Training Core for Climbers: Why Sit-Ups Aren’t Enough
If you think core training means smashing out sit-ups until your abs burn, you’re missing the mark—especially as a climber.
Climbing relies on a powerful, reactive core to control movement, maintain body tension, and link your lower body to your arms. But standard ab workouts often miss the muscle patterns that actually matter on the wall.
At Bould Move, the best gym in the Sunshine Coast for climbing-specific strength and recovery, we help climbers train smarter. So let’s break down what the “core” really means—and how to build one that performs on the wall.
Why Core Training Matters for Climbers
Your core isn’t just your abs—it includes:
- Transverse abdominis (deep core stabilizer)
- Obliques (rotation and anti-rotation control)
- Lower back and spinal stabilizers
- Hip flexors and glutes (linking upper and lower body)
This muscular network is your body’s foundation for body tension, heel hooks, toe placement, and maintaining control on overhangs—skills that are essential whether you’re projecting B2 or B6.
The Problem with Sit-Ups
Sit-ups and crunches isolate spinal flexion, which has limited crossover to climbing. They miss key climbing movements like:
- Holding your body still while reaching or twisting
- Resisting external forces (swings, barn doors)
- Driving your feet up while staying compact
In short: sit-ups don’t mimic climbing demands. Let’s look at what does.
The Core Movements Climbers Need
At our bouldering Sunshine Coast facility, we teach climbers how to train core in a way that actually transfers to the wall.
- Anti-Rotation Training
You’re not always trying to twist—often, you’re trying not to twist.
Try:
- Pallof Press
- Side Plank with Reach-Through
- Dead Bug with Band Resistance
- Compression Strength
This is the climber’s real superpower: bringing your feet up without letting your torso sag.
Try:
- Hanging Leg Raises (to L-sit or Toes-to-Bar)
- Tuck-Ups on Rings
- V-Sit Holds on Floor or Bar
- Hollow Body & Tension Drills
Used by gymnasts, these build total-body control.
Try:
- Hollow Body Hold
- Plank Walk-Outs
- Wall Tension Drills
How We Train Core at Bould Move
Our coaches use climbing-specific assessments and progressions to target climbing core strength, reduce injury risk, and improve movement efficiency. Whether it’s in group classes or one-on-one sessions, our programming reflects the demands of real climbing.
That’s why we’re not just another gym—we’re one of the best adult activities Sunshine Coast has to offer, helping people climb stronger and feel better doing it.
