One-hand climbing
Climb 3-4 easy boulders per hand using one hand, swinging the free arm for momentum.
- Slot
- On the wall
- Focus
- Timing
- Time
- 20 min
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Injury risk
- Low
- Intervals
- 6 rounds, 1:00 rest
- Equipment
- Boulders, Easy circuit
How to do it
On easy boulders with big holds, climb using only one hand. Use your free arm to swing and create momentum, or to balance, and let your feet do most of the work. Climb 3-4 boulders with each hand, resting a minute between climbs.
Who it’s for
Finding out how much your feet can actually do. Removing an arm forces the legs and hips to take over, and it exposes exactly where you’d normally pull.
Common mistakes
- Holding the free arm still. Swing it. Momentum is part of the solution.
- Boulders that are too hard. Easy, big holds.
- Only doing your strong side. Three or four boulders each hand.
How to progress
Slightly harder boulders or steeper ground. It stays useful as a warm-up drill long after it stops being difficult.
When it fits
The training periods this exercise fits into in Blok Sessions.
- Power Explosive moves, momentum and coordination.
Related blocks
Start with a ready-made block
A six-week strength plan with a deload, as a file for the app, and seven short emails on how to run it.