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Sport climbing · Basic · b3

Straight arms, legs push

Park or court 10 min 1 and a grown-up One room

Ready when: Playground traverse, body close (b2) done.

Start a session

What you are learning

Climbing without tiring the arms: hang on long, straight arms like ropes, move by turning the hips, and push up with the legs first, pulling with the arms only once the feet are set. Shaking out one hand lets it rest.

Words on this card Hold, Traverse, Straight arms, Shake out
Hold
Something on the wall to grip or stand on.
Traverse
Climbing sideways along a wall, low down.
Straight arms
Hanging with the arms straight to save strength.
Shake out
Letting one hand hang and shaking it loose to rest.

Set up

Ribbons on chosen holds.

Weather: dry ground

The base setup for sport climbing

Show it first for the one teaching

  1. Hang from the frame on straight arms; feel how little effort it takes.
  2. Set the feet, then push up with the legs before the arms pull.
  3. Hang from one straight arm and let the other hand drop and shake loose.

Your part while they practise

Count moves; watch the arms.

Step by step

  1. Traverse with the arms long, moving by turning the hips.
  2. Rest: hang from one straight arm, shake out the other hand, body still.
  3. Push up with the legs first.
  4. Pull with the arms only after the feet are set.

How much: 4 traverses 10 min a session 2 days a week

Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.

The game: Soft hands

You watch the child's hands and arms through one traverse and score good moves.

Who plays: the child against their own best; 2 children can take turns.

How to play, turn by turn
Turns
  1. Mark 8 ribbon holds along the frame
  2. The child traverses from the first to the last
  3. You score each move and each rest
  4. 3 traverses
Fair play
A grown-up climbs only on the hardest holds.
Points
1 point for each move made with straight arms; 1 point for each shake-out rest.
Fouls
No point for that move
  • The arms bend before the feet are set
  • A tight, white-knuckle grip
  • A foot comes off the frame
Winning
Beat your best traverse.
Stars
  1. 5 points for 1 star
  2. 8 points for 2 stars
  3. 11 points for 3 stars

Easier or harder

Easier

Bigger holds.

Harder

Try one move with bent arms and feel the difference.

What you will see, and what to say

  • the arms bend early Straight arms, legs pushLegs do the work.
  • the grip is tight Hold softlyJust enough.

Self-check

3

A traverse with straight arms and 3 shake-out rests.

Stop and get a coach when

The hands hurt.

Fitness for this

Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.

This card trains climbing without wasting strength.

awiseathlete.com/sports/sport-climbing/sport-climbing-b3