Rock climbing can help you burn up to 900 calories. Apart from that, it can help you build strength and bring both of your aerobic and anaerobic fitness to a whole new level. It’s a kind of an outdoor activity that not only sports enthusiasts will enjoy, but fitness buffs as well.
How many calories does rock climbing burn?
Rock climbing is a great extreme sport as it not only keeps your heart pounding with adrenaline, but it can also help you get fit, especially during this time of the pandemic. With this sport, you don’t have to hit the gym only to get fit as rock climbing can already help you burn calories.
For 30 minutes of rock climbing, you can already burn 350 calories. That’s already equivalent to a combination of different sets of workout, which consists of these exercises:
- Three sets of 15-20 reps of mountain climbers
- Two sets of 5-minute stair climbs
- Three sets of 20-rep lower-back extensions
- Three sets of 10-rep in-and-outs
- Three sets of 15 reps of 3 o’clock to 9 o’clocks on each side
- Three sets of 10 reps of chest press
- Two sets of 10-minute walks
- Three sets of 12 reps of bent-leg step ups one each leg
- Three sets of 3 reps of wall sits
For an hour of active rock climbing, you can burn up to 700 calories. And to burn that in the gym, you can repeat these exercises twice or try these exercises instead:
- Walk ten miles, depending on your pace
- Do one hour of jumping rope
- Run at the speed of 11 mph for 30 minutes
- Jog for an hour
- Swim for 50 to 70 minutes
If you follow these exercises, burning 350 to 700 calories can be a bit overwhelming. But, with rock climbing, you can simply go to an outdoor rock climbing spot and spend 30 to 60 minutes doing the activity, and you can already burn a lot of calories in just 30 to 60 minutes as it works out all your muscles from both your upper and lower body.
How many calories does 2 hours of rock climbing burn?
Rock climbing is also a fun sport. Aside from the adrenaline rush, you can also enjoy the views while doing the sport. And because of that, you might not even realize that you’re already spending more than 30 minutes of rock climbing. You might even find yourself enjoying the sport for two hours.
And when you last this long doing the said extreme sport, you might not notice it at first, but you’ll already be able to burn around 1,000 to 1,800 calories. However, the amount of calories you’ll burn depends on many factors. This includes your initial weight, your body type, the grade or difficulty level of the climb, your pace, as well as the form of rock climbing you’re doing.
Thus, you’ll find that some people can burn more calories faster than others. But, in general, the more strenuous the activity is and the longer you do it, the more calories you’ll be able to get rid of.
How many calories does beginner rock climbing burn?
Beginners, due to their muscle strength, as well as knowledge in the rock climbing, don’t usually last for more than two hours doing the said sport. Because when you’re new to this and you have been living a sedentary lifestyle before trying your hand at rock climbing, your body can easily get tired and your muscles feel more sore.
For that reason, many rock climbers only do the sport for 30 minutes. This will also help in preventing their muscles from getting too sore for the next climb. And with a 30-minute rock climbing activity, beginners can burn more than 300 calories.
And if you’ll do this more often, you can burn more calories in a week. For beginners, experts say that it’s ideal to do the activity three days in a week.
This way, your body will be more prepared for the stress and be able to recover more quickly. And in three days of climbing, in just a week, you can already burn around 900 calories.
As you gain more strength and test your limits, your body will be more prepared for an hour of rock climbing for a day. And for this, you can burn about more than 5,000 calories in a week.
As you get to hone your skills more, you can spend more time rock climbing without getting easily tired and be able to burn more calories than that within a week.
Is rock climbing good for weight loss?
Exercise is important, especially these days, when you need a strong body to keep diseases at bay. However, hitting the gym isn’t always an ideal thing for some as lifting weights can sometimes be boring.
Fortunately, there are numerous sports to do that will not only help you shed unwanted fat but are also more fun to do and one of them is rock climbing.
Unbeknownst to many, rock climbing isn’t just a sport to enjoy nature. It’s also a great way to improve your body as it helps exercise your whole body as it targets different muscle groups. From reaching up for rocks and pulling your body to ascend, everything, including your brain, gets a good workout.
Rock climbing also combines cardio and strength training. Hence, you can burn calories and build strong muscles at the same time. As a result, you’re able to lose some weight over time.
However, rock climbing alone will not help you achieve your target weight or body goals that easily. Yes, it helps your body get a good exercise, which can aid in losing weight, but remember that it is what you eat that also affects your weight.
So, even if you go rock climbing 24/7 to lose weight, if you will not ditch junk food that’s affecting your calories, it would still be hard to lose weight. Therefore, if your reason for rock climbing is to lose weight, don’t forget to change your diet too.
Is indoor rock climbing a good workout?
Rock climbing can be done in two ways: indoors and outdoors. Between these two, outdoor rock climbing is more popular, which makes many people wonder if the former has the same effect as the latter.
It turns out, indoor rock climbing is a good workout too. Here, you can also get to work on your strength and cardiovascular system. Additionally, you can enhance your shoulders, biceps, triceps, core, as well as your legs.
Basically, indoor rock climbing can also help you lose weight, burn calories, and tone your body as much as outdoor rock climbing can. What makes it different from the latter, though, is that indoor rock climbing doesn’t offer the same sights that you can see outdoors. Yet, it’s still a rewarding sport.
And if you’ve already advanced to the pro level, indoor rock climbing doesn’t offer much option if you want to experience greater heights and more difficulty as it’s quite rare for gyms to offer climbs harder than V10 or higher. This is due to the fact that most indoor rock climbing gym’s clients are beginners.
Does climbing build muscle?
Sports, in general, can help you improve your body. They keep your body moving; therefore, you’re able to lose weight. However, not all sports, even the extreme ones, can help with building muscle.
Fortunately, rock climbing is one extreme sport that can help you lose weight and build muscle at the same time. But, don’t get your hopes up too much as it’s not the kind of activity to do if you’re looking to have a body that equals bodybuilders. The good news, though, is that it can help you build muscles without getting bulky.
Rock climbing has many perks for the body. It doesn’t only help you build enough muscle to get leaner but it also helps your body to easily keep diseases at bay.
With this sport, you can enhance your biceps, forearms, and triceps. Apart from that, you can also get to strengthen your lats, core, as well as your calves.
But, if you’re aiming for a bulkier body, you can’t simply depend on the sport alone. You may want to use the aid of weights too.
But, whether or not you only want a toned body, rock climbing can surely help you build muscles. If you decide to get bulkier, this will help you create a good “base.”
What muscles are used in rock climbing?
Rock climbing works out nearly every part of the body. It even exercises the brain. But, here’s a peek at which muscles get to work more while doing this activity.
Forearm Flexor
This is probably the most important muscle that you need for rock climbing as this is used to get a good grip for a long time. Over time, this strengthens, which helps you hold on to any grip for longer.
Latissimus Dorsi
These muscles are also important to ascend. Also known as lats, this muscle is responsible for pulling your arms downwards and inwards when you pull yourself up with your arms. You can improve this by performing pull downs or chinups.
Biceps Brachii
This muscle is the one responsible for bending the arms. Also known as the biceps, this works together with your lats to pull your body upwards. Strong biceps brachii is important when you’re climbing steep routes or tackling overhangs. However, due to its size, it usually gets fatigued first before the lats.
Calf Muscles
Calf muscles are used to help you push yourself up as you ascend. They also help you prop yourself in a stable position when standing on your toes, which often happens when rock climbing.
Back Muscles
At first glance, climbing may only seem to focus on the arms and legs. But, as you work your arms, it turns out that your back muscles are used too. These muscles assist the latissimus. They help stabilize the scapula and pull the upper arm. Thus, you’ll see rock climbers with toned back muscles too.
Abdominal Muscles
The abdominal muscles are also one of the muscles that are often unnoticed but they also play an important role for rock climbing. They work when you take on steeper climbs.
Chest Muscles
Your chest muscles are also used when climbing. Like your upper back muscles, they also help with pull-ups, so your body doesn’t only depend on your limbs alone to pull itself up to ascend.
Does rock climbing get you ripped?
If you’ll take a look at the bodies of rock climbers, you’ll find that many, if not all, have good proportionate bodies. Because of this, many people also wonder if rock climbing is a good sport to get you ripped.
There’s no denying how good rock climbing is and how beneficial it is for the mind and body. Because of this, many rock climbers have lean bodies. But, if your target is to get ripped, unfortunately, this extreme sport is not for you.
Yes, rock climbing can help you lose fat. Over time, you can also get to build muscles. But, it has a limit. It can’t bulk you up the way bodybuilders are built.
But, the good news is that it can help you tone your body. As you do this sport more, you’ll notice changes in your body, particularly on your upper back, arms, and legs as climbing targets these muscles the most. And because they work more, you’re guaranteed that they will become toned over time.
But, if you’re looking for a bulkier look, it’s best that you hit the gym as rock climbing won’t help you achieve this body type alone. Even so, rock climbing helps with bulking up faster than other sports. Also, don’t forget that to get ripped, you have to change your diet too. So, don’t depend on the sport alone.
Rock climbing offers great opportunities to enjoy nature and get healthier, which is vital these days in keeping a healthy body. So, as early as you can, it’s best to try your hand at this.
