Bouldering is great exercise for the whole body. It exercises the trunk, legs, and arms, and boosts mental agility.
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The hamstrings play a key role in successful bouldering: they lift the feet, pull the hips in, and push climbers upwards. It’s super important to look after your hamstrings so that they remain strong and supple. Let’s take a look at five exercises that will help.
Bridges
The first exercise is the glute bridge. Lie on your back and lift your hips by driving through your heels. This strengthens both the hamstrings and glutes, which helps climbers maintain tension through their lower body.
Hamstring Walkout
Starting from the bridge position, slowly walk your heels away from the body while keeping the hips elevated. This places the hamstrings under sustained tension and improves muscular control.
Romanian Deadlift
Next are Romanian deadlifts. Balancing on one leg while hinging at the hips strengthens the hamstrings and improves balance and hip stability – qualities useful for high steps and standing securely on small footholds.
Nordic Hamstring Curl
With feet anchored, slowly lower the body forward under control, using your hands. This develops eccentric hamstring strength, perfect for climbing.
Hamstring Slider
Last up is the hamstring slider curl. From the bridge position, slide the heels away and then pull them back toward your body. This resembles the pulling action used in heel hooks.
