The Freezing Drill

The next video up on the SUBSTR8 YouTube channel is the Freezing Drill, a very classic exercise that builds lock off strength and body tension. The concept is very simple, pause or “freeze” for a few seconds before grabbing a hold while climbing. While that might sound simple enough the application can vary greatly based on the terrain and difficulty of the climbing. I often program this for athletes who want to build better “core strength” and work on their On-The-Wall tension.

When watching someone perform the drill it can often seem like all the climber is doing is locking off between each move, which can be the case but most times it’s not. Locking off can work really well when the athletes center of gravity is centered over the previous hold but as soon as the body moves out to the side, even just a little bit, the ability to lock off starts to diminish and more body tension is required. Creating tension with your feet, legs, trunk, and torso are all required to maintain that “frozen” body position, especially as the climbing terrain becomes steeper.

I also love this drill for how easily it can be scaled to meet different athletes abilities. Starting out on a gently overhanging wall on big holds is great for novice climbers. As the wall angle steepens the difficulty is increased. This drill is very challenging for even the most advanced climbers when practiced on wall angles past 40˚, particularly when experimenting with hold size and shapes. Enjoy -