Going to a climbing gym or exploring the outdoors is not always an option. You might be too busy to go out, trying to save money, or wanting to avoid gym crowds. Still, exercising regularly will help you maintain your strength and overall fitness for when you are ready to face an adventure.

An excellent strategy, if you feel less motivated to go out, is to exercise at home. Some workouts can help you train for climbs and keep your body moving.

Here are 20 home workouts that can improve your climbing technique, core strength, and fitness.

Upper body

Training your upper body is crucial for climbing: these are the muscles you will use to hold on and pull yourself up along challenging routes.

Exercises focused on this part of your body will improve overall strength and endurance. It also helps to protect the shoulders, arms, and back from injury, which is especially important for climbers engaging in repetitive motions.

Training the upper body can also help improve your technique, performance, and balance.

Here are some upper body exercises you can do at home.

Pull-ups and chin-ups

Find a sturdy horizontal bar. If you’re working out at home, for example, you can install a pull-up bar in one of your door frames.

For pull-ups, grip the bar with your palms facing away from your body. For chin-ups, grab the bar with your palms facing towards your body. You can keep your hands shoulder-width apart or vary your grip spacing wider or narrower to emphasize different muscles.

Hang from the bar with your arms extended, and keep your body straight. Engage your shoulder blades and pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar.

Then, lower yourself down with control until your arms are fully extended. Repeat this movement for as many repetitions as you'd like.

Maintaining proper form throughout the movement is important, using only your arms and back to pull yourself up and avoiding swinging. It is also essential to start with a manageable number of reps and gradually increase as your strength and endurance improve.

Push-ups

Push-ups are a simple yet effective bodyweight exercise that can be done anywhere.

Start in a plank position. Get down on the ground and place your hands shoulder-width apart. Keep your feet together and extend your arms fully. Your body should be in a straight line.

Slowly bend your elbows, keeping them close to your body, and lower your chest towards the ground. Keep your body in a straight line and your abs tight. Once your chest touches the ground, straighten your arms and push yourself back up to the starting position. Repeat the movement for the desired number of reps.

Avoid sagging or arching your back, and keep your neck aligned with your spine.

Bicep curls

Choose a weight that you can comfortably lift for 8-12 repetitions. You can use a barbell, a pair of dumbbells, a kettlebell, a filled water bottle, or any other available weight.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. If you are using a barbell, hold the bar evenly with your palms facing forwards. If you are using dumbbells or another pair of objects, hold the weights in each hand with your palms up. With your arms extended at your sides, slowly bend your elbows and lift the weight towards your shoulders. Keep your upper arms still and your elbows close to your sides.

Once you have lifted the weight as high as you can, slowly lower it back to the starting position. Repeat the movement for 8-12 repetitions.

Keep your abs tight and avoid swinging the weights or using momentum. Focus on using your bicep muscles to lift the weight.

Overhead Tricep extensions

For this exercise, you'll also need to use weights. You can use the same object you used for bicep curls.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Hold the weight above your head with both hands. Slowly lower the weight behind your head, keeping your elbows close to your ears. Keep your abs tight and your back straight.

Once you have lowered the weight as far as you can, push it back up to the starting position. Repeat the movement for 8-12 repetitions.

Avoid locking your elbows at the top of the movement.

Rowing exercises

Rowing exercises can be done at home using a resistance band. Just make sure you choose a resistance band suitable for your current strength levels.

Secure one end of a resistance band to a sturdy object, such as a door handle or a sturdy piece of furniture. Hold the other end of the band with both hands, standing with your feet shoulder-width apart.

Stand with your arms extended in front of you and your knees slightly bent. Keep your back straight and your abs tight. Then, pull the resistance band towards your hips, bending your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Slowly release the band back to the starting position.

Dips

Dips are a great exercise for targeting your triceps and shoulders. You can do dips using parallel bars, the edge of a bench, or two sturdy chairs.

For bench dips, stand with your back to the surface with your hands grasping the edge, your palms facing down, and your fingers pointing forward. Extend your feet out in front of you with your heels resting on the ground and your arms straight. Slowly bend your elbows and lower your body until your arms form a 90-degree angle. Keep your back straight and your abs tight. Push yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your arms.

For parallel bar or chair dips, place one hand on each bar or chair to support your body weight and lift your legs off the ground. Lower your body carefully by bending your elbows until your arms reach 90 degrees, then push back up to the top position.

Repeat the movement for 8-12 repetitions. To get the full benefit of the exercise, you need to keep your body in proper form. Avoid swinging or using momentum, and keep your abs tight. If you have wrist problems, you can place a towel or pad under your hands to reduce the pressure.

Diamond push-ups

Diamond push-ups are a variation of traditional push-ups that place extra emphasis on the triceps.

Get down on the ground or a yoga mat and place your hands close together so that your index fingers and thumbs form a diamond shape. Keep your feet together and your body straight. Lower your body towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides. Stop when your chest nearly touches the ground.

Straighten your arms to push yourself back up to the starting position.

Keeping a straight back and your abs tight to avoid sagging or lifting your hips. Start with a low number of reps and gradually add more as you get stronger.

Handstand push-ups

This is the type of exercise that should only be attempted by experienced fitness enthusiasts. If you are new to fitness or have any medical conditions, it's best to consult a doctor before attempting this exercise.

Handstand push-ups are an advanced exercise that requires strength, balance, and stability. Before attempting handstand push-ups, ensure you have a solid handstand against a wall. Practice until you feel comfortable and confident.

Once you are strong enough, stand facing a wall with your hands on the ground about shoulder-width apart. Kick up into a handstand against the wall, with your heels resting against the wall.

Lower your body towards the ground, bending your elbows and keeping them close to your body. Stop when your head nearly touches the ground.

Push yourself back up to the starting position, straightening your arms.

Core

Strong core muscles provide a stable base for the limbs to move from and help transfer force from the lower body to the upper body more efficiently. A well-developed core is essential for climbing performance as well as increasing stability, balance, and power.

Core strength can also prevent injuries, improve posture, and reduce the strain that a sport like climbing can have on the lower back and hips.

Plank

Plank exercises are a simple and effective way to work the core muscles from the comfort of your home.

Get into a push-up position, but instead of lowering yourself to the ground or a yoga mat, hold yourself up in a straight line from head to heels. Keep your body straight, your hands under your shoulders, and your feet hip-width apart.

Engage your abdominal muscles and hold the position for 30 seconds to a minute, depending on your fitness level. Breathe deeply and steadily while maintaining a straight line with your body.

To make the exercise more challenging, you can hold the plank position for longer periods of time or try variations such as lifting one arm or one leg off the ground. Start slowly and gradually increase the difficulty as your core muscles get stronger.

Leg raises

Leg raises help to strengthen hip flexor muscles and your lower abdominal area.

Lie flat on your back on a yoga mat with your arms at your sides. Then, lift your legs off the ground until they are perpendicular to your body. Your arms should stay on the ground.

Keep your legs straight and lower them slowly back down to the floor. Repeat the exercise for 10-15 repetitions or as many as you can do with good form.

You can also make this exercise more challenging by holding a weight or a medicine ball between your feet. You can also try lifting one leg at a time as you progress.

Hanging leg raises

Find a sturdy horizontal bar or pull-up bar to hang from. Grasp the bar with your palms facing forward, and hang from the bar with your arms fully extended and your shoulders down, away from your ears.

Keep your legs straight and together, and raise them up towards your chest. Stop short of your legs touching your chest, then lower them back down to the starting position.

If you find hanging leg raises too difficult, you can start by keeping your legs bent at the knees and raising them towards your chest. As you progress, you can gradually straighten your legs to make the exercise more challenging.

Lat pulldownS

For this exercise, you will need to use resistance bands that are suitable to your level.

Secure the resistance band to a sturdy overhead structure, such as a door frame. Stand facing the band with your feet shoulder-width apart, and grasp the band with both hands, palms facing down.

Start with your arms extended above your head, then pull the band down towards your chest. Keep your elbows close to your body and pause at the bottom of the movement, with the band just below your chest. Slowly return to the starting position, keeping tension on the band throughout the exercise.

You can use a band with more resistance or increase the number of repetitions to increase the difficulty.

Lower body

Strong lower body muscles are crucial for climbing. Incorporating lower body exercises into a climbing training program can help climbers get stronger and develop better technique.

Squats

Squats are a great exercise for strengthening the muscles in your legs, hips, and glutes.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with your toes pointing forward. Then, starting with your arms at your sides or held out in front of you for balance, slowly bend your knees and lower your hips as if sitting back in a chair.

Keeping your weight on your heels and your back straight, lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Pause for a moment, then extend your legs to return to the starting position.

Repeat the exercise for 10-15 repetitions or as many as you can do with good form. To make the exercise more challenging, you can hold a weight or a medicine ball or perform single-leg squats, changing the centre of balance.

Lunges

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips. Take a large step forward with one foot, and bend both knees to lower your body towards the floor.

With the front foot on the ground and your back foot at an angle, keep your front knee directly above your ankle and your back knee just above the floor. Pause for a moment, then push back up to the starting position. Then, repeat the exercise with the other leg.

To make the exercise more challenging, you can hold a weight or perform lunge walks by alternating legs.

Deadlifts

Image: Muscle and Brawn

Deadlifts are a compound exercise that works multiple muscle groups, including the legs, back, and core.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with a weight (such as a kettlebell or a dumbbell) in front of you between your feet. Bend down and grasp the weight with both hands, keeping your back straight and your knees slightly bent.

Stand up with the weight, keeping it close to your body and using your legs and hips to lift it. Keep your core tight and your back straight as you stand up with the weight.

Pause at the top of the movement for a moment, then lower the weight back down to the starting position.

Start with a lighter weight and focus on proper form before increasing the weight. Make sure to keep your back straight throughout the exercise to avoid injury. If you are new to deadlifts, it may be helpful to have someone watch you or work with a trainer to ensure that you perform the exercise correctly.

Box Jumps

Stand in front of a sturdy box, bench, or step that is about knee height or slightly higher. Keep your feet hip-width apart, bend your knees and swing your arms back.

Leap up onto the box, landing softly with both feet firmly on top. Step back down to the starting position, and repeat the exercise.

Before attempting this workout, make sure that the box is stable and secure. Start with a lower box height and gradually increase the height as you become more comfortable.

Jumping jacks

Jumping jacks are one of the easiest and most common exercises to perform at home.

Stand with your feet together and your arms at your sides. Jump up, spreading your legs out to the sides and raising your arms above your head. Land with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms still above your head.

Jump back to the starting position, bringing your feet back together and lowering your arms. Repeat the exercise for 30 seconds to a minute.

You can vary the speed and intensity of jumping jacks to make the exercise easier or more challenging. You can also modify the activity by jumping on one foot or crossing your arms in front of your body instead of above your head.

Tuck jumps

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides. Bend your knees and jump into the air, bringing your knees up towards your chest. Land softly, with your knees bent and your feet hip-width apart. Immediately jump again, repeating the tucking motion.

Make sure to land softly to reduce the impact on your joints. Keep your core tight and your back straight throughout the exercise to maintain good form.

Burpees

Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart. Squat down and place your hands on the ground. Kick your feet back so that you are in a push-up position. Then, lower your body down into a push-up.

Push yourself back up to the starting position. Jump up into the air, reaching your arms overhead. Land back in the squat position and repeat.

Burpees can be challenging, so respect your body, limits, and rhythm. You can also modify the burpee by skipping the push-up or the jump if you need to make it easier as you begin your fitness journey.

Calf raises

Calf raises are a simple yet effective exercise that can be done at home to strengthen your calf muscles.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your toes pointing forward. Raise up onto your toes, keeping your legs straight. Hold for a second, then lower your heels back down to the starting position.

For added difficulty, you can do calf raises, holding weights in each hand or standing on a raised surface, such as a step or a sturdy book. Make sure to keep your balance throughout the exercise and engage your core muscles to maintain stability.

Final thoughts

With physical conditioning, consistency is key. Find the best way to continue working on your body and your strength even when the gym is not an option or you don't have enough time.

Choose a few exercises on this list and dedicate 15 to 20 minutes of your day to workouts and see how much you can improve.

You can do a lot at home to improve your overall strength and fitness. Make sure you warm up and cool down, respect your limits and maintain the correct form.

A great climbing performance requires many other exercises. The fitter you are, the easier it is to conquer difficult routes and challenge yourself.

Disclaimer

The material (including, without limitation, advice and recommendation) within this program is provided solely for general educational and informational purposes. Use of this program, advice and information contained herein is at the sole choice and risk of the reader.

Always consult a medical professional or healthcare provider before beginning any exercise program. If you choose to use this information without prior consent from a medical professional or healthcare provider, you are agreeing to accept full responsibility for your decisions and agree that No Boundaries LTD, its agents, employees, contractors, and any affiliated companies hold zero liability with respect to injury or illness to you or your property arising out of or connected with your use of the information contained within this program.

Exercise is not without its risks, and this or any other exercise program may result in injury. As with any exercise program, if at any point during your workout, you begin to feel faint, dizzy or have physical discomfort, you should stop immediately and consult a medical professional. You should rely on your own review, inquiry, and assessment as to the accuracy of any information made available within this program.

20 Awesome Home Workouts for Rock Climbers