Let’s face it.  Whether it’s because of fatigue or worn skin, our fingers often give out long before our muscles.  However, while tired and worn out fingers may mean you are done climbing for the day, it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to stop training.  This is where you can work supplemental strength and power training exercises into your training.

Today, we have an article by climbing coach and trainer Eric Hörst in which he describes one of his favorite supplemental training exercises: the chest-bump pull-up.  Hörst believes that this pull-up variation is far more effective at training climbing specific power and pulling strength.

“What makes this pull-up variation unique (and difficult) is the power needed to accelerate your body upward so that there’s enough momentum to carry your upper chest into the bar. In doing a regular pull-up, your body is decelerating as you near the top position, but with the Chest-Bump Pull-Up you accelerate into the bar. Therefore, each pull-up ends with a forceful chest bump into the bar.” – Eric Hörst

Power Training with the Chest-Bump Pull-Up:

While this exercise may seem like a simple pull-up variation, it is actually way more difficult and if done correctly can be a great exercise for helping increasing your explosive pulling power.  Click through below to read the full article where Hörst outlines exactly how to properly perform this exercise step-by-step.

Ultimately, this exercise may seem really simply.  However, if you are going to incorporate it into your training, be sure to follow Hörst instructions.  He does an excellent job of outlining how this exercise is done correctly.  Remember that with all exercises, but especially with power training, form is extremely important.

Make sure you are resting enough between sets and prioritize doing several quality reps rather than a lot of reps with compromised form.  While it may seem like you are doing less, you will get much more out of it!

Full Article: Power Training with the Chest-Bump Pull-Up

(photo courtesy of trainingforclimbing.com)

Other Articles You Might Like:

• Increasing Your Power with Climbing Magazine
• Gym Rope Training for Power
• Jerry Moffatt – “Power is a Quality Thing”
• TBP 019 :: Eric Hörst on Training Methods for Adults and Kids