The idea: stop thinking about standing on holds and start thinking about grabbing them. Your foot pulls, your hip loads, your fingers get lighter.
That change puts a demand on your hips most climbers have not trained for. Part one of the warm up gets the hips ready on the ground. Part two builds the skill on easy terrain. Then you climb.
Part 1 · Ground warm up
- Light foam rolling through the hips: IT Band Roll and Inner Thigh Roll, both sides
- 20 seconds Deep Lunge or Curtsey Lunge, each side
- 20 seconds Horse Stance Hold
- 20 seconds Cossack Squats (use the assisted version if you need it)
Part 2 · Climb warm up
Roughly 5 climbs. This is where the technique gets built, so treat it as practice and not as mileage.
- Vertical or slightly overhung terrain
- Grab each hold with your feet, then pull your weight in to load the hips
- Use your feet to push and pull your weight around, not just to stand
Climbing
8 to 12 climbs. Quality over quantity: every attempt should ask something of your hips.
- Overhung or cave climbing
- Look for climbs that demand toe hooks, heel hooks, and a lot of foot tension
- Ample rest between climbs: 3 minutes minimum
- Repeat the moves that require the most foot tension. Repetition is the point.
Cool down
- 30 seconds Quad + Chest Opener, both sides
- 30 seconds Pigeon Pose, both sides
- 60 seconds Inner Thigh Rollout, both sides
Run this once or twice a week. Footwork was never about the feet, it was always about the hips, and hips adapt to being asked. Give it a month before you judge it.