Frequently asked questions

No. ClimbBench measures physical capability, not climbing ability. We look at strength-related attributes - finger strength, pulling power, core tension, grip and antagonist strength - and compare them against benchmark ranges for climbers at your grade.

Climbing performance is far more than physical strength. Technique, tactics, route reading, fear management and experience all matter enormously, and none of them are captured here.

No - and this is deliberate. Technique is arguably themost important attribute in climbing, but it is not meaningfully self-measurable from a few standardised strength tests at home. There is no honest way to score it from self-report, so we don't try.

Treat a strong physical profile as evidence that strength is probably not your main limiter - which often points back toward technique and movement skill as the place to invest your time.

No. Flexibility is highly relevant to climbing but hard to quantify reliably, especially from self-reporting, so we've left it out for now. It's definitely worth working on, especially if your other metrics look strong!

That's an expected and useful result - not a contradiction. It means strength is unlikely to be your primary physical limiter, so the gains probably lie elsewhere: technique, movement efficiency, tactics, endurance on the wall, or mileage at the grade. ClimbBench is designed to help you rule things in and out, not to predict what you can climb.

Each spoke on the radar is one metric. For your current and target grade we show a benchmark range (roughly the middle of the population at that grade), and place your latest measure against it as one of three bands:

• Above - at or beyond the top of the benchmark range for that grade.
• Within - inside the typical range for that grade.
• Below - under the range, a likely area to develop.

Benchmarks are ranges, not targets, and being above one is meaningful: a metric above benchmark is unlikely to be a primary physical limiter. We identify likely limiting factors - we don't claim causation.

Several metrics are normalised to your bodyweight so climbers of different sizes can be compared fairly. For example, a hang or a one-rep-max is stored as a percentage of your bodyweight (%BW) rather than an absolute number of kilograms. That way the benchmark reflects strength-to-weight, which is what matters on the wall.

They're compiled from published, climbing-specific strength datasets and reference models - sources such as Power Company Climbing, Lattice, the 9c test and others - mapped onto a common set of metrics and grades. Where sources overlap we average them, where a grade sits between covered grades we interpolate, and if the data allows, we extrapolate to cover additional ranges.

Each benchmark carries a confidence level (high, medium or low) depending on how many independent sources back it and whether the range was measured or synthesised. Some metrics are better-supported than others - treat lower-confidence spokes as rough guidance rather than gospel.

Overall, ClimbBench is designed to give you pointers as to where it might make sense to focus efforts, and as a bit of fun. Don't take it too seriously, and don't blame us if you can pull up 300% BW but can't tick a V2!

Strength benchmarks differ meaningfully between the male and female reference cohorts, so we compare you against the appropriate cohort to make the ranges fair. This is about matching you to the right physiological reference data - it is not a statement about gender identity, and it doesn't change anything else about how you use ClimbBench.

Your assessments and results are private to your account. ClimbBench has no social features - there are no public profiles, leaderboards or feeds. Your numbers are used to build your own profile and nothing else.

No. ClimbBench is an informational tool for comparing your physical capabilities against benchmark ranges. It is not medical advice and not a training plan. Test and train within your limits, warm up properly, and consult a qualified coach or medical professional before acting on anything here - especially if you have an injury or any health concern.