Neglected Techniques Necessary for V4 to V5 Progression

Hitting V3 is an incredible milestone, and then V4 shows up and the jump feels way steeper than anything before it. The biggest thing that tripped me up while I was working my first V4s was that the moves I needed took a little more strength than the ones I leaned on for V3. Because of that, a lot of us quietly skip learning them. The thing is, these are the neglected techniques necessary for V4 to V5 progression, and if you want to level up, you can’t keep avoiding them.

Lock-Offs

Technique Review:

A lock-off is when you fully flex your bicep and bring your hand in close to your shoulder while you reach up for the next hold with your other hand. You’ll usually pair it with a push off your feet, so the whole move turns into a semi-dynamic blend of static and dynamic movement.

Common Challenges:

Lock-offs felt impossible when I first started climbing because I thought they needed serious arm strength. Back then I couldn’t do a pull-up unassisted, so pulling my whole body up on one arm seemed way out of reach.

Tips to overcome the challenges:

The idea that you need a one-armed pull-up to lock off is way overblown, and you honestly don’t need that at all. I still can’t do one-armed pull-ups (yet), and I can see why they’d help, but they’re not necessary. On top of pulling with your arm, you’re also pushing off with your leg, which makes the move more dynamic and takes a lot of the load off your arm.

How I developed the technique:

I used to think pull-up training was the only answer to getting better at this, because that’s what I saw everyone else doing at the gym. I was wrong. I was reading a climbing training manual when I came across a drill that made building pulling strength way more fun and way more useful for actual lock-offs.

The drill is literally called Lock-Offs. You pick a route that’s well within your ability and you lock off before moving to the next hold. You can do this on as many routes as you like, but I usually run three routes, take a 10 minute break, then repeat the same three with lock-offs.

Over time your body starts figuring out how to use your legs and core to help the lock-off, and then locking off on the harder routes gets a lot easier.

I shared this drill in a previous video about building strength with on-the-wall drills, so if you like it, go check that out for more strength work.

High-Feet

Technique Review:

High-feet are all about getting your lower body higher so you can stand on higher footholds and push yourself up. I’m still on my way to mastering high-feet, but even at my current level it’s opened up a ton more beta options on harder routes.

Common Challenges:

High feet need a bit of flexibility, and they’re usually tougher for taller climbers with long legs like mine. On top of that I’ve got tight hips, so high feet are even more of a challenge for me. If you don’t have hip flexibility, your butt gets pushed away from the wall and it takes a lot more core strength to pull yourself back in.

Tips to overcome the challenges:

I’ve improved a lot with my hip flexibility through stretching at home and stretching while I climb, and I’m still tighter than most of the people I climb with, so I’m living proof that even a little more flexibility goes a long way. 

To work on my hips, I started doing high-feet on easy climbs that have decent handholds during my warm-ups. That’s helped me get a bit more flexible, and it’s also made me way more aware of high-feet beta when I build it into my regimen.

Other hip openers help too. Sideways lunges, butterfly, and pigeon have all been great for me, and I put a full routine together in the lower body mobility and flexibility challenge if you want something to follow along with.

TBH, it’s been a while since I’ve done these stretches and I’ve noticed a decline lately, so keep up with it.

How I developed the technique:

Practicing high-feet by putting my feet higher on the route has been the biggest thing for me. I’d also play around with different foot positions for your own flexibility, the same way you would when you run through footwork drills for climbing. For example, if I put my heel on the hold and point my toe out, it opens up my inner hip, which is more flexible for me than the back or outside of my hips where most of my stiffness lives.

Rooting

Technique Review:

Rooting is all about creating and holding tension through your legs and core while you climb. Most of the time we think of rooting as pulling our body toward a foothold with our legs and glutes, but it also helps you keep tension when you’re pushing away from a hold with the opposite foot.

Common Challenges:

A lot of climbers find it hard to pull their body sideways with their feet, either because the foothold feels too high or because they haven’t practiced enough to know which muscles to fire.

Tips to overcome the challenges:

Rooting takes a lot of glute engagement, so if you’re not squeezing your glutes on the move, you’re not really doing it right. You could pull mostly with your hamstrings, but skipping your glutes means leaving a huge muscle group on the table.

You can also push with the opposite leg or foot while you pull your body in the same direction to help with the transition.

How I developed the technique:

Practicing this one is honestly the best way I’ve found to develop it. Find routes similar to the ones you’d practice flagging on (routes with sideways movement), and instead of flagging, put your foot on the hold out to the side and shift your weight toward it.

Working these V4 to V5 progression techniques into your sessions

None of these moves are flashy, and that’s kind of the point. Lock-offs, high-feet, and rooting are the quiet skills a lot of climbers skip on the way up, and they’re exactly what makes V4 and V5 feel doable instead of desperate. Pick one, drill it on easy terrain for a few sessions, and you’ll start spotting the beta for it everywhere. If you want the moves broken down even further, our roundup of the top 22 climbing techniques is a great place to keep going.

Want a short drill in your inbox every week? Our free 15 minutes of training newsletter sends one climbing drill you can knock out in about 15 minutes, so you’re always chipping away at something. And if you like training these moves between sessions, the Grip & Grind app builds structured sessions around drills like these.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most neglected techniques for V4 to V5 progression?

Lock-offs, high-feet, and rooting. They each take a little more strength and body tension than the moves that get you through V3, so a lot of climbers skip them and then wonder why V4 feels so hard.

Do I need a one-armed pull-up to do a lock-off?

No. That idea is way overblown. Because you push off your feet at the same time, a lock-off takes far less arm strength than most people assume, and you can build it with the Lock-Offs drill on easy routes.

How do I get better at high feet if I have tight hips?

Work on hip flexibility with stretches like sideways lunges, butterfly, and pigeon, and practice high-feet on easy warm-up climbs with good handholds. Even a little extra flexibility goes a long way.

What muscles should I use for rooting?

Mostly your glutes, backed up by your core and hamstrings. If you’re not squeezing your glutes during the move, you’re leaving a big muscle group out and making the move harder than it needs to be.

How should I practice these V4 to V5 techniques?

Drill each one on routes well within your ability first. For lock-offs, lock off before every move. For high-feet and rooting, set the position up on easy climbs until it feels natural, then bring it onto harder routes.

Sara Climbing Coach, Climbing Trainer, Writer

Sara is the founder of Send Edition, author of '77 Drills to Help You Climb Better,' the creator of 'Elevate Your Climbing: Training Planner and Tracker,' and climbing coach.

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