A Climb Up is a movement used in Parkour and freerunning to go from a hanging position to the top of a wall. It is similar to a muscle up, but also using the feet to push off with.
Technique[]
- Starting from a hanging position, bring your feet up close to your hips.
- Push out with your feet so that your hips move away from the wall.
- At the same time, pull up with your hands.
- Shift your grip so that you can push down with your palms.
- Push upwards into a cast position; from there you can easily bring one foot on top of the wall, but one may have struggle putting a feet on the ledge, so he/she may use the shinbone to get upon the obstacle (although this should be avoided if possible).
Technique tips and variations[]
Ending up too far away from the wall at the top of the pull[]
When you pull, aim to bring your chest as close to the lip of the wall as you can.
At the top of the pull up, focus on bringing your shoulders over your hands so you can shift into the pushing phase. Thinking about pulling your elbows behind you at the top might help.
An important difference from a pull up is the path your elbows follow as you pull up the wall. In a pull up, especially in a wide grip one, you move your arms from hanging (a 'V' shape) to slightly wider than and in front of your shoulders (a 'W' shape). In a climb up, it is important to bring your elbows directly down and behind you, keeping your arms in line with your shoulders, so that your hands end up beside your chest near the bottom of your rib cage. This means you do not get a 'W' shape. This lets you pull yourself closer to the wall, and helps the pull direction place you over the top of the wall, not just above the lip.
When you are first learning, you may end up with only a very small angle at your elbow, with your shoulders and chest very close to your hands at the top. This will make the push phase harder.
Knee pop technique[]
Many people find a "knee pop" method helpful for gaining extra height. Leave one foot high on the wall, and the other dangling. As you pull up with your arms, drive the dangling knee up in front of you, timing it so that you have driven it as high up as you can as you reach the top of your pull. The momentum of the rapidly-rising knee will give you extra height, and the foot on that leg will then be in position to push against the wall if you need it.
Usefulness[]
It is very commonly used in wallruns and cat leaps to bring oneself over the obstacle. A wallrun combined with a climb up (so that it is one fluid motion) is called a pop vault.
