[Cliff]

Hey gang,

I’m adding some ME into my climbing in a more sport specific phase.

I’ve been doing 15m on, 15m off x 3 with a weight vest but wondering about wether a backpack is better training.

A real packed backpack for a long climb puts my centre of gravity out considerably, so I’m thinking the same weight in a backpack would be more difficult, but I have a lot of questions…

Would it also change the load on the shoulders for the worse, creating more stress on than benefit?
Is this better training for long alpine climbs since it’s using more of the muscles in the back that fatigue with a pack on for a long time?
With a backpack on, will I be laughed at in the gym or marvelled at for my dedication? Finally, I rarely climb rock with a heavy pack, more so ice… so is climbing on an auto-belay with a pack even worth considering if it lacks the specificity of grip type and calf training?

Happy to have your speculation on this, and thanks in advance.

Topic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous on September 12, 2019 at 7:58 am #28294

Cliff:

Specificity rules. The heavy pack will better simulate the demands of alpine climbing. What I do sometimes is to stow the weight vert in a smaller pack like a BD Bullet. Then you get 90% of the big pack benefits without looking like you are hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. You be more discrete in the gym.

Scott