“That’s a big disadvantage.” Yet it’s pushed the 25-year-old South Korean to more than make up for her height with years of training.
“I put my body through a training drill for five hours a day, five days a week,” says Kim.
“I do weight training for dynamism, stretches so that I can twist and turn smoothly on the wall, and lots of endurance. For example, you climb the same route over and over again until you no longer can. It really hurts, but you’re incredibly happy if you can make it up one more time than the day before.”
Increase your core strength
“Climbing is a sport that gives your whole body a workout,” says Kim, “but core strength is particularly important as it takes the strain off other muscles. I do a lot of my endurance training on the floor.”
A
Raise your right leg as high as you can and stretch out your left arm. Hold the pose for 20 seconds. Change sides and repeat.
B
Raise right leg; stretch out right arm; hold for 20 secs; change sides; repeat. Do A then B until, well, you can do no more.
Get a grip
“Strength in your fingers is vital for climbing,” says Kim “The stronger your fingers are, the tougher the routes you’ll be able to climb. The Gripmaster is a quick way of increasing the power of your finger muscles. It’s also good for warming up before a competition.”
