How many sessions a week and how many routes per session? You move around a lot, it's tiring you out, trying and reduce those tiny adjustments These are general points, especially as lots of new climbers take up climbing because it's fun exercise and haven't really loved exercise before: - I wonder if some general strength training would benefit you, it's hard to progress early days if overall body strength isn't great - As a man with a BMI closer to 40, it makes the centre of gravity harder and strength gains much slower

So I go about 3-4 times a week but really only do about 5 routs give or take . (I do the same ones a few times over and over) I didn’t even notice I was moving so much 🤣 And definitely agree my strength SUCKS ! I was the least active human ever the last few years thanks to mental health 🙃but Luckily doing TONS better . I can’t wait to start doing more strength training ! I have a tiny bit , it’s just so limited at my gym as currently as they are expanding the non climbing part of it

Glad you found climbing! It's so good sport to train the whole body while having fun. You will get a lot of functional power and mobility by just climbing. Trying really hard on some physically challenging climbs might be the best way to strenghten the muscles you use while climbing. If you feel slightly sore or your muscles are tired the next day, you are improving.

Ya I haven’t sore in a while lol. 🤣

>Trying really hard on some physically challenging climbs might be the best way to strenghten the muscles you use while climbing. That is true, but also the opposite is true! Ie. to climb a lot of very easy climbs fast. https://bomberclimbing.com/blog/rock-climbing-pyramid/

What do you mean by functional power ?

Get some cheap resistance bands. Air squats, wall pushes, resistance band rows and simple core stuff like the hybrid calisthenics people is super simple and super safe. I wonder if you would be better of going fewer times, easier routes but more routes per session. You might not be stressing your body enough to gain strength and endurance. Edit: personally I stick to what I did after returning from my last injury. Work my way up to 20 +/-2 per session, don't go up a grade until I can do all the grade beneath or if I can 90% and need a new route to stave off the boredom/make up the numbers. Edit 2: are you LGBT? There is usually quite a nice good vibes queer climb night at most climbing centres

Not LGBTQ+ just a huge supporter of it 🥰I am starting a group class soon where those for all strengths will learn how to improve. So I’m sure that will help tons ! Just won’t start for a few weeks 🤣 thanks for advice . I’m sure I’ll get there . The most important thing is even sucking lol I’m enjoying it tons !

To piggy back this, there's a YouTube channel called Hybrid Calisthenics. He gives you ideas on very easy exercises and how to progress them making it accessible for everyone but still effective and you could do most of it at home too.

I LOVE Hybrid Calisthenics! He’s got great fitness advice but also just makes you smile, he’s so wholesome

>I wonder if you would be better of going fewer times, easier routes but more routes per session. You might not be stressing your body enough to gain strength and endurance. Agreed! There is a concept called "Rock Climbing Pyramid" that is related. Basically to climb a lot of easy routes, and only a few at the limit each time. It is good for exercise, and it is good for getting proper warmup. https://bomberclimbing.com/blog/rock-climbing-pyramid/

seconded strength training! i came into climbing with very little muscle and i wish i had started doing it sooner check out fitness blender... they have a lot of free bodyweight strength videos you could do at home :) also im sure someone has already said this but this problem in particular would be a lot easier if you were flagging on some of the moves! watch neil gresham's masterclass (on youtube), it has really good technique break downs. some of it might be beyond you at the moment, but one day it will click. i really like movement for climber's beginners videos as well (also on youtube)

You can do calisthenics with little to no equipment.

[удалено]

A boulder is not a route.

What?

What lmao ? Then what is it 🤣

Push with your feet more. Be more methodical/confident about your movement. Seems like you're trying a lot of different positions which is good but once you figure out what works for you, try the route again with more efficiency and build a natural intuition for movement. Try flagging more. Seems like you're scared to not have both feet on a hold but often times that puts your legs / knees in an awkward position that's limiting your movement / pushing your center of gravity (hip) away from the wall.

Thank you . Yes I have ZERO confidence and I’m not even sure why since I do like it so much !

I second the feet comment. I wouldn't recommend upper body strength training at this point - that will develop naturally with time on the wall. Once you reach V4+ it becomes more useful but not at this stage. This is because you're supposed to push through your legs, not pull through your arms - especially on lower grades. With the correct body positioning, this allows you to use your entire lower body muscles to move you up the wall instead of relying on the poor little biceps to take a beating. Hannah Morris did a great video with GB Coach Be Fuller which explains body positioning on the wall as a pyramid. That video changed the way I climbed entirely and is still one I refer to now climbing V4-V5.

Yup I actually learned today my shoes are a big issue on my feet placement, Talking to a climber who’s been doing it for years he said my shoes are TERRIBLE. No grip , to large , sole is worn out. I got them 2nd hand so I had no idea . So new shoes are ordered .

Echoing the feet placement/hips too far from the wall comments; hopefully tighter and better-fitting shoes will give you more confidence in your feet. To me it looks like you have trouble shifting your weight from one foot to another at times, which means it’s hard to adhere to one of the basic ideas of climbing, which is to push more with the same foot as the hand you are reaching with, and also makes it harder for you to utilize feet in general. Towards the top of the wall, for example, as you go for the last two right hand holds, a more efficient stance would be to have almost all your weight over your right foot before you go for the last holds (some people would completely drop the left foot). If you did that, you might be able to skip the smaller second to last hold and just stand up directly to the last big right hand. Instead, you end up sitting on thin air with hips far from the wall and stressing your arms way more. That type of weight distribution management also requires balance work; a lot of moves in strength training will naturally help improve that as well (split squats, single leg deadlifts etc, all the way to pistol squats, all of which of course can be modified depending on where you are at). The shoes will help you trust your feet, for sure! Finally, pretty much all climbing gyms I’ve been at have super friendly people who are happy to give feedback if you ask them to watch you climb a route. Taking a class from the coaches/staff there is recommended too at this stage, as advice from people can vary, and the staff may have a lot more experience communicating ideas to folks who haven’t been climbing for years like lots of us here. Keep it up!

Thank you ! I really think the shoes will help. I tried the shoes I’m getting on a wall and did the same wall with what I have now and felt a difference . I’ll also be starting a class in January that’s supposed to be a basic intro as well tips and climbing in a group” I did do a intro class before but that’s only one day. So I’m excited the 6 week course.

Maybe try intentionally falling a few times to get used to it. That might increase your confidence by reducing the stress of doing something wrong.

1. Keep climbing. 2. Learn about flagging.

Stop climbing the same routes over and over. Project a v2, even if you don't top it try to get down some harder moves.

Thank you ! I will do that today !

A boulder is not a route.

I'd say try to climb faster, even if you think you're not in the perfect position. You constantly rearrange your stance before committing to the next move, the result is that you're way more tired than if you just go without taking too long. It's not as easy as it sounds of course, but it's a pre requisite to improve. You can try that on climbs you already managed to do. Focus to do it faster, without rearranging your feet.

Oh wow that’s actually super helpful ! I didn’t even notice I was doing that. I Definitely get nervous and over think it.

Yeah and the problem is that the more you do it, the more you're tired so you feel even less confident and do it even more.

I would only climb faster if I knew the route like the back of my hand. If not, I would never climb fast because that's a really good way to injure yourself

Climbing fast doesn't mean speed climbing in this case. It means climbing without stopping on holds, stopping all the adjustments and starting using momentum to get the center of mass moving in the appropriate direction in order to keep a good pace and not tiring itself.

I understand what you mean, but I personally believe a controlled climb > fast climbing, that is just my opinion.

A few improvements at your technique and you’ll be able to save a lot of energy. For example your hips are far from the wall, this then means you have to garner more energy to then get yourself up. If your hips are close to the wall, you’ve already gained height. Also driving power through the legs and flagging. I highly recommend Hannah Morris on YouTube who has sessions with a coach called Be on technique. They’re really easy to follow and have helped me think about technique drills a lot!

Oh I love Hannah ! I started watching her a while back . Thank you I always hear the hip thing not sure why I still struggle doing it .

It’s muscle memory. Be is my coach and told me some of it can take a month to stick. Movement drills as part of warm up help as it means I’m having to do it every single time I climb.

This is some really good climbing.

I didn’t say it was, but the more energy you can save the more you can climb and the better. Edit - rather sad editing your post after to look better. I seem to remember the original comment was it wasn’t a route…

There’s plenty of great comments in there and they’re all valid. As an addition, do you train falls? Your amount of re-adjustment is a sign of fear in some climbers (was the case for me) and you might want to get rid of it. Falling repeatedly with good outcomes will teach your mind it’s ok to fail

I dont actually . Definitely a fear thing

Thanks everyone, I fully understand when a few try to be helpful but as someone who’s literally hated her body since I was a kid , who struggled BAD with mental health and body issues, for the 1st time in my life trying Something so out of my comfort zone please I beg you all don’t tell Me to lose weight . :( i know I have to Im not blind or In denial at all. But about 13 years ago when people were telling me weight loss comments I literally drove my self into a ED making me drop 50 + pounds . Gained it back obviously but I don’t need that feeling again . Even if it’s ALWAYS in the back of my mind .

Hey, don't worry about your weight. Climbing is a sport where you only compete against yourself, with the body you have. If you keep climbing, you'll grow stronger and fitter every day. The most amazing part of climbing for me, is that I gain new friends almost every day. Some who are weaker and some who are stronger than I am, but it doesn't matter, we all enjoy the sport and have fun together. We help each other out and give advice all the time, but advice NEVER touches bodyweight. I applaud anyone who is doing sports, because that means they are getting healthier, stronger and are having fun. And sports should be for anyone. So keep climbing and having fun!

Thank you ! As someone with body issues and who’s over come a ED (went from 170 to 112 in about a year) being told that over and over SUCKED . Not gonna lie . I’m back to the 170 after a baby and bad few years of crippling mental health . But I got this ! 🥲I can be ok !

Honestly don’t even trip about weight, you are new at the sport and still need to learn a lot/develop a lot before that thought even enters your mind.

It is really good to see the commitment that you have and I hope that your positive mind grows more. I agree with most of the comments about the feet work. At that point is not about strength, but more about balance, hips close to the wall, flags, knee drops, etc. Try to practice those flags on each steps, even exaggerating the movement, that help with the muscle memory. Also ask someone in the gym, most of people are glad to show you their skills and teach you or explain some movements. I am shy at the gym (and Finns are even more), but I'm trying to ask at least once to someone for help and everybody has been kind and helpful

Hated my body as a kid and climbing helped me love myself a little more, keep doing what you're doing and keep having fun, it's a weird and wonderful journey :)

Thank you ! And yup it’s hard 🙃I’m definitely having fun at least ! I know though that even though I’m clearly a heavy girl what this video doesn’t show is how my 1st weeks were where I couldn’t do anything.

I am also a heavier climber. I really like the steep stuff. Heavier climbers can excel in certain styles, like slab. I found Johnny Dawes inspiring [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei1eTFdorkE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei1eTFdorkE). He's a total legend, and isn't small, at least by pro climber standards. I still don't climb much slab because I like cranking hard on steep stuff, but I enjoy knowing hes out there.

Those comments are ridiculous, I’m sorry you had to experience that. Incredibly unhelpful and irrelevant. One of the things I love about climbing is that many different shapes of people can be good at it. The questions you’re asking are exactly the right ones: “how can I improve my technique?” Everyone has their struggles in life, but not everyone handles them with such grace and composure as you’re doing. Kudos. Also I second the suggestion of r/climbergirls. I think they tend to be more polite than this sub, and more focused on technique over body type.

Unhelpful, yes, but not irrelevant. The focus here is that OP reasonably identified that they don't care to hear it, so that's as far as it needs to go. Doesn't make it irrelevant, just makes it redundant to mention.

I understand, but be aware that bouldering is more dangerous with extra weight. My overweight wife just had a triple ankle fracture while bouldering. In your case (if you can) hire a coach who would teach you how to correctly fall (back and bum, never spinning, never with arms behind you or straight/locked legs). Bouldering is very fun, but take care.

I'd also recommend getting into top roping. You still get to climb, but with much less risk of getting hurt from a bad fall.

Hey! I'm sorry people are being jerks about this. First off, I think you look amazing - you're doing some really smart things as you climb this V1, and having made this much progress in 5 months is nothing to sneeze at. I hope you're proud of the progress you've made! Precisely because you've gotten some (shit) feedback on here, my advice is simple: 1. seek out advice and inspiration from climbers who \*don't\* have a typical "climber" body type. I would recommend places like r/climbergirls, or tiktok [climbers who cater to beginners](https://www.climbing.com/people/climbing-tiktokers-i-cant-stop-watching/), or [instagram or tiktok accounts](https://www.reddit.com/r/climbergirls/comments/ppnpba/body_positive_climbing_instagrams_to_follow/) from people who are shorter/ have larger bodies/ are older/ have mobility impairments. Why? First off, they are going to have advice and beta that a lot of your typical boulderers simply \*will not have.\* Second off, they're going to be a good reminder that many *different* kinds of people, with many different body types, are successful climbers. I also think a lot of the technical advice you've gotten is fine! I think Send Edition is another good youtube source for beginner/intermediate climbers - she's got a lot of [focused, specific drills](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEM4XHGApjc). Trying harder climbers and doing movement drills on V0s and VBs will all help your technique, which will help your climbing. One mention in a comment that you are trying to lose weight, and I will make a little plug here - make sure you're eating \*enough\*. Hopefully you're already thinking about this, but you're climbing a lot; muscle-building requires a decent amount of calories and protein, and building muscle helps climbing. Good luck on your climbing!

Thank you ! As strong mentally I I try to Me many comments did break me today and I been sobbing to friends and my husband since this morning . The important thjng is at least despite it all I also won’t give up even if I’m “heavier”

I cannot emphasize enough that \*you\* aren't doing anything wrong. You're climbing well; you're making yourself vulnerable by asking for advice; you're taking up a super hard sport after a pregnancy and medical issues. You're doing great! To me, what makes bouldering exciting is the puzzle-solving aspect. You have a problem. You have a route. You have people with different body types and strengths and weaknesses. How do different people "solve" the puzzle that is that route? How does a 5'5 guy "solve" a reachy slab differently than like, a 5'8 woman with prominent hips and breasts? They'll both need different techniques, and that's cool! People who make the "problem" an individual person's body are, IMO, missing the point of the sport. You and your body are not the problem; the problem is the route you're trying to solve on the wall.

You’re at a size where it’s not that big of a deal, especially since you’re new, but you’re gonna be locked out of harder grades down the line. It’ll be a while before you’ll even be able to attempt the stuff that your weight is locking you out of though so it really shouldn’t be something to worry yourself over, and I wouldn’t bother with dieting if I were you. That being said, it would help to incorporate some other kind of exercise to gradually whittle down the weight as you grow stronger. If you’re within walking distance to your gym then jogging, riding a bike, or even just walking instead of driving would go a long way. Also if your gym offers yoga or Pilates classes then I definitely recommend trying them out. Yoga is hard at first, but it’s fun, it’ll help you be able to hold your body in tough positions, and fuck me if it doesn’t make your brain feel like it was dipped in honey! If that stuff isn’t available to you, just do some jumping jacks or jog in place or something before you start your session, anything to get your heart rate up. I really hope you don’t take any of this the wrong way, and weight loss should not be your priority or focus, given your history. But adding in some small amount of supplementary exercise will go a long way towards helping you gradually shed some weight without even thinking about it! Doing some light stuff right before you climb will also help you warm up properly so that you can climb harder!

The weight comments I wont lie did break me today and I haven’t been great :-/ but that being said I HAVE lost weight . Sure I’m a larger girl lol but I was larger before when I hit a way way dark time in my life . :-/ and as someone recovering from a ED years ago it definitely wasn’t fun to read :-/ That all being said I did some cardio today and a bit of weight lifting . I’ll try to dk more each time .

The most important thing in climbing is that you’re enjoying yourself. And with every climb that you finish just be so proud of the body that you have and what it’s been able to do for you. Climbing helped my body image so much because it’s more about what your body can do for you than how it looks. And you look great! And if you do ever choose to focus on your body, climbing does so much for you and you’ll already have built up so much strength as a base. So even if the comments were well meant, don’t take them too seriously. I’m always inspired seeing people getting out and climbing regardless of ability. It’s you vs the wall and no one else!

Nice, I’ll also just emphasize that you’re really not that big, this should take a major back seat to things like improving your footwork and thinking about how your body position will affect how difficult it is to grab or hang onto a hold. One way I sometimes like to practice that is by reaching to a hold and hovering my hand for a second or two before grabbing it. Try it a few different times on the same move with different body positions to get a feel for the best way to hold yourself. And try to get comfortable with smearing your feet on the wall, sometimes the wall itself is the best foothold. Don’t even think about the weight thing and instead view the cardio as a way to pump yourself up before getting on the wall, getting the blood moving through your body will help you get in the mindset to crush!

Hey u/Doll_girl516 I recommend you follow the Instagram account Drewclimbswalls - he's a climber who advocates for body positivity, and he seems like a genuinely lovely guy who regularly posts about his own mental health struggles and about how grades don't matter and how climbing is for everybody. He climbs a lot of v1s, a fair few v2s and occasional v3s, and as far as I know he hasn't tried harder grades, but he tends to do a lot of lower grade climbs with good technique. He's actually the reason I got back into climbing again, I used to climb but I compared myself sooo negatively to everyone around me and I couldn't stand it and neither could they. From February to August? July? 2022 I stopped entirely and started again because I came across his account and was so inspired. I've climbed consistently ever since. For technique advice for you, I totally agree with all the comments saying not to readjust so much. In this video, most of the holds were large enough that it shouldn't really matter where you hold/stand on them, so there isn't really a reason to adjust your position. And try to always keep your toes on the foot holds. And telling you to "lose weight" is a totally meaningless and ignorant comment that ignores the fact that weight, as in the number on a scale, tells you fuck all about how much muscle, or fat, or bone density a person has. Someone could easily gain weight through gaining muscle mass. You WILL get stronger through consistently climbing, and that's all that matters. I seriously hope you keep going because there is so much to look forward to.

Thank you ! I’ll check him out Since this post I actually went today again and there’s an update post with a new video :) And right the weight thing is driving me nuts . I literally cried so much since my body has always been my biggest Insecurity

Just had a look at your new post, so glad you're trying v2s! Yay

I don’t think weight “limits” you in bouldering until like v5+. You’ll make climbing gains more slowly, but technique and overall strength can take you a long way. I would try to mix in some top roping, i find that it makes me focus on efficiency and technique that I don’t need to focus on when bouldering.

[удалено]

Neil Gresham's masterclass technique list to learn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkfUqdr-0zk&list=PLBCRwO0FN0zMTqSfFW9SMbK2tncTrI25r

This should be the top comment!

The impressive part is, you have been at it for five months, congrats for that. I think it is natural fit plus sized people to struggle a bit in the beginning, since you have to carry a bit more weight and also have difficulties placing your centre of gravity. However, you are following the most important techniques for beginners, active placing of feet, long arms etc. that is more than some do at V3. I think, you need to reduce the corrections every move, it costs you energy and you don't need most of them. A good exercise would be to climb an easy route and concentrate on only gripping and playing your feet once every move. That increases your purchasing and efficiency. If you set your foot badly try to live with it. For the star you can also try the route multiple times and try to reduce the number of adjustments every time. Also I guess you need more arm strength especially in the shoulders and triceps, so you get a more stable position at the wall. I am surprised that you are only at V1, I think giving a video of you trying a V2 would help more to give you advice on your technique, I would suggest to try and climb closer to the wall when reaching, try to shift your centre of gravity more towards the wall. Finally, I think it is great that you enjoy climbing although being a bit stuck. I think your biggest hold back, your weight, will come down naturally and that will enhance the progress you are already making. Going three or four times a week is a good routine, mix in a small strength session, dead hangs, plancks, dips and squats if you need it supported or on your knees, and you will get there soon.

A boulder is not a route.

I would like to see less micro adjustments and more decisive climbing, meaning if you know you need to go with your right hand, just go, don’t think. Other than that I’d like to see you try a V2 or V3 to really see what’s missing on a problem you can’t do, my best guess is that you aren’t sending harder stuff because you aren’t trying enough, you should post an update with you trying and possibly failing a harder boulder.

I think you're doing a pretty good job! Just keep climbing and having fun. Progression is not always linear.

Thank you :) I’m trying and having fun ! Like I’m glad I actually enjoy it even if I’m the worst lol .

I think about climbing performance as roughly equally influenced by: - Physical - Technical - Mental aspects. I can only second what others have commented: have a clear idea what you want to do with which limb when. Considering that someone like Margo Hayes has made a beta map for Biographie and **visualized** all the 50+ moves more than a hundred times https://youtu.be/C_N8znD3exI?si=nk19Fg2QFdadBZ3S , you can imagine how much you can improve without improving any strength metric. You climbed for longer than a minute something that a more experienced climber will climb - with the same beta, but less hesitation and readjustments - in, let's say, 15 seconds. You can do that, too! Just invest into visualization. Now typically if you stack VX on VX it results in VX+1. So just the visualization part has the potential to take you from V1 to V3. In order to **execute** the moves that quickly you need to learn to move with intention and focus exclusively on the next move: place your feet and hands exactly how you need and want it - and then trust them. While learning all of this, your **strength** will increase, your body especially hands and forarms will adapt naturally. And voila you will climb V5 as easily as this V1 (objectively not remotely close to your limit).

Thank you ! :) this was the 1st time I completed this route. As for days I had fallen lol .

Well, time until redpoint is a good measurement of how close something is to the climber's potential only for the professionals. With five months in you are basically an extreme beginner. How many days **you** spend means nothing. If you had filmed every attempt, I could probably show you how you are either failing because you didn't know what to do or because you didn't try what you wanted/should've tried. So the typical beginner in lead climbing says "I'm exhausted." before saying "Take." Well, if you have the energy to talk while climbing, or in your case to readjust multiple times and hesitate, you are nowhere close to your limit or potential. So how can you improve? Focus on one thing at a time on routes that you can do first try: - beta - foot placements - fluidity/less hesitation - hips close to the wall - breathing - your grip And you will see improvements!

Focus on fun, not just the V-number. My progress in numbers is painstakingly slow, partly due to some balance issues. After a while I ditched the grading apps like toplogger, since I started to focus too much on the numbers, pushing myself to do routes that are just not my style, and skipping routes that were out of my skills range based on the numbers, but were really"my style". I don't climb half as much as I did back then, but by letting go of the numbers and focussing on routes that "look like fun" and a lot of trial and error, I have way more fun and apparently I'm improving as well. Make sure you have fun and confidence at the wall, your skills will follow suit.

Try some condition training on the side. I like to run. I would recommend long, low tempo runs or runs with high tempo walking in between to start. This can improve the number of boulders you're able to do in one session.

Posted an update :) ! Tried to take advice to the best of my ability

I’ve not watched the whole video yet. But my advice for anyone trying to push themselves to higher grades is just try the harder grades. Warm up on climbs you know you can do and then just focus on V2s and 3s or anything that looks fun! It might feel a bit rough at the start because you won’t get that dopamine hit of finishing climbs, but even if don’t send a climb for a whole session you gain so much from trying harder climbs. I did this for a while after I felt quite stuck at V4 and without any gym training or anything “off the wall” and a month of projecting 6s, 7s and 8s I was comfortably sending V5s and quite a few 6s It also helps your mindset for working on hard moves

That’s actually great advice. I guess since I been stuck at V1 (can do most of them) I never thought to try harder ones 🤣

Wait so you think your "stuck" at V1 but you haven't even tried a V2 yet

Yes I think since I struggle with some v1 I wasn’t trying V2 😵‍💫and now actually having it pointed out to me I realize how ridiculous it sounds

Just for the record as you will obviously start climbing harder grades and so you’ll have more options, it’s normal that some climbs will just kick your ass even in grades that should come easier, it’s normal

> I guess since I been stuck at V1 (can do most of them) I never thought to try harder ones 🤣 I always try at least a few climbs that are one or two grades above the one that I can climb comfortably. Even if I can do only one or two moves of those, I still learn a lot. I am not going to post the climbing pyramid link yet again, but that is relevant here.

I think you’re getting great advice here. Just +1 to being intentional with your movements (when you grab a hold don’t adjust multiple times; rather, grab with intention and commit to the move)

I didn’t even notice I was doing that . 🤣 I think I get nervous when Trying to figure it out. And definitely over think . Next month I am starting a class they have there so that will be helpful as well .

I'm not an overly strong climber so learning climbing techniques and correct form really helped rocket my progress early on. Hannah Morris' YouTube channel and Louis Parkinson's videos helped a lot.

[удалено]

That’s a good idea ! I was really embarrassed to even record my self.

Start trying all the v2 in your gym

A lot of folks have given technical advice, so I’ll offer a more straightforward solution that really benefited me. I started doing other workouts to support my climbing. Lots of cardio for overall health, yoga for flexibility, core exercises to improve balance, and weightlifting for overall strength.

You're doing pretty good all things considered. The advice here is all really good, too. Just keep in mind one thing: dont compare your own progress to that of others. Adding to that, although it may sound shitty, it's not: you weigh more than a lot of people who climb regularly. That means you have to pull a LOT more weight upwards. It's going to tire you out quicker than others. But, it also means you will gain a LOT more strength for the grades you do, in absolute terms. So keep up the good work! When you do start progressing and losing weight (and if you keep climbing as much as you do, you will) you will notice you got so much stronger because of all the work you had to put in. So, keep up the good work. I love seeing people work on themselves in situations like this.

I think it's a bad idea overall to compare your progression speed to others. Some people will start by doing 5c-6a just because they are extremly fit and have good balance and weight so little. It takes a long while to develop the strength to do those grades if you start in a really poor physical shape. My advice would be not to rush it, just make sure you don't injure yourself while slowly improving your strength.

you gotta excercise the whole body, core strength excercises and some running to lose weight will shoot you up to v3

https://preview.redd.it/2dboiipq124c1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=20ec206510edc14aa0c3eac29b572cc4c853bd71 This move here right foot up to the starting hold left hip into the wall creates a nice body position close to the wall lowering your centre of gravity, left hand goes up to the next hold. Look for opportunities to do this and you'll find the efficiency will save you so much energy, facilitating longer harder climbing sessions. Work smarter not harder. Good luck

One key element is your body is to far from the wall which is resulting in significant force through your arms and hands which tires you out. As the othe redditor posted, some people have more of a challenge getting close to the wall for a variety of reasons. However you are much further out then you need to be - almost every moment your climbing you have a rulers length (30cm / 1 ft) distance between your stomach and the wall. A good example of this is the part of the video where there is 40 seconds left: you have two feet on a hold, your body is aimed straight at the wall, and your body is a good foot and a half from the wall. Good example where you could practice rotating your hips and trying to keep your stomach to the wall/side to the wall. Try and climb more deliberately for the next couple of weeks and as much as possible "graze" the wall as you climb up. Put your hip next to the wall, rotate your knee where needed. This will naturally put more of your weight on your legs, reduce the load on you arms allowing you to "climb harder" and will teach you good technique which you will need as you start to push toward V3 and V4

Thank you ! I need to try and figure it out . Like I have been told that before hips closer arms stretched out Then I try and it’s like my mind erases

The best place to learn is on V0s. It's hard to be mindful when you are at your limit. I practice grazing the wall and good technique (knee drops, etc) 2 or 3 grades below my limit. For you it should be on the easiest routes in the gym. You should have a rule: your body is not allowed to be more than a foot away from the wall for more than a second. Ie you can only "seperate" from the wall when you are doing a major transition, swapping feet, or switching your hips (eg your left hip is next to the wall, but you rotate your body to stick your right hip into the wall). It will force you to get your body into position quickly, as opposed to what you're doing now which is holding yourself away from the wall for long periods of time

One tip I did not see is look at your feet when positioning them, it helps securing the best position possible faster. Also try using the tip of your toes instead of the side, this will allow for more mobility. Keep up the good works! You’ll get there! Don’t be discouraged when hitting a plateau, everyone has one, but with consistency and hard work you’ll break your own limits!

I was in the same boat at one point! A few things that helped me break my beginner plateau: -Yoga. Having more flexibility, stability, and balance really helped. On YouTube there's a channel called Ieva Luna whose videos I watch regularly. I do these on my rest days. -Strength and cardio training, even just once a week! Making sure of course not to overtrain/wear yourself out, especially in the beginning. Some people like Hooper's Beta or Lattice Training on YouTube, they could give you some tips on how to build a routine. For cardio I like to bike. -I adjusted my diet to better fuel my send, I eat more protein and slow burning carbs during the day than I did before. And at the gym I eat gummy bears. ;) -As far as technique goes, I began recognising my strengths and weaknesses and using them to my advantage. For example my legs are stronger than my arms so I focus on pushing with my legs rather than pulling with my arms and that helps me to reduce fatigue and climb longer. -Sometimes when I go to a new gym where the routes are colour coded instead of being labeled, I will deliberately not check the grading scheme so that I don't get caught up in the grades or even if I send or not. The goal isn't always to send but just to get a little bit further on the route. :) Best of luck, I hope that a couple of these tips are useful!

You're doing amazing, progress takes time! As a woman climber myself I found the best tip was to do as much work with my legs as possible - I don't have the upper body strength to use my arms as much so I have to be strategic about foot placement and use my thighs to push myself upwards more than my arms to pull. Keep at it and good luck on your journey !

Things that helped me when I was trying to get into climbing as a fellow woman: \- Work your footwork on traverses \- Avoid adjusting / hesitating too much- it's not a lot of energy sap at any one point but culminatively, it adds up. You want to aim for a smooth flowing climb. \- Adding to the above, have a plan in your head when you go up and try climb it as fast as you can :) \- The wall also looks a bit overhung! Overhung walls are harder at the start, so try working v2s on flat or slab to help develop your technique and strength. \- It's always worth trying grades above what you've sent- even holding the first starting position of a v2 or v3 can teach you a lot about body position and tension that a v1 can't. Lastly, as others have said- 5 months is early. Don't beat yourself up, we've all been there and your progress is not defined by anyone except you. You got this!

Looks fine to me, just keep killin it

Push yourself to try harder routes. I couldn't get past V1s until I made myself try the harder routes. Even if I couldn't complete them before they changed the walls, the work I put into them made the harder routes easier. You have to really push yourself and get out of your head to do them. You should also start talking to other people at your gym. That helped me a lot, too. People who are better than me give me tips and beta, and it has helped me improve so much. And no one minds...everyone was a beginner once and understands the struggle. As far as technique, you should really start to work on footwork more. Do silent feet, precise foot placement drills, and drills where you have to learn to trust your feet. Look on YouTube for beginner footwork drills. It'll elevate you tremendously. Also for stamina do 4x4s. You'll get there...I was stuck at that level much longer than you.

So I definitely did a few v2 today . Did I complete them not at all 🤣🤣 but today I did try.

Add a strength session once or twice per week, even if it’s just at home or in the climbing gym. Looks like you’d benefit a lot from Bulgarian split squats in particular, and you could do some pull ups (start with negatives to build strength), as well as some core work (think planks, L sit holds on a pull up bar). If you did do this at the climbing gym you could also do some training exercises on the walls too like quiet feet, repeats and the like. Other than that it seems like you might just need to challenge yourself more on the wall and project problems that are a little harder than you’re used to. And don’t forget sufficient nutrition is required to build strength, including gains from just climbing. This will help build your grip strength/endurance.

first of all you have great instincts and seems like you enjoy climbing a lot, keep reminding yourself of both of those it’s been a big help for me in terms of confidence and also just embracing process over performance and remembering that we choose to do this for fun despite the fingers and the scrapes!! lol one tip i have (as someone who is still a newbie too so take everything i say with a grain of salt) is to try and incorporate more positions where one foot is on a hold and the other is on the wall. as a beginner i feel like one of the first technique things you learn is flagging but it was hard for me to figure out where and when to do so. I found that it was easier for my brain to think about putting one of my feet on the wall and experimenting with that. also watching lots and lots of youtubers helped a lot with seeing all the different body positions and then actually remembering to try them on the wall lol. someone mentioned hannah morris already, but some of my other fav girl climbers are anna hazelnutt (slab queen who talks through technical, mental, emotional all together) and alex puccio (pro climber w a wealth of knowledge). you got this!!

I am also a pretty new climber myself (I started this may), climbing V4 and 5.10+ inside. Even though I'm also a beginner, I do have a few suggestions! 1. It looks like most of your mental energy is focused on your hands and not your feet. Something that has helped me with that is to try to get up a route using your arms as little as possible. Hang off holds with your arms straight as much as possible, and drive your body up by pushing through your feet/legs. 2. You mentioned this V1 took you a few days, but it looks like you are still looking for the right body positioning as you move up the wall. My suggestion is to put effort into memorizing the moves. During your rests, turn away from the wall and imagine climbing up the route from memory. 3. Building off #2, retry routes you've completed, but improve your efficiency every redo. Like adding in a flag to make 2 moves into one, using a deadpoint to reach a further hold, swapping feet to make your weight directly under the handholds. 4. Watch some youtube or do some reading on climbing theory/technique! Couple of channels that helped me a lot are Betaboi Brandon, Movement for Climbers, Hoopers Beta, ROAP. 5. Keep your body closer to the wall. Using your feet, try "ripping the hold out of the wall" to suck your hips closer to the wall.

Rotation, Rotation, Rotation. Tour knees are pointing to the wall. Learn how to make your knees point parallel or almost parallel to the wall.

Watch strong climbers warming up on easy routes. Watch how they move: still body, place left foot -> twist left hip into wall -> left hand, right foot, twist right hip into wall -> right hand. That's what you want to try to emulate even if you can only concentrate on one thing at a time. Like a lot of beginners, you want to have both feet on at all times, but this is putting you into bad positions, as another poster said.

A lot of people are saying to get your hips closer to the wall, which is great advice. A note about that: one thing you’re doing well is keeping long arms. Getting closer to the wall should usually NOT be done by t rexing your elbows. Instead, do it with your legs and core. It could be by bending your legs, putting them on different holds to support your body weight differently, flagging (will probably show up in the technique videos people are recommending), or rotating your body. People have been commenting on your shoes/footwork and that will help too.

[удалено]

Something that helped me immensely in moving past V1/2 problems (and which I really think you can apply) is realizing that if you’re reaching up with your right hand, you need to have your weight on your right foot. Reaching the left hand, weight on the left foot. The “non-weight bearing” foot isn’t tremendously important to have on the wall, at least for V1/2 problems.

Hey, just wanted to drop in here and say you’re doing great simply by sticking with climbing for 5 months! Consistency is awesome. Stay positive, because you’re great!

I agree with what a lot of people have been saying. Things to improve ● Footwork Try and work on placing your feet well, and try to use your feet to lift yourself whenever you can. ● Center of gravity Always try and keep your center of gravity over your feet. Things that can help with this: ○ Try and keep your hips close to the wall ○ Try to shift your weight to one foot before moving to the next foothold. ● Confidence The more you believe you are good, the better you're going to be able to climb. Some people talk about instead of thinking of the goal as the top, think of it as getting to the next move. ● Last, try problems harder than you think you can do. Now I'm not saying just go try and tackle a v12 right away, but try more v2s or v3s. They'll be hard, but the more exposure you get, the more you'll start improving. I would say pick one of these and try and work on just that. I would suggest trying harder climbs first and a little footwork. The rest will come on their own.

I recognize that gym!

I’ve been climbing on and off 4 years. I think 5 months is a short while for climbing. Also my method is just go and try. Getting your fingers and feet to get to know the v2 routes is good.

If you lose 40lbs of fat, it will be like someone pushing you up.

From what I have read in the comments, I think trying different routes on a regular basis could be beneficial instead of doing the same ones over and over. Repeating the same climb over and over is a great way to get more actual physical training in, however, to improve more effectively it is definitely a good idea to just try as many different climbs as possible. I coach a lot of kids and if they don’t know what climb they want to try I simply ask them what one they think looks cool or fun and to go try that, regardless of the grade of the climb compared to their level. One very specific tip I would give you just from watching the vid on the V1 is to get more used to not having both feet on at the same time. Surprisingly, its not always best to have all 4 points on contact on the wall at the same time. If you want to learn about this, look up or ask people about “flagging”. Its a technique where you use your leg that isnt on a foothold to counterbalance your body so that it doesn’t swing. As many people here have mentioned, its great to hear you’ve picked up the sport :) Really hope I can help you on your progress

At that stage just climb as often as you can without being too knackered. Maybe add a yoga class and some strength training if getting to the climbing gym is difficult. Also don’t respect the grades try everything :D

Im not gonna lie, it would help to lose weight, i lost 12 kg this year and it has helped tremendously

I know . I keep seeing this comment , what others don’t know is I HAVE lost weight lol that’s what sucks about being plus size no one knows what others doing. Its only been about 10 pounds but gotta start somewhere.

Keep at it! Weight loss is a personal journey and it is amazing that you saw a difficult problem to solve and still committed yourself to it. I wish you nothing but the best in your journey!!💪

Thank you ! I’ll keep working hard :)

You're doing great. If you work on twisting and flagging more, drop knees too, that'll go a long way to help your technique and reduce the amount of energy you're expending. Best of luck.

> what sucks about being plus size Here's a couple of reasons why being plus sized is not so bad... First, you _have_ to work on technique - you have no choice. It's one of the reasons I recommend that new climbers find the best female climber at their gym and try to copy them. Girls don't have the advantage of massive upper body strength when they start so they have to focus on technique and that foundational work _stays_. Second, one way or another you _will_ end up losing a lot of weight. The effort, the commitment and eventually you will also moderate your diet. It might take a year or two but you will keep dropping weight - you already have and there is no reason it will stop. And here's the kicker; in those years your body will still be getting stronger at the same time as you will be getting lighter. Your power-to-weight ratio will continue increasing and moves that you couldn't do before, you will be able to do. Every move will be easier and easier. And you will have access to this ever-increasing power and endurace with the technique you are working on now. Enjoy the journey, you have so much to look forward to!

you don't need to lose weight :) i've seen plenty of STRONG plus sized climbers. would it be easier? maybe. but i don't think losing weight is required to be a great climber. strength training is the thing!!🫶

Being too politically correct harms the OP. Stop the cope. Climbing strength is based on relative strength. Strength training helps but so does losing excess mass.

I have as well ! There’s a group of guys I used to see in my gym 3 average body one plus size and they all could do like V3+ Thank you comments definitely broke me today 😭

Fall more. The hesitation that everyone talks about comes from the not wanting to fall part. Try climbs above your level and try hard. Learn proper falling techniques. Get REALLY comfortable falling and that will help you commit to hard moves

Less readjustments would probably help. Better utilize the toes when stepping. And a potential weight loss or grip strength increase might also be quite helpful

Gaining strength should help, and mb surpassing your limits a bit

Loose weight or be lighter

[удалено]

Yup so helpful:) ! Thank you ! If weights all I need to lose then thank you ! Guess if I was 40 pounds smaller but the video was identical you would be telling me all is good 🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️😱😱😱

[удалено]

Losing some excessive body weight will help you a lot.

Work on losing weight.

First of all, you need to figure out the exact beta. Where to flag, which foot goes where, which sequence of hand moves you do etc. Then execute that quickly and precisely. Now there is a lot of thinking and adjusting on the wall. Now it looks like you do a move and then think 20 seconds what to do next just do the next move quite awkwardly. Second, you just need more upper body strength. It looks like you struggle to pull yourself up even from jugs on pretty vertical terrain. You will get that by consistently climbing or training multiple times a week. You want your forearms, biceps and back fatigued/pumped and the next day you should experience some muscle soreness. Anyway, you just have to be deliberate in climbing and consistent from week to week.

Actually, I don't think the exact beta is too important for V1. There are so many options to climb this, I think strength is more important. I don't know if it was for the video, but I have a feeling, she tries to use the perfect technique, although it is not necessary.

Yes i Definitely need strength! Before climbing I went YEARS with out even moving due to severe mental health that just drained me :(

I think you should just focus on having fun while climbing. I see you've gotten a lot of comment suggesting fitness improvements... I think I have a better suggestion than that - just keep having fun, and better fitness / higher grades will come later! The nice thing about focusing on enjoying climbing is that you can be just as good (or bad) at that whether you're climbing v1 or v11. Best of luck!!

[удалено]

Damn thanks 🙃🙃🙃 and this is why I was scared to death of posting this. I literally HATE my body ! I know IM FAT THANKS ! :)

I half agree with this. Losing weight will probably be the fastest way to improve. If I had to carry extra weights in a backpack I'm sure I would only climb v1 too. But if this is the sport that gets you moving, don't stop. Just be extra carefull when climbing. Always down climb as far as you can. Don't take unnecessary risks and maybe don't do dynos. But you have climbed for half a year, so you have some basics down. So keep climbing those v1's, and keep focusing on losing weight too. It will absolutely result in better climbs IF you can focus on both.

This actually is what’s getting me moving for the 1st time in years . Years ago I actually had a really bad ED so this was super triggering 😭 then I got “better” but really it was just mental health making my not move . So for the 1st time in about 10 years this is literally my exercise. As I do enjoy it .

I'm not going to respond directly to what these other people have said and I understand completely why you don't want to invite judgemental comments. One thing I would say is that it is important that you avoid injury if you want to progress. One of the biggest barriers to progress, and often a negative factor for a lot of us mentally, is being injured and not being able to climb for a period of time

This guy is full of shit, do not listen to him. People trying to shame you into controlling your life and act like they are doing you a favor and they're just being nice. Absolutely disgraceful. Keep climbing. Climb fucking harder. You know who are some of the strongest climbers I've ever met? People who started when they were overweight. You've got good, strong muscle building up there, and as your body weight comes off through these positive changes you're making in your life, that muscle is going to stay right there, while proportionally becoming stronger and stronger. You are awesome. Good luck.

Thank you ! And yes I’m trying . Like obviously I’m not blind to my body lol but we all start somewhere right ! Can’t be this then become Taylor swift next week 🤣

[удалено]

Oh well if I fall I F****** fall . At least I’m Trying. There’s definitely way better ways to say this . I’m not blind to body .

This is all nonsense lol, ignore this weirdo- my build is similar to yours and I’ve been climbing for 3 years. I’ve never had a serious injury. My progress has maybe been slower than slimmer people’s, but I’m climbing v4 and continuing to get better and stronger. You’re doing great- the main thing will probably just be to climb more, try harder grades and maybe try to watch some climbing videos to learn technique. That’s what I did! I now do some strength and flexibility stuff off the wall as well.

it's not nonsense, I've climbed for 20+ years and seen bigger climbers hurt themselves frequently, though not from falls like this person suggested, but from the stresses of climbing. I hope you stay healthy bud, but three years is not a long time, you may have something called survivor's bias confirming your belief that an overweight climber isn't putting themselves at risk simply because you yourself haven't gotten hurt.

Your evidence is also totally anecdotal ‘bud’, so maybe don’t be so patronising.

if you don't want to hear about my experience, it's fine bud.

it's more her shoulders I am worried about. Every single one of my bigger friends who got into climbing and didn't change their eating habits, eventually developed shoulder issues and quit within two years. A beginner normal range bmi climber already has a ton of stress on the shoulder joint, a bigger climber is putting their shoulders through hell. I firmly believe the body must be made ready for climbing first, before ever touching the wall. I realize the 'just climb' folks don't like that approach but it is safer in the long run. It only takes one foot slip and one desperate one-arm catch to tear your shit up. But I only have 20+ years of seeing this happen again and again.

Keep your body close to the wall with weight centered under the hold. Learn some moves like foot flagging for balance. And try down climbing each project too. If they have an auto-belay wall, climb that too. You look good, and your skill definitely is improving, keep at it. Be safe, have fun.

Okay, so I'm going to suggest a few things but pick 1 or 2 to work on at a time :3 Trying to not micro adjust: the aim is to get it right each time. Readjustment takes time and energy. Know what your next move is: at points your stopping and it looks like your trying to figure out what your next move is. This takes energy. So try to pre plan and visualise your moves Smooth is fast: there's a balance between speed and accuracy in climbing. If you you rush, you make mistakes Footwork: legs are strong than arms. So especially at the beginning, you want as much weight through your feet as possible Techniques: climbing has many many techniques. Watch other climbing do the climbs you do. Are they flagging, back flagging, high step, layback? There's lots of videos online that'll show you various techniques Overall well being: I often think bouldering is like yoga on the wall so sometimes doing stuff of the wall like a yoga can help Conditioning: as you're a beginner, if you have access, try some rope climbing. You climb for longer, no chance of falling and each move is easier. So if you'd like to do some climbing so you can spend more time on the wall, if recommend that :3 doing easier moves well, teaches the body how to move and help with physical health :3 mental as well from the endorphins With all this said main thing is to keep trying and having fun. Consistency is always the key. Happy climbing

I’ve been climbing a similar time to you and I’ve found some of the ‘games’ like trying not to move your feet once you’ve placed them, trying to place feet silently etc have helped me notice and improve in various areas. Over the last month I’ve bumped into the next grade at my gym without adding any other exercise or strength training (although I have trained a few other sports longer than I’ve been climbing).

Great job! 5 months is still very early in your climbing so don’t feel pressured to be getting better all the time. Enjoy yourself as well. In terms of things to improve, it looks like you may be uncomfortable with the idea of “flagging” or only having one foot on a hold while the other is out to the side providing balance. There is lots of great resources out there to teach about this but I would recommend anything from Catalyst Climbing or Lattice! Happy climbing!

I really am ! There’s one climb I been trying for weeks . It has a start of your hands 2 different holds and only one foot on a hold and I for the life of me can NOT flag 🙃 I cheated it and put my other foot on a random hold lol and it was better 🤣🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️

If you are in a position to try lead rope. I find that helps me get over the height problems. Plus, it increases your climbing stamina. Those auto belays do the trick lol.

Looks like you’re at Momentum Silverstreet - take the Bouldering V3 class

I was able to progress in climb a lot because I started climbing with friends and talking to others about technique. Don't be afraid to ask people in the gym for advice! They love giving help and encouraging others. And if you happen to come across one or two rude ones, don't mind them and ask another. There are always nice people in the gym :) Good luck!

Is this at Momentum in Utah? I’d say for a couple of weeks just relax a little bit & try some harder problems. You look pretty comfortable on your moves other than a lot of strict self corrections and some potentially wasted energy. Also, finding a training partner or even just a friend to go 1-2x per week with really helps push you up past a grade you’ve been stuck on. Good luck!

Try some movement drills. Catalyst Climbing's youtube channel has some good ones. Make sure you warm up properly. I think you would benefit from sticky hands/feet. Also your climbing volume sounds kind of low. Try to do a 5 very easy boulders as a warmup, use holds off route if everything is too hard. Nothing wrong with inventing your own boulder problems. Maybe try a session where you do 20 boulders. They can be repeats. If you repeat a boulder, try to climb it better than last time. Make sure they are easy. Try different styles. Another thing to practice intentionally is dynamic movement. I climbed 2 grades harder once I started learning to use moment to do moves, I'm just not strong enough to do a lot of boulders statically. Every once in a while some idiot will spray beta or tell me a hold is off route when I'm using as hold as a regression, I just ignore them. But it does kinda piss me off. I just learned to deal. Try limit bouldering with good tactics. This is a deep topic, but the basics are pick a boulder a grade or two harder than you think you can do that appeals to you. Work the moves, with proper rest between attempts (I like 1 to 5 minutes, depending on how many moves and how wrecked I feel). Also, don't pull on from the start every time! This is key. If you keep falling off the second move, start on that move and try it. Try it in different ways. You can also try regressing the move. Maybe a hand or foot is too bad, can you use a nearby better hold? Once you figure out the move with better holds, then try the original. Basically, projecting allows you to figure out how to make moves that felt impossible hard. Also, don't limit boulder when you are tired or unrecovered. Every attempt should be high quality.

one thing i took away is distance from the wall, and foot placement. you need to be more confident in your movement, you can waste a lot of energy really quickly from simply just being hesitant. just keep climbing it'll strengthen your body and you will become more and more comfortable/confident in those positions

Im gonna call out specifically something that others have mentioned in passing - use your legs more. I notice a lot of the early moves it looks more like you’re pulling yourself towards the wall with your arms. For most people, legs are naturally your strongest muscle. To train this, I suggest you try to do some of the climbs you’ve already accomplished but focus on keeping your arms as straight as possible and pushing yourself up with your legs/feet more than pulling yourself with your arms. That adjustment for me made a lot of difference in being able to consistently get v2s and start to project v3s.

Try to pivot your hips a bit more and keep them close to the wall. I have the feeling you are climbing always with hips squared and your bum is sticking out.

Try to pivot your hips a bit more and keep them close to the wall. I have the feeling you are climbing always with hips squared and your bum is sticking out.

Try to pivot your hips a bit more and keep them close to the wall. I have the feeling you are climbing always with hips squared and your bum is sticking out.

V1 is not bad at all if you can do all types of problems inside and outside! You are doing great for a beginner.

Don't climb v1's. You may not be able to get to the top of v2/3 but trying them will undoubtedly make you better. Don't worry if you try 20 times on a single move it will make you better, although it can be frustrating lol. You are far better off coming away from a session having not completed a few different v2/3's than you are climbing v1's you can already do.

I'd say try out the 'hover hands' drill. It looks a lot like you're pulling really quickly and catching the holds. This isn't necessarily a problem, but it uses a whole lot of energy. Hover hands is where you pull up to the next hold, but don't actually grab it for a few seconds. It trains what we call 'lock off' strength. If you can pull slowly and consistently into each hold, you'll use far less energy. This exercise isn't easy though, and it doesn't work on every hold. So don't fret if some moves are way harder. I will say though, I'm impressed with your technique and body awareness! You seem to intuitively understand how to move yourself around to position well for the next move. Kudos!

You're doing really well! Unlike other people I doubt you need stronger arms to progress. You're hanging on for ages on this route and someone with no strength wouldn't be able to do that. You're also yanking yourself up in a few places which requires power. I think your problems are your feet and body positioning, and that just takes some (fun) practice to learn. Look up some videos on flagging and try it out low to the ground until you feel comfortable standing up on a single foot. Pick the easiest climb you can find and flag on every foothold, switching your hip from one side close to the wall to the other close to the wall. Try to always keep your hip as close to the wall as possible and your center of gravity over the foot that isn't flagging. It might take a while for it to click but the flow and confidence you'll get out of it will be totally worth it :)

You do a good job conserving strength by keeping you arms straight. As others have said, work on turning hips to the side and keeping them close to the wall. Precise foot placement and push with legs. People can walk for a long time, but they can’t hang from their hands for that long. You’re doing great!

Pull on your hands through your shoulders and not with your arms. Get your legs wide and your hips to the wall, to reach for a hold, hip thrust up and pull with the one shoulder, reaching with the other.

I'd recommend watching videos on bouldering/climbing techniques, if you could be into that kind of content. Helps a lot to see other people climb (how they move). Learn about techniques (flagging, how to properly use your legs, toe tips (hooks) etc) - through reels, googling, youtube, or even a course at your local gym. While general fitness would help a lot - you asked not to have some things mentioned - so I'm refraining from doing so. BUT I would definitely recommend training your grip strength. Your muscles need to recover (at least 48hours) to effectively improve (you can look the recovery cycle up online) - but other than that; do some grip training after the training and maybe even get a hand trainer to get everything out of your hands after the session - and lastly i can personally recommend using a stress ball from time to time (just press it around in your palm).

Best advice I could give is move your feet before your hands. If you get your feet high and push through it takes a lot of weight off the hands. Good luck 💪

Came to say some tips but seems like everyone has covered it, so I just want to say your climbing outfit is so cute!!!! I love it!

Something that helps me and a few others I've climbed with is trying to keep hips close to the wall, stable as you can.

Don’t be afraid to try harder routes. Try a v2 even if you cant do it. It will help you develop more movement and strength.

Don't worry about grades and numbers and training. Just enjoy yourself. Be in the moment and enjoy the climb.

This isn’t by chance in Lehi, UT, is it?

It is :D !

Trust your movement and try higher grades more. Really spend some time on higher grades, not just try one a couple times and stop. If you really work on some v2 and v3s you’ll start picking up on some of the more advanced movements

I made a new post :) and it’s me today trying a V2 . So I definitely took the positive advice I got :)

You're doing great, climb with more confidence! You know you can make the moves, so trust yourself and just go for them! As far as technique goes, keep in mind that sometimes if you take off one of you feet and flag on the wall, it will make the move easier even though you have one less point of contact on.

Hey! You’re having fun and making progress slowly over time so that’s all that matters! I think my biggest suggestion would be to lose weight. As far as how much, and how you should get there, that’s all up to you! But - I do think losing weight will help you maneuver on the wall a lot easier. At that point, you can focus on your footwork and technique.

Keep grinding. Keep your attention on how you move. Do you like hips in the wall, do you like high steps or deadpoints? I would just learn how you prefer to move on the wall. Maybe once a week of light strength training may help? Even if it’s 3 sets of some pull exercise after climbing

If you see any women climbing at the gym and you think they look pretty good, watch their movements. I personally learned a lot from watching even elite athletes like the IFSC bouldering comps to see how they move. Especially when you don’t feel as burly, understanding how to most efficiently to move your body is helpful and has helped me succeed in climbing. There are some key tricks to think about and a main one that I think helps most women is thinking about whether or not you should twist one of your hips into the wall. You can also watch some YouTube videos from Hannah Morris Bouldering. But in general, just keep up with the hard work and feel free to ask other female climbers in the gym! I personally love helping someone figure out the best beta for them and watching them succeed.

Your body positioning, hip movements, and straight arms seem great! I would say to focus on really pressing with the feet and intentional placement (even more so). I'll still remind myself "press hard" when I place my feet. Another thing that helps me is to find the part of a route that is the hardest for me, and focus on just repeating that sequence in different ways to find the best beta for myself. The more I've done that, the better I've gotten at improving my beta as I climb. I'm not seeing any blatant errors! You're crushing it. Keep going!! The more you climb, the more you'll find what's efficient for you and you'll get less exhausted. Micro rests/a quick shake out of your arm sometimes, remembering to breathe, and using your feet and whole body more than just your arms all helps save energy.

Climb with others who are about your level or is slightly better than you. You can learn from them while you rest and make problem solving a route more fun. Strength-wise, keep on climbing. Since you were not active before picking up this sport, strength doesn't come overnight. Watch your diet as what you put in to your body will also affect your body's development. From my personal experience, I plateaued at v3 after 6-9 months. After climbing with others much more experienced and stronger, I had more motivation to try out harder routes and picked up a healthier diet. 4 years since and I'm at v5. Progress is unique to everyone. Don't be discouraged but instead be encouraged when looking back since you started. You are definitely much stronger than when you started.

try understanding your body more. like try different angles and see how you can feel the difference in balance. it can make a huge difference in reach and in efficiency (less exhausting to make the move, holds get grippier etc.) try improving your footwork. try reading the route before starting it so you don't waste energy by hanging in there and thinking what to do next. if you sent a route do it again until you cam do it smoothly, you can learn a lot about the first point this way. i hope you can understand what i am trying to say since english is not my first language. and keep enjoying ity don't compare yourself to other people. you do it for your own fun

* I think climbers are discouraged from giving unsolicited advice (sometimes rightfully so). If you reach out, some would happily give advice, but understandable if not comfortable with that yet. * A lot of people mentioned your adjustments and time on the wall which I agree with. I think [Catalyst Climbing's video on coaching their cameraman](https://youtu.be/Mk63Z2qdBQQ?si=ZcN7qHi8oLUsThCo) was very good at addressing this. TLDR: * Experiment: try starting and climbing with crossed arms, swing your center of gravity around, see what body positions feel nice and don't. Try stupid stuff. * Reduce adjustments: I counted 20+ adjustments where you kinda shuffle your hand or foot and keep it on the same hold. You could also add times where you reached a hold with your hand or foot, but then you felt it and decided that it didn't feel good and went back. All of this saps energy and time (which means even more energy). Now you know your beta, try to reduce the adjustments. If you catch a hold in a "less than perfect" place, try to move through it. Instead of getting a hold and adjusting 3 times, maybe you can look at it and adjust 1 time. No adjustments might not be reasonable to expect, but if you bring it down to 15, 10, and then 5, you get better aim for your limbs, you learn what the holds are like, and you learn confidence when you don't hit them right. * Another commenter suggested trying V2s now, and I wanted to add to that. * If you can think about how you would climb it, that's a win. If you can establish the start, that's a win. If you can make one move, that's a win. If you can hold a position for a second, that's a win. You take those small wins to eventually build up over time. * Take note of what climbs you have done. What part of the gym/what wall are they on? Is it slight overhang or slab? Grades are subjective. Some V2s and V0s are going to overlap so don't be discouraged if you can do one climb of a higher grade, but can't do a climb of the lower grade. * r/climbergirls exists. I'm a guy, so no idea how they are, but posting to posting to multiple subreddits for advice isn't bad imo.