A starting contribution: I began climbing four years ago and a limiter for me was foot strength, that is, the ability to stand on a small hold with just the toe of my shoe. Edges yes, toe no. In the gym I took my shoes off, got on a leg press machine, and did calf presses with just my first and second toes on the pedals. After three weeks of this in my workout routines, I was able to replace it with gym traverses limiting myself to toe stands on small holds. After a few weeks of this, it became just my normal technique.

I don’t think that anyone that knows anything about sport would think that solely hitting the gym instead of practising their sport will be better. Usually though, people hit the gym because either they can’t do the activity in question as often as they would like to (be it money, time, location etc) or because they want to improve a specific aspect of their physiology (i.e. strength gains) which can be done more efficiently at the gym.

What would be a more interesting approach/advice for us beginners would be to know alternative/complimentary methods of improving certain aspects like strength, flexibility etc. Gary Armstrong hit the nail on the head.

However, if you are already climbing hard frequently and regularly (“hard” being the key word here) work in the weight room can take you through some performance barriers with less risk of injury. I’ve seen positive results from exercises on balls and balance boards where the abs get worked while in unstable positions. I’ve also been able to focus on problem areas like big toe and thumb strength using weights. Climbing didn’t help those areas because I just found ways around the limitation while climbing. Using Russian kettle bells improved core strength and coordination to make dynamic moves without the finger tendon wear and tear that would come from practicing this on the wall. Just some examples, but I think the key is to climb hard, identify what weaknesses are holding you back, and then see if you can target those in the weight room.