Synchronization of the spinal erectors, gluteals and hamstrings is one of the most important aspects of overhanging climbing success. If a climber cannot maintain contact with the toe hold, many times the move sequence is not possible. Toe contact is made possible by; body awareness – being able to feel your posterior chain musculature while climbing, and not having a weak link in the chain.

Many modern training books that focus on traditional American sports, such as field and court running sports, try to get the strength coach to avoid training athletes using the hamstrings as knee flexors and only train them as hip extensors. I think, in climbing, we’ll have to work both hip extension AND knee flexion – because of “toe-down” contact with your feet below your hips and shoulders moving upwards, and feet/heels higher or matched with hands/hips in a “heel hook” fashion requiring knee flexion most often with hip extension at the top of the movement.

Most people think of training their hamstrings by lying on a “leg curl” machine at a gym. When this happens, the body is stationary and the foot is moving – this is not sport specific to climbing (or any other sport), this exercise is what we call an “open chain” movement. When climbing overhangs, our movement is in a “closed chain”. Meaning that our foot is in contact with an immovable object or supporting surface and the body is in motion. The most common analogy strength coaches’ use is the squat versus leg extension machine. In the squat, your feet are in contact with a supporting ground surface and the body is in motion – closed chain.
Whereas the leg extension, the feet are in contact with a moveable object and the body is stationary – open chain.

What does this mean for climbers? We need to train our posterior chain in a closed chain fashion, so that we get the proper muscular coordination and strength/power development.