Movement Blog

Climbing grades. Love them, hate them, argue about them in the parking lot—they're a root part of climbing culture. There are a ton of grading systems across the world of climbing, but the goal is to come to a shared understanding of what you can expect when venturing into the vertical unknown. Here at Movement, we like to use the Yosemite Decimal System (more on this later).

Are you looking for a new fitness hobby to stay active and meet new people? Finding your community can feel overwhelming, but what if your gym could also be your social hub? At Movement Gyms, we make it easy to connect with others while improving your fitness. Whether you’re new to the area or just ready to try something different, our climbing, fitness classes, and community challenges create the perfect space to build strength and friendships.

Walk into any climbing gear shop and you might feel like you've entered a hardware store on another planet. Walls lined with technicolor shoes, endless arrays of ropes, and about 80 different kinds of metal bits and pieces with names like "grigri" and "ATC" that sound more like Pokémon than climbing gear. But here's the good news: getting started is actually pretty simple. While experienced climbers might geek out over their trad rack or the latest belay device, beginners only need a few key pieces of gear. The rest can come later as you grow into your climbing journey. Planning your first visit? Check out our beginner's guide here.

We’ve all been there. You’re crushing your gym projects, feeling like royalty in the V4 realm, and then someone says, “Let’s take it outside.” “Everything’s a hold because it’s not color-coded,” they claim. “And the scenery is epic—c’mon, it’ll be an adventure,” they add. Suddenly, you’re in the back of a Subaru, headed to a crag you’ve never heard of, fumbling with a topo map and guidebook, trying to decode cryptic beta while sweating over the great unknown.

Nearly 12 years ago – early into my climbing journey, I had a full-blown panic attack at the gym. As a beginner climber, I was so worried about people watching me and thinking, "Wow, that girl really has no idea what she's doing." I felt embarrassed and didn't want anyone to think poorly of me. Irrational? Yes - but I'm confident I'm not the only one who's been there.

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.

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!

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.

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.  

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.