The Ultimate Climbing Strength Test

Recently I tried the 9c climbing strength test. The premise being that if you can get max scores on all 4 exercises, you can climb a 9c graded climb, currently the hardest possible grade in the world.

I first came across this challenge when Magnus Mitbo made a video about the test and shared his results. Ever since seeing that video I knew that I wanted to do the challenge. I saved the exercises, the scoring and results, but never found the time to actually take the test myself. But, since starting my YouTube channel, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to see where my current climbing specific strength test was at. 

The first exercise is a test of finger strength. You have to hang from a 20mm edge for 5 seconds, and from there you add weight and see how far you can go. Each point is an increase of 10% of your bodyweight, starting from no additional weight, to 220% of your bodyweight. This is by far the hardest exercise for me and I was able to manage 2 points, which did not come easy! I tried the next weight, and basically fell off immediately. 

The second exercise is a test of pull up strength. You have to do 1 pull up with as much weight as possible. Just like the previous exercise, 1 point is bodyweight and you get an extra point for every 10% you add, up until 220% for max points. This is defiintely where I felt more comfortable having done things like this in the past. I started off with 14kg extra (120% of bodyweight) and I flew up! I surprised myself by how easy it felt and made me confident for the next step of 21kg. As I loaded on 21kg, I could already feel the weight and as I set myself up for the pull up, I knew I was going to have to try hard. 3,2,1, up! This time, it was slower than the last, and although I managed to do the single rep, it felt a lot tougher than the last. 28kg was going to be a real challenge. I took a short break, loaded up the 28kg, and set myself up. This time I could really feel the weight doing everything in it's power to bring me back down to Earth. For the first time, I wasn't sure if I could do it. I pushed hard, but felt it just wasn't enough. My chin was hardly over the bar and so, I decided to go again. This time, I gave a big push at the end and managed to get my chin over. Result! That big effort meant that I ended up getting 5 points for the pull up test lifting 140% of my bodyweight. 

The third exercise is a test of core strength. There are three possible variations that you can from a bar. The first is an L-sit with bent knees, the second is an L-sit, and the third is a front lever. The front lever was never going to happen so I went for an L-sit hold from the bar. The beginning is tough, and from there it's all about holding on for as long as possible. With this variation you can get 4 points for 10 seconds, 5 points for 15 seconds and 6 points for 20 seconds. I held on for as possible, my legs were shaking, I was gritting my teeth and I did everything in my power to keep those legs from coming down. In the end, I got 14 seconds! I was happy with the result, and next time, I know I'll be able to get that 15 second hold. With the result I got 4 points and was then ready for the final exercise. 

The final exercise is a test of endurance. A dead hang. Straight to the point. Hang from the bar for as long as possible without any adjustments. I had never tried this before, but knew in my head it was going to be the toughest exercise so far. It requires not only a physical strength, but also a mental strength. I set myself up, and then was hanging onto that bar. In this exercise 30 seconds is 1 point and 6 minutes is 10 points. Trust me, even getting 1 point in this test is painful. In the end, I managed to hold on for 2:30 giving me a total of 5 points. It was one of the most painful things I've done in a while, but now I've also got a target to beat. 

Overall I really happy that I had the opportunity to do this challenge and was also really happy with the results! Of course, I am looking to do it again in the future, and improve my score, but for now, I am grateful for where I am. If you want to do the test you can find all of the information in the video description on YouTube. How many points do you think you'd be able to get?!