this is why stretching is important before you begin any form of physical activity. stretching or any warm-up will loosen your body and will start it up for the more strenuous things.

This is not absolutely true for everybody. I can be so busy sometimes that I cannot find time for climbing but I do some lifting. When it's time to climb I notice a significant change in strength and my body feels more nimble

If you're trying to increase your climbing strength....go climb. I second that on yoga or pilates....stretching is key, and a decent diet, seriously. The problem with wieght training is just what was already posted....if you don't know what you're doing, bad side effects will occur. Stay focused grasshopper.

However, the flip side, when I was in college, I did this John Long workout....3 months doing 3 sets of 30 reps.....lower wieght, and I can tell you , when I hit the rock it made a HUGE improvement on 5.12+ routes.

you're probably not doing it right. if you're unsure of what youre doing, get a trainer to guide you. i agree with the more reps and lighter weights. it's helpful to climbing, i promise you.

The best way to improve muscles that you use in climbing is to climb. Weight training will give you bigger muscles, sure, but it's not necessarily going to be tailored to climbing. And in a lot of cases it might be a hinderance; giant biceps aren't going to get you very far unless you've got strong fingers.

any advice in the finger strengthening? mine tend to be a little weak therefore my climbs are restrictive 'till i get them worked out real good for climbing. i know climbing heaps more will help but to speed things along a bit any advice??

take into account i dont have my right index finger tip either so a whole new strengthening of my right hand is necessary as well!!

Training is a great way to build your strength,endurance,confidence, and not to forget the ability to climb harder and longer routes. My opinion on weight training, is that it doesn't always help, but hinders one's ability to climb longer and harder. Weight training often makes you bigger and heavier, not stronger where it counts-Finger Strength, whether it's crimpers or slopers, it still comes down to finger strength!! My advise is to you , whether you go to a gym or boulder outside, and start bouldering! Bouldering let's you train close to the ground, so you can focus on your training better. I would start with a problem that's below your strength threshold. In other term's, easier than what your use to climbing. Find something that's fairly straight forward and start your climb and try to move very slow form move to move, actually pausing on each hold for a few moment's before moving to the next hold, remembering to move with balance, in other word's, keep your weight centered as not to as we say "Barn Door" off the hold. Try to move up the problem and then maybe down climb the same problem without touching the ground, then climb back up, remembering to move very slowly from hold to hold. Do this until you feel your forearms burning, then step off the problem and hold your arm's up for five seconds shaking them out, (to let the lactate work back into your heart, that cleans it out of your blood) then hold your arm's down and shake them out to let the blood flow back into them. Then, start over again and do this as many time's as you can without hurting yourself. Maybe increase your reps. later on. So it's all finger strength that makes you ,along with a positive attitude, a better, stronger climber!!