Climbing Drill 1 (CL1) Exercises 2023

Climbing Drill 1 (CL 1) is a specialized set of exercises designed to enhance a soldier’s upper body and core strength.

CL1 Exercises focus on improving soldiers’ ability to climb and negotiate obstacles.

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Purpose

The main objective of the Climbing Drill 1 exercise is to reduce your climbing time.
This drill enables soldiers and climbers to ascend faster, navigate obstacles efficiently, and achieve noticeable progress in a short period of time.
This drill is a comprehensive workout as the exercises target various body parts, increasing your climbing skills and efficiency.

What makes CL1 Exercises different?

One of the things you will notice about CL1 is that it has a multitude of workouts.
Some will help you focus on the arms, shoulders, trunk, or back.
Yet other exercises help you work on your lower legs, chest, thighs, and hips.
Some of them are complete body workouts, too, which is a significant plus.

Muscles Worked by Climbing Drill 1 Exercises

Army CL1 Exercises work on the following muscles to enhance your core and upper body strength:

Upper Body Muscles: Latissimus dorsi (lats), biceps, triceps, deltoids, and chest muscles.
Core Muscles: The rectus abdominis obliques and transverse abdominis (deep stabilizing muscles)

Climbing Drill 1 Exercises

Climbing drill one is always performed in its entirety in the order listed below.
Soldiers perform 5 to 10 repetitions of each exercise in CL1 with or without assistance, using only their body weight as resistance.
The goal is to perform 5 to 10 repetitions of all five exercises unassisted.
The drill is repeated in the order listed if a second set is performed.

The following are the five Climbing Drill 1 exercises:

Exercise 1: Straight-Arm Pull
Exercise 2: Heel Hook
Exercise 3: Pull-Up
Exercise 4: Leg Tuck
Exercise 5: Alternating Grip Pull-Up

Straight-Arm Pull

The Straight-Arm Pull is one of those intense, creative workouts that allows you to focus on your hands and core.
Pulling off a few reps can become tough, despite being a simple workout. With that in mind, you will find it a great starting point for the climbing drill.
Since it focuses a lot on the power of your hands, it’s an excellent workout, and it has the potential to offer a stellar result.
Plus, it’s an extended hand grip, so it does help you build stamina and endurance.

Heel Hook

The heel Hook is a staple exercise when it comes to Climbing.
It would help to stay under the bar, raise your feet above it, and interlock.
It’s a very intense workout that enhances your grip and focuses on gaining strength.
Sometimes, you must have a solid grip to maintain your position or advance when climbing.
And that’s where the Heel Hook is the most efficient. It can also be a solo workout, but it fits very well within Climbing Drill 1.

Pull-Up

Pull-ups are self-explanatory; in this case, you are under a bar and focus on pulling yourself up and hanging for a bit, then coming down. Varying these Pull-Ups is an exciting idea, but that’s what makes it a versatile workout.
Ideally, you want an extended hang, then come down.
As we showed earlier, 5 to 10 reps will be more than okay, but you can always try to do more depending on the situation.
It’s an incredible option, and certainly one you need to consider.

Leg Tuck

The Leg Tuck workout is great for your abdominal area but also works on your hip flexor muscles.
On top of that, it can help you boost your grip strength, especially if you are climbing a rope.
The good idea is to use an alternating grip.
Doing that will give you better consistency, and you can focus on making the entire process cohesive and dependable.
It’s an exercise that can be difficult to get used to, but it’s still very impressive and a pleasure to try out.

Alternating Grip Pull-Up

What you will like about the Alternating Grip Pull-Up is that it allows you to alternate your hands, which makes things easier.
It also helps work on your core while being a very consistent workout. It takes some trial and error to figure out how to perform this exercise correctly, but in the end, it’s a great workout everyone should try.
It’s excellent as a part of the climbing drill, so that’s something to focus on.

What a New Soldier Should Know

The following are key points a soldier needs to know about Climbing Drill 1 exercises:

Sequence: You will always perform the CL1 exercises in the specified order to ensure a balanced workout without risk of injury.
Number of Repetitions: As a soldier, perform 5 to 10 repetitions of each exercise with the goal of doing all the exercises unassisted.
Soldiers’ Body Weight Resistance: You will use your body weight as resistance for all climbing drill one exercises, which is deliberate to ensure you can handle and manipulate your body mass efficiently, a crucial skill in combat situations.
Assistance: You will need help to perform the exercises initially, but with regular practice, you should aim to perform them without assistance.
Form and Safety: Soldiers should always maintain proper form and safety throughout the exercises.
Tables and References: New soldiers should familiarize themselves with the tables in Army PRT Cards.

Benefits of Climbing Drill Exercises

The following are the benefits of climbing drill one exercises:

Enhanced Upper Body Strength: Climbing Drill 1 exercises target a soldier’s upper body muscles, ensuring they have the strength to pull their body weight, which is essential for climbing and other combat tasks.
Increases Core Strength: CL1 exercises promote the development of a robust and resilient core.
- Increased core strength is important for your body’s stability, balance, and power.
Military Obstacle Operations: Climbing drills prepare soldiers for military operations in challenging terrain with physical barriers.
Body Coordination: Climbing drill one exercise enhances a soldier’s overall physical coordination by requiring them to coordinate the movements of different body parts.

Conclusion

In conclusion, climbing drill 1 is a comprehensive workout tailored for climbers and soldiers to enhance their upper body and core strength.

Working on your core and endurance is beneficial, and this exercise helps add that unique set of challenges to a good workout.
While challenging, it’s still an excellent workout that everyone should add to their routine.

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George N.

George N. is the founder of ArmyPRT.com. While he never actually served in the United States Army, he has a passion for writing about military-related topics.

Born and raised in Bozeman, Montana, he graduated from George State University with an MBA in Actuarial Science. His hobbies include beach volleyball, hiking, fishing, and lifting weights

George is also a certified nutritionist with a passion for health and fitness.