Climbing to raise fitness and weight loss
Discussion
Ok a quick brief....
I am not "fat" by any stretch of the word BUT I do have a gut growing on me. Call it 7 years of contentness since I met Mrs Geeks. Recently I have noticed that I am continuing to put weight on and my fitness is at an all time low.
I have tried running and the gym etc but none of them really motivate me and I end up not going.
So I have been giving it some thought and there were several activities I used to do allot when I was younger (circa 13-20) that I used to love; Kayaking, Sailing, MTB'ing, Climbing and Skating.
I don't have a decent set of skates to go out on and the pavement around here isn’t up to the job really, we do have a skating club locally and I will check that out, I don't have a Kayak anymore and hiring is expensive and there isn't anywhere decent to do this in MK, Sailing is great in MK but the hire cost again is ridiculous, so the one that really grabs me as I used to really enjoy was climbing.
So is climbing a decent way of getting back into shape? It's going to be an uphill climb (boom, boom) getting back into it but I used to instruct at my local wall and was (at my peak) climbing at an national indoor competition level. Thing is I was doing allot of other sport then younger and fitter (ok so I am only 29 now so hardly old!) and I am not sure if my physique and fitness was maintained by climbing or enabled me to climb the way I did!
If I were to take it up again I can imagine being knackered in about 20 minutes and very rusty but would my old fitness etc return with persistent commitment?
So PH health people. What do we think?
I am not "fat" by any stretch of the word BUT I do have a gut growing on me. Call it 7 years of contentness since I met Mrs Geeks. Recently I have noticed that I am continuing to put weight on and my fitness is at an all time low.
I have tried running and the gym etc but none of them really motivate me and I end up not going.
So I have been giving it some thought and there were several activities I used to do allot when I was younger (circa 13-20) that I used to love; Kayaking, Sailing, MTB'ing, Climbing and Skating.
I don't have a decent set of skates to go out on and the pavement around here isn’t up to the job really, we do have a skating club locally and I will check that out, I don't have a Kayak anymore and hiring is expensive and there isn't anywhere decent to do this in MK, Sailing is great in MK but the hire cost again is ridiculous, so the one that really grabs me as I used to really enjoy was climbing.
So is climbing a decent way of getting back into shape? It's going to be an uphill climb (boom, boom) getting back into it but I used to instruct at my local wall and was (at my peak) climbing at an national indoor competition level. Thing is I was doing allot of other sport then younger and fitter (ok so I am only 29 now so hardly old!) and I am not sure if my physique and fitness was maintained by climbing or enabled me to climb the way I did!
If I were to take it up again I can imagine being knackered in about 20 minutes and very rusty but would my old fitness etc return with persistent commitment?
So PH health people. What do we think?
Steve Evil said:
Got to be good for you, but you've got your belly to haul up with you now. A friend goes to the wall in Kingston on a Thursday night pretty regularly.
Get another bike and we can go and play up Woburn woods!
My thoughts entirely! Get another bike and we can go and play up Woburn woods!
Could get another bike I suppose but am somewhat out of shape but that is the same problem climbing I suppose!
If you want to try a new sport entirely, there is an arm wrestling club in MK. Climbing and AW go hand in hand because of the grip strength required. If you enjoy it, you'll do it. If you get good you'll want to lose weight to increase your strength to wait ratio and chances on the table.
If not, climbing and cycling should do the trick.
If not, climbing and cycling should do the trick.
If you climb 2-3 times a week, you'll develop decent strength and burn those evil cals. 
Look at all the decent boulderers (those who can climb 6cs etc) at your local centre. They probably go 2-3 times a week if not more plus chances are they train at home on a fingerboard as well.
Still will need to keep an eye on your intake as you can out-eat any training regime.
If you skate as well, that will help. Doubt you'll have to do much else after that to maintain a decent athletic shape.
Hoofy!
Your thread's arrived.
Look at all the decent boulderers (those who can climb 6cs etc) at your local centre. They probably go 2-3 times a week if not more plus chances are they train at home on a fingerboard as well.
Still will need to keep an eye on your intake as you can out-eat any training regime.
If you skate as well, that will help. Doubt you'll have to do much else after that to maintain a decent athletic shape.
LordGrover said:
Hoofy!Your thread's arrived.
Mave said:
Climbing is great for toning muscles, but I can't imagine it's particularly good for burning calories; I don't think I've ever got close to being out of breath climbing, more pumped.
You're going to burn calories. You might not burn as much as going for a run, though. http://www.self.com/calculatorsprograms/calculator...
(Probably overestimating by 50%.)
Mave said:
Climbing is great for toning muscles, but I can't imagine it's particularly good for burning calories; I don't think I've ever got close to being out of breath climbing, more pumped.
Climb harder! However you're right in that climbing doesn't seem to be a good calorie burner, I can easily put fat on while climbing.
Outdoors is better, but that's partly because most of the outdoor climbing I do requires walking a fair distance carrying a load of climbing gear (climbing bag is around 30 pounds with a rope).
After a year and a half of pretty much exclusively bouldering down here in Bristol, I've started doing roped stuff again since a new centre opened.
I've found myself much more tired doing roped stuff than an evening's bouldering, probably because its more sustained and requires more stamina.
Definitely get back into it, it cant be bad for fitness! I would try to do something more cardio as well though, such as cycling.
I've found myself much more tired doing roped stuff than an evening's bouldering, probably because its more sustained and requires more stamina.
Definitely get back into it, it cant be bad for fitness! I would try to do something more cardio as well though, such as cycling.
Simbu said:
After a year and a half of pretty much exclusively bouldering down here in Bristol, I've started doing roped stuff again since a new centre opened.
I've found myself much more tired doing roped stuff than an evening's bouldering, probably because its more sustained and requires more stamina.
Definitely get back into it, it cant be bad for fitness! I would try to do something more cardio as well though, such as cycling.
Cycle to climbing wall/crag - climb - cycle home I've found myself much more tired doing roped stuff than an evening's bouldering, probably because its more sustained and requires more stamina.
Definitely get back into it, it cant be bad for fitness! I would try to do something more cardio as well though, such as cycling.
Where's the new centre in Bristol? I used to go to St Werburgh's a lot but not for a few years now.
Simbu said:
After a year and a half of pretty much exclusively bouldering down here in Bristol, I've started doing roped stuff again since a new centre opened.
I've found myself much more tired doing roped stuff than an evening's bouldering, probably because its more sustained and requires more stamina.
That's right. If I can only get a bouldering session in, I'll do circuits, just repeat a route or go up and down a route several times to simulate a roped route.I've found myself much more tired doing roped stuff than an evening's bouldering, probably because its more sustained and requires more stamina.
ewenm said:
Where's the new centre in Bristol? I used to go to St Werburgh's a lot but not for a few years now.
It's called Redpoint, it's just off Winterstoke road in Bedminster Down. I like it, it's not as busy and a bit more interesting that St. Werburgh's. We tend to alternate between Redpoint and TCA in St. Philips.Hoofy said:
You're going to burn calories. You might not burn as much as going for a run, though.
http://www.self.com/calculatorsprograms/calculator...
(Probably overestimating by 50%.)
I really don't trust those numbers. With my stats they rate climbing as burning calories at the same rate as running 6 minute miles. I can easily climb for an hour non stop, whereas 5 miles in half an hour will have me feeling very queasy :-(http://www.self.com/calculatorsprograms/calculator...
(Probably overestimating by 50%.)
Mave said:
I really don't trust those numbers. With my stats they rate climbing as burning calories at the same rate as running 6 minute miles. I can easily climb for an hour non stop, whereas 5 miles in half an hour will have me feeling very queasy :-(
As I say, it's probably an overestimation. Fact is, though, you're burning calories.Mave said:
I really don't trust those numbers. With my stats they rate climbing as burning calories at the same rate as running 6 minute miles. I can easily climb for an hour non stop, whereas 5 miles in half an hour will have me feeling very queasy :-(
Actually climbing for an hour would be pretty hard I think, you tend to do short bursts with rests.Hoofy said:
As I say, it's probably an overestimation. Fact is, though, you're burning calories.
Yes, but it calculated I would use over 700 calories in a typical session which IMHO is more than a 50% overestimation - I'd be surprised if it was 200. OP was asking about climbing for weight loss, and I really don't think climbing is suitable.Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff