How to do the Rope Climb, step by step
- Reach high on the rope and pull your knees up.
- Pinch the rope between your feet with a foot lock.
- Stand up on your feet and straighten your legs.
- Reach higher with your hands and repeat.
- Come down hand over hand, using your feet as a brake.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Climbing with arms onlyyour legs should do most of the work.
- Sliding downnever slide, you can burn your hands.
- Shaky foot lockpractice it close to the floor first.
How to scale the Rope Climb
If you can't do the movement cleanly yet or the workout is too heavy, use one of these variations:
- Rope pulls from lying to standing
- Half height
- Practice the foot lock standing at the rope
Benchmarks with Rope Climb
- Tommy V21 Thruster 52.5 kg, 12 Rope Climbs, 15 Thruster, 9 Rope Climbs, 9 Thruster, 6 Rope Climbs
- Glen30 Clean & Jerks 60 kg, 1 mile Run, 10 Rope Climbs (4.5 m), 1 mile Run, 100 Burpees
- RJ5 RFT: 800 m Run, 5 Rope Climbs (4.5 m), 50 Push-ups
These descriptions are general guidance and don't replace a coach. Have someone at your box show you new movements, and stop if anything hurts.