Journal · Training
Climbing exercises: the 50 in the app
50 exercises for climbers to warm up with and get stronger for your sends. Strength training for climbing, free in The Summit Social app.
Checked against the app on 28 September 2026.
Warm up first, 10 minutes minimum. None of this is medical advice. If a joint hurts, stop. Fingers heal slowly, months rather than weeks, so the boring session is usually the right one.
Climbing exercises by what they train
Hangboard: fingers
6 exercises
Half Crimp Repeaters
Intermediate · Hangboard (fingerboard)Trains: The half crimp: fingers at 90 degrees, thumb off. The small-edge grip.
Edge you can hold with straight arms and set shoulders. Hang 7 seconds, rest 3, six times. Rest 3 minutes. Sharp joint pain ends the day.
App default: 6 × 6 × 7 s
Open Hand Hangs
Beginner · HangboardTrains: Open-hand strength for slopers and pockets. Kinder to tendons.
Medium edge, fingers open, no crimp. Hang 10, rest 5. Straight arms, shoulders on. Feet on a chair if bodyweight is too much.
App default: 5 × 5 × 10 s
Three-Finger Drag
Beginner · HangboardTrains: Index, middle and ring in a drag. The safe way in.
Three fingers on a 20 mm edge, let them curl. Hang 10, rest 5. Three minutes between sets. Progress by a smaller edge or a little weight.
App default: 4 × 5 × 10 s
Full Crimp Lock-offs
Advanced · HangboardTrains: Thumb over the index. Maximum grip, maximum pulley stress.
Big edge only, 5 seconds max, never tired, never on small edges. Six months of hangboarding first. Three sets, 3 minutes between.
App default: 3 × 3 × 5 s
Pinch Block Holds
Intermediate · Pinch block or hangboard with pinch featureTrains: Thumb strength. Indoor walls skip it, rock doesn't.
Squeeze a pinch block or the board's pinch for 8 seconds, steady pressure throughout. Rest 3 minutes. Add weight to progress.
App default: 4 × 4 × 8 s
One-Arm Hang Progression
Advanced · Hangboard, pulley system or resistance bandTrains: Contact strength on one arm. Top of the ladder.
Big edge, shift the weight to one arm; a pulley or band on the other takes the rest. Hold 5 to 7 seconds a side. Less help every week.
App default: 3 × 3 × 5 s
Campus board: power
5 exercises
1-4-7 Campus Ladder
Advanced · Campus boardTrains: Explosive pull and contact strength. The classic.
Both hands on rung 1. Fire one hand to 4, the other straight to 7. Lower under control, swap the lead hand each set. A year of climbing first.
App default: 4 × 4 reps
Campus Touches
Intermediate · Campus boardTrains: Hand speed without the full load of a campus move.
Hang a comfortable rung. Snap one hand up to touch two or three rungs higher, back, other hand. Speed of the hand, not the catch.
App default: 4 × 6 reps
Max Reach Deadpoints
Advanced · Campus boardTrains: Maximum reach from a dead hang.
Start low. Drive from hips and core, latch the highest rung you can, lower slowly. Note the rung. Beat it next month.
App default: 3 × 3 reps
Campus Laddering
Intermediate · Campus boardTrains: Power that lasts across several moves.
Rung 1, then one rung at a time, alternating hands, smooth not frantic. Up as high as you can, then back down. Six moves is the floor.
App default: 3 × 3 reps
Double Dynos
Advanced · Campus boardTrains: Both hands off, both hands on. Coordination.
Both hands on one rung. Drive from core and lats, let go, catch one or two rungs higher with both. Kill the swing. Spotter, experience, big rungs.
App default: 3 × 3 reps
Core: tension
6 exercises
Front Lever Progressions
Advanced · Pull-up bar or ringsTrains: Lats, core and posterior chain as one unit. Roof tension.
Tuck first: hang, knees to chest, body flat. Then advanced tuck, one leg, straddle, full. Five to 10 seconds, shoulder blades pulled down.
App default: 4 × 3 × 8 s
L-Sit Hold
Intermediate · Parallel bars, dip station, or floorTrains: Hip flexors and lower abs. High feet on steep walls.
Between dip bars or on a bench edge, press down and lift. Legs straight out, toes pointed. Bent knees if you must. Ten to 20 seconds.
App default: 4 × 3 × 15 s
Hollow Body Hold
Beginner · Floor matTrains: Whole-body tension, fingertips to toes.
On your back, lower back pressed into the floor. Arms overhead, legs just off the ground, gentle banana. Breathe. If the back lifts, raise the legs.
App default: 4 × 3 × 20 s
Hanging Leg Raises
Intermediate · Pull-up barTrains: Hip flexors and lower abs for hooks and high steps.
Hang straight-armed. Knees to chest, or legs to horizontal, or toes to the bar. Lower slowly. No swinging.
App default: 4 × 8 reps
Windshield Wipers
Advanced · Pull-up barTrains: Rotational core for drop-knees and twisting.
Hang, legs up to horizontal, together. Swing them left almost to the bar, then right. No momentum. Bent knees if straight is too much.
App default: 3 × 6 reps
Plank Variations
Beginner · Floor matTrains: Core endurance and stability. The base.
Forearms down, body straight head to heel. Then side plank, one arm out, one leg up. Twenty to 45 seconds each. Circuit them later.
App default: 3 × 3 × 30 s
Pull strength
6 exercises
Weighted Pull-Ups
Intermediate · Pull-up bar, weight belt or vestTrains: Raw pulling strength.
Palms away, shoulder width. Chin over, lower slowly to straight arms. Weight on a belt or between the feet. Three to 5 hard reps.
App default: 5 × 5 reps
Lock-Off Training
Intermediate · Pull-up barTrains: Holding a position while you reach. Static climbing.
Chin over the bar, hold 5. Lower to 90 degrees, hold 5. Lower to 120, hold 5. Add angles as you get stronger.
App default: 4 × 3 × 5 s
Typewriter Pull-Ups
Advanced · Wide pull-up barTrains: Sideways pulling for traverses and roofs.
Wide grip. Pull to one hand, other arm straight. Slide across without dropping, then lower. Across and back is one rep.
App default: 3 × 4 reps
Frenchies
Intermediate · Pull-up barTrains: Pull and hold at three angles in one set.
Pull to chin, hold 5. Down. Pull to 90, hold 5. Down. Pull to 120, hold 5. That's a round. Three minutes between rounds.
App default: 3 rounds
One-Arm Negative Pull-Up
Advanced · Pull-up barTrains: One-arm pulling power with less risk than pulling up.
Step to the top, take one hand off, lower as slowly as you can, 8 to 10 seconds. Towel in the free hand if needed. Ten strict pull-ups first.
App default: 3 × 3 × 10 s
Muscle-Up Progressions
Advanced · Pull-up bar or ringsTrains: Pull then press. Mantles and top-outs.
Chest to the bar on explosive pull-ups. Practise the swing under and over, band for help. Press out on top. Timing as much as strength.
App default: 3 × 3 reps
Antagonist: the pushing side
6 exercises
Push-Ups
Beginner · None (bodyweight)Trains: Chest, shoulders and triceps. The balance to pulling.
Hands shoulder width, body straight. Chest to the floor, press back up, hips don't sag. Diamond, wide, decline or clap when 15 is easy.
App default: 3 × 15 reps
Overhead Shoulder Press
Beginner · Dumbbells or barbellTrains: Deltoids, upper traps, triceps. Shoulder cover overhead.
Feet hip width, dumbbells at the shoulders. Press straight up to locked arms, lower slow. Brace the core, don't arch. Seated if you want it strict.
App default: 3 × 10 reps
Wrist Curls
Beginner · Light dumbbellsTrains: Forearm flexors, in balance.
Forearm on your thigh, wrist over the edge, palm up. Curl a light dumbbell up, lower slowly. Two to 5 kg is enough.
App default: 3 × 15 reps
Reverse Wrist Curls
Beginner · Light dumbbellsTrains: Wrist extensors. The elbow-pain muscles.
Same set-up, palm down. Lift the back of the hand, very light weight, slow down. If your elbow hurts on the wall, this goes first.
App default: 3 × 15 reps
External Rotations
Beginner · Resistance band or light cableTrains: Rotator cuff. The shoulder's small stabilisers.
Band or light cable. Elbow tucked at your side at 90 degrees. Turn the forearm out, away from the body. Control it back. Fifteen each arm.
App default: 3 × 15 reps
Dips
Intermediate · Dip bars or ringsTrains: Pressing strength for mantles and shoulder health.
Arms locked on parallel bars. Lower to 90 degrees, press up. Lean forward for chest, upright for triceps. Band for help.
App default: 3 × 10 reps
Stretching: mobility
5 exercises
Hip Opener Stretch
Beginner · Floor matTrains: Hips. High feet and wide stems.
Pigeon: from a push-up position, one knee to the same-side wrist, back leg straight, sink. Thirty to 60 seconds a side. Or frog, knees wide.
App default: 2 × 2 × 45 s
Shoulder & Lat Stretch
Beginner · Pull-up bar, doorframeTrains: Lats, cuff and capsule. Climbing shortens all three.
Hang from a bar, straight arms, 20 to 30 seconds. Arm across the chest, 20. Forearm on a doorframe, step through. Never force it.
App default: 2 × 3 × 30 s
Hamstring Stretch
Beginner · Floor matTrains: Hamstrings. Higher heel hooks, happier lower back.
Standing: hinge at the hips, flat back, reach for the toes. Or seated, legs out, reach. Thirty seconds. No bouncing.
App default: 2 × 2 × 30 s
Forearm & Finger Stretch
Beginner · NoneTrains: Finger flexors and forearms. The tight bits.
Arm out, palm up, pull the fingers back gently, 15 to 20 seconds. Palm down, push them back. Roll each finger. After every session.
App default: 2 × 3 × 20 s
Thoracic Spine Extension
Beginner · Foam rollerTrains: Upper back mobility. Overhead reach, better breathing.
Foam roller across the upper back, hands behind the head, extend over it. Work the upper back only, 5 seconds a spot. Thread the needle to finish.
App default: 2 × 5 × 10 s
Footwork
6 exercises
Silent Feet Drill
Beginner · Climbing wall (easy routes)Trains: Precise feet. The biggest gain a beginner can make.
Easy route. Look at every foothold, place the foot, no sound. If it makes a noise, place it again.
App default: 3 rounds
Toe Placement Precision
Beginner · Climbing wallTrains: Edging on tiny footholds.
Slab or vertical wall, small feet. Only the tip of the big toe on the hold, heel a little high. Weight it fully before you move.
App default: 3 rounds
Flagging Practice
Intermediate · Climbing wallTrains: Balance on steep ground. Kills the barn door.
Easy routes, flag on every move. Inside flag: free leg behind the standing leg. Outside flag: free leg out to the side. Both sides.
App default: 3 rounds
Heel Hook Technique
Intermediate · Climbing wallTrains: Legs as extra arms on overhangs.
Holds at hip height or above. Heel on, pull through hamstring and glute. Practise active hooks and resting hooks. A draped heel is not a hook.
App default: 3 × 5 reps
Toe Hook Training
Intermediate · Climbing wallTrains: Body tension where a heel can't reach.
Hook the top of the shoe over a hold. Pull the toes to the shin, lock with core and hip flexors. Volumes and arêtes are good practice.
App default: 3 × 5 reps
Smearing Drill
Beginner · Slab climbing wallTrains: Standing on nothing. Slabs and outdoor rock.
Slab with few footholds. Ball of the foot flat on the wall, heel low, weight straight into it. Trust the rubber. That's most of it.
App default: 3 rounds
Technique
5 exercises
Route Reading Practice
Beginner · Climbing wallTrains: Onsight ability. Reading beats strength more often than you'd think.
Under a route you haven't done: find every hold, plan hand by hand, mark rests and the crux. Picture it. Climb it. Compare.
App default: 3 rounds
Project Burns
Intermediate · Climbing wall or cragTrains: Your limit grade. The direct way up.
A route one or two grades above your flash level. Work sections, then link them longer each time. At least five minutes between goes. Note what worked.
App default: 5 rounds
Redpoint Practice
Intermediate · Climbing wall or cragTrains: Sending under pressure once the moves are known.
Ground to top in one push. Smooth on rehearsed beta, shake at the known rests, breathe through the crux. Fall, work out why, next session.
App default: 3 rounds
Rest Position Drill
Beginner · Climbing wallTrains: Recovering on the wall. Turns pumpy into fine.
Long route, stop at every rest. Straight arm, hand below the heart, shake. Weight on the skeleton, not muscle. Fifteen seconds and go.
App default: 3 rounds
Breathing on the Wall
Beginner · Climbing wallTrains: Not holding your breath on the hard move.
Easy routes, attention on breath only. Out on the pull, in between moves. Three to five slow breaths at rests. Force the exhale on the crux.
App default: 3 rounds
Cardio: endurance
5 exercises
ARC Training
Beginner · Climbing wallTrains: Base endurance. Capillaries in the forearms.
Routes four or five grades below your max. Up, down, across, without stopping, 20 to 45 minutes. Slight pump, never a full one.
App default: 1 × 20 min
4x4 Intervals
Intermediate · Bouldering wallTrains: Power endurance. Hard moves when pumped.
Four moderate boulders back to back, no rest. Rest 4 minutes. Four times. If the last round falls apart, the problems are too hard.
App default: 4 × 4 reps
Circuit Training
Intermediate · Various (pull-up bar, mat, box)Trains: General conditioning for days you can't climb.
Five or six stations: pull-ups, push-ups, core, box jumps, burpees, wall. Thirty on, 15 off. Three or four laps, 2 minutes between.
App default: 3 × 6 × 30 s
Traverse Endurance
Beginner · Traverse wall or bouldering wallTrains: Sustained grip and movement on the wall.
Easy traverse, left to right and back, same pace, no stopping. Start at 5 minutes. Forearms blow up: pick bigger holds.
App default: 3 × 5 min
Campus Board Intervals
Advanced · Campus boardTrains: Explosive pulling when already tired.
Big rungs. Ladder up and down as fast as you can for 20 seconds, rest 40, six to eight times. Speed and form late in the set.
App default: 2 × 6 × 20 s
Nine groups, in the library's order. Each card shows the app's default. Change any of it per block when you build a day.
The 50 at a glance
The table is the short version: nine groups, what each trains, the kit it needs. Each group below opens to its exercises.
| Group | What it trains | You need |
|---|---|---|
| Hangboard: fingers 6 | Grip strength on a fingerboard. Six positions, from the safest drag to the one-arm hang. | Hangboard |
| Campus board: power 5 | Explosive pulling and contact strength on rungs. Advanced kit. A year of climbing first. | Campus board |
| Core: tension 6 | Holding your feet on steep ground is a core job. Bar, floor, dip station. | Bar or mat |
| Pull strength 6 | Pull-ups and their harder relatives. Climbing is a pulling sport. | Pull-up bar |
| Antagonist: the pushing side 6 | Push, press, rotate. Keeps shoulders and elbows working while you pull all year. | Dumbbells, band |
| Stretching: mobility 5 | Hips, shoulders, hamstrings, forearms, upper back. The recovery half of training. | Mat, roller |
| Footwork 6 | Quiet feet, toe tips, flags, hooks and smears. Drills you do on easy climbs. | A wall |
| Technique 5 | Reading, projecting, resting and breathing. Done on the wall, at your grade. | A wall |
| Cardio: endurance 5 | Long, easy volume and timed intervals. Forearms that keep going. | A wall or board |
How to build a session
The order matters more than the exercises. Fingers and power first, while you're fresh. Endurance or technique after. Pushing at the end. Then rest.
1. Warm up, 10 minutes minimum
Easy climbing, then stretches and a few pull-ups to wake the fingers. The first two hangboard entries open with this line; the rest take it as read. Cold tendons are the ones that go.
2. Main block
One or two hard things: a hangboard set, a campus drill, weighted pull-ups, or a project. Rest fully: three minutes between hangboard sets, at least five between project goes.
3. Antagonist
Push-ups, wrist curls, external rotations, dips. Ten minutes at the end. It keeps elbows and shoulders working, and it is the part people skip.
4. Rest
Between sets: what the exercise says. Between finger sessions: a day at least. Fingers adapt slower than muscle.
In the app. Open the TRAIN tab in the diary. A training day is a list of blocks: one exercise with its sets, reps or seconds and the rest between sets, or a plain rest block of 30 seconds to 10 minutes. Start the day and the runner takes over. Timed exercises count down and move on by themselves, untimed drills wait until you tap NEXT, and every change of block chimes. The library filters by group and by level.
Questions
Is the training library free?
Yes. The 50 exercises, the timers, training days, blocks and rest are free on every tier. Nothing in training sits behind a paywall.
How many climbing exercises are in the app, and what kinds?
Fifty, in nine groups: hangboard (6), campus board (5), core (6), pull strength (6), antagonist (6), stretching (5), footwork (6), technique (5) and cardio (5). Each has a level, the kit it needs and a default for sets, reps and time.
Do I need a hangboard or a campus board?
No. 38 of the 50 need a wall, a bar or rings, a mat, dumbbells, a band, a foam roller or nothing. 12 use a hangboard, pinch block or campus board, the advanced end of the library.
Does the app time the rests?
Yes. A timed exercise counts down and moves on by itself, a rest block counts down the same way, and every change of block chimes. Untimed drills wait until you tap NEXT.
Can I build my own training day?
Yes. Pick any of the 50, set sets, reps, seconds and rest per block, add rest blocks of 30 seconds to 10 minutes, save it as a day. The runner in the TRAIN tab plays it back.
How often should I train fingers?
Less than you want to. One or two hangboard sessions a week with a rest day between suits most people, and none when the fingers are sore. Tendons adapt slower than muscle.
Run it in the app
The app runs all 50 with timers, rests included, and the training library is free on every tier. The app is in closed testing. Ask for a link at thesummitsocial.app/get/. Log the session afterwards and it stays in a history that never expires.
The Summit Social. We climb, we log, we built the app for our own Saturdays. The library is ours; the exercises belong to everyone who trains. Last checked against the app on 28 September 2026.