fat boys and climbing

Post by **One-Fall** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 7:47 pm

Except for one post, I see a serious lack of people at 200 doing 5.13 and up.

Post by **mike_a_lafontaine** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 9:44 pm

Size means nothing. Just got done watching Cliffhanger, and Sly was HUGE and manhandling everything the mountain could throw at him. And all that was real, right?

Post by **Der Revir** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 12:03 am

it really depends on how much you put into it dean potter is like 6 something and at like 190 195 i think he is like 6'2 or 6'3 i am super inspired and i am only getting stronger i actually love being between 190 and 210 it works but yea i dont see super serious climbers weighing any more than like 215 225 body builders climbing that would be sweet to see maybe a little scary crushing the rock into powder

Post by **512OW** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 12:48 am

You don't see many 135 pounders in the strongest man competitions either, or 5'8 guys playing in the NBA, or 5'8 guys jockeying race horses... so what? Every sport has a specific body type, and every sport has exceptions.

Post by **One-Fall** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 2:20 am

so what? My point is there are a lot of training regimens that work for people of smaller frames. I am hoping to find climbers that weigh 200 and climb 5.13 so I can ask them how they did it.

Lot of beutiful routes I would like to climb, and just looking for inspiration.

Post by **pigsteak** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 3:01 am

I think the point is this...one fall needs to find a sport that fits his body type.

Forget the whole "you can do anything you put your mind to" BS they feed you at seminars and in school....noooo, you can't. some things will never happen. I'll never dunk a basketball or climb 5.14. ever.

Post by **anticlmber** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 5:20 am

i forgot who said it but, "the body cannot go where the mind has not already been." seek and yee shall become.

who cares if no one has done it before, is that what is holding you back? yourself?

look at standards of climbing, or any physical pursuit and you see the progression. 4 minute mile anyone?? nobody had done what those folks accomplished yet those folks succeeded. they weren't anything other than flesh and blood and mind. "it can't be done." who hasn't that spurred on to "do it?" doing what they said couldn't be done is one of the greatest feelings i have ever known.

gill,hillary, sharma, and the countless "nobodies" of every local crag do "what can't be done." "hasn't been done." and they do it for themselves. most of the time.

if you need proof or validation my friend...................good luck.
as the old saying goes, "you know why stereotypes exist?"

because they exist.

also to the list, mike doyle. he may not be 200+ but he isn't tall at all and i'd take him on my side in a bar fight.

Post by **heavyc** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 1:55 pm

first of all I am pretty sure Dean Potter is closer to 6'6" than 6'2" which puts his 190# in a different light, second of all I think piggy (a long with a lot of us) could climb 5.14 if he optimized his training, quit his full time job and lost 25-30#, I recently heard a podcast interview with Andy Raether who suggested that most climbers(excluding those that have some physical limitations, like being fat) could get to 5.14 and I think it is probably true (its just that most of us are not willing or mentally able to make all of the sacrifices needed). I'm 6'3" & weighed 240# when I started climbing and by no means am a 5.13 climber but I have done a few of them (all with a lot of tries before being successful) and each has required me to weigh 187 or less, at a comfortable weight of 195 12c/d is very difficult at 200 12b is my limit, if you don't think the weight matters then on your next project strap a 10-15# weight vest on and see how well you do

Post by **pigsteak** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 2:40 pm

good insight from all. just in case my point was taken incorrectly, let me clarify. the same guy who ran the sub 4 minute mile was not the same guy who could bench press 400 pounds. they each found their niche.
why aren't there a ton of guys under 6 foot in the NBA? they are not there becasue they are short. period. lots of these under 6 foot guys can dribble, shoot, defend, etc with the NBA stars, but they are limited by their physical attributes. that is just reality.
loads of sports take a high level of hand /eye coordination, and part of that is developed and some of it is innate. (hitting a baseball consistently for example).

heavyc is close to the truth. there are things for many of us that are way more important than climbing.

btw, we are talking about elite levels here, not the feel good "I sent my first 12 today" type of acheivement. this is fulfilling personally, but not earth shattering.

Post by KD » Sun Jan 17, 2010 3:23 pm

pigsteak wrote:good insight from all. just in case my point was taken incorrectly, let me clarify. the same guy who ran the sub 4 minute mile was not the same guy who could bench press 400 pounds. they each found their niche.
why aren't there a ton of guys under 6 foot in the NBA? they are not there becasue they are short. period. lots of these under 6 foot guys can dribble, shoot, defend, etc with the NBA stars, but they are limited by their physical attributes. that is just reality.
loads of sports take a high level of hand /eye coordination, and part of that is developed and some of it is innate. (hitting a baseball consistently for example).

heavyc is close to the truth. there are things for many of us that are way more important than climbing.

btw, we are talking about elite levels here, not the feel good "I sent my first 12 today" type of acheivement. this is fulfilling personally, but not earth shattering.

and also white guys dont play good basketball - they are supposed to play baseball but sometimes they try it anyway and it doesnt work out very well.