3 Tips to Help Climbing Feel Less Hard:

Wild Iris
Feb 5
2 min read

If you’re new to climbing (or even a few months in) and everything is feeling harder than it looks, you might need to adjust your movement and technique, not necessarily your strength

Most of the time, climbing doesn’t feel hard because you’re “not strong enough.” It feels hard because no one has shown you how to move properly yet. And hopefully, this blog post will help you climb a little easier!

Here are three beginner-friendly technique tips that can help climbing feel more controlled, less exhausting, and a little more fun:

1. Keep Your Arms Straight:

When you bend your arms constantly, your biceps fatigue really quickly — even on the easier climbs. Think about carrying groceries: your arms are usually straight, not bent.

Instead, try:

Hanging with straight arms
Keeping your hips close to the wall and "sit in a chair" before moving.

Drill: Climb an easy route when warming up (VB- V1) and challenge yourself to keep your arms straight. Move your hips to reach the next hold& play around with movement. This is not intended to be quick or dynamic, be mindful and move slowly.

2. Keep your Feet Silent:

Your feet do way more work than your hands — but only if you place them intentionally.

If your feet are loud or slipping, you’re probably moving too fast.

Instead:

Look at each foothold before placing your feet on the footholds
Place your foot quietly and deliberately
Trust your feet!

Drill: Climb one problem as quietly as possible. Do not take your eyes off your feet until you place your foot precisely.

**Next week, I will be posting a "how to properly place your feet post," so make sure you keep an eye out for that!

3. Move Your Hips:

Climbing isn’t just straight up and down — it’s side to side with a lot of movement.

Moving your hips closer to the wall helps you:

Stay balanced
Use less strength
Reach holds more easily

Instead of pulling harder, try rotating your hips toward the next hold.

Drill: On an easy climb, exaggerate your hip movement. Twist side to side as you move between holds.

Remember This

If climbing feels hard, it doesn’t mean you’re bad at it. It usually just means you’re still learning how to move. It can be really uncomfortable at first, but as you practice it more, it will become easier and less awkward it will become. I recommend applying all these tips on slab and work your way up to overhung climbs.

Focus on: