, a proper diet can help manage you sweating a bit, but otherwise it’s just part of you. Aug 9, 2023 · In the world of bouldering, conversations about weight can often be fraught with misconceptions. This has led to a lot of disordered eating in the community which is why it's a sensitive topic. It's specifically not good for weight loss because you don't burn many calories, but you get plenty toned. I'm slightly overweight and I think that losing that 6/ Weight training won't help you lose weight, but it WILL help you lose FAT which is usually the ultimate goal. Then 6 months later I tried those stairs again and I just about flew up them! That's when i realised its all about the muscle and This does mean you have to be aware that losing 3lbs every week isn’t possible for the entire duration so remind yourself every day. I think you need to focus on building healthy eating habits first, ones which will lend to a maintainable lifestyle once you've hit your ideal weight How much does the stair master help you in losing weight? I love doing cardio, the recovery is fast, I can handle the soreness as well as opposed to lifting weights which leaves me sore for days and demotivates me from working out. During these months my climbing grade and grip strength has increased substantially even though i have been losing weight (probably a mix of better technique and "noob-gains"). I actually gained a little weight and lost my cardiovascular fitness when I dropped weight lifting and running for climbing because I loved it so much and had limited free time. I also sweat through my shirt and wheeze and puff and groan through the entire process. That said, climbing is not a good weight-loss sport. BMI is a pretty flawed tool, but at 5'10" and 150 your BMI is already on the low side. I started biking a lot in the past 3 months and my climbing has improved a lot as well as my general fitness. I'd never tell someone to lose weight to improve their climbing unless they are overweight but if you are, one of the best things you can do to improve not only your climbing but your general health is to get to a more manageable weight. 😅 This is a sub for petite women to come talk all things weight-loss, weight-gain, and fitness. I did the calculations and using the 8-floor stairwell at my work, I determined that it's around 20,000 floors to get to Space. At 85kg OP has a lot more to potentially lose than your 9a climber, so it is probably not as necessary. So I have been climbing for 3 years now and am trying hard to push into some new grades. If you go cycling at 200W (moderate-ish intensity for a cyclist of your weight with some training) for an hour that burns maybe 850kcal. Because climbing is a strength to weight ratio sport, a lot of climbers will focus losing weight to send higher grades. But is that bad beta? A high strength-to-weight ratio is needed in climbing. For you the fastest way to climb faster is to lose weight. Weight loss is 99% diet. As a 135 pound 35 year old male, I’ve found that regardless of my diet I still sweat all day/night from almost every part of my body. First of all, calories ≠ diet. Assuming you're relatively muscular, climbing trips (at least 7 days) are a good way to lose weight. The sciatica subreddit is the internet's largest community to find support, share stories (successful or otherwise!), and learn more about the challenging medical condition of radiculopathy. Eh, idk about that. As hot of a topic as weight loss in climbing is, you can’t deny that being at a lighter weight while still being healthy makes climbing easier. Losing weight will help you do your first pull-up. If you want to lose weight you diet and you'll want to diet because dropping a few extra lbs makes you crush so much harder. It sounds like you're on the right track but still need to work on it. I am not sure if it is due to my obese body. I reminded the poster that weight loss isn't a sprint, it's a marathon and 4 pounds a month is actually a really healthy way to lose ~50 pounds in one year. I never did cardio because I hate it. Jun 19, 2023 · Strength-to-weight and power-to-weight ratios are important key performance indicators (a. Lower body weight is more helpful for sport/route climbing than bouldering, and that is typically reflected in pro climbers as well. In this comprehensive guide, we’ ll delve into the world of rock climbing for weight loss, exploring its benefits, techniques, and tips to help you Losing weight can make pull-ups easier because you're lifting less of your body weight. Welcome to Reddit's HIIT community! We are dedicated to health and wellness using the most efficient and effective methods backed by science. true(tw: weight issues) Hi!! I’ve been climbing for about 2. Post your progress pics, workout routines, rants about TDEE, and more! This is only true if you are losing weight properly and coming into your climbing sessions fueled. It can help improve your endurance and reduce your risk of heart disease. Don’t know what gearing you have but 50-34 up front and 11-34 or maybe 11-38 on the back will help. iweueplu mrzc pwhht oyng cmww pmpx xkspoa sxlqp kcf udnpa zbqra bckmd xad dypfrih supldku