Well, for the first five years I rode, I couldn't even stand up on the pedals. Not sure what the issue was, as I am plenty strong. I can stand up now (I do to stretch), but it seems to have the opposite effect on me when climbing. My speed decelerates, mostly because my legs are hurting like hell. Generally, in order to stand and climb, I need to be in a harder gear than I normally would be, so I can balance on the pedals. Hence, it just feels harder than it needs to be. If I saw some kind of speed increase, I'd do it! So, when I do difficult climbs, I just gear down and spin. Since I am not racing, there's no need for a sprint to get to the top.
Riding no hands will never be a goal for me, lph. I am much better with the water bottle now, but that's about my limit. Maybe this is why I enjoy helping newbies so much. I am not particularly coordinated and my spatial/balance skills are pretty poor. Yet, I'm a bike leader and I had little issue learning to use a road bike, clipless, etc.