How to Build Endurance for Long Climbing Sessions

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Endurance is key for long climbing sessions and multi-pitch climbs. Building endurance involves both specific climbing exercises and general fitness improvements that can help you climb longer without fatigue. Here’s a guide to increasing your stamina on the wall, along with a few helpful products from Amazon UK that can support your endurance training.

1. Start with Interval Training

Interval training combines periods of intense activity with short rests, which helps build the aerobic and anaerobic endurance needed for climbing.

  • Climb in Intervals: Spend 3-5 minutes climbing continuously at an easier grade than your max, then take a 2-minute rest. Repeat this for several sets.
  • Use a Timer or Interval App: Setting specific times for climbing and resting helps keep you focused on interval training.

2. Practice “Up-Down-Up” Drills

“Up-Down-Up” is a drill where you climb up a route, downclimb it, and then climb up again—all without resting. This drill teaches your body to handle long periods of sustained effort.

  • Choose Moderate Routes: Start with routes a few grades below your max. This drill can be intense, so begin with 1-2 sets and gradually increase as you build endurance.

3. Focus on Low-Intensity, High-Duration Sessions

Spending more time climbing at a low intensity helps train your body for endurance without overtaxing it.

  • Endurance Sessions on the Wall: Spend 20-30 minutes climbing lower-difficulty routes or boulder problems continuously. The goal is to stay moving with minimal rest.
  • Foam Rollers and Recovery Gear: After a long endurance session, foam rolling helps relieve muscle tension. Consider a quality foam roller like this one from Amazon.

4. Work on Grip and Forearm Endurance

Grip endurance is crucial in climbing since your forearms are constantly engaged. Grip trainers and hangboard routines improve endurance and strength in your fingers and forearms.

  • Use a Grip Trainer: Squeezing a grip strengthener is a simple way to train your forearms. Try a product like the FitBeast Hand Grip Strengthener Kit for a variety of grip exercises.
  • Hangboard Training: Performing endurance exercises on a hangboard helps strengthen your fingers for longer holds on the wall. Start with easy holds and progress to more challenging ones. Check out the Metolius Project Board on Amazon.

5. Incorporate Aerobic Conditioning

General aerobic fitness is essential for endurance. Running, cycling, or rowing are all great ways to improve cardiovascular strength.

  • Running or Cycling: Aim for 20-30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise 2-3 times a week. This boosts your general stamina, which will help you sustain longer climbs.
  • Rowing Machine: Rowing provides a full-body workout and strengthens muscles essential for climbing. Try a compact rower like the JLL R200 Luxury Home Rowing Machine on Amazon UK.

6. Build Core Strength for Stability

A strong core helps with stability and prevents early fatigue, especially on more challenging, sustained climbs.

  • Core-Focused Exercises: Planks, hanging leg raises, and Russian twists are great for core strength. Try using a medicine ball for added resistance for core exercises.
  • Climbing-Specific Core Drills: Practice “L-Sits” on a pull-up bar or hangboard, which engage your core while holding onto an overhead grip—similar to what you’d experience on the wall.

7. Mix in Circuit Training for Functional Strength

Circuit training targets multiple muscle groups and improves both strength and endurance.

  • Create a Circuit with Climbing Exercises: Include moves like pull-ups, push-ups, squats, and lunges. Repeat each exercise for a set amount of time, moving from one to the next with minimal rest.
  • Weighted Vests for Increased Intensity: A weighted vest adds resistance to bodyweight exercises, helping to build climbing-specific endurance. Try the ZELUS Weighted Vest on Amazon for a versatile option.

8. Prioritize Recovery and Nutrition

Recovery is essential for building endurance, as it allows your muscles to repair and grow stronger.

  • Stay Hydrated and Fuel Properly: Keep water and electrolytes on hand for long sessions, and make sure to eat complex carbs and protein to replenish energy stores post-climb.
  • Use Muscle Recovery Aids: For quicker recovery, consider a massage gun like the Renpho Massage Gun to relieve sore muscles and reduce downtime between sessions.

9. Track Your Progress

Keeping a record of your endurance workouts and climbing performance helps you stay motivated and see how far you’ve come.

  • Use a Training Log or App: Document your workouts, noting what worked well and what needs improvement. Some climbers like to track their progress in a physical journal, while others use apps.

10. Plan and Periodize Your Endurance Training

Periodization—alternating between high-intensity and recovery phases—prevents overtraining and promotes steady endurance gains.

  • Schedule Climbing Weeks and Recovery Weeks: Aim for 3-4 weeks of gradual endurance-building, followed by a week of reduced intensity to allow your body to rest and adapt.

Building climbing endurance takes time, but with regular and varied training, you’ll find yourself tackling longer sessions with ease. Whether through interval training, grip exercises, or proper recovery, these strategies will help you climb harder and longer while maintaining energy.

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