Climbing a gym rope is a wicked way to build upper body strength and muscle endurance. Doing so is definitely not easy, even for stronger folks, but there are specific techniques that involve your feet to make climbing a rope a smoother experience. This video from Ryan Ford shows you how.


It’s not all upper body strength (unless you want it to be). Ford demonstrates several ways to go about cleverly using your feet to climb the rope.

Leg-wrap technique: Before you start, wrap the rope around one leg, making sure the rope is draped over toward the medial side (inside) of your foot, and place the other foot on top of your wrapped foot. This creates a sort of foot hold that’ll ease the burden off your upper body.

Before you start, wrap the rope around one leg, making sure the rope is draped over toward the medial side (inside) of your foot, and place the other foot on top of your wrapped foot. This creates a sort of foot hold that’ll ease the burden off your upper body. Fast rope technique: This is a modified version of the leg-wrap technique that’ll allow you to climb the rope faster, but requires a bit more grip and upper body strength. Rather than wrapping the rope around your leg, you’re using your feet to pinch the rope to hold it in place and still get some support.


Once you get stronger and better at rope climbing, you can up the challenge by leaving your legs completely out of the movement. Caution: You may want to wear gloves and higher socks or long pants to avoid painful rope burns from practicing too much!

How to - Rope Climbing Tutorial | Ryan Ford