A TIME MOTION ANALYSIS OF BOULDERING STYLE
COMPETITIVE ROCK CLIMBING
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DOMINIC J. WHITE AND PETER D. OLSEN
Sport and Exercise Group, University of Teesside, Middlesbrough, England
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ABSTRACT
White, DJ and Olsen, PD. A time motion analysis of bouldering
style competitive rock climbing. J Strength Cond Res 24(5):
1356–1360, 2010—Limited research has been performed on
competitive bouldering. The aim of this study was to quantify
the movement dynamics of elite boulder climbers. Six climbers
were filmed during a national competition consisting of 5 novel
climbing problems or routes. Two problems were randomly
selected and film footage was analyzed using Kandle Swinger
Pro software to determine type and duration (seconds) of
bouldering movements. All subjects provided consent, and the
study had ethical approval. The mean 6 SD were determined
for number of attempts per problem, duration of attempt, time
on hold, and time to reach between holds. Exercise:recovery
ratios were also calculated. On average, climbers attempted
a problem 3.0 6 0.5 times, with an attempt lasting 28.9 6
10.8 seconds and rest periods of 114 6 31 seconds between
attempts. Average time gripping holds was 7.9 6 1.3 seconds,
with approximately 0.5 6 0.1 seconds recovery between
reaching for holds. The exercise-to-recovery ratio was ;1:4 for
attempting a problem and ;13:1 for forearm muscles during
climbing. The exercise-to-recovery ratios allow sufficient time
for recovery during and after a problem. However, the pro-
longed contraction of forearm muscles indicates the impor-
tance of strength and endurance in these muscles. Video
analysis was found to be a useful tool for the quantification of
movement characteristics of competitive elite boulders. Data
collected could be utilized in the design of sport-specific tests
and training programs. Future research could examine a larger
number of athletes and problems and help develop perfor-
mance tests and training interventions for bouldering.
KEY WORDS intermittent, high intensity, exercise:recovery ratios
Address correspondence to Dominic White, D.J.White@tees.ac.uk.
24(5)/1356–1360
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Ó 2010 National Strength and Conditioning Association
the TM
1356 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
INTRODUCTION
M
ovement or notational analysis provides ob-
jective data about sport and enhances scientific
understanding of athletic performance (1).
Notational analysis has been used extensively
in team sports such as soccer and rugby, facilitating the
development of sport-specific tests and training (8,17,20).
Less research has been undertaken on individual-based
sporting activities. Video analysis is useful in these sports
because it is difficult to determine characteristics because
movements can be spontaneous and novel during compe-
tition (5). For example, Mendez-Villanueva et al. (15) found
professional surfing consisted of highly variable intermittent
activity in response to the demands of the external environ-
ment or ocean. Competitive climbing also involves novel
problems that are dictated by an external environment.
There has been minimal research on climbing, in particular
bouldering, and quantifying movement characteristics of
the sport could enable the development of specific training
programs and test protocols.
Sport climbing is an intermittent sport consisting of single
attempts at climbing a route of a minimum 15-m length (21)
that takes 2–7 minutes to climb (27). Several researchers have
examined physiological responses to competitive climbing
indicating decreased handgrip strength (;22%) and
endurance (57%) (24) and increased oxygen consumption
(;50 mL/kg21/min21) and blood lactate production
(;6 mmol/L21) relative to baseline measurements (16,19).
The moderate increases in oxygen uptake and lactate production
could result from the trunk and upper limbs being the primary
contributors to work compared to whole-body activities such as
running (25). Although blood lactate accumulation is moder-
ate, anaerobic energy provision is important because climb-
ing predominately uses high-intensity isometric contractions
in the upper limbs (4,26). For example, isometric strength
and rate of force development in the hands and forearms have
been identified as key performance indicators in climbing
(4,22,23,27). A less researched area of competitive climbing is
bouldering. Bouldering consists of problems approximately
4-m high with markedly overhanging surfaces compared
to the longer routes of sport climbing. Consequently, the
physiological requirements of these activities may be different;
therefore, experimental findings from sport climbing research
may have limited validity to the performance of bouldering.
 the TM

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The competition format of the Bouldering World Cup
consists of a qualification round (6 problems) and semi-final
and final rounds with 4 problems in each. The semi-finals and
final are performed on the same day separated by a 2-hour rest
period. A climber has 6 minutes to complete a problem with
multiple attempts allowed and scoring based on the aggregate
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subjects provided informed consent and the study had ethical
approval from our institution.
Procedures
The competition consisted of 5 novel climbing problems with
6 minutes to complete each problem. Problems were sepa-

of successful ascents and number of attempts for all problems. rated by standardized rest intervals of 6 minutes (Figure 1).
Each problem is also separated by a standardized 6-minute The third and fifth problems were filmed as an unobstructed
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rest period (21). The format of competition dictates an view of the climbers could be obtained. Two Panasonic
intermittent activity pattern, and anecdotal evidence indi- NV-MX500 cameras (Panasonic Ltd, United Kingdom)
cates bouldering requires considerable strength and power in operating at 50 Hz were used to film the competition from
the fingers and forearms, with energy primarily derived from start to finish. A total of 6 climbers attempting 2 problems
anaerobic sources (13,27). Determining activity patterns for were captured, providing 12 climbing performances for
intermittent activity is important because this process can analysis. Movements were analyzed from video footage using
establish movement characteristics and key components of SwingerPro v2.0 software (Kandle Software, United Kingdom).
sport performance (2), which can be used in the development Footage was classified as viewing time (time observing a
of sport-specific training or tests (18). However, to the problem prior to an attempt), number of attempts per prob-
authors’ knowledge, climbing time, recovery, and exercise- lem, attempt time (duration from last body part leaving the
to-rest ratios have not been established in bouldering. ground to successful completion, or final contact with the
Consequently, the aim of this study was to quantify the wall), recovery time (time between end of an attempt and
movement dynamics and key performance indicators in an start of next attempt), climbing time (sum of attempt dura-
elite bouldering competition. tions per problem), hand contact time with climbing hold,
and reach time between holds. Movements were also classi-
METHODS fied as static (no discernable movement in pelvic girdle) and
dynamic (4). Data for left and right hands were combined to
Experimental Approach to the Problem
give total time for contact with holds and time between
The design of this study was descriptive and involved
holds.
examination of climbing problems in the final round of
a national bouldering competition. Time-motion analysis was
Statistical Analyses
used to quantify the movement characteristics and exercise-
Reproducibility of results obtained was established assessing
to-recovery ratios of elite climbers during competition. An
the intratester reliability. Six of the 12 problems were analyzed
additional objective was determining the value of video
twice by the same researcher. Reliability was determined
analysis in quantifying movement demands in this relatively
using coefficient of variation (CV), as described by Hopkins
new competitive sport and for studies investigating strength
(12). The mean 6 SD were calculated using SPSS v13.0
and conditioning methods used in competitive climbing.
(SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA) for number of attempts per
Subjects problem, viewing time (seconds), attempt time (seconds),
A convenience sample of 6 elite climbers, with a mean 6 SD recovery time (seconds), hand contact time (seconds), climb-
age and climbing experience of 28 6 5 and 16 6 5 years, ing time (seconds) and reach time (seconds), static time
respectively, was filmed during
a national bouldering competi-
tion (Boulder UK, Blackburn,
United Kingdom) 1 month
after the start of the competitive
season. Subjects were elite-level
competitors in the British na-
tional team with several in the
top-50 climbers in the Inter-
national Federation of Sport
Climbing rankings for the World
Cup boulder series. Although
the sample was not randomly
selected, the climbers regularly
Figure 1. Timescale and format for a national bouldering competition. *6-minute period allowed to attempt or climb
compete internationally and a boulder problem. **6-minute rest period between climbing bouts are spent in an isolation room to prevent any
are presumably representative advantage from watching other competitors attempting boulder problems.
of elite boulder climbers. All

VOLUME 24 | NUMBER 5 | MAY 2010 | 1357

 Bouldering Climbing Performance
TABLE 1. Movement characteristics of 6 elite male
climbers during a national bouldering competition.
Measures Mean 6 SD
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Number of attempts 2.8
Attempt time (s) 29.8
Hand contact time (s) 7.9
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Reach time (s) 0.6
Climbing time (s) 73.6
Recovery time (s) 114.5
Dynamic time (s) 22.3
Static time (s) 7.5
Note: Static time = time climbers were in a static
position during an attempt.
(seconds), and dynamic time (seconds). Exercise-to-recovery
ratios (seconds) were also calculated for the climbing
problems (climbing time:recovery time) and forearm activity
(hand contact time:reach time).
RESULTS
Reliability
The CV with the 95% confidence interval (CI) for each
variable was as follows: viewing time, 0.9% (95% CI: 0.6–
2.3%); attempt time, 0.7% (95% CI: 0.4–1.9%); recovery time,
1.1% (95% CI: 0.7–2.7%); hand contact time, 2.0% (95% CI:
1.3–5.0 %); climbing time, 0.9% (95% CI: 0.6–2.3%); static
time, 3.3% (95% CI: 2.0–9.9%); dynamic time, 3.2 (95% CI:
1.9–8.2%); and reach time, 21.2% (95% CI: 14.1–68.1%). The
higher CV for reach time compared to other variables is
a result of the considerably shorter times for this variable
(0.127 s; 95% CI: 0.084–0.409 s) and the sampling frequency of
the camera (25 Hz). Consequently, differences between the
Figure 2. Work:rest ratios (s) for climbing problems (time active:time
recovering per 6-minute climbing bout) and forearm activity (hand contact
time:reach time per boulder problem) in competitive bouldering.
the
1358 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
test and retest data for reach time produced larger variation in
this measure compared to other variables.
Time-Motion Analysis
Climbers spent 75.3 6 25.4 seconds viewing a problem before
an initial attempt, and a successful ascent took 39.5 6 4.1-
6 1.7 seconds. Table 1 shows the average characteristics of the
6 2.9 climbing problems analyzed. Climbers attempted a problem
6 1.3 ;3 times taking ;30 seconds with ;115 seconds of recovery
6 0.1 between attempts (Table 1). During an attempt, climbers
6 19.5
typically gripped a handhold for ;8 seconds with ;0.6
6 30.7
6 2.1 second recovery reaching between holds (Table 1). Overall
6 1.6 total climbing time per problem was ;74 seconds. During
each attempt the total time spent moving was 22.3 seconds
and time spent holding static body positions was 7.5 seconds
(Table 1). The exercise-to-recovery ratio during a 6-minute
climbing period was ;1:3.8 overall and ;13:1 for activity in
the finger flexors while attempting a problem (Figure 2).
DISCUSSION
The physical demands of bouldering were found to be
substantially different to research findings on sport climbing
(4). In the bouldering competition, there were shorter bouts
of activity (30 seconds vs. 2–7 minutes); decreased static
periods (25% vs. 38%), and more attempts allowed to ascend
a problem (multiple vs. single) than sport climbing (4). The
shorter bouts of activity probably reflect the smaller climbing
distances in bouldering, but the reasons for the decreased
static times are less clear. Steeper routes during difficult sport
climbing result in significantly faster climbing speeds and
greater blood lactate accumulation than less steep routes (7).
Research on climbing surfaces (19,25) also found hold type,
patterning, and steepness of the climbing surface can
influence energy cost. Perhaps in our study, the steeply
overhanging routes (up to 45 degrees beyond vertical) with
a limited number of small-sized handholds caused compet-
itors to spend minimum time on each hold and move rapidly
in an attempt to conserve energy. Possible evidence for this
strategy is the greater amount of time spent in motion during
bouldering compared to sport climbing, indicating a more
dynamic style of climbing in bouldering. The nature of the
problems analyzed, which were short and steeply over-
hanging, and the necessity for multiple attempts by some
elite competitors indicates bouldering requires a high level of
skill and physical fitness. This supports the belief among
climbers that bouldering represents the physically and
technically most intense discipline of the sport with strength
being central to bouldering performance.
The overall exercise to recovery ratio during a 6-minute
climbing period was ;1:4, which is similar to intermittent sports
such as tennis (6) and rugby (9) and more favorable than the
arm paddling-to-rest ratio of 1:1.25 observed in surfing (15).
However, comparisons with these sports are not valid as
a result of the high level of muscle activity in the forearms,
which had an exercise-to-recovery ratio of ;13:1 during
TM

a bouldering problem. It is also unlikely traditional measures of
exercise intensity such as heart rate would relate directly to
climbing performance because of the small muscle mass
utilized and the isometric nature of activity in the upper limbs
(4,19,25). Consequently, a more ecologically valid approach is
to focus on the periods of high-intensity activity in the
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forearms observed during bouldering, which concurs with
sport climbing research that highlighted the critical role of
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strength and endurance in fingers/forearms in performance
(4,22,27). For example, research on sport climbers found
trained rock climbers have significantly greater isometric
forearm strength (14,22) and muscular endurance in response
to repeated isometric contractions (10,22) than sedentary
individuals. The enhanced performance in climbers is pro-
posed to be from specific adaptations such as desensitization of
efferent nerves; reduced metabolite accumulation; and a greater
vasodilator response during recovery, which improves the
performance of intermittent isometric muscle contractions
(10,14,22). However, because forearm exercise-to-recovery
ratios in the sport climbing studies equated to ;3:1 seconds,
they do not compare well to the 13:1 seconds observed in
this study, which would allow minimal reperfusion of muscle
tissue, and therefore recovery, between relatively long
duration isometric muscular contractions (3,24). As a result
of substantial differences in activity patterns between
bouldering and sport climbing competition, it is unclear
whether similar physiological responses and adaptations
occur in bouldering athletes. Consequently, future research
could examine training adaptations and physiological
responses of bouldering athletes to competition.
There has been no research on the determinants of success
in bouldering. Research on sport climbing suggests a high rate
of force development in the forearms is critical to perfor-
mance (27), and our observation of a very high exercise:r-
ecovery indicates forearm strength and power are important
in bouldering performance. However, more studies are
needed to determine the relationships between strength
and power measures and climbing performance. This area of
research could provide vital information about climbing
performance and the physiological requirements of boulder-
ing. For example, climbing literature and websites recom-
mend the use of specifically designed apparatus such as
fingerboards or campus boards, which focus on the develo-
pment of strength, power and endurance in the fingers and
upper limbs (11,13). Nevertheless, no study has examined the
effectiveness of such devices or training methods, which
typically use interval training and plyometric techniques.
Strategy also appears to be an important part in successful
ascents in bouldering competition. Anecdotal evidence from
our study indicates successful competitors typically com-
pleted a problem after 1–2 attempts. In contrast, less
successful athletes made multiple attempts before selecting
a similar movement pattern as successful climbers. Goddard
and Neumann (11) suggested successful sport climbers were
faster at identifying the optimal route for ascent than less
the TM
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research | www.nsca-jscr.org
successful athletes. Future research with a larger sample size
could investigate time-motion and strategic differences
between successful and nonsuccessful attempts by climbers
in bouldering competitions.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Analysis of video footage found bouldering consisted of
repeated high-intensity efforts in the forearms that were
separated by minimal rest periods. Strength and conditioning
professionals can use the observed exercise-to-recovery ratio
in the design and implementation of sport-specific training
programs to replicate activity patterns observed during World
Cup–level competitive bouldering. The steep terrain of
competitive bouldering requires strength and power in the
upper limbs and torso, specifically in the finger flexors. The
rate of force development in the fingers also needs to be highly
developed to maximize the ability to rapidly grasp holds
successfully. Additionally, the results of this study suggest
finger-strength endurance is probably important to sustain
the high level of forearm muscle activity in bouldering.
Climbing training texts commonly recommend 8 to 10
second contractions for specific finger training, which is
probably a suitable contraction duration. However, observa-
tions from this study suggest this type of contraction needs to
be repeated with minimal rest periods a number of times
to adequately stimulate specific patterns of muscular activity
to develop endurance.
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