5 important bouldering tips for beginners - Indoor climbing in Tokyo, Japan

In this video, you’ll learn 5 important tips for beginners.

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Bouldering gym: D-Bouldering Hachioji

Tip 1: Keep your body close to the wall. Many beginners tend to climb like they’re climbing up a ladder: toes pointing towards the wall and butt sticking out. To avoid this, twist your hips and bring your shoulders closer to the wall. Sometimes, you might have to bend your legs, like a lizard, in order to keep your butt from sticking out. A bit of flexibility will go a long way!

Tip 2: Keep your arms straight. We all know that it takes much more energy to hold something when your arm is bent as opposed to when it’s straight. Picture a shopping bag. Do you carry it with a bent arm or straight arm? When you climb, try to keep your arms straight whenever possible to conserve energy.

Tip 3: Use your legs. It’s a common misconception that bouldering is only arms and fingers. In fact, bouldering requires the engagement of all your muscles, especially your legs! Beginners will often reach for holds instead of using their legs to position themselves better. Basically, climb with your legs first, then your arms.

Tip 4: Climb down, don’t jump. This is more of a safety tip. It’s tempting to pull a Tom Cruise and jump from the top of a problem, but it’s much better to climb down. Look for the nicest looking holds for your descent. If you absolutely must jump, make sure to land with bent knees. You can even go as far as rolling onto your back, like an armadillo.

Tip 5: Secure your position. Make sure your feet are placed firmly on the holds and you have a good grip before you move. If you feel unbalanced, try adjusting your hands a little or maybe even your feet. Sometimes, moving your body even an inch to the right or left will make a world of difference!

I hope you enjoyed the video and comment below if you did. Also, hit that like and subscribe button for more content!

Timecodes:
0:00 - Intro
0:25 - Tip 1: Keep your body close to the wall
1:52 - Tip 2: Keep your arms straight
2:57 - Tip 3: Climb down
4:54 - Tip 4: Use your legs
6:43 - Tip 5: Secure your position
7:53 - Mike shows the 5 tips
9:15 - Matt shows the 5 tips
10:01 - End

See you in the next episode.

[michois]

thanks for the vid! very informative..there aren't a lot of videos for beginners so this is such a great resource for when just starting out.

[Tania-vqss]

I started climbing about 2 years ago and these were most of the mistakes I made. Nice of you to share this content. Keep on climbing Mat!!