Top 3 Benefits of Climbing Gyms over Traditional Gyms
Many new climbers join the sport from traditional gyms. So what makes a climbing gym better than a traditional gym? Imagine you are ready to commit to your fitness goals by signing up for a gym membership. You love rock climbing and frequent the climbing gym, but you also enjoy getting a sweat on, whether using cardio machines, lifting weights, or attending yoga classes or other workout classes.
As with everything nowadays, gym memberships are increasing in price, leaving you with a choice, deplete your hard-earned savings to have multiple gym memberships or pick one and save.
If you cannot decide between keeping your regular gym membership or diving headfirst into a climbing gym membership, we're here to convince you that the climbing gym is the superior choice.
Two decades ago, we may not have been able to sufficiently back our argument and convince you that the rock climbing gym is better. But today, commercial climbing gyms have all the equipment and workout options you'll need for relatively affordable prices!
The Benefits of Climbing Gym over a Traditional Gym
1. Climbing Is a FUN Full Body Workout
First up, it's a climbing gym, and what better way to stay physically active than with climbing? It's a full-body workout requiring a functional fitness base, a strong core, upper body, and grip. Your legs get worked with every step, dyno, heel took, or toe hook. And, aside from the total body blast, the community at a climbing gym means you're bound to find a great place to work out, make new friends, and find a fantastic community to hang out with on and off the wall.
2. Climbing Gyms Have Varied Activities
Second, almost all indoor climbing gyms have some combination of a fitness training area, yoga room, cardio area, and weights area. At the very least, they'll have a section with a pullup bar, some dumbbells/kettlebells, and a treadmill. The newer or more updated climbing gyms will likely have a sectioned-off yoga room where they hold yoga and fitness classes, a combination of cardio machines, and a weightlifting rig.
And the best thing is that one membership covers almost, if not all, the amenities a gym offers! Members usually get a discounted rate if there is an extra cost for a workout class. Climbing gyms love, love, love their members and offer lots of guest passes, specials, retail discounts, and member-specific events to show their appreciation.
3. Climbing Gyms Generally Have Good Hours
If you're an early bird who hits the gym before work or a night owl who enjoys the late-night pump sessions, you'll be pleased to know that climbing gyms often have hours up your alley during the week. As with everyone, weekends are for sleeping in, so often the hours aren't as extensive on weekends, but you'll be sound asleep in your bed at 6 am or hitting the bars at 8 pm on a Saturday with your newfound climbing friends anyways.
Simply put, the climbing gym is your all-in-one. It gives you access to climbing walls and specific training tools like systems boards, hangboards, and campus rungs, and it has the items you'd need to get a workout in off the wall. The best part is that even if the skin on your fingertips is raw, but you are craving the welcoming community you have come to love, you can go to the climbing gym and lift some weights instead or try a yoga class with your climbing buddies.
Like traditional franchised gyms that offer a single facility or multi-facility membership, climbing gyms also offer the option. If constantly climbing and working out in the same facility is not your vibe, you can choose a membership that gives you access to every gym in the franchise. You might find some gyms that don't have a higher membership fee for multi-gym access, a perk you may never find at traditional gyms.
So, have we convinced you that the climbing gym is superior to a traditional gym? Well, we sure hope so, but you'll have to let us know in the comments which you prefer and why!
