New climber starting later in life...Helpful injury prevention tips?

Hi there!  I hope you are all well and good.  So I'm a new climber (I tried climbing at a gym in my 20s and liked it, but it was too far away to be able to go at it) whose starting back in my 40s. 

A friend has been coaching me through the last 8 months (I've been going 1-2x a week for about 4 hours as I live a bit from climbing gyms and count than in my fitness routines-the local stuff is very limited, but useful) and I've made a lot of progress until I sprained my R big toe about the time I was wanting to start going outside on rock.  From there it was a slight MCL tear, requiring PT, and then R epicondylitis and shoulder tendonosis.  I'm getting better quickly and thankfully my PTs were former climbers.  

I've watching every video on injury rehab, prevention, and exercises, such as Hooper's Beta, I can find while doing the exercises, and every video I can find on technique (part of the trouble was unconsciously compensating with the rest of my body, especially my arms) and doing lots of warm up with dynamic stretches and easy hang boarding when able, traversing focusing on technique with drills, weight training, cardio, and trying not to overdo. I've taken a few weeks off at the moment and am compiling a binder for all this. 

I don't intend on quitting at all as I enjoy climbing a lot, but am realistic at where things are at the moment.  Do you all have suggestions for getting through and then prevention?  

Looks like you are doing a lot of things right in your rehab already.

Climbing can be damaging to your body, and usually injuries build up gradually without you noticing and then “suddenly” they are there.

These are my lessons learned over a few injury prone years:

* Don’t overdo it
* Listen to your body
* Don’t ignore pain: find out what causes it (don’t think “it’ll go away”. Been there done that, got the permanent reminder)
* Do some form of training the antagonist muscles (muscles that are rarely used during climbing)
*Try really burdensome moves max 3 times then take a rest and try again later
* Fuel and rest your body for when you climb hard

I wish you well with your recovery, and above all: have fun with a lifelong (hopefully) hobby!

PS: some inspiration as well climbing.com/people/climbin…

2 days on, 1 day off, never 3 days in a row.

Don’t boulder, try short hard routes on a rope. 

Plank, deadlift, Push ups and push press

BCAAs and collagen 

Stretch. . . stretch. . . and stretch!!!!

If I could do it all over again I’d take the advice of the 5.13 climbing friend I had. Boulder 2x a week, lead climb 1x a week for endurance. Don’t waste 2 years top roping. As far as injuries go, best thing you can do is lose weight, that will take a lot of stress off everything. 

Make sure to keep your extensors strong. Rice buckets and reverse curls are great. The advice above is all good too. 

I have been working around various injuries for years (climbing-related and other stuff).  In this process, I have read and talked to many "experts".  My two main takeaways - 

1)manage your training volume by taking enough rest days and easy weeks

2)find ways to strength train that don't irritate your injuries

Antagonist muscle training IS injury prevention 

Lots of good tips above. One of the most important is still missing: Cookies.     Eat. More. Cookies.      Several cookie vitamins and minerals will keep your joints and tendons in great shape.

Reads like you’re doing a few intense things only 1-2 times per week.  You likely therefore have no base.  You will definitely continue to get injured.  Consider the 80/20 rule which suggests 80% of your time should be spent doing easier things - the warmup / cooldown, cardio, lighter reps, ARCing, etc.  

1 day per week in gym is really near zero time - you’ll gain nothing but injuries - so if that’s your schedule and the most time you have, then you should most definitely not - for example - be projecting routes, nor even trying max onsights, IMO - focus on sustainable mileage - a few to several letters below on-sight - and call it good.

If you want to level up, consider general strength and fitness classes closer to your home - 2-3x per week - in addition to your 1-2 climbing days - something you like and will sustain - for 1-2 years - before even thinking of trying to follow all that climbing sport specific shit out in the social media / youtube space right now - that stuff will continue to rip you apart - if you’re not ready.

Find a specialist in body work. Myofascial release therapy is becoming popular, and sometimes you can find a good specialist that is also knowledgeable in movement mechanics and can point out your flaws, even give you a solid reference to PT or Chiropractor. Pay out of pocket if you can, insurance companies make these things really difficult. 

Wow! Thank you for all your great suggestions. I'm currently working with physical therapy, chiropractic, and a massage therapist. I'm trying to do antagonistic training, so there is that. 

I may go ahead and get a climbing trainer/coach while I keep on with the cardio and weights that I already do to help me figure out what of all the great suggestions here will work best for me and my situation. Where in the forum here is the best place for me to check for trainers and coaches?

You are all awesome! Thank you!

I've found as I get older proper rest days are vitally important. You can do other cross training, but take adequate rest from climbing. Probably true for any sport.

Training is injury prevention. 

Climb three easy climbs before trying something hard. Doing so will move fluid into your tendon sheaths, which in turn reduces friction and the likelihood of "pulling" something. If you or your gym are cold, be extra cautious, especially about the extremities, knees, elbows, fingers, ankles. Listen extra closely to your body when it is cold.

I am 59 and started back after 12 years off.    Your post to me says ligaments and tendon injuries.  Recruitment of muscles happen fast, muscle strength improves quick, unfortunately tendons/ligaments take a great deal of time.  My rule of thumb was a tendon injury took 2 years to get back to full strength and that was when I was in my 30's.  So focused training on tendons just to get a base strength could take that long.  I took things very slow since a tendon injury could be unrecoverable.  Also women must be aware of menstrual cycles since tendon injuries are much more likely around these times.  I don't know the exact morphology but it has ended female soccer and softball player's careers so I would definitely learn as much about that as I could. Here is some cut and paste of what I did and I haven't had any injuries. 

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Since we are having snow and none of my outside training can be done. I am going from power endurance to power training. Today I did squats, pistol squats, and calf raises. This is part of my year round maintenance work outs of shoulders and legs. I am also hiking the mountain twice to three times a week to get the weight down, rain or shine. So I will do that again tomorrow. I also did 7-53's hangs of the 20mm. Last year I was able to do the 10mm but I was at 183, not 193lbs. I also will start doing small crimpers on the vertical wall. Where I was doing bigger holds on the incline. The smaller hold mimic Tahquitz granite better and includes more foot work. I am also going to add in arms and pullups since crack climbing takes full range of motion and lock offs. Two months of that should get me to April in all around shape. If I can lose the weight! February I will be going back to power endurance but with more intensity. March will be blood pumping endurance. I am building a 20' wooden crack that I can do laps on. Right now I have the 20' crack at the boulder but it slants to the left so it doesn't give equal lock offs.

I feel like the last three years has given me much stronger tendons to take things to the next level without injury. I also, before any workout, take vitamin C, hydrolyzed collagen, and whey protein. This is to provide nutrition to the tendons and ligaments. I think this helps but since I started so weak in the beginning and started training at the same time, I can't say for sure.

I have started my winter training. I am using my training wall to do power endurance. Which includes 10 minute warm up on the flat wall. Then two laps on pinch holds, then crimp holds, then slopers, then ball holds to finish.

I also do crack climbing on my local boulders and face climbing on Suicide, when the weather permits. I use a top belay, with a gri-gri on both.

Next month I will do power where I will use the hang board and crimpers on the flat wall to simulate the thin crimpers that are on Suicide and Tahquitz.

I also do squats that include basic squats, pistol squats, and calf raises.
I do 6 exercises, using 8 pounds, for the rotator cuffs. There is a good video on this: ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-_WiyE9HDg (I removed the H in the front so that it would print. So add it back after you copy and paste it).

Before every workout I take collagen, vitamin c, and whey protein to for tendon nutrition.

On rest days I also do a protective training hang where I do finger rolls with a 8 pound weight, then reverse finger rolls, then shoulder presses. Then 4-10 seconds hang off a 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 ledge. Then repeat 3 times. This weights the tendons, squeezing the tendon, then relaxing allows the collagen filled synovial fluid into the tendons. There is a good video on it: ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OcOaA7nBIk&t=0s (I removed the H in the front so that it would print. So add it back after you copy and paste it).

This is what I am doing this winter until, hopefully, April when I can get on the rock. I am interested on what other people are doing to train in the winter. Unfortunately for me, the closest climbing gym is over a hour away so I have to do my training here. Let me know if you have suggestions and/or what you are doing to get ready for next summer.

I am extending my power training for another week since I think I can get a little more out the hang board and small crimps on the vertical wall. I will then start power endurance on the overhanging wall. I am going to keep doing the 20mm 7/53's on the hang board until I can do full hangs without having my feet on the ground.
I am doing four reps, 3 sets, with a 2 minute rest between sets. After I can do that I will keep using the hang board but alternate the type of crimps. I am also hiking the Tahquitz climbing trail and started using the road bike. I am working to get my knees in 100% shape. I alternate between the hike and bike depending on the wear and tear of the hike. I started with pain in the knees, especially when going down, but that has gone. Now it's only regular pain from over use so I am cross training to toughen them up. I am using the small boulder at my boulder area as a warm up and to do pull ups. I also use it work of footwork. When I start power endurance I will start on the slab boulder since it is crazy hard and gives me a good sense of the climbing power. I am also going up on Suicide every once and a while and top rope Spatula. I get a hiking workout and I can set up a top rope with the gri gri and work the crux. Starting the 8th I will change everything up. 

Since I decided to extend power I have added small crimps to my vertical wall and am doing sit down, boulders on it. Including pull down, outward side pulls, inward side pulls, knobs, pinches. I can't do them all in one session since I have been adding the crimps as I go, so still have to build up to that. This is a good reason to extend for at least a couple more weeks. I go to the Angry Shaman boulders and do "up and overs" on a big hand holds x 10, then a medium hand holds x 10, then a small left/knob and a lower, right, small crimp. The small ones I do a 7/53 x 3. I can't completely pull up on this so it is a good indicator of improvement. I like doing this with my feet on the wall to increase full body co-ordination and toughen up the fingers since the rock is really rough. I then go back home to do the "wall work".

I have to do the first day boulder session then the next day shoulders or leg pistol squats, then power hangs on the 20mm. I have decided to do the boulder work the first day and the hangs the next day since it is more likely for injury on the boulder and the hangs, even though more intense, are very controlled. I am doing 4 reps of 7/53's, x 3 sets. I am, just today, able to do full body weight on the first three sets and the first two reps of the last!. I have lost weight to 189 lbs! My goal in April is 175 lbs.

Aerobically, I am doing the road bike and Tahquitz trail depending on how my knees feel. Tomorrow, I will ride the bike to Poppet Flats. I have had tire problems so I put new tube protectors since I kept having tube blow outs so, hopefully, that will solve the problem I got the bike, a carbon fiber Trek, at the thrift store for $150 so I can't complain. 

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I guess the take a way is that of delayed gratification because tendons take so long to get strong.  But taking a short cut most likely end in big set backs.  This summer all the prep work really paid off in the ability for me to climb on the rock 2 to 3 times a week.  Since I climb traditional routes it is more about endurance than hard pulling but, I think that it has been the last four years of training that kept me injury free.  We are going into winter and I am looking forward to starting up the training.  I will be starting slow since outdoor climbing doesn't really tax the tendons and I have all winter to take my strength to the next level but, as Eric Horst says, the most important thing is not to get injured.

Good luck.