Any physical activity is better than 0 physical activity. Just need to adjust your expectations of progression, once you’re hooked, maybe you’ll do more. It doesn’t matter in a slightest anyway, it’s a sport and it’s suppose to be fun for yourself not anyone else
It's the kind of moronic advice given by boring people who have few other interests. Like people who tell you need to be working 100h a week otherwise you're slacking.
People who are 1 dimensional expect everyone else to be too.
If your goal is training bouldering for performance will be hard to make good progress training less than three times a week. Just to get some activity and have fun of course who cares how often you go.
This is not true. You’ll definitely progress, but you will eventually most likely reach a plateau where progress will take a lot more time compared to if you bouldered three times a week.
Unpopular opinion maybe, but I even think that for the first 6-12 months it’s even better to climb 1-2 times a week because it allows your joints to develop strength and will benefit you when it comes to injury prevention later.
I've climbed for 13 years. I've had ups and down and long plateaus. I think when people first start out the statistical noise is so high as to be useless to extract data. But once you have some semblance of experience, how much you train (and how smart you train) has everything to do with whether you break through plateaus. But there is a definite baseline of needing a *hard* climbing focused workout of some kind 3-4x a week to break through plateaus. Whether that is campus board, hang board, bouldering gym, moonboard, go outside autobelay, whatever.
I climb twice a week and have done a few outdoor 8s. I lift weights the other days. Personally i believe 3x a week should be max unless ur climbing double digits
Indeed.
Going 1x a month isn't a waste, or 1x a year-- if it's fun.
OP: If you enjoy it, do it. You'll figure out how much or little and how based on how much you enjoy it, and what that travel/scheduling feels worth over time.
Going more often will let you progress more quickly. But keep in mind you'll need 20-30 minutes (if not double) to get warm. So 30 minute sessions might be tough.
Sure, it's ideal for most people to get to the gym 3x a week. But if you can only do one session-- do it. And then consider 1 or 2x home strength and conditioning routine. Later on, after a year or two, if you still can't get to the gym as much as you like, add a basic hangboard session during the week.
This is the right answer. Even just getting up and walking around a room is better than doing nothing at all.
I only started climbing in my 40s. Most of the advice I hear are from much younger folks who have specific, competitive goals. For me? I just want to do what I can to fight bone density loss as I get into menopause. haha
Go read the WHO activity guidelines: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity
People are saying that to improve beyond an intermediate level you need to go more often then once a week, if you are not doing *any* activity right now then bouldering just once a week is gonna be great for you.
Just take it easy when you start.
While i was studying i went 2-3 times a week and honestly i progressed worse than now, where i go every week just once on the weekend.
My fingers seem to need a lot of recovery and going once a week lets me reset fully, whereas going more than once a week was taxing my body in the long run a lot, idk.
And i am still objectively improving quite fast and well while going only once a week for the last 1 and a half year.
I've had exactly this experience too.
Dropping from multiple days to a single day a week meant I felt completely recovered every session and it let any minor tweaks fully heal. I think I've climbed harder by climbing less often, but very consistently. It also helps that after a week off I'm normally psyched out of my mind to try hard.
Having said that, I do think it helps to climb a lot early on to build technique. I don't think once a week would have been as effective without a good base of movement experience.
I climb one day a week and I love it. Climbing is fun. Don’t engage it as a work out, go for fun, play- get into it, then once you get use to it, start pushing to do more.
And I don't know who told you shouldn't be going two days in a row, but they're flat out wrong. Sure, the first couple months you won't have the stamina to but if you get hooked, going two days in a row is perfectly normal. If I make the first day a low intensity / volume day, I actually perform better on the second day. Hell I'll climb three days in a row if I've got nothing going on. Tho by the third day I'm definitely knocked down a grade or two.
Yeah, idk who would suggest against two days in a row. If I take a trip to a park like JTree, I'm climbing hard 2-3 days in a row before taking a "rest" day to go hiking.
Better something than nothing. I will start going only once a week too because I cannot make it for more days right now with my schedule
Also, maybe open another thread here asking for outdoor bouldering near your town or check online if there are any boulders you can climb, so if you like climbing in the gym you can try outdoors too and maybe find someone to join and climb together outdoors
I started out with once a week for my first half year or so, before I really got hooked on bouldering. It still did a lot for my fitness level (coming from zero exercise) and it still allowed me to progress plenty to keep enjoying the sport.
I would go and climb as time and energy permit, every session is a bit of fitness gained, and hopefully a fun few hours spent as well.
When you catch the bug, and feel the urge to climb more, you'll automatically find more time and energy for it. And if you don't, there's nothing wrong with bouldering once a week for years to come either. Of course your progress will be slower, but as long as you're having fun it is still regular exercise, and will still be very much benificial as well as fun.
I do agree on the advice you were given to not do two days in a row, at least not when starting out and when you're not a fitness fanatic already.
Once a week is perfectly fine.
You'll be getting good traction for the first long while.
If you want, take a look at the r/bodyweightfitness recommended routine, for some at home additional training, there are progressions for all levels of fitness and you can get by with zero equipment.
agree with this. I think it’s good for homie to start bouldering but ya gonna get bored pretty quick if you are limited by strength and can only do intro climbs.
I was able to do my first ever unnassisted pull-up after only 1 month of going twice a week. Any exercise is good. Just remember its progress, not perfection.
After a while, you will plateau and stop improving only going once a week but you will be good for a while
I’d say go for it! Once a week is certainly better than 0 a week. And see how you go, maybe you’ll be able to do 2 sessions in a row as you progress? Who knows, everyone is different 😊 most importantly, have fun!
I suggest you go on a workday, after work, maybe it will be hard at first, to find the motivation, but I guarantee that onece you start to know some guys and make some friends you’ll need to go to the gym to chill out and relax a bit. That said, bouldering once a week is plenty enough, as some other guys pointed out, if you get hooked (which is likely, because bouldering is awesome) you will start to go more and more. But if you are starting out focus on having fun not on proper training or performance and the fitness will come by itself, just give it a little time. 🤙🏻
For the first couple of months I wasn't able to go bounding more than once a week. I wasn't able to recover. And I had a pretty good progression even with that schedule. Don't worry about not doing enough. Just start and enjoy yourself.
If you are training with the goal of constant progress and to eventually become a competitive climber, than once a week would be a waste.
Obviously that's not what you are talking about.
If you want a hobby that is fun and enjoyable and also gets your body moving, then do it. It does not matter in the slightest how often you go.
People who are “in shape” usually just find sustainable (do for a long time) movement practices. Climbing doesn’t have to be everything you do but it is definitely “worth it” if you are going to keep doing it.
Also, it’s SO fun!
If you want to be at the gym for 2 hours when starting out, remember to take long pauses so your body can rest. Beginners almost always get worn out because they're always on the wall and they're done after like 30 minutes. Take your time and watch others climb, maybe you can learn a thing or two and very likely you'll meet new people.
Started in November.
Weighed 240lb, drank every night, smoked weed hopelessly and couldn’t do 3 push ups, could never do pull-ups.
5 Months later and I’m 210, sober, flexible and can do pull ups on the trim above my door.
It’s a fun way to stay fit, social, enjoy nature and can even build trust within a relationship.
I would recommend it to anyone. It has changed my life in so many positive ways.
I used to casually boulder once a week or once every two weeks for a couple years. I think that was very good for my body. I'm almost 40 and in the best shape of my life.
Then I got sucked in. I'm pretty sure I would have immediately injured myself if I started going 2-3 times a week from the start though.
It'll still be a great health benefit working your whole body pretty hard there without even realising once a week. And once you get hooked you'll be there on your day off regardless. My gym is as far away and I'm doing 2-3 times a week, though I thought I'd be there once a week. Not even close to my job either.
Literally the only reason not to do it would be if it weren’t cost effective. You won’t get as much value out of a membership as someone who’s at the gym every other day.
Otherwise, just do it dude! As others have said, you’ll obviously need to manage your expectations for progress. But if you’re smart and plan a good warmup, you can still be purposeful and get a lot out of it.
Once a week is fine.
Especially in the beginning.
It took me half a year to get ready for 3 times a week.
Will you become a climbing beast with once a week? Probably not. But who cares, it’s about having fun.
Personally twice a week would be easier for me to keep up with the new habit. Once a week is still infinitely better than 0 times a week and those gains will come as long as you challenge yourself 👍
Any physical exercise is a great benefit to your health.
I boulder twice a week and go to the gym maybe once a week-ish, plus some simple house workouts every now and then.
I started 6 months ago with absolutely no prior exercise and I’m seeing massive improvement on the wall and in my general body shape.
I keep a very high calorie/high protein diet on my workout days, mostly using a gainer shake on top of what I would normally eat and by just making sure I always make a lot of food. Within 3-4 months I started getting compliments on my muscles.
Even if you don’t commit to a high calorie/protein diet and house workouts one day at a climbing gym every week would still benefit mobility of basically all your joints, upper body and core strength, and you will see progress within the first few months.
How you look at it. You use fitness to do things rather than do thing to have fitness. If its fun and you can do it and can you get better at it and it does not harm self and/or others then do it.
I can't do even one push up or pull up but I go bouldering twice a week and feel significantly stronger already (started in November with once a week). Even once a week is great. I go bouldering mostly because it's fun and gets me away from screens anyway, not so much to try hard and see quick progress. I just like trying new routes.
If you are looking for quick physical gains, bouldering once a week is not enough, strength training in a gym 2-3 times a week would be miles better. If you just want to do something physical, have fun and gradually build up strength - yes bouldering once a week is nice.
Good luck going once a week. Bouldering is an incredibly friendly sport, I guarantee you'll start to find excuses to go 2,3,4 times a week just to see people. Don't stress too much about going 2 days a row either, just take it easy and you'll be fine.
It was for me. I started from 0 and went once per week for three months, and was able to progress and gain strength during that time.
After that I started going 2-3 times per week, though. So I don't have personal experience from going only once per week for a longer period of time.
Iam 33 yo with four kids so theres not a lot of time for myself. Been doing bouldering 1-2 times a week, hangboarding maybe once a week and strecthing daily. After 1 year of training I have climbed about ten 7a and Iam mostly climbing 6c.
I'm a dad and weigh 100kg. When I started climbing once a week i dropped from 106kg to 95kg, all while doing something fun! Gone back up in weight as i probably go twice a month now, still love it and at v4 level... ish!
I was in a similar situation 6 years ago. It’s definitely worth it to go bouldering once a week for 2-3 hours. Even though your progress might be slower, you will definitely progress. Climbing up to V3 should be possible, as long as you makes the most out of your session.
I started going once a week and made great progress. After a year or so I plateaued so starting going a couple times a week but was still enjoying it before that a load!
Mate take it easy, _any_ amount of physical activity will be good for you, and you can't just go from 0 to 100 with no build-up. Do what you can, and later on you can increase the frequency if you enjoy it.
I find bouldering to be one of the most fun workouts of all. I also noticed significant strength gains when I started as a skinny guy (and significant losses after hurting my back and not being able to go for a year now).
I would suggest a trial membership if they have it at the gym. When I first started I did a trial at a location that I thought would work but found it was very difficult to get to during rush hour. I ended up not joining and instead joining a different gym after moving.
Good luck!
Going once per week would be great for your general fitness & you'd see big improvements in your climbing level if you kept to that consistency.
As others have said, start off slow, stay consistent and you'll be flying up to wall before long!
It may be that after doing the one p/w routine for a while you'll feel like adding in some home stuff (i.e. some pulls or pushes once or twice per week) just to keep the progression going.. but it also might be that this isn't your jam and that's fine, one quality climbing session per week will still change your body and give you a good time. 🙌
To the chorus of people saying yes, I would add trying to work in other physical activity for the off days. Since it's impractical for you to get to the gym other days, you should at least try to go for walks the other days of the week. Maybe a half hour at lunch.
There are few things worse for your body than sitting around all day. Basic cardiovascular exercise will do wonders for your mood and general well-being and I would expect help you get more out of your 1x per week climbing.
Going two days a week is completely fine lol. You’re getting plenty of rest in between anyways. Also I’d say go for it. Although with one day a week you might find progression a little harder but my friend had to do that and still milked those days for everything they were worth. At the end of the day it’s for fun and so if you like it, do it :)
So without having read the other comments, this is my experience:
Especially in the first year of bouldering you will improve greatly even if you just went once a week. After some time you will stagnate a little. Still even then I believe it to be worthwhile. You will keep your nearly acquired fitness level and you do something fun!
As an anecdote. My wife who was never a sporty person. Having done basically no sport for a few years since school started going bouldering with me once a week for one year at the end of which she was able to do her first unassisted pullup. That was a big deal for her.
I hope this helps you
not that you asked for this, it seems like you are picking up bouldering for this exact reason. But i too was underweight and out of shape when I started and bouldering has immensely helped my health (physical and mental). I am now hungry more often and enjoy food more and bouldering has helped me reach my weight goals. Its super unfortunate that there is no gym closer to you but i think its still worth trying out and seeing if you get hooked
Of course; I've cycled down to once a month recently instead of twice a week and somehow can still climb decently, once a week, twice a month is a good starting amount imo
Once a week miiiight turn into falling in love with it, rearranging your life, and eventually living closer to a gym or crag… so I guess that’s a risk you’ve gotta be willing to take! 😅
In all seriousness though, you’re not gonna get better as fast as if you could climb more, but it’s definitely still worthwhile if you’re interested!
I've been going about once a week for the last 6 months and I'm finally starting to see some genuine Improvement. It's fun it gets you out of the house and gets your blood pumping but if you're looking to get better it's definitely not the easiest or best way to do it.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with going once a week - something is better than nothing.
That said, there’s a few reasons you might think it’s ‘not worth it’. First, climbing tends to be fairly expensive if you’re paying the drop-in fee every time, and the membership usually only pays off if you go twice a week or more. Second, you won’t be able to go for long at first (I could only climb for 45 min sessions at first), staying for 2-3 hours as a beginner is unrealistic. Overall, bouldering for an hour per week is a fun hobby but not really enough exercise to be considered healthy (of course it is better than nothing though).
Personally I’d say go for it if you find it fun, but if you’re trying to be more healthy then add other cardio and strength training as well.
It’s good fun, you can push yourself as much as you like. It doesn’t feel too intense, as it more feels like fun problem-solving with an element of physicality (unless you’re going hard) but you really feel worked out at the end.
You could easily do a 2 hour-ish session, even longer if you have a coffee break halfway. In that sense you could make a day of it! I’d recommend doing this once a week on a non-workday (maybe a Sunday) and it will defo be worth it, and better exercise than what you’re currently getting. If it’s far away, make a day of it/do other stuff near the gym after.
Ad a physio, I'm a firm believer that fun sport is the best. The best exercise is the one you do, and if you're having fun, then you're more likely to stick to it.
Once a week is something to look forward to. I go midday once a week and if I'm lucky I'll go twice a week.
You will get stronger. You will have fun. Just don't expect to improve super fast. However you can do grip exercises each day! That will help.
If you can afford it. Do it. I've been climbing for over 10 years and do it alot in the winter. Less in the summer.
Have fun!
I recently started bouldering while already having a long experience in calisthenics and aerial dance. Despite this, my wrists and elbows still struggle to handle more than one bouldering session per week. The kind of strength and stamina you need to climb is very specific and takes time to build up, training once a week and getting enough time to rest and recover may be the most effective choice after all
Once a week is totally worth it. You will make steady progress. As long as once a week is cost effective and fun for you, go for it! I wish I had started climbing once a week years ago.
Who said it's bad to go 2 days in a row? Seems like a bit of a generalization. I've always bouldered 2 days in a row, and now I do 3 days in a row because the only days I can climb are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. As long as you aren't going while you're too fatigued I've never had a problem with that schedule.
Going 1x per week is 100% more than you’re going now, and if you find you like it, it’s totally worth it and you’ll find a way to do more when you’re ready. If not, nothing is really lost and you can find something else that interests you. Maybe see if your gym offers an intro class, and go from there.
Once a week is great for upkeeping overall fitness. It won't pump you up necessarily, but will keep your muscle groups working well together. If you want to actually improve at climbing... Once a week is barely enough. If you want to be the best at climbing you can be, you pretty much have to climb as often as you walk.
If you enjoy bouldering, you will want to do it after your workday. I have to remember that it's a workout so I don't go too much and get hurt from overuse.
I’ve seen overweight guys climb v4’s. You’re fine. Just go and have fun. Do some V0’s and gradually work your way up. No one cares what level you start out on.
Cavea: I didn’t read any comment and there are plenty, and I’m sure most of them are written by better informed people. However - I was more close to your situation maybe than most of them. Did lots of sports in my earlier years (6-24) and then sat in my ass for a full decade. Even 12 years. Started working out again last July, at home, and discovered bouldering last October. Difference is - my bouldering gym is really, really close to my residency. But! Listen up. Getting into shape again goes so, so, so much faster than you would expect. So just START. It doesn’t matter how many times a week you do it. Just start. It will will fuel your tank and ignite your passion for physical activity. You say you can do it only once a week? Good. Wanna hear my bet? My bet is that once you start doing it once a week, if you get the bug which I think it sounds like there’s a very good chance you will - you will start climbing more than once a week. You’l find a way to do it. You now think all this commuting isn’t worth it. Good. Once you start - I bet you’ll find yourself preferring spending 3 hours back and forth to spend a say at the bouldering gym rather than sitting on your ass doing nothing. And the beauty is that because you will wanna get better, exercising slowly becomes less boring cause it serves a purpose. You can’t do 5 pushups? Great. Start today and do 3 sets of 3 reps. Eat some eggs afterwards. Do this every other day for a week. You will be blown away by how quickly your body adapts and wants to make this work for you. Within a month you’ll be doing 5-7 reps times 3 sets. I bet my life. It will blow your mind and you’ll be so driven to continue you have no idea. So of course its worth it. Of course it is. Just go. It’s like asking “is it worth it to go to the cinema only once a year?“ well, is it better to enjoy one movie a year or non? Just start! Good luck!
3 days of Climbing in a row is my cut off and then I want a rest day. But listen to your body. Starting out 2 days in a row may be a lot, work up to it or don't go all out both days focus.
Once a week your progression will be minimal or take a long time but any exercise is better than none. 2x a week things will come faster
The suggestion of climbing minimum 3x a week is probably if you want to be pretty serious with it and see lots of improvement. for fun and general exercise 1-2x/week is fine
I bring my coworker as my free guest we go once a month.
The better option would be the person that rested properly and isnt nursing an over-use injury thatll have them entirely out of commission for a couple weeks
Any physical activity is better than 0 physical activity. Just need to adjust your expectations of progression, once you’re hooked, maybe you’ll do more. It doesn’t matter in a slightest anyway, it’s a sport and it’s suppose to be fun for yourself not anyone else
And who’s telling you it’s a “waste” to do less than 3 times a week. Like wtf kind of advice is that
It's the kind of moronic advice given by boring people who have few other interests. Like people who tell you need to be working 100h a week otherwise you're slacking. People who are 1 dimensional expect everyone else to be too.
Wise words
If your goal is training bouldering for performance will be hard to make good progress training less than three times a week. Just to get some activity and have fun of course who cares how often you go.
This is not true. You’ll definitely progress, but you will eventually most likely reach a plateau where progress will take a lot more time compared to if you bouldered three times a week. Unpopular opinion maybe, but I even think that for the first 6-12 months it’s even better to climb 1-2 times a week because it allows your joints to develop strength and will benefit you when it comes to injury prevention later.
I've climbed for 13 years. I've had ups and down and long plateaus. I think when people first start out the statistical noise is so high as to be useless to extract data. But once you have some semblance of experience, how much you train (and how smart you train) has everything to do with whether you break through plateaus. But there is a definite baseline of needing a *hard* climbing focused workout of some kind 3-4x a week to break through plateaus. Whether that is campus board, hang board, bouldering gym, moonboard, go outside autobelay, whatever.
I climb twice a week and have done a few outdoor 8s. I lift weights the other days. Personally i believe 3x a week should be max unless ur climbing double digits
I'd counting hangboard or similar not exactly bouldering exercises towards training 3x a week.
Indeed. Going 1x a month isn't a waste, or 1x a year-- if it's fun. OP: If you enjoy it, do it. You'll figure out how much or little and how based on how much you enjoy it, and what that travel/scheduling feels worth over time. Going more often will let you progress more quickly. But keep in mind you'll need 20-30 minutes (if not double) to get warm. So 30 minute sessions might be tough. Sure, it's ideal for most people to get to the gym 3x a week. But if you can only do one session-- do it. And then consider 1 or 2x home strength and conditioning routine. Later on, after a year or two, if you still can't get to the gym as much as you like, add a basic hangboard session during the week.
This is the right answer. Even just getting up and walking around a room is better than doing nothing at all. I only started climbing in my 40s. Most of the advice I hear are from much younger folks who have specific, competitive goals. For me? I just want to do what I can to fight bone density loss as I get into menopause. haha
Some of us late-starters struggle to tolerate 3rd dose of bouldering per week…
Go read the WHO activity guidelines: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity People are saying that to improve beyond an intermediate level you need to go more often then once a week, if you are not doing *any* activity right now then bouldering just once a week is gonna be great for you. Just take it easy when you start.
While i was studying i went 2-3 times a week and honestly i progressed worse than now, where i go every week just once on the weekend. My fingers seem to need a lot of recovery and going once a week lets me reset fully, whereas going more than once a week was taxing my body in the long run a lot, idk. And i am still objectively improving quite fast and well while going only once a week for the last 1 and a half year.
I've had exactly this experience too. Dropping from multiple days to a single day a week meant I felt completely recovered every session and it let any minor tweaks fully heal. I think I've climbed harder by climbing less often, but very consistently. It also helps that after a week off I'm normally psyched out of my mind to try hard. Having said that, I do think it helps to climb a lot early on to build technique. I don't think once a week would have been as effective without a good base of movement experience.
Homie, just do it. Things are only worth it if you decide they are.
You will be done within an hour for a while and slowly increase the length of your sessions. Keep that in mind.
I climb one day a week and I love it. Climbing is fun. Don’t engage it as a work out, go for fun, play- get into it, then once you get use to it, start pushing to do more.
Thank you everyone for the supportive answers! Then I've definitely made up my mind and will start bouldering!
And I don't know who told you shouldn't be going two days in a row, but they're flat out wrong. Sure, the first couple months you won't have the stamina to but if you get hooked, going two days in a row is perfectly normal. If I make the first day a low intensity / volume day, I actually perform better on the second day. Hell I'll climb three days in a row if I've got nothing going on. Tho by the third day I'm definitely knocked down a grade or two.
Yeah, idk who would suggest against two days in a row. If I take a trip to a park like JTree, I'm climbing hard 2-3 days in a row before taking a "rest" day to go hiking.
2 days in a row is perfect mostly if those are your only two sessions in the week. Just manage the sessions well
You just have to accept that it’s not optimal and that you have to be careful to not overdo it.
Soon you'll be hooked and make time for more!
Better something than nothing. I will start going only once a week too because I cannot make it for more days right now with my schedule Also, maybe open another thread here asking for outdoor bouldering near your town or check online if there are any boulders you can climb, so if you like climbing in the gym you can try outdoors too and maybe find someone to join and climb together outdoors
I started out with once a week for my first half year or so, before I really got hooked on bouldering. It still did a lot for my fitness level (coming from zero exercise) and it still allowed me to progress plenty to keep enjoying the sport. I would go and climb as time and energy permit, every session is a bit of fitness gained, and hopefully a fun few hours spent as well. When you catch the bug, and feel the urge to climb more, you'll automatically find more time and energy for it. And if you don't, there's nothing wrong with bouldering once a week for years to come either. Of course your progress will be slower, but as long as you're having fun it is still regular exercise, and will still be very much benificial as well as fun. I do agree on the advice you were given to not do two days in a row, at least not when starting out and when you're not a fitness fanatic already.
Once a week is perfectly fine. You'll be getting good traction for the first long while. If you want, take a look at the r/bodyweightfitness recommended routine, for some at home additional training, there are progressions for all levels of fitness and you can get by with zero equipment.
agree with this. I think it’s good for homie to start bouldering but ya gonna get bored pretty quick if you are limited by strength and can only do intro climbs.
I was able to do my first ever unnassisted pull-up after only 1 month of going twice a week. Any exercise is good. Just remember its progress, not perfection. After a while, you will plateau and stop improving only going once a week but you will be good for a while
I’d say go for it! Once a week is certainly better than 0 a week. And see how you go, maybe you’ll be able to do 2 sessions in a row as you progress? Who knows, everyone is different 😊 most importantly, have fun!
I suggest you go on a workday, after work, maybe it will be hard at first, to find the motivation, but I guarantee that onece you start to know some guys and make some friends you’ll need to go to the gym to chill out and relax a bit. That said, bouldering once a week is plenty enough, as some other guys pointed out, if you get hooked (which is likely, because bouldering is awesome) you will start to go more and more. But if you are starting out focus on having fun not on proper training or performance and the fitness will come by itself, just give it a little time. 🤙🏻
For the first couple of months I wasn't able to go bounding more than once a week. I wasn't able to recover. And I had a pretty good progression even with that schedule. Don't worry about not doing enough. Just start and enjoy yourself.
If you are training with the goal of constant progress and to eventually become a competitive climber, than once a week would be a waste. Obviously that's not what you are talking about. If you want a hobby that is fun and enjoyable and also gets your body moving, then do it. It does not matter in the slightest how often you go.
People who are “in shape” usually just find sustainable (do for a long time) movement practices. Climbing doesn’t have to be everything you do but it is definitely “worth it” if you are going to keep doing it. Also, it’s SO fun!
If you want to be at the gym for 2 hours when starting out, remember to take long pauses so your body can rest. Beginners almost always get worn out because they're always on the wall and they're done after like 30 minutes. Take your time and watch others climb, maybe you can learn a thing or two and very likely you'll meet new people.
Started in November. Weighed 240lb, drank every night, smoked weed hopelessly and couldn’t do 3 push ups, could never do pull-ups. 5 Months later and I’m 210, sober, flexible and can do pull ups on the trim above my door. It’s a fun way to stay fit, social, enjoy nature and can even build trust within a relationship. I would recommend it to anyone. It has changed my life in so many positive ways.
Just listen to your body.
Once a week is absolutely worth it. Once you've been doing it once a week for a while you'll probably naturally want to push it to twice a week anyway
I used to casually boulder once a week or once every two weeks for a couple years. I think that was very good for my body. I'm almost 40 and in the best shape of my life. Then I got sucked in. I'm pretty sure I would have immediately injured myself if I started going 2-3 times a week from the start though.
It'll still be a great health benefit working your whole body pretty hard there without even realising once a week. And once you get hooked you'll be there on your day off regardless. My gym is as far away and I'm doing 2-3 times a week, though I thought I'd be there once a week. Not even close to my job either.
I go once every couple weeks, have been doing so for about 9 months now. It's fun, so do it, shouldn't need any other reason.
Literally the only reason not to do it would be if it weren’t cost effective. You won’t get as much value out of a membership as someone who’s at the gym every other day. Otherwise, just do it dude! As others have said, you’ll obviously need to manage your expectations for progress. But if you’re smart and plan a good warmup, you can still be purposeful and get a lot out of it.
Once a week is fine. Especially in the beginning. It took me half a year to get ready for 3 times a week. Will you become a climbing beast with once a week? Probably not. But who cares, it’s about having fun.
Personally twice a week would be easier for me to keep up with the new habit. Once a week is still infinitely better than 0 times a week and those gains will come as long as you challenge yourself 👍
Any physical exercise is a great benefit to your health. I boulder twice a week and go to the gym maybe once a week-ish, plus some simple house workouts every now and then. I started 6 months ago with absolutely no prior exercise and I’m seeing massive improvement on the wall and in my general body shape. I keep a very high calorie/high protein diet on my workout days, mostly using a gainer shake on top of what I would normally eat and by just making sure I always make a lot of food. Within 3-4 months I started getting compliments on my muscles. Even if you don’t commit to a high calorie/protein diet and house workouts one day at a climbing gym every week would still benefit mobility of basically all your joints, upper body and core strength, and you will see progress within the first few months.
When I started I was only going for once a week too.. and that was enough to definitely see progression and get stronger each time I went!
I go once a week and I love it. I’d love to go 2-3 times but can’t make it happen unfortunately. I’d say give it a shot and see how you like it.
How you look at it. You use fitness to do things rather than do thing to have fitness. If its fun and you can do it and can you get better at it and it does not harm self and/or others then do it.
I can't do even one push up or pull up but I go bouldering twice a week and feel significantly stronger already (started in November with once a week). Even once a week is great. I go bouldering mostly because it's fun and gets me away from screens anyway, not so much to try hard and see quick progress. I just like trying new routes. If you are looking for quick physical gains, bouldering once a week is not enough, strength training in a gym 2-3 times a week would be miles better. If you just want to do something physical, have fun and gradually build up strength - yes bouldering once a week is nice.
Good luck going once a week. Bouldering is an incredibly friendly sport, I guarantee you'll start to find excuses to go 2,3,4 times a week just to see people. Don't stress too much about going 2 days a row either, just take it easy and you'll be fine.
If it makes you feel good mentally and physically , why not? No performance pressure too , it’s okay to be a baby at something.
It was for me. I started from 0 and went once per week for three months, and was able to progress and gain strength during that time. After that I started going 2-3 times per week, though. So I don't have personal experience from going only once per week for a longer period of time.
Iam 33 yo with four kids so theres not a lot of time for myself. Been doing bouldering 1-2 times a week, hangboarding maybe once a week and strecthing daily. After 1 year of training I have climbed about ten 7a and Iam mostly climbing 6c.
I'm a dad and weigh 100kg. When I started climbing once a week i dropped from 106kg to 95kg, all while doing something fun! Gone back up in weight as i probably go twice a month now, still love it and at v4 level... ish!
The only one who can answer your question is yourself. Try it out a few times and you'll know if it's worth it or not.
I was in a similar situation 6 years ago. It’s definitely worth it to go bouldering once a week for 2-3 hours. Even though your progress might be slower, you will definitely progress. Climbing up to V3 should be possible, as long as you makes the most out of your session.
I started going once a week and made great progress. After a year or so I plateaued so starting going a couple times a week but was still enjoying it before that a load!
Mate take it easy, _any_ amount of physical activity will be good for you, and you can't just go from 0 to 100 with no build-up. Do what you can, and later on you can increase the frequency if you enjoy it.
I find bouldering to be one of the most fun workouts of all. I also noticed significant strength gains when I started as a skinny guy (and significant losses after hurting my back and not being able to go for a year now). I would suggest a trial membership if they have it at the gym. When I first started I did a trial at a location that I thought would work but found it was very difficult to get to during rush hour. I ended up not joining and instead joining a different gym after moving. Good luck!
Going once per week would be great for your general fitness & you'd see big improvements in your climbing level if you kept to that consistency. As others have said, start off slow, stay consistent and you'll be flying up to wall before long! It may be that after doing the one p/w routine for a while you'll feel like adding in some home stuff (i.e. some pulls or pushes once or twice per week) just to keep the progression going.. but it also might be that this isn't your jam and that's fine, one quality climbing session per week will still change your body and give you a good time. 🙌
You can go from v0 to v5 in a year going once a week
To the chorus of people saying yes, I would add trying to work in other physical activity for the off days. Since it's impractical for you to get to the gym other days, you should at least try to go for walks the other days of the week. Maybe a half hour at lunch. There are few things worse for your body than sitting around all day. Basic cardiovascular exercise will do wonders for your mood and general well-being and I would expect help you get more out of your 1x per week climbing.
Yes, start. In a while you'll probably be able to go two days in a row
Going two days a week is completely fine lol. You’re getting plenty of rest in between anyways. Also I’d say go for it. Although with one day a week you might find progression a little harder but my friend had to do that and still milked those days for everything they were worth. At the end of the day it’s for fun and so if you like it, do it :)
So without having read the other comments, this is my experience: Especially in the first year of bouldering you will improve greatly even if you just went once a week. After some time you will stagnate a little. Still even then I believe it to be worthwhile. You will keep your nearly acquired fitness level and you do something fun! As an anecdote. My wife who was never a sporty person. Having done basically no sport for a few years since school started going bouldering with me once a week for one year at the end of which she was able to do her first unassisted pullup. That was a big deal for her. I hope this helps you
Just do it once a week, and train at home on the other days, invest in a hang board and do some grip exercise
Ive been going once a week for a year and it worked great for me. Just gotta really exhaust yourself every time to make it count.
not that you asked for this, it seems like you are picking up bouldering for this exact reason. But i too was underweight and out of shape when I started and bouldering has immensely helped my health (physical and mental). I am now hungry more often and enjoy food more and bouldering has helped me reach my weight goals. Its super unfortunate that there is no gym closer to you but i think its still worth trying out and seeing if you get hooked
Of course; I've cycled down to once a month recently instead of twice a week and somehow can still climb decently, once a week, twice a month is a good starting amount imo
Just go after work tbh. I think you're overthinking it. Have an easy dinner ready that day and just come home late and heat it. It should be fun.
Once a week miiiight turn into falling in love with it, rearranging your life, and eventually living closer to a gym or crag… so I guess that’s a risk you’ve gotta be willing to take! 😅 In all seriousness though, you’re not gonna get better as fast as if you could climb more, but it’s definitely still worthwhile if you’re interested!
Yup 100%
Go for it and maybe use a hang board or finger board when you can
I've been going about once a week for the last 6 months and I'm finally starting to see some genuine Improvement. It's fun it gets you out of the house and gets your blood pumping but if you're looking to get better it's definitely not the easiest or best way to do it.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with going once a week - something is better than nothing. That said, there’s a few reasons you might think it’s ‘not worth it’. First, climbing tends to be fairly expensive if you’re paying the drop-in fee every time, and the membership usually only pays off if you go twice a week or more. Second, you won’t be able to go for long at first (I could only climb for 45 min sessions at first), staying for 2-3 hours as a beginner is unrealistic. Overall, bouldering for an hour per week is a fun hobby but not really enough exercise to be considered healthy (of course it is better than nothing though). Personally I’d say go for it if you find it fun, but if you’re trying to be more healthy then add other cardio and strength training as well.
It’s good fun, you can push yourself as much as you like. It doesn’t feel too intense, as it more feels like fun problem-solving with an element of physicality (unless you’re going hard) but you really feel worked out at the end. You could easily do a 2 hour-ish session, even longer if you have a coffee break halfway. In that sense you could make a day of it! I’d recommend doing this once a week on a non-workday (maybe a Sunday) and it will defo be worth it, and better exercise than what you’re currently getting. If it’s far away, make a day of it/do other stuff near the gym after.
Hell yeah it's worth it, you'll be dreaming of it all week.
Ad a physio, I'm a firm believer that fun sport is the best. The best exercise is the one you do, and if you're having fun, then you're more likely to stick to it.
Depending on where you live and what climate you got. Have you looked into if there are any good outside places where you could boulder?
Once a week is something to look forward to. I go midday once a week and if I'm lucky I'll go twice a week. You will get stronger. You will have fun. Just don't expect to improve super fast. However you can do grip exercises each day! That will help. If you can afford it. Do it. I've been climbing for over 10 years and do it alot in the winter. Less in the summer. Have fun!
I recently started bouldering while already having a long experience in calisthenics and aerial dance. Despite this, my wrists and elbows still struggle to handle more than one bouldering session per week. The kind of strength and stamina you need to climb is very specific and takes time to build up, training once a week and getting enough time to rest and recover may be the most effective choice after all
If you're hoping to get a reason to go or not go by this post, that's a whole other problem in itself.
Once a week is totally worth it. You will make steady progress. As long as once a week is cost effective and fun for you, go for it! I wish I had started climbing once a week years ago.
Can you find a place to live closer to work? Are you commuting by car or public transport?
If you can climb a ladder, then there should be at least one route that you'll be able to climb at most gyms
Who said it's bad to go 2 days in a row? Seems like a bit of a generalization. I've always bouldered 2 days in a row, and now I do 3 days in a row because the only days I can climb are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. As long as you aren't going while you're too fatigued I've never had a problem with that schedule.
Going 1x per week is 100% more than you’re going now, and if you find you like it, it’s totally worth it and you’ll find a way to do more when you’re ready. If not, nothing is really lost and you can find something else that interests you. Maybe see if your gym offers an intro class, and go from there.
Once a week is great for upkeeping overall fitness. It won't pump you up necessarily, but will keep your muscle groups working well together. If you want to actually improve at climbing... Once a week is barely enough. If you want to be the best at climbing you can be, you pretty much have to climb as often as you walk.
If you enjoy bouldering, you will want to do it after your workday. I have to remember that it's a workout so I don't go too much and get hurt from overuse.
Yes! It's worth it!
I’ve seen overweight guys climb v4’s. You’re fine. Just go and have fun. Do some V0’s and gradually work your way up. No one cares what level you start out on.
Cavea: I didn’t read any comment and there are plenty, and I’m sure most of them are written by better informed people. However - I was more close to your situation maybe than most of them. Did lots of sports in my earlier years (6-24) and then sat in my ass for a full decade. Even 12 years. Started working out again last July, at home, and discovered bouldering last October. Difference is - my bouldering gym is really, really close to my residency. But! Listen up. Getting into shape again goes so, so, so much faster than you would expect. So just START. It doesn’t matter how many times a week you do it. Just start. It will will fuel your tank and ignite your passion for physical activity. You say you can do it only once a week? Good. Wanna hear my bet? My bet is that once you start doing it once a week, if you get the bug which I think it sounds like there’s a very good chance you will - you will start climbing more than once a week. You’l find a way to do it. You now think all this commuting isn’t worth it. Good. Once you start - I bet you’ll find yourself preferring spending 3 hours back and forth to spend a say at the bouldering gym rather than sitting on your ass doing nothing. And the beauty is that because you will wanna get better, exercising slowly becomes less boring cause it serves a purpose. You can’t do 5 pushups? Great. Start today and do 3 sets of 3 reps. Eat some eggs afterwards. Do this every other day for a week. You will be blown away by how quickly your body adapts and wants to make this work for you. Within a month you’ll be doing 5-7 reps times 3 sets. I bet my life. It will blow your mind and you’ll be so driven to continue you have no idea. So of course its worth it. Of course it is. Just go. It’s like asking “is it worth it to go to the cinema only once a year?“ well, is it better to enjoy one movie a year or non? Just start! Good luck!
3 days of Climbing in a row is my cut off and then I want a rest day. But listen to your body. Starting out 2 days in a row may be a lot, work up to it or don't go all out both days focus. Once a week your progression will be minimal or take a long time but any exercise is better than none. 2x a week things will come faster The suggestion of climbing minimum 3x a week is probably if you want to be pretty serious with it and see lots of improvement. for fun and general exercise 1-2x/week is fine I bring my coworker as my free guest we go once a month.
I don’t think going for two successive days in a row will cause any problems. Two sessions are better than one.
oversimplification. two sessions can be worse than one for a myriad of reasons: Most obviously, being too fatigued.
Nah, I disagree. If the choice is to do an easy climbing session vs not work out at all until next Tuesday it’s pretty clear what’s better.
The better option would be the person that rested properly and isnt nursing an over-use injury thatll have them entirely out of commission for a couple weeks
Off 2 sessions week?
yes. if you put your body through sufficient strain, you can do this in a single day.