1 Seated to Standing Rope Climb
Hang a rope from a pull up bar and straddle the rope, seated on the ground. Climb up and down the rope one hand over the other. Use the assistance of your feet on the ground as much or as little as you’d like, depending on your skill level.
2 Towel Pull ups
Throw a gym towel over a pull up bar and do pull ups holding the towel in each hand. If you do not have a pull up bar, hang the towel from a barbell in a
squat rack and perform the same with your feet on the ground. To make this more dynamic, pull the towel to either side of your head alternating sides.
3 Negative Pull Ups
Negative pull ups or chin ups are great for improving your pulling strength while working on your grip. Start with your chin over the pull up bar and lower yourself over a 5 count. This can be scaled by performing with your feet on the ground or progressed by holding weight between your ankles.
4 Lat Pull Downs
If you have sticky points in your pull up or rope climb a great way to get through them is by doing strict form lat pull downs with as much weight as you can for sets of 3-6 reps/
5 Rope Climbing
If you already have rope climbing in your arsenal, you can always increase your speed and efficiency by practicing them, these single movement can cost you the race! It is best to practice after a workout when you are already fatigued, as you will be in a race.
Rope climbing is one of the more challenging obstacles in a race. Don’t make the mistake of rushing to climb the rope, trying to save time. Even if you are confident on the rope, slow down when you approach it; take a couple breaths, wipe off hands of anything that might impede you and select a rope that doesn’t look too muddy from previous racers.
