HoldBreaker

Female climbers usually go for loose fitting tops because we have broader than average back, chest and shoulders. Stretchy and flowy styles work better for us because they don’t hold us back or feel restrictive. You don’t want to be in the middle of a climb and suddenly think, “this shirt’s gonna rip at the seams”! Clothes that will work well for climbing should be durable and well-made so seams don’t start to rip under excess pressure. Bras and tops that have a “V” shape to them will be more comfortable. With a wider top band than lower band, the “V” shape ensures there’s enough room for lats and pectoral muscles while moving around on a route. Since climbing is an all-over cardio workout, it’s nice to feel like a top gives us enough room to breathe. Muscles work a whole lot better with oxygen supply. Above all else, climbing clothes should be comfortable to move in all day long. The clothing we used to wear before climbing became a passion probably doesn’t fit ...

For us who have been climbing for a while will at some point notice that ourt-shirts, office shirts/tops, hoodies and jackets are starting to become tight around the arms, shoulders and back. This is because climbing forces us to use the muscles in our upper bodies more than before. The deltoid muscles that sits on top of our shoulders, is a large triangular shape muscle that grow outwards, giving us broader shoulders. The latissimus dorsi (lats) is the broadest muscle in the back and very important because it’s the “pull-up” muscle. As these muscles grow, a climber’s physiqueemerges and we need to update our wardrobe with appropriate climbing clothing to fit our bodies because what we currently have will be uncomfortable and not sit well. It becomes tough to shop for clothing that fits our upper half comfortably. Shopping quickly becomes a very frustrating activity and annoying because this was never a problem before. Frustration points can be anything from not b...