Rock Climbing Rests

Rock climbing endurance takes time and focus to develop. The more time climbing, the more endurance one will have. However, no matter how much endurance you have, you still need to know how to conserve energy, so as not to "pump out."

In today's blog, two strong climbers share their tips on how to rest effectively mid-climb.

This first video features pro climber Jonathon Siegrist talking about how he looks for rests. Please note, only the first half of the video is pertinent to this blog post:



In review, Jonathon's tips are:

1. Rest with arms extended.
2. Keep hips open and keep the torso over the feet wherever possible.
3. Don't over-grip. 
4. Heel and toe hooks can provide additional resting positions.

In this second video, Lonnie Kauk discusses his thoughts on resting.

Lonnie's tips are similar to Jonathon's:

1. Stay calm and relax.
2. Keep arms straight whenever possible.
3. Don't over-grip.
4. Remember to breathe. Take deep breaths.

The key take-away from these videos...? Resting is important. You will climb better if you know how to conserve your energy as you go...!

--Jason D. Martin