Flexibility for Climbing

[Fortran77]

I realize a post on this topic on a site titled "Barbell Medicine" might raise eyebrows, but the climbing community is filled with voodoo and I haven't found any good science on this.

I am an avid rock climber and find numerous situations where I perceive a lack of flexibility holding me back. The two common situations are 1) I need to raise a foot high for a new foothold, but cannot do so without my hips being pushed back, which peels me off the wall and 2) I need to do the "splits" to reach a foothold laterally distant. In both situations, it is the hip joint I need to be more amenable and the joint in question is unloaded as my foot tries to find a new home.

Achieving specificity and progressive overload simultaneously is hard: finding routes that require incrementally more flexibility is not feasible.

Is there any hope of efficacy for a less specific (but progressable) stretching routine that attempts to simulate the desired movement? What is the physiology behind this lack of mobility?

Thanks

[Austin Baraki]

Is there any hope of efficacy for a less specific (but progressable) stretching routine that attempts to simulate the desired movement?

Sure, and that would likely be part of my training if my goals required being able to achieve a particular range of motion that I couldn't otherwise practice during the task itself.

What is the physiology behind this lack of mobility?

Likely a combination of neurological / neuromuscular factors, as well as tissue structure/extensibility, and perhaps some individual anatomical factors/limitations.

[Fortran77]

Thank you for the response. My hesitancy in such a routine comes from the grim outlook on stretching put forward in much of BM's content (as well as other training influencers). For example, something I often hear is that stretching produces no response at the level of the muscle, only a temporary mental tolerance. But is this claim only in regard to stretching right before training in the hopes of some immediate effect? Can I expect neuromuscular and structure/extensibility adaptations over time from repeated bouts of stretching?

[Austin Baraki]

something I often hear is that stretching produces no response at the level of the muscle, only a temporary mental tolerance.

These are not our claims. The topic has been discussed here. Our claims focus more on arguments that:

-static stretching is not uniquely beneficial or necessary for general health
-static stretching does not appear to reduce injury risk in the context of general exercise, barbell training, or in most sports
-static stretching is not a necessary part of "warming up" for general exercise

If your goal requires the ability to achieve a certain range of motion, and practicing your specific goal task (here, climbing) does not present an accessible way for you to reach the desired range of motion, then you will need to work on achieving it via other means, such as stretching.

Additionally, for those who simply enjoy stretching ... they can stretch.

Can I expect neuromuscular and structure/extensibility adaptations over time from repeated bouts of stretching?

Yes.