Body tension

Managed a good bouldering session the other night, with strength and energy returning finally!  I watched a couple of guys trying an overhanging traverse problem and was instantly struck by what was causing them to fail on it.  Many people focus so hard on their hands that they neglect to keep awareness and tension through their core and into their legs.  The guys I watched were a case in point, with floppy legs causing their feet to slip off as they pushed rightwards to make a move.  

I am lucky in that my gymnastics training instilled in me very early on how to use the levers and muscles of the body, through keeping mental awareness in the areas that were necessary for the movements.  Things like having to point your toes, extend arms and fingers and so on, key to looking tidy in competition, were also helpful in keeping tension in core muscles.  This tension is a different kind of tension to that which you get as you grip a hold, its more of a static tension which isnt so tiring, but helps keep the body stable and in the positions you want.  It is possible to learn to do this, by practising aiming your awareness into different areas of the body, and by practising tensing and releasing different muscle groups whilst on the ground before trying this on the rock.