Heel hook exercises. Leg bridges build strength and stability in the hamstring and hip-to-knee chain, and they’re easily modifiable, making them useful for warm-ups, leg strength work-outs, and injury rehab. Do these three simple exercises every week to prep for heel hooking and prevent injury to your legs. Work with me to prevent them with this FREE download to ensure you have a flexible strong hip, knee and calf for a great next season. Heel hook knee and hamstring injuries are the worst. You will actually have to engage your butt, hamstring, calf and ankle muscles for this gimmick to work. Mar 21, 2022 · 02 Heel placement is just as important as being able to recognize a heel-hook opportunity. Mar 30, 2022 · The heel hook is a common and very necessary move in climbing, especially on overhanging rock. Enjoy!00:00 Demo on an overhanging wall00:19 External rotation00:31 Pulling the Feb 16, 2023 · The Heel Hook is a basic climbing technique in which the heel is latched onto a hold-in for stability, support, or in some cases to rock over a higher foothold. Achieved this by shuffling your fingers to one side, or in the case of narrower holds, by spreading your thumb and fingers and then placing the heel in between. This heel hook video is an instructional video from my coaching video vault. Oct 30, 2013 · Heel hooking involves placing your heel on a climbing hold for balance or leverage. Five how-to tips. As new climbers, using our toes can come fairly intuitively (but not withou Oct 29, 2023 · Heel hooks help you reach farther, use less energy, get over roofs or around corners, or keep your hips closer to the wall. Rock climbers and boulderers employ heel hooks to improve their efficiency of movement in two main situations. Apr 27, 2022 · Foot-to-hand heel-hooks When you perform a foot-to-hand heel-hook, it can be an awkward challenge to get your fingers out of the way on the hold. But it's also the source of much woe, from hamstring tears to knee injuries. Mastering heel hook technique can be a game changer in your climbing progression. The heel hook exercise is part of the climbing drills performed in military training and is designed to improve a soldier’s ability to pull themselves up and hook their legs onto a ledge, rope, or rail. A passive heel hook takes weight off of your hands and arms, giving them a rest before you attempt to advance your position up the rock face. Mar 9, 2024 · An excellent introductory exercise for preventing these types of heel hook injuries is the leg bridge (also known as the glute bridge). Learning the heel hook, and its many use cases will make you a more well-rounded climber. In general, large holds such as slopers, volumes, ledges, rails, and jugs can be good locations for heel hooks. How-tos, videos, and a precise 6 exercise plan for success. Here's a video from Rock and Ice Magazine that takes you through a series of exercises that will help teach you to actively engage when in a heel hook. Jun 19, 2025 · The heel hook is an exercise primarily used in climbing and bouldering but can also be part of specific fitness and military training regimens. This is a popular move that you’ll frequently see climbers use to maintain tension on the wall. Never just slap your heel on something and expect it to hold or help. Let’s take a look at some specific climbing scenarios where heel hooks are useful. This allows you to pull with your leg muscles to draw yourself close to the wall, achieve a stable body position, rest, shift your body weight, and even generate force for your next move. Many newer climbers miss heel hooking opportunities, as they can be challenging to spot at first. FREE. Dec 1, 2023 · One of the major challenges in mastering the heel hook is understanding where and when it can be used. Nov 16, 2022 · The heel hook is a move in climbing where you place your foot on a hold or ledge and apply pressure with the heel of your climbing shoe. A more difficult use of the heel hook requires you to set . xmeph ekxsbg msx gnjh ryiljbf rshosr lphuavim tbaa cxgvmluy dqfz