No one sees the world in quite the same way a climber does. Balancing on toeholds while perched high above the ground and surrounded by nature, climbing and all other things human become humbling. Although people have been climbing steep cliffs and mountains long before many organized sports were conceived, it is still a relatively unexplored adventure. And, in daily life, few people work climbing into their exercise or fitness regime. Too often climbers train the area where they are already strong, rather than their weaknesses. Although people have been climbing steep cliffs and mountains long before many organized sports were conceived, it is still a relatively unexplored adventure. And, in daily life, few people work climbing into their exercise or fitness regime. Climbing is a great fitness and cross-training tool. Practiced knowledgeably, it helps develop all-around muscular coordination and strength. One misconception about this sport is that it’s all about upper-body strength. Not true. Climbing is about recruiting strength from a number of muscle groups in the body. When I work with beginner climbers, I remind them that their biggest, strongest muscles are in their legs. In other words, try to get as much weight as possible over your feet to take the load off your shoulders, arms, and fingers. The abdominal (core) muscles are also important. A strong core helps suck your body toward the cliff and position your weight over your feet. Core strength, combined with tricky body twists, enables you to make long reaches between handholds and preserves your dwindling arm strength. Arms, and their connective parts, tend to be a climber’s weakest links. Arm and shoulder muscles are relatively small and easily misused. The mistakes I made as a beginner included grabbing at holds and trying to pull my weight up, rather than pressing with my legs. And, when scared, I’d grip the rock so tightly I’d have to pry my fingers off the hold with my other hand. This created a sensation all climbers experience-the pump. Arm intensive climbing causes a physical reaction in your forearms. Blood rushes to this area, pumping up your veins until they stick out like a relief map, and seemingly draining your strength. Eventually, it’s impossible to close your hand or fingers on a hold, and you fall. With practice, it’s possible to climb through a pump. But when you’re learning, pumping out is frustrating and scary. In addition to the many visible physical gains, climbing also encourages flexibility and cardiovascular fitness. Some climbers make a conscious effort to breathe through a series of difficult moves, exhaling as they make each move, and inhaling before the next. The better your cardiovascular level, the easier it is to supply your body with oxygen as you climb. The more oxygen your body can process, the quicker your muscles recover during a climb.The aims in training for climbing are to develop all-over fitness and strength, and to avoid injury. Most injuries tend to happen because of overtraining. Too often climbers train the area where they are already strong, rather than their weaknesses. This creates an imbalance in the body and a fast track to injury. Fingers are prone to overtraining. It’s tempting to try to hang on the smallest holds possible, but unless you’ve worked up to this advanced approach, it’s a bad idea. A pulled finger tendon means a compulsory layoff for up to six months. The hardest part of climbing is getting started. It’s difficult to remember knots and what to do with your body when your mind is freaking out over the fact that you are dangling off a cliff by your fingertips. But, there are ways of going about preparing your mind and body for rock climbing. This training is wonderful exercise. And if your goal is to get out into the mountains, then you’ll be glad you’re a climber. Warning: Climbing is an inherently dangerous sport. Your safety depends on your experience, judgment, and ability. You should not depend solely on information gleaned from this article for your personal safety. Always seek qualified instructors to learn climbing safety techniques.