Strength training for climbers

Strength training reliably makes climbers stronger. Better climbing is less certain. · 2 min read · Updated October 2, 2026

In short: Controlled studies find strength training improves climbers’ strength tests, with a trend toward mixed, semi-specific work like weighted pull-ups and hangs. In lower- and intermediate-grade climbers it hinted at better climbing even with fewer climbing sessions; in advanced boulderers, stronger fingers didn’t improve bouldering in one 5-week trial. Pull-up endurance tracked with grade about as well as finger endurance.

How we made this guide: we built it from the research below and checked every number against it: Langer et al., strength training in climbing review (2023); Hermans et al., resistance training and climbing trial (2017); Saeterbakken et al., finger strength trial in boulderers (2024); Draga et al., shoulder and finger endurance in climbers (2024); Saeterbakken et al., resistance training and climbing review (2024); Lauersen et al., exercise to prevent sports injuries meta-analysis (2014).

“Just climb more” is the classic advice for getting better at climbing. The research on adding strength training is more encouraging than that, with some honest limits.

It reliably builds strength

A systematic review of 12 controlled studies (Langer et al., 2023) found strength training improved climbing performance tests, grip strength, upper-body strength endurance, maximum strength and power. The trends pointed toward mixing maximum-strength work with higher-rep or endurance work, and toward semi-specific exercises, like weighted pull-ups and hangs, over pure gym lifts.

Does it make you climb better?

Lower- and intermediate-grade climbers: in a 10-week trial of 30 climbers (Hermans et al., 2017), both heavy and light resistance training improved hang times and pull-down strength. Climbing performance improved 11–12%, even though the training groups climbed about half as often, but that difference didn’t reach statistical significance. A promising hint, not proof.
Advanced boulderers: in a 5-week finger-flexor training trial of 31 advanced-to-elite boulderers (Saeterbakken et al., 2024), finger strength rose but bouldering performance didn’t improve in either group.

A 2024 narrative review (the authors’ expert view, not a trial) by many of the same researchers (Saeterbakken et al.) summarizes it: upper-body strength programs improved climbing-specific tests in lower- and intermediate-grade climbers, while the effect in advanced climbers is still unclear.

Pull-up endurance tracked with grade about as well as finger endurance, in one study

In 28 advanced male climbers (Draga et al., 2024), a pull-up-to-failure test tracked with climbing grade about as well as a finger-hang test. It’s a correlation in one group, but it suggests your pull-up count is a meaningful number, not just your hangboard times.

And injuries?

Across sports, strength training has been linked to fewer injuries in randomized trials (Lauersen et al., 2014), but that meta-analysis didn’t include climbing. Climbing-specific prevention evidence is thin, and the 2024 review treats strength as building tolerance to climbing load, which is a reasonable idea that hasn’t been proven in climbers yet.

How to use this

Lower to intermediate grades: a structured strength block alongside climbing is well supported for building strength.
Favor semi-specific work: weighted pull-ups and hangs, mixing heavy sets with higher-rep sets. That was a trend across 12 small studies, not a firm finding.
Advanced climbers: expect strength gains first; whether they show up on the wall is still unclear, as the studies above show.

Keep both in one log

Strength blocks are easier to judge when your climbing sessions sit next to your pull-up and hang numbers. We built My Track Record so each session is one spoken sentence: say the exercises, sets, reps and added weight, and last week’s numbers are on record.

General information for healthy adult climbers, not medical advice. Build load gradually, and stop and get assessed by a physiotherapist or doctor if you feel finger, elbow or shoulder pain.

Log climbing and strength sessions by voice.
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By Andrew, founder of My Track Record. Andrew has been active all of his life across a variety of sports and continues to stay active through climbing, swimming, weight training, golfing, snowboarding, and more. He built My Track Record so logging food and training takes one spoken sentence and can support any activity. He puts these guides together from published sports science research cited on each page. About Andrew

Sources

Langer K, Simon C, Wiemeyer J. Strength training in climbing: a systematic review. J Strength Cond Res. 2023;37(3):751–767. Source
Hermans E, Andersen V, Saeterbakken AH. The effects of high resistance-few repetitions and low resistance-high repetitions resistance training on climbing performance. Eur J Sport Sci. 2017;17(4):378–385. Source
Saeterbakken AH, et al. Five weeks of dynamic finger flexor strength training on bouldering performance and climbing-specific strength tests: a randomized controlled trial. Front Physiol. 2024;15:1461820. Source
Draga P, et al. Importance of shoulder girdle and finger flexor muscle endurance in advanced male climbers. Front Sports Act Living. 2024;6:1410636. Source
Saeterbakken AH, et al. The connection between resistance training, climbing performance, and injury prevention. Sports Med Open. 2024;10:10. Source
Lauersen JB, Bertelsen DM, Andersen LB. The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Br J Sports Med. 2014;48(11):871–877. Source