Climbing power is one of the most misunderstood performance qualities.
Climbers think power = “explosive movement” or “fast climbing,” but mechanically, power is a rate problem, not a speed problem.
Power is the ability to generate high force quickly enough to complete a movement before friction, coordination, or geometry fail.
You cannot be powerful if you are slow at producing force — even if your max strength is high.
This article explains what climbing power actually is, how it arises, and why most power workouts are misplaced.
1. Power = Rate of Force Development (RFD)
In biomechanics:
Power = force × velocity
but in climbing the velocity component is almost entirely determined by Rate of Force Development (RFD).
In other words:
You must reach high force fast enough to move your center of mass before the opportunity window closes.
Examples:
- sticking a deadpoint before you swing out
- engaging a tension move before your feet cut
- catching a hold before friction decays
- generating movement from a tiny foothold before it slips
- producing grip force fast enough to stabilise after a jump
Power is not about “trying harder” — it is about neural speed.
2. Why RFD Is the Real Limiting Factor
Max strength is slow.
It takes ~300–600 ms to reach peak force in a maximal isometric contraction.
Most climbing movements only give you 150–250 ms to generate the force you need.
If you cannot hit a high percentage of your max strength within that window, you miss the move even if you are “strong enough.”
This is why:
- strong climbers fail on explosive moves
- dynamic board climbing feels impossible
- “I can hold it statically but not dynamically” exists
- you stick a jump only when perfectly timed
RFD is the difference between usable strength and theoretical strength.
3. The Three Components of Climbing Power
Climbing power emerges from a combination of:
1. Max Strength
Your peak force potential.
Power cannot exceed what you can theoretically produce.
Low max strength = low power ceiling.
2. Recruitment Speed
How quickly you can activate high-threshold motor units.
This is the true differentiator between explosive and non-explosive climbers.
3. Movement Timing & Coordination
You must direct the force through the chain efficiently:
- hips to legs
- legs to feet
- core tension
- shoulders and scapulae
- fingers at the point of contact
Poor timing → power leaks → zero transfer.
Power is a coordinated neural event, not a muscle event.
4. Power Fails for Three Mechanical Reasons
When someone says “I’m not powerful,” the real problem is almost always one of these:
(1) Too little max strength
You cannot produce enough force to execute the move, even with perfect timing.
(2) Too slow recruitment
You can produce the force, but not within the required time window.
(3) Too much stability loss
You generate force, but the kinetic chain leaks the power:
- hips sag
- shoulders collapse
- feet cut
- fingers slip
- core disconnects
Power depends heavily on body tension and finger stability — not just pulling.
5. How Power Actually Trains
Traditional “power training” in climbing is often just doing dynamic moves.
But dynamics ≠ power stimulus.
Effective power training requires three conditions:
1. High-intensity moves
Close to your limit, not random “campus style” play.
2. Low repetition
Power decays rapidly under fatigue.
If you can do a move 8 times, it is not power training.
3. Full recovery
2–4 minutes between attempts to prevent neural fatigue.
When these conditions hold, the nervous system learns to:
- recruit faster
- synchronise better
- stabilise earlier
- express higher force in shorter time
6. The Best Tools for Power Training in Climbing
Limit bouldering
The most effective power training in the sport.
Choose boulders with:
- dynamic starts
- hard deadpoints
- fast tension demands
- timing-dependent compression
- moves in the 1–3 second window
Controlled campus moves
Not for beginners, but excellent for RFD if done without fatigue:
- single large reaches
- double-dynos with long rests
- laddering at limit distance
Board climbing
Steep, consistent boards allow reproducible power moves.
Micro-power drills
On small edges where you must engage force immediately.
7. What Does NOT Train Power
These create fatigue, not power:
- long campusing sets
- repeating the same jump 20 times
- cardio-style “power circuits”
- dynamic movement done at submax intensity
- attempting power moves while pumped
- max hangs (they build force potential, not expression speed)
Most climbers confuse high effort with high power.
They are unrelated.
8. The Simple Rule
Power is the speed of strength expression.
You only get powerful by giving the nervous system short, intense, fresh attempts.