Rope climbing -- good whole body workout

You must be the only one in the world that does not have nightmares about
rope climbing from middle school PE. I swore I would never, ever try to
climb any rope ever again. I was always very glad when those ropes were
retied to the gym rafters. Elise. PS. Good luck - I agree with all your
points about it.
"Ignoramus28710" wrote in message
...
Just wanted to mention an exercise that I like a lot because it gives
a workout to almost all body muscles. I recently bought a 1" thick
braided rope, made knots on it spaced about 1 foot apart, and hung it
on a perhaps 15 feet high tree branch. I now climb this rope, which is
a little difficult. It can get to the top but it is not easy. But it
gives my body a nice workout without having to work with barbells,
which I personally do not like. Plus it exercises the back in a manner
that is relatively difficult to accomplish with weights.

Someone who has a tree may get a relatively cheap exercise platform
that exercises a lot of muscles.

Soon I will hang it on a higher branch as I have some extra length
that is not being used now.

i
223/177/180

Ignoramus28710 wrote:

Just wanted to mention an exercise that I like a lot because
it gives a workout to almost all body muscles.

All body muscles? Perhaps it depends on the trainee. It would
mostly hit my grip, biceps, lats, and rhomboids.

--
-Wayne

Cox SMTP east wrote:

You must be the only one in the world that does not have
nightmares about rope climbing from middle school PE. I
swore I would never, ever try to climb any rope ever again.
I was always very glad when those ropes were retied to the
gym rafters.

I was no good at rope climbing in middle school *, but got the
hang of it in HS.

--
-Wayne

* It might have helped if they'd showed us HOW, instead of
screaming at us to "climb faster, you worthless #$#%@!"

Ignoramus28710 wrote:

Wayne S. Hill wrote:
Ignoramus28710 wrote:

Just wanted to mention an exercise that I like a lot
because it gives a workout to almost all body muscles.

All body muscles? Perhaps it depends on the trainee. It
would mostly hit my grip, biceps, lats, and rhomboids.

Perhaps I am not well versed on English muscle names. But it
gives a huge workout to the back muscles. Also a lot of
workout to the muscles that bring legs together. Abdominals
and let extenders also work.

My point is that many people beyond a relatively modest level of
strength development will find rope climbing, hand over hand (no
legs) easy.

--
-Wayne

Ignoramus28710 wrote:

Just wanted to mention an exercise that I like a lot because it gives
a workout to almost all body muscles. I recently bought a 1" thick
braided rope, made knots on it spaced about 1 foot apart, and hung it
on a perhaps 15 feet high tree branch. I now climb this rope, which is
a little difficult. It can get to the top but it is not easy. But it
gives my body a nice workout without having to work with barbells,
which I personally do not like. Plus it exercises the back in a manner
that is relatively difficult to accomplish with weights.

Someone who has a tree may get a relatively cheap exercise platform
that exercises a lot of muscles.

Soon I will hang it on a higher branch as I have some extra length
that is not being used now.

i
223/177/180

If I *had* some extra length I'm sure I could find a use for it ;-)

But I did pick up a nice long chunk of rope a couple of years ago at a
garage sale, was going to make the kids a "tarzan swing" from it but
couldnt find a suitable tree, maybe in the spring I'll try this out.
Like others though, I have memories of this in school, and I *doubt* its
any easier now!

Back in my logging days on occasion I would have to go to the tops of
spars to re-thread cable though, and I often opted to climb up the guy
wire rather than ride up on a chain (much scarier), which was 1 1/4"
cable and taut enough that one could clasp it with your legs while
moving your hands up, not near as difficult as a loose rope, but at 90'
still a good workout, especially with a hangover...

In article , "Wayne S. Hill"
wrote:

Ignoramus28710 wrote:

Just wanted to mention an exercise that I like a lot because
it gives a workout to almost all body muscles.

All body muscles? Perhaps it depends on the trainee. It would
mostly hit my grip, biceps, lats, and rhomboids.

Depends on how you climbed and what you did on it. You can also work the legs.

When I used to run in the winter once or twice a week I'd stop every block
and go hand over hand up the wires of a power pole - I could get about 8
wires in the route I ran. Hard on my gloves (especially sliding down), but
a great workout.

You can also get a great workout by tree climbing without the rope.

--
Keith Hobman

--- email address above is a non-monitored spam sink.

"Ignoramus28710" wrote in message
...
Just wanted to mention an exercise that I like a lot because it gives
a workout to almost all body muscles. I recently bought a 1" thick
braided rope, made knots on it spaced about 1 foot apart, and hung it
on a perhaps 15 feet high tree branch. I now climb this rope, which is
a little difficult. It can get to the top but it is not easy. But it
gives my body a nice workout without having to work with barbells,
which I personally do not like. Plus it exercises the back in a manner
that is relatively difficult to accomplish with weights.

Someone who has a tree may get a relatively cheap exercise platform
that exercises a lot of muscles.

Soon I will hang it on a higher branch as I have some extra length
that is not being used now.

i
223/177/180

Strength Training Anatomy says that humans retained some of the back
strength (potential) of our ancestors who climbed trees all the time. Maybe
this is why it's such great exercise: you're doing a movement the body was
programmed to do over millions of years.

On 1 Oct 2003 14:54:18 GMT, Ignoramus28710
wrote:

In article , Wayne S. Hill wrote:
Ignoramus28710 wrote:

Wayne S. Hill wrote:
Ignoramus28710 wrote:

Just wanted to mention an exercise that I like a lot
because it gives a workout to almost all body muscles.

All body muscles? Perhaps it depends on the trainee. It
would mostly hit my grip, biceps, lats, and rhomboids.

Perhaps I am not well versed on English muscle names. But it
gives a huge workout to the back muscles. Also a lot of
workout to the muscles that bring legs together. Abdominals
and let extenders also work.

My point is that many people beyond a relatively modest level of
strength development will find rope climbing, hand over hand (no
legs) easy.


Well, rope climbing will help with developing endurance also. And if
you can climb rope for a long time and endurance is not even the
issue, you would be in outstanding shape and perhaps then some much
more advanced exercises are called for. Or you could just stop
improving your development at that point and just make sure that you
maintain what you have.

At any rate, I can climb rope, not hand over hand yet, but I plan on
getting there. It is a great exercise for me at this level of my
personal fitness.

Correct rope climbing, using proper technique, is done mainly with
the legs and requires good abdominal muscles. The main stress on the
arms is mainly static in the 'hang' position.

Here's how Royal Navy style:

1. Claim the rope, reach high with both hands, optional hand on top.
2. Hang from rope with both hands while at same time guiding slack
rope across inside of chosen thigh and knee, and over and outside shin
and instep of same foot.
3. Lie back on rope and raise knees together until there is as
little distance between hands and knees/feet as body composition will
allow.
4. Lock free foot, with toes pointing outward, over the top of the
rope on guiding foot and lock rope between feet, calves and knees.
5. Extend/drive with both legs until they are straight again, while
at the same time reaching up with easy movement with each hand in
turn, long reach with one and recover on top with the other, until in
the 'hang' position again.
6. Repeat for as many cycles and as high as required.

The same technique is used for climbing static lines such as rigging
of masts, with the climber hanging from the underside.

If done properly it makes the climbing of ropes to considerable
heights relatively easy for any physically fit person.

I had the honour of organising a number of displays involving the
climbing of ropes, as in the mast manning and window ladder displays
at the Annual Royal Tournament at Earls Court, London:

Examples:
http://www.portsmouth-guide.co.uk/local_f/winmst.htm
http://www.axfordsabode.org.uk/gangph46.htm






i

On 1 Oct 2003 16:20:27 GMT, Ignoramus28710
wrote:

Thanks, outstanding post. I want to note however that, while I have no
doubt that you posted the easiest technique for rope climbing (the
royal navy wanted its seamen to climb rope as fast as possible), other
techniques can be used to develop other muscle groups as the primary
purpose.

Agreed, and as others have said, various methods of climbing utilise
different muscles, so it is very good exercise.

It is also very character building, as climbing to great heights is
not for the faint-hearted! ;o)


i

In article , John HUDSON wrote:
On 1 Oct 2003 14:54:18 GMT, Ignoramus28710
wrote:

In article , Wayne S. Hill wrote:
Ignoramus28710 wrote:

Wayne S. Hill wrote:
Ignoramus28710 wrote:

Just wanted to mention an exercise that I like a lot
because it gives a workout to almost all body muscles.

All body muscles? Perhaps it depends on the trainee. It
would mostly hit my grip, biceps, lats, and rhomboids.

Perhaps I am not well versed on English muscle names. But it
gives a huge workout to the back muscles. Also a lot of
workout to the muscles that bring legs together. Abdominals
and let extenders also work.

My point is that many people beyond a relatively modest level of
strength development will find rope climbing, hand over hand (no
legs) easy.


Well, rope climbing will help with developing endurance also. And if
you can climb rope for a long time and endurance is not even the
issue, you would be in outstanding shape and perhaps then some much
more advanced exercises are called for. Or you could just stop
improving your development at that point and just make sure that you
maintain what you have.

At any rate, I can climb rope, not hand over hand yet, but I plan on
getting there. It is a great exercise for me at this level of my
personal fitness.

Correct rope climbing, using proper technique, is done mainly with
the legs and requires good abdominal muscles. The main stress on the
arms is mainly static in the 'hang' position.

Here's how Royal Navy style:

1. Claim the rope, reach high with both hands, optional hand on top.
2. Hang from rope with both hands while at same time guiding slack
rope across inside of chosen thigh and knee, and over and outside shin
and instep of same foot.
3. Lie back on rope and raise knees together until there is as
little distance between hands and knees/feet as body composition will
allow.
4. Lock free foot, with toes pointing outward, over the top of the
rope on guiding foot and lock rope between feet, calves and knees.
5. Extend/drive with both legs until they are straight again, while
at the same time reaching up with easy movement with each hand in
turn, long reach with one and recover on top with the other, until in
the 'hang' position again.
6. Repeat for as many cycles and as high as required.

The same technique is used for climbing static lines such as rigging
of masts, with the climber hanging from the underside.

If done properly it makes the climbing of ropes to considerable
heights relatively easy for any physically fit person.

I had the honour of organising a number of displays involving the
climbing of ropes, as in the mast manning and window ladder displays
at the Annual Royal Tournament at Earls Court, London:

Examples:
http://www.portsmouth-guide.co.uk/local_f/winmst.htm
http://www.axfordsabode.org.uk/gangph46.htm






i

Ignoramus28710 wrote:
In article , Wayne S. Hill wrote:
Ignoramus28710 wrote:

Just wanted to mention an exercise that I like a lot because
it gives a workout to almost all body muscles.

All body muscles? Perhaps it depends on the trainee. It would
mostly hit my grip, biceps, lats, and rhomboids.


Perhaps I am not well versed on English muscle names. But it gives a
huge workout to the back muscles. Also a lot of workout to the muscles
that bring legs together. Abdominals and let extenders also work.

I got this idea from a Navy seal training book.

i
223/177/180

Manly studs like Wayne don't use their legs to go up a rope, they just sort
of swim up - it's faster and cooler.