S3, E6: Youth Climber Fitness Testing Battery – Jac Brown

If you would like to listen to the entire interview with Jac Brown, check out the podcast. If you want to watch the interview, click the YouTube link or any of the timestamps above. If you would like to read quick sample of a concise recap of key interview topics and questions, check out the excerpt from the interview below.

Developing a Climbing Fitness Test for Youth: Q&A with Jac Brown

What’s the focus of this discussion?

We’re exploring the need for a climbing-specific fitness test for youth climbers, similar to fitness tests used in other sports. It’s about assessing and training key physiological qualities to improve performance and reduce injury risk.

Why a Fitness Battery for Youth Climbers?

Why is a fitness test necessary for youth climbers?

Other sports like soccer and football use standardized fitness assessments to evaluate and train the physical qualities athletes need. Climbing lacks this, especially for youth. A fitness test helps identify areas for improvement, builds resilience to injury, and enhances overall performance.

What makes climbing unique compared to other sports?

Climbing combines diverse energy demands across its disciplines—speed climbing, bouldering, and sport climbing. These events engage different energy systems:

• ATP-PC System: Quick, high-intensity movements like those in speed climbing and hard bouldering.
• Glycolytic System: Sustained moderate-to-high intensity, as seen in longer bouldering and sport climbing.
• Aerobic System: Endurance-based activities, such as multi-pitch climbing or competition days with multiple rounds.

Testing and training these systems allow climbers to meet the sport’s diverse demands.

Injury Resilience and Strength Training

How does strength training reduce injury risk?

Strength training builds tissue resilience, helping climbers handle long practices, competitions, and the repetitive movements common in climbing. Youth climbers are particularly prone to overuse injuries and growth plate issues. Testing can highlight areas of weakness and guide targeted strength programs to prevent injuries.

Are youth climbers at higher risk of injuries?

Yes. Research shows sports specialization increases injury risk by 37%. Exceeding 16 hours of training per week also heightens the risk of acute and overuse injuries. A fitness test can identify vulnerabilities early, allowing coaches to adjust training accordingly.

Components of the Fitness Battery

What’s included in the climbing-specific fitness test?

The test assesses:

1. Strength: Upper and lower body, including exercises like squats, deadlifts, and pull-ups.
2. Power: Tests like the vertical jump, broad jump, and medicine ball chest pass.
3. Flexibility: Measuring range of motion in key areas like the shoulders and hips.
4. Movement Quality: Assessing foundational patterns like squatting, lunging, and push-ups.
5. Climbing-Specific Skills: Evaluating techniques such as mantling, flagging, and drop knees.
6. Endurance: Testing aerobic capacity through traversing or auto-belay laps.

How do you structure the test?

It’s split into two days:

• Day 1: General fitness—strength, power, and flexibility.
• Day 2: Climbing-specific skills and endurance.

Day 1: Strength, Power, and Flexibility

How do you start Day 1?

Begin with a standardized warm-up:

1. 3–5 minutes of light cardio (jumping jacks, jogging).
2. 3–5 minutes of dynamic stretching (e.g., cat-cows, hip flexor stretches).
3. 10–15 minutes of climbing to activate specific movement patterns.

What tests assess strength?

• Squats and Deadlifts: Use a 3- to 5-rep or 10-rep max, depending on training experience.
• Pull-Ups: Measure max reps or the added weight a climber can lift.
• Finger Strength: For advanced climbers, measure their ability to hang on a 22mm edge with added weight.

How do you test power?

• Vertical Jump: Chalk the hand, jump, and mark the highest point on the wall.
• Broad Jump: Measure horizontal jumping distance.
• Medicine Ball Chest Pass: Test upper body power by throwing a ball as far as possible.

What flexibility tests are included?

• Lat Flexibility Test: Assess shoulder range of motion by lying on the ground and checking elbow-to-floor distance.
• Adapted Grant Foot Raise: Measure hip mobility by sliding the foot up a wall, normalized for limb length.

Day 2: Climbing-Specific Skills and Endurance

What does Day 2 involve?

Focus on sport-specific movements and endurance:

1. Warm up with cardio, dynamic stretching, and climbing.
2. Evaluate climbing techniques like mantling, drop knees, and flagging. Collaborate with route setters to design problems that highlight these skills.
3. Endurance Testing:
   1. Traversing: Climb laps across the gym wall to assess stamina.
   2. Auto-Belay Laps: Measure how many routes a climber can complete.

Are these tests adaptable?

Absolutely. Coaches can scale the tests based on available equipment, time, and the team’s needs. For example, a simple squat or goblet squat can substitute for weighted barbell squats.

Practical Implementation

How can coaches and PTs use this test?

The test provides:

1. Baseline data to guide training programs.
2. A way to monitor progress and identify overtraining or injury risks.
3. Criteria for return-to-play decisions after injuries.

Can parts of the test be used independently?

Yes. Coaches can focus on key areas, such as flexibility and movement screens, to quickly assess the team’s general fitness. Strength and power tests can be added later as needed.

Key Takeaways

Why is this test important?

It helps youth climbers:

• Build physical resilience to handle the sport’s demands.
• Improve climbing-specific skills through targeted training.
• Prevent injuries by addressing weaknesses early.

Any final advice?

Strength training is essential for long-term success. Climbers need to build their “engine” off the wall to perform better and stay injury-free. As coaches and PTs, our goal is to develop well-rounded, resilient athletes.

Where can we find more information?

Follow Jac Brown on Instagram at @dr.jac_dpt for climbing insights and updates.