Movement Blog

The Sendy Times

Expand your climbing knowledge with training tips and tricks from Movement's instructors, trainers, and coaches.

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beginner climbing | Climbing Tips | Start Climbing | Climbing Gear

Scaling Comfort: A Friendly Guide to Finding the Perfect Climbing Shoe Fit

By: Hunter Price

There is a saying in climbing: “All you need to get started is a pair of climbing shoes and a chalk bag.” But there is something weird that happens when you slide on climbing shoes the first time, whether you borrowed them from a friend, inherited them from your aunt, or got a pair of rentals from the front desk. “…oh these feel, different” is a VERY common reaction. It’s a strange, strange sensation. Now you have a shoe that has never felt like anything else on your foot. Where do you go next? What is this shoe supposed to feel like? The wall of options in the gear shop can feel overwhelming. Not to worry! In this blog, we'll spill the beans on the tips and tricks for landing that ideal climbing shoe fit.

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beginner climbing | Climbing Tips | Start Climbing

My best climbing teacher is my climbing partner--here's why

By: Marisa Romero, Director of Youth Teams

If you’re like me, you’re willing to try just about anything to climb better (as long as it doesn’t involve any actual hard work or exercise 😊) There are tons of workouts out there to help build strength for climbing and plenty more drills you can do to learn better technique. But I have found that one often overlooked key to improving your climbing is right in front of you – your best climbing partner!

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Blog Feature

beginner climbing | Climbing Tips | Start Climbing

We asked: What makes a climbing partner great -- here's what you told us

By: Movement

Climbing partners can be a hard thing to come by (looking for tips on finding your next, best partner?). So once you find your best crushing partner, it’s smart to show your partner(s) you are truly grateful for them.

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beginner climbing | Climbing Tips

Climbing holds just out of reach? Learn how to stretch every last inch

By: Ren Demeis-Ortiz

Having trouble reaching the next hold?  I know that feeling. As a youth climbing coach and a human with height and wingspan under 5 feet, that's a situation I encounter on a regular basis.  Over the years, I've gathered some approaches to stretch out every inch of a climber's (and my own) reach.  

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beginner climbing | Climbing Tips | Start Climbing

How to use common climbing holds

By: Movement

One of the most basic climbing techniques we teach in our intro classes is learning how to use the holds given to you by our phenomenal routesetters. You could be the strongest climber in the gym, but if you grab an undercling incorrectly, you’ll likely come off the wall. Let’s examine some common holds you’ll find in our gym and how to use them.

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beginner climbing | Climbing Tips | Start Climbing

Shift your weight to improve your rock climbing technique

By: Movement

We hear a lot of first-time climbers say: “I’ll never be good at climbing, I don’t have enough upper body strength.” Well, we’ve got some great news: a lot of climbing takes place in the legs. It’s a balancing sport, one that requires expertise in the delicate art of shifting your weight from foot to foot.

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beginner climbing | Training for Climbing | Climbing Tips | Start Climbing

Slacklining Basics and Benefits

By: Rachel, Movement Sunnyvale

The key to a good life is to have balance and what better way to test your skills than walking along a suspended length of flat webbing tensioned between two anchors, also known as slacklining? If you’ve never heard of slacklining or would just like a few extra tips, we’re here to help!

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beginner climbing | Climbing Tips | Start Climbing

3 Climbing Tips to Climb Better (That Don’t Involve Training Harder)!

By: Lucas Klein

If you Google "tips for climbing harder", chances are that you'll get article after article offering up extensive training plans. But what if you’re not ready to jump into a complicated training plan? Perhaps you see other climbers sticking on impossible holds, utilizing crazy-looking techniques, and easily climbing routes and problems you could only dream about. ‘One day,' you think, 'but surely there are some quick and easy adjustments I can do now to climb a little better and a little smoother....’ You're in luck! Check out these quick tips:

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beginner climbing | Climbing Tips | Start Climbing

Improve Your Climbing Technique to Climb Harder

By: Brent Smith

For many climbers starting out, it makes sense to assume that you should focus on getting stronger if you want to climb harder. Certainly, strength is important if you want to progress to harder climbs (check out these posts here and here for tips on gaining strength), however learning to move more efficiently can really give you a leg up on your climbing goals. Maybe you find yourself stalled and pumped out at a certain grade or maybe you’re wondering how others are able to easily glide up a climb that feels impossible to you. Whatever the case, we’ve got some tips straight out of our Intro to Movement classes that can help!

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Blog Feature

Lead Climbing | beginner climbing | Climbing Tips

Best Belaying Tips: How to Give a Soft Lead Catch

By: James Nurse

Lead climbing is what I love most about this sport. While climbing can primarily be described as an individual sport, there is almost nothing more important to a lead climber’s success than trusting their belayer. This trust allows the climber to focus 100% on their climb and to commit to those harder and scarier moves. On the flip side, the fastest way to erase that trust is to give your climber a hard catch, which can happen if the lead belayer doesn't leave out enough rope while the climber is climbing. Hard catches can result in more than just a stunned climber, if your climber hits the wall hard enough, they could potentially hurt their ankles or hands.

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