Brad Johnson

In my Elementary and Junior High School days, I was one of the few students who were happy when we got to the rope climbing unit in P.E. My elementary school PE teacher started a rope climbing club. In order to become a member of this prestigious club, you had to climb all the way to the top of the gym using three different techniques. Your name was proudly displayed on a bulletin board after you demonstrated proficiency in the three methods. I still enjoy climbing in general and rope climbing in particular.

I decided to write an article on rope climbing for several reasons. First of all, climbing rope is fun. It is also a great workout. The main reason that that I chose this topic is that there is not much information on the internet about rope climbing. My web searches resulted in very few sites that discuss the type of rope climbing that I am referring to.

The purpose of this article is to describe some of the rope climbing techniques that I use. It will not cover all possible methods to get to the top of a rope. Rope climbing techniques are limited only by your imagination. I think that if you utilize these techniques that you will get a great workout but don't limit yourself to the techniques that I describe. Come up with some of your own. That is part of the fun.

With a few exceptions, I will not get into sets or distance as this will be completely dependent upon your goals. I would suggest varying your speed and your technique. As always, employ the tension techniques. Flex your abs and glutes with each grip and pull.

Cautions:
(1) Rope climbing can be very dangerous. Climb relatively low until you know your limits. Remember to take into account that you need to come back down the rope when determining distance. Initially error on the side of not climbing high enough instead of too high. Learn to rest on the rope using the Brake and Squat Method.
(2) I would not recommend climbing rope more often than once or twice a week. Rope climbing can be very stressful on the elbows and shoulders, especially on the way down. If your elbows tend to give you problems, you may want to avoid rope climbing completely or avoid the negative (coming down) part by supporting the majority of the weight with your legs using the Brake and Squat Method.

Technique(s)

I will start with basic techniques and progress to intermediate and advanced.

Basic:

(I) PE Style- Reach up and grab the rope with one hand directly underneath the other. Wrap your legs around the rope with the rope between your thighs and hook one foot in front and one foot behind the rope. Pull your body up with your arms. Once your chest reaches hand level, squeeze the rope with your legs and feet and reach your hands up one at a time. Re-grasp the rope with one hand directly underneath the other. Loosen the grip with your legs and pull again. Repeat for the desired distance.
(II) Brake and Squat Method- I learned this technique from Stew Smith's The Complete Guide to Navy Seal Fitness. Wrap the rope around your leg. The rope goes around the inner thigh between your legs and then around the knee and calf on the outside of one of your legs and then across the top of the shoe of that leg. Place the foot of your free leg on top of the rope that is resting on the foot of the opposite leg and press firmly. This will work as a brake and will be good if you arms are getting too tired to climb the predetermined distance or if you simply need to rest on the rope. You will want to wear pants when utilizing this technique. You can actually climb the rope this way by loosening the grip of the top foot, bending your legs to bring them further up the rope (about 1 to 1 ½ feet) while sliding the rope across your bottom foot. Apply the brake again and straighten your legs (squat) to get up the rope.

Intermediate

(I) Climb up the rope without the use of your legs. Use the hand-over-hand method with your feet dangling. Reach up and grab the rope with hands close to each other. Release the rope with one hand and quickly reach up and grab the rope about 6-12 inches above the opposite hand. Simultaneously pull with the higher hand and release the lower hand to quickly re-grasp the rope about 6-12 inches higher than the opposite hand. Repeat until you have gone the desired distance. Once you have gotten good at this you can raise your straight legs to a point where they are parallel to the ground for greater abdominal emphasis. Spread your legs slightly to avoid nasty rope burns.
(II) Climb up two ropes hanging side-by-side without using your legs. Reach up and place one hand on one rope and the other hand on the other rope. Lean towards one of the ropes and quickly release and re-grasp the opposite rope several inches higher. Then lean towards the other rope and simultaneously pull with that hand while quickly releasing and re-grasping the rope with the opposite hand several inches higher than the hand on the opposite rope. You can also do this technique with your feet dangling or in L-seat position.

Advanced

(I) Ballistic Rope Climbing- This method employs a technique similar to the ballistic pull-ups that Johnypullups described in a recent post. Reach up and grab the two ropes at the same height. Quickly and powerfully pull yourself up to approximately chest level, let go of the rope and quickly reach up to re-grab the rope at a higher level while your body is momentarily suspended in the air. Height of the jump will depend upon how much power you generate. Repeat until you have climbed the desired distance. Caution-do this technique at your own risk as it increases the chances of elbow or shoulder injury. You could also get rope burn on your hands if you slide down the rope on the re-grab.
(II) Alternate One Arm Rope Climbing- This is harder than one-arm pull-ups!! Pull yourself off the ground with both hands and let your legs dangle. Reach up with one arm, extend it completely and grab the rope. Let go with the opposite arm and pull yourself up with one arm. After you have pulled yourself up to head, neck, or chest level, reach up with the opposite arm and grab the rope at a higher level and let go with the other hand. Pull up with that arm and repeat. You will obviously not get very far up the rope with this technique but it is good for a challenge. You can use the Brake and Squat Technique and use your legs only as much as necessary or help with the non-working arm only as much as necessary to work up to this feat.
(III) Front Lever Rope Climbing- Reach up and grab two ropes at the same height. Rotate your body until you are completely upside down. Grip the ropes tight, tense your abs and butt and lower your straight body to a point where it is parallel to the ground. Your arms will be straight and your shoulders will be slightly behind the ropes. Maintain the tight (hollow) body position throughout. Slightly lean towards one side and quickly release and re-grab the rope on the opposite side. Repeat on other side. You should only re-grab the rope a couple inches higher with each release and re-grab.

I think that this is all that I will spring on you now. Please feel free to ask me any questions about this on the Dragon Door Forum.

Good Luck!

Brad