Footless bouldering
4 steep boulders without feet, 2-3 attempts each, 3 min rest between attempts.
- Slot
- On the wall
- Focus
- Finger strength
- Time
- 35 min
- Intensity
- High intensity
- Injury risk
- High injury risk
- Equipment
- Boulders, Overhang, Timer
High injury risk. Only do this fully warmed up, rested and injury-free, and stop at the first sign of pain in your fingers or elbows. Training is at your own risk.
How to do it
Pick 4 overhanging boulders with big, finger-friendly holds (jugs, not crimps). Climb them using only your hands - no feet - and try not to match both hands on a hold. Give each boulder 2-3 attempts with 3 minutes rest between every attempt. Keep your shoulders engaged, and let go rather than hanging on a bad catch.
Run it now
The same timer as the app: a five-second get-ready, then every round and rest counted down with a beep. Keep this page open while you train.
Footless bouldering
0:00 / 35:05
Ready
35:05
8 rounds
4 steep boulders without feet, 2-3 attempts each, 3 min rest between attempts.
High risk: read the protocol, stop if anything feels wrong.
- 8
- rounds
- 3:00
- rest
- 35:05
- total
Done.
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Take the quizWho it's for
Experienced climbers with healthy fingers. Climbing steep boulders without feet loads the fingers and shoulders hard, so the holds you choose matter more than the boulders.
Common mistakes
- Crimps. Jugs and finger-friendly holds only. Crimping footless is how people get hurt.
- Fighting a bad catch. Let go and drop. Nothing on a training boulder is worth an injury.
- Passive shoulders. Engaged throughout, elbows slightly bent.
- Doing it tired. Fresh, warm, and early in the session.
How to progress
Steeper ground or worse jugs, not more attempts. Two or three attempts on four boulders is the whole session.
When it fits
The training periods this exercise fits into in Blok Sessions.
Strength Stronger fingers and pulling, with weight you control.
Power Explosive moves, momentum and coordination.
Performance Peak for a trip or a comp: focus, reading problems, trying hard.