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ericbeyeler
Oct 10, 2006, 4:14 PM
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Hello, I just wanted to share some of the things that have helped me improve... I'm not pulling super hard stuff, upper 5.10 would be my limit right now.
In no particular order, here are things I have been doing recently that have noticably improved my climbing:
1. Practicing traverses near the ground. This has helped my footwork immensely.
2. Climbing with others that are better than me. Watching what they do helps me to see ways to improve my technique.
3. Trying to think like a "short" climber. I'm 6'5" and I find myself going for the long reaches or high steps. Trying to envision how someone shorter than me would do the same climb has helped me to use smaller steps and be more deliberate with the smaller holds that are available.
4. Bicycling. Not only does it improve leg strengh (helping with footwork), the cardio workout helps my endurance on the rock. I am able to recover faster while on the rock.
Eric
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jmeizis
Oct 10, 2006, 4:41 PM
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I'd say the one thing that helped improve my climbing the most was trying something I thought I couldn't do....on lead. Helped the lead head, made me realize I wasn't trying as hard as I thought I was. Improved my climbing a whole grade, maybe more.
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boredwolf
Oct 10, 2006, 4:48 PM
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Cardio, definitely. I've gone up 2 grades since I started distance swimming a few months back. Some climbing-targeted weight lifting might have also helped. Really, anything that increases your muscle tone; Helps keep you from getting pumped as fast. I also think that completing harder climbs helps people the most. It gives them the confidence to try even more difficult climbs.
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krusher4
Oct 10, 2006, 5:52 PM
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16 week training cycles and I wear whatever Chris Shama does...no just kidding. There is a really good book "How to Climb 5.12." Learn how to train then just work hard and keep working hard. Giving up non-climbing friends helps to.
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andrurok
Oct 10, 2006, 5:57 PM
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Focus on placing BOTH feet, instead of just the opposing foot - this is probably a bad habit I got into because of 'tracking' problems when bouldering in the gym, where the 2nd foot is usually smearing.....
Don't push the grades too hard too fast - do LOTS of routes around your best onsight level and then some a little harder.
Don't make it such a big deal - have fun, do what you are motivated to do.
Do EVERY climb. Is that 5.9 too easy for you, or maybe you are worried that you won't do it 'easily'....stop thinking like that - just doing all the climbs at a crag that are within my ability has allowed me to make gains in confidence, ENDURANCE (seems KEY for routes) and technique... Do as many routes as you can, especially if you are a weekend warrior.
Follow your instict, search out those routes you haven't tried yet, climb new stuff as often as possible. Try not to get too hung up on projects all the time.
In a month, I will have a completely different set of priorities and beliefs, so feel free to think all I have written is garbage - cause I probably would if I read it. I guess you just have to believe in something at the moment of climbing...
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rome2282
Oct 11, 2006, 2:07 PM
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As obvious as it sounds, “Took a real lesson”. The coach of my gyms climbing team offers private lessons which I finally decided to ask about. After the first hour I was amazed at how many bad habits I’d picked up in the short time I’d been climbing. It’s been a few weeks and I’m still mentally adjusting to the change of style but I’m really starting to feel the difference during high endurance/overhanging routes. Climbing with more experienced people helped a lot but nothing seems to beat working with a great teacher.
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schveety
Oct 11, 2006, 3:25 PM
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I think the biggest thing that has improved my climbing is:
Climbing in different places on different types of rock...
I used to hate face climbing but loved crack, then I went to California and Red Rock in Vegas and was forced to do a lot of funky face climbing, and it's helped my crack climbing too
I also agree that pushing my grades some outdoors has helped to improve my trad leading, always on climbs with good gear of course
And cardio is a big help, when I'm approaching outside, I always get a cardio workout so I never noticed the benefits, but now I make sure to do some cardio in the gym before climbing
And one more, I know this sounds crazy, but bouldering in the gym (I only do long stuff outside, not really into bouldering) has helped my climbing immensely - I'll do crossovers with hands and feet and flagging that I might never have learned on regular routes
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konaboy
Oct 11, 2006, 6:58 PM
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In reply to: Giving up non-climbing friends helps to.
Muah, if that isn't the truth! :twisted:
Taking the time to warm up properly before a gym session has improved my climbing ability noticably. Whereas before I would stretch and then boulder a few V1/V2 before roping up or bouldering harder, I now spend a minimum of 20 minutes traversing back and forth as well as up and down, trying to avoid a solid pump the entire time. I've found that I feel much stronger and don't pump as easily or rapidly as I used to.)
As far as climbing outside, this may sound lame, but watching some climbing movies really helped me get my headgame in order. I recall many climbs where I would find myself stopped on a route searching for the best hold possible, or the best grip on the least-worst hold. More often than not, I would pump out in this process and/or waste time and energy searching for what felt 'secure'. Seeing the demi-gods on screen pulling down on downright terrible holds convinced me to start moving off of holds that don't always feel secure, and sometimes feel unusable given my abilities; what I've found in doing this is that more often than not when I decide to make a move off a poor hold in these situations it has worked and I've continued the climb, stoked about the move. For me, there's nothing like surprising myself with ability I didn't think I had to keep me psyched and motivated to climb harder.
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lobster
Oct 11, 2006, 7:09 PM
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blind climbing. with closed eyes. in-door of course.
top roping in far too difficult routes
climbing with people who do it a lot better
climbing holidays with a week of non-stop climbing.
having breaks (months) with no climbing at all. it is amazing. strength decreases, but technique improves.
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devkrev
Oct 11, 2006, 7:26 PM
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In reply to: ... 3. Trying to think like a "short" climber. I'm 6'5" and I find myself going for the long reaches or high steps. Trying to envision how someone shorter than me would do the same climb has helped me to use smaller steps and be more deliberate with the smaller holds that are available...
Also being a tall climber 6' 4'' I find it important not to over-reach all the time. Be careful though, sometimes smaller folks are able to keep closer to the rock when getting schrunched up, and they may be able to get longer use out of slopers than you, so sometimes you HAVE to reach, and don't forget that. Just don't make it a common occurence, unless you just want to piss off your short partners :twisted:
dev
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devils_advocate
Oct 11, 2006, 7:46 PM
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I shot up 2 grades after I made my 400th post. Can't wait to get to 1000.
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hairyapeman
Oct 11, 2006, 9:04 PM
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climbing!
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watchme
Oct 11, 2006, 9:21 PM
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Making sure to use my non-dominant hand every once and awhile :wink: .
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ninja_climber
Oct 11, 2006, 9:36 PM
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Losing weight and traversing. Also TRing routes that 1 grade above mine. I feel that I can't progress to the next grade unless I try that grade and pump out at that grade. This is of course after climbng routes of my current grade.
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iamthewallress
Oct 11, 2006, 10:58 PM
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7 or so years of climbing as much as I can is the main thing that's helped.
Learning how to do pull-ups helped me have an early break through with the steeper climbing in the gym.
Getting a stronger core has helped me a lot recently as I've been getting into more powerful climbs. It also helps with all-day stamina.
The Warrior's Way, although I don't adhere to much of the advice w/in it, was very helpful to me when I was suffering from a period of frequent panic attacks.
Wearing the right shoes for the job is key...especially b/c I have foot problems. But I try to never forget that someone has probably sent my latest testpeice is slick EB's.
I try to not avoid learning something new to stick with something familiar and fun.
I try not to save climbs if it means that I'll end up doing less climbing as a result.
Learning to chimney well has helped me learn to use my whole body on climbs that aren't nominally chimneys. For example, I love creative knee-barring on overhangs, although this is something that I learned to do in the chimneys.
When bomber climbing felt better than bomber pro I felt like a lot of doors opened up for me with my climbing, and it became much more fun.
Edit: Forgot a couple biggies...
Loosing weight, whether off of my ass or my rack (yuk-yuk), helps a lot.
When I'm cragging, I try to do everything w/in my ability level that's near the climb of choice...I get more climbing in that way and experience a better variety that I do when I'm just "cherry picking" what I think will be the best routes.
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rockmx
Oct 11, 2006, 11:07 PM
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Beer!
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diophantus
Oct 12, 2006, 1:16 AM
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Climbing has helped me most of all.
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ericbeyeler
Oct 12, 2006, 12:48 PM
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In reply to: Taking the time to warm up properly before a gym session has improved my climbing ability noticably. Whereas before I would stretch and then boulder a few V1/V2 before roping up or bouldering harder, I now spend a minimum of 20 minutes traversing back and forth as well as up and down, trying to avoid a solid pump the entire time. I've found that I feel much stronger and don't pump as easily or rapidly as I used to.)
Yes, proper warm up is another thing that greatly improves my climbing. I try to spend 15+ minutes on easy stuff to get the blood flowing in the arms. I'm always amazed at the difference it makes.
Eric
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heiko
Oct 12, 2006, 12:55 PM
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Starting to climb alpine limestone trad on scary and loose rock with limited protectability helped me a GREAT deal. For me climbing is a headgame, so getting my head used to scarier stuff than bolted sport was really really a leap forward. I'm physically not any stronger than before, but I gained at least a grade.
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djlachelt
Oct 12, 2006, 2:52 PM
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I've really enjoyed reading "The Self-Coached Climber" by Hague and Hunter. It talks about the mechanics of all of the climbing moves, exercises for practicing them, as well as the physiology of movement and conditioning.
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karma
Oct 12, 2006, 3:42 PM
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I've been working on a lot of things recently:
Core strength - Helps greatly in all areas
Upper body endurance - I tend to get myself stuck on really overhanging routes/problems because I run out of strength
Footwork - I have also been building reasonable technique by climbing and down climbing routes (in the gym) and spending more time bouldering
Mental - I tend to talk myself out of making a move, basically it is a lack of confidence in my ability to either stick it with fingers or feet. This also applies to overhanging routes and keeps me from completing quite a few routes
Not living near natural rock is a huge problem, primairly because every time I go outside I get confused and start looking for colored tape.
I'd say that my worst trait is taking myself too seriously, which is why I am trying to learn to have a lot more fun and stop worrying about what I can or cannot climb, or what grade anything is that I'm climbing. That helps me the most. Ignore the grades and just try things.
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clausti
Oct 12, 2006, 3:57 PM
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Climb anything you have a chance to, esp TRing stuff thats "too hard" when you're out with better climbers.
Cardio. lose as much weight as you healthfully can. eat well. sleep enough.
for me, personally, i dont drink the night before i climb. just feel too unresponsive. feel crappy.
Dont eat trash. (french fries, ice cream, ect.)
core workout. especially lower abs. that helped me a lot when it comes to overhanging climbing. because if my lower abs are strong enough... i can finally keep my feet on and make good use of them.
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devils_advocate
Oct 12, 2006, 4:17 PM
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In reply to: Cardio. lose as much weight as you healthfully can. eat well. sleep enough.
Add in "climb - often with devotion and vigor" and I think you have the basic recipe for sucess. (yes, I know that's essentially what you said in your first sentence).
Although I'm not advocating Cardio so much for weight loss, unless you're overweight or going for some professional climbing level I wouldn't worry. But cardio does increase your indurance, anerobic threshold and seems to make you more energetic all around.
btw, Clausti, love your location.
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astone
Oct 12, 2006, 4:23 PM
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Paddle for 16 miles.
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clausti
Oct 12, 2006, 5:33 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: Cardio. lose as much weight as you healthfully can. eat well. sleep enough. Add in "climb - often with devotion and vigor" and I think you have the basic recipe for sucess. (yes, I know that's essentially what you said in your first sentence).
you're definitely right about climbing with devotion. but seriously, ppl do not pay enough attention to eating well and sleeping enough. you think you're going to be at peak performance if you're sleeping 4 hours a night and living on lattes? no way.
In reply to: Although I'm not advocating Cardio so much for weight loss, unless you're overweight or going for some professional climbing level I wouldn't worry. But cardio does increase your indurance, anerobic threshold and seems to make you more energetic all around.
i didnt really separate the two, though i guess i could have been more clear. more specifically, i just meant do cardio for helping your endurance, and in addition to everying else, it really helps to be as close to ideal weight for your height as you can. you will get a lot more out of the power you already have if you weigh less. i personally feel like i have more energy for life in general when i'm doing cardio on a regular basis, even if some mornings it was like pulling teeth to drag myself out of bed and jog the equivalent of a couple ten minute miles on the elliptical machine.
In reply to: btw, Clausti, love your location.
hmmm, *yes*, well.... my cane is pretty pimp. my TA in lab yesterday was like "got your house costume out a little early?" and i was like "actually the cane is for real but thanks for askin" ". she turned about 8 different shades of red.
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diophantus
Oct 12, 2006, 6:03 PM
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In reply to: for me, personally, i dont drink the night before i climb. just feel too unresponsive.
Have you tried drinking while you climb? I hear beer goggles work on ratings too.
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fenderfour
Oct 12, 2006, 6:06 PM
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Stop making excuses why you can't and start finding reasons why you will.
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fluxus
Oct 13, 2006, 4:22 PM
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In reply to: I also bought the book and found it to be pretty useless, sorry.
Its a bit of a threadjack but I gotta ask if you could provide some details as to how, why, or in what way the book is useless?
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notapplicable
Oct 13, 2006, 5:05 PM
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In reply to: you're definitely right about climbing with devotion. but seriously, ppl do not pay enough attention to eating well and sleeping enough. you think you're going to be at peak performance if you're sleeping 4 hours a night and living on lattes? no way.
True words. Good sleep and the proper fuel are the foundation for the whole day. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, I notice a big difference in the quality of my flailing when I get a solid 8 hours and have eggs or complex carbs for breakfast. The pastries and coffee are a recipe for an early pump, and your body will be playing catch up all day.
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csproul
Oct 13, 2006, 5:28 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: I also bought the book and found it to be pretty useless, sorry. Its a bit of a threadjack but I gotta ask if you could provide some details as to how, why, or in what way the book is useless? |
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krga20
Oct 17, 2006, 3:21 AM
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It seems to me that one major component to becoming a better climber has been overlooked. In my experience, breathing is one, if not the most important aspect to getting stronger. Relax, breathe, watch your feet Relax, breathe, watch your feetrepeat. Do this while climbing and you will improve greatly. Climb outside a lot, on all types of rock
heiko wrote:
I also bought the book and found it to be pretty useless, sorry.
I think this statement is a little harsh. There is a lot of very useful information in The Self-Coached Climber. My training routine was boring and repetitive; this led to a few seasons of burn out. Douglas Hunters book gave me some new ideas; its made a difference for sure.
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mitguy
Oct 17, 2006, 4:12 AM
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I found the Self Coached Climber's focus on balance to be very helpful. Just being more aware of my balance has helped me climb with more efficiency. It's also given me a few new ideas for things to try when I'm stuck on a problem.
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kriso9tails
Oct 17, 2006, 4:47 AM
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Some of you have some pretty weird approaches to getting stronger.
I once licked Dave Graham when he wasn't looking (he didn't noticed) and I'm pretty sure I absorbed some of his super powers.
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ihuang
Oct 17, 2006, 4:59 AM
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As far as passive gear goes, a good set of nuts, big ones, definitely helps.
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curt
Oct 17, 2006, 5:05 AM
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In reply to: ...Climbing with others that are better than me. Watching what they do helps me to see ways to improve my technique...
Yep. and...
In reply to: ...climbing with people who do it a lot better...
Yep.
Curt
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paganmonkeyboy
Oct 17, 2006, 5:17 AM
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In reply to: It seems to me that one major component to becoming a better climber has been overlooked. In my experience, breathing is one, if not the most important aspect to getting stronger. Relax, breathe, watch your feet Relax, breathe, watch your feetrepeat. Do this while climbing and you will improve greatly. Climb outside a lot, on all types of rock
big time. i think half the dings in my helmet are form looking at my feet while under roofs - i whap that plastic into rock constantly...
i've also found that having a cute girl watching me has made me climb a grade or two higher, almost every time...some sort of special relativistic physics at work there...
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musicman1586
Oct 17, 2006, 5:21 AM
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Some of the things that have most improved my climbing eh? Well flagging was definitely one of them, as it was the first thing that opened my eyes to how important balance and body positioning are to climbing. The second thing that's improved my climbing the most has been to go back and do routes that I know very well in alot better style, trying to use as little energy as possible. Go to the gym sometime and try to climb easy routes without ever bending your arms once, you'll learn alot about how to be efficient with your body.
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csgambill
Oct 17, 2006, 5:27 AM
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There's only one thing that comes to mind when I think about what has helped me climb harder. I'm 6'2" and the extra height means more weight to carry up the wall, so it's essential I cut every ounce possible. An hour or two before I hit a realy hard climb I down a whole bunch of laxatives. After 45 minutes or so all the extra, uh... retained weight, will be violently expelled from your system. You'll feel ten pounds lighter! Trust me, this is the key to nailing those hard sends!
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lena_chita
Moderator
Oct 18, 2006, 1:35 PM
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In reply to: There's only one thing that comes to mind when I think about what has helped me climb harder. I'm 6'2" and the extra height means more weight to carry up the wall, so it's essential I cut every ounce possible. An hour or two before I hit a realy hard climb I down a whole bunch of laxatives. After 45 minutes or so all the extra, uh... retained weight, will be violently expelled from your system. You'll feel ten pounds lighter! Trust me, this is the key to nailing those hard sends!
I'm alternating between thinking that this is a joke, and I should be laughing, or thinking that this isn't a joke, in which case I desperately need a turd to throw.
You need laxatives to climb 5.9? :roll:
Sorry if it is a joke, my sarcasm radar is still not tuned up well, despite having out at RC.com.
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robbovius
Oct 18, 2006, 3:15 PM
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staying injury free, so that I can climb harder routes...unfortuntately, it hasn't worked so far...staying injury-free I mean.
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zuegma
Oct 18, 2006, 4:18 PM
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Bouldering indoors has been a great help to me. it increased my finger strength and gave me confidence to pull sketchy moves while climbing. also taught me footwork skills and other minor details. since i really started bouldering i have moved up two grades lead and Tr 5.8-5.10 and 5.10-5.12 respectively.
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sidepull
Oct 19, 2006, 1:23 AM
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2 words:
BURT BRONSON
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alwaysclimbing07
Oct 19, 2006, 2:27 AM
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squeeze toys. the blue donut made by black dimond works the best in my experiance. whenever im watching tv or sitting in school, ive always got the donut in one of my hands, and i only use it on my rest days, but its helped my hand strength dramaticly in the last few months. also crunches. you can never have too much core strength. also if u really wanna get strong then do what i did, and switch your pre climbing diet to strawberries and beefjerky 8^)
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anykineclimb
Oct 19, 2006, 5:38 AM
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LOL
I love it when people that do crunches for their "core"
quit posing down in front of the mirror and realize that you core is more than your "6 pack"
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mingleefu
Oct 19, 2006, 7:13 AM
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big aid to my climbing: working construction.
I climb "off the couch" almost as strong as if I were climbing "regularly". Imagine if I actually trained for climbing. Ha!
Key exercises:
-don't ask for help with 4x8 sheets of durock. Instead: cowboy up.
-figure out how to lift 80lb bag of concrete mix one-handed to shoulder while other shoulder holds second bag of concrete mix.
-take steps two-at-a-time while carrying two bags of concrete.
Also:
-listen to Odub en route to/from work; form delusions of grandeur.
-build general man-pride by driving manual transmission.
-Think of work-related injuries as conditioning for climbing-associated suffering.
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rrrADAM
Oct 19, 2006, 8:35 AM
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-Looking down, more than up... Feet are key.
-Trying to emulate those who make it look easy... They have the best technique.
-Hanging on straight arms... Pulling only when I'm ready to advance the feet.
-Climbing outside my comfort level... Climb harder by climbing harder stuff.
-Climbing a lot... Nothing beats practice, PERIOD !!!
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heiko
Oct 19, 2006, 10:05 AM
Post #49 of 67
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In reply to: In reply to: I also bought the book and found it to be pretty useless, sorry. Its a bit of a threadjack but I gotta ask if you could provide some details as to how, why, or in what way the book is useless?
:lol: just saw: RC.com tells me that my post is a "turd magnet"... interesting, I was just expressing my opinion: "I found the book useless" = "it didn't help me" = "it wasn't of any use to me" = ...
I got it b/c it was appraised here on RC.com, and even though I'm just an intermediate-level climber, I simply didn't find it helpful. No offense, but I would list the things I picked up from the book had there been any. I opened the package, skimmed through the book, clicked through the DVD, nothing caught my attention, so I put everyting on the shelf and never touched it again. I will pass it on to someone else as a christmas present.
One of Lynn Hill's terms is constantly on my mind when I climb and helps me more than any page of this book: "Vector Force".
The book is well-made, attractive, the price is good especially b/c of the DVD and I'm totally convinced there are many ppl out there who can benefit a lot from it. I just didn't, no big deal.
But again, this is my personal opinion guys, ok?
end_of_hijack.
Heiko
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moss1956
Oct 19, 2006, 1:20 PM
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In reply to: -Looking down, more than up... Feet are key. -Trying to emulate those who make it look easy... They have the best technique. -Hanging on straight arms... Pulling only when I'm ready to advance the feet. -Climbing outside my comfort level... Climb harder by climbing harder stuff. -Climbing a lot... Nothing beats practice, PERIOD !!!
This is the best I have seen. I would have put climbing a lot first though.
In addition, each one of my injuries taught me how to be a better climber. My tendency was to get stronger rather than to get technically more proficient. That led to injuries to my hand, and my shoulder. These in turn forced me to rely more on my feet and controlling my balance rather than just pulling through, and made me a better climber.
Then there are my injuries from gym climbing and being belayed badly.
I learned that plastic is for kids, and to only climb near my limit with a tried and true belayer.
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climbeverything
Oct 19, 2006, 1:43 PM
Post #51 of 67
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weighted chinups and climbing trees
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fluxus
Oct 19, 2006, 7:58 PM
Post #52 of 67
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In reply to: . . . even though I'm just an intermediate-level climber, I simply didn't find it helpful. No offense, but I would list the things I picked up from the book had there been any. I opened the package, skimmed through the book, clicked through the DVD, nothing caught my attention, so I put everyting on the shelf and never touched it again. But again, this is my personal opinion guys, ok?
Of course its your personal opinion, no problem with that at all.
But you don't answer the question, except to suggest that you formed your opinion without actually reading the book. If all you did was "skimm" and "click throught" how could you possibly know if it has any use or not?
If you actually had something well informed and critically engaged to back up your person opinion that would have been great. Probably could have led to an interesting discussion.
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anykineclimb
Oct 19, 2006, 9:08 PM
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hey Heiko, I'll take the book and DVD off your hands.
Maybe I can find it less useless?
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jonescd
Oct 19, 2006, 9:27 PM
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Raw food diet and lots of raw garlic before bed.
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seven
Oct 19, 2006, 9:37 PM
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Climbing easy routes with no hands, then the same routes with no feet.
it really helps you to focus on placement :)
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collegekid
Oct 20, 2006, 12:42 AM
Post #56 of 67
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Number One:
Deciding that I would dedicate my climbing time to getting stronger, and deciding to learn how to get stronger.
Number Two:
Following through on Number One.
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ericbeyeler
Oct 20, 2006, 2:39 AM
Post #57 of 67
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In reply to: There's only one thing that comes to mind when I think about what has helped me climb harder. I'm 6'2" and the extra height means more weight to carry up the wall, so it's essential I cut every ounce possible. An hour or two before I hit a realy hard climb I down a whole bunch of laxatives. After 45 minutes or so all the extra, uh... retained weight, will be violently expelled from your system. You'll feel ten pounds lighter! Trust me, this is the key to nailing those hard sends!
At 205 lbs plus 20 lbs of gear I don't think a few ounces will make much of a difference to me ;) I do need to work on thinning my rack to fit the route though.
I will add two more things that have really helped (echoing others' comments) - balance, and learning to really trust my feet. Over the past year I have reduced how much I use my arms by concentrating on foot placement (making sure my shoes are clean really helps with this). I can thank an A2 pulley injury last winter for forcing me to use my feet more and also learning to use the easier-on-your-tendons open hand grip almost exclusively.
Eric
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ja1484
Oct 20, 2006, 4:31 AM
Post #58 of 67
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- There is no substitute for hard work. Climb hard, and climb often.
- Pay attention to your body. Don't climb so hard and often that you injure yourself.
- CROSS TRAIN. I cannot stress this enough. I don't care if you prefer to sport climb - your crack technique will suffer if that's all you do. Like bouldering? Fine, but you won't have endurance for more than 6 moves unless you get on the ropes regularly. A trad head? Right on, but you'd better hit those boulders regularly enough to get some power for those do-or-die cruxes. People who eschew all forms of climbing except their most preferred either aren't ambitious or are dangerously short-sighted.
Like climbing? Awesome, but you need to be in the gym too. Resistance training, cardiovascular training, balance, flexibility, and more add so much to your arsenal.
- Keep your mind hungry. You should never stop looking for ways to do things safer, or for opportunities to pick up tips from others, or for chances to learn about your gear more thoroughly. Wanting to learn and grow will lead to learning and growth - including that of your climbing ability.
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enjoimx
Oct 20, 2006, 4:47 AM
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When climbing became personal, i improved.
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themadmilkman
Oct 20, 2006, 5:42 AM
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My best improvements always came after TRing routes that were way out of my range and having another climber talk me through the moves of the climb. It let me see what I could do and what I would need to work on.
My other key factor was to take time off. I'm not talking about rest days. I'm talking about boxing up your gear and not touching it for two or three weeks. Stay away from the gym/crag. Don't open any magazines or books you have sitting around. After your time off, you'll almost invariably come back with a clearer head and better focus.
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rome2282
Oct 20, 2006, 2:34 PM
Post #61 of 67
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In reply to: In reply to: . . . even though I'm just an intermediate-level climber, I simply didn't find it helpful. No offense, but I would list the things I picked up from the book had there been any. I opened the package, skimmed through the book, clicked through the DVD, nothing caught my attention, so I put everyting on the shelf and never touched it again. But again, this is my personal opinion guys, ok? Of course its your personal opinion, no problem with that at all. But you don't answer the question, except to suggest that you formed your opinion without actually reading the book. If all you did was "skimm" and "click throught" how could you possibly know if it has any use or not? If you actually had something well informed and critically engaged to back up your person opinion that would have been great. Probably could have led to an interesting discussion.
To continue the thread jack...
Fluxus, one thing I noticed about your book (well climbing how-to books in general) is the relevancy and impact of different sections at different points in the learning process. I believe there is some sort of semi-fixed critical sequence of learning that applies to climbing. Until I've reached the next milestone certain techniques/topics just don't click. You can read them and believe you understand them but they just don't apply until the previous steps/milestones are understood. (I.e. trying to flag before learning to feel balance)
Because of this, I’ve made it a habit to pick your book up from time to time and re-read sections of it. I've been amazed how a chapter that seemed so obvious on first read, now has deeper meaning behind it. I’d suggest this approach to anyone trying to improve by reading about it. Sections like Movement Centers still seem far in my future. It's an easy concept on paper but I have much more to learn and a lot of climbing to do before I feel that I could truly grasp the concepts in that section.
As far as actual criticism, the only thing I could think of is – tighter integration with the actual climbing movements. This is hard for me to explain and it is something that your book does much better then some of the others (especially with the DVD) but certain chapters steer away from climbing movement. The chapter on physiology had my interest peaked but there wasn’t any connection between the specific muscle groups and their impact on specific climbing moves. Large sections of the balance chapters also steered away from climbing moves. The parts that demonstrated balance in various movement sequences really did it nicely. I’m not sure if this is something that would help others but I’m at a point in the learning process where I’m trying to feel and find efficiencies. Seeing the moves illustrated and compared with less efficient options really demonstrates WHY and HOW different movement sequences affect overall efficiency.
Other then that, I’d have to say great book especially tied with frequent climbing.
[/End further thread jack….]
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heiko
Oct 20, 2006, 2:54 PM
Post #62 of 67
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[quote="fluxus"]
Of course its your personal opinion, no problem with that at all.
In reply to: But you don't answer the question, except to suggest that you formed your opinion without actually reading the book. If all you did was "skimm" and "click throught" how could you possibly know if it has any use or not?
I'm a researcher, I review scientific publications. Finding out whether a climbing book with a lot of photos has anything valuable in store for me doesn't take me very long. I repeat, I was saying that FOR ME the book was kinda useless, I was not giving a review of it (and I'm not intending to, as that is what I get paid for ;) )
Best,
Heiko
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braaaaaaaadley
Oct 21, 2006, 4:20 AM
Post #63 of 67
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This may be way obvious... but climb more often. I think the past two months of climbing three times a week in the local gym has done wonders far greater than my typical once a week sessions have done for the past two years. Also, as many others have suggested, bouldering long traverses will help wonders with your feet. You new people should start there. :D :wink:
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jeff_m
Oct 21, 2006, 4:56 AM
Post #64 of 67
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In reply to: My other key factor was to take time off. I'm not talking about rest days. I'm talking about boxing up your gear and not touching it for two or three weeks. Stay away from the gym/crag. Don't open any magazines or books you have sitting around.
No f*ing way! I'd be beating the wife or torching the dog if I couldn't get out and rip fingertips on a continuous basis. (And I mean that in the most calm, liberal, non-threatening, unbiased, non-mysogynistic and utterly humane way possible....)
Okay, seriously:
Bouldering constantly (on real rock if you can get it). Once you solve a problem, switch the sequence, start on the opposite foot, add intermediates, etc.
"Flow" (work on finding that magic point of progressing/sequencing: not too fast/not too slow---it's that thing the pros do that looks so damn wonderful---and feels so damn wonderful)
Footwork (duh), but make it a point to REALLY watch where you're going to put your foot and work on sticking it EXACTLY instead of futzing around on the hold until it feels right.
Different types of shoes for different types of climbing (try them all and see what really works----ignore labels, reviews, trends, etc.)
Oh, and just plain COMMIT already!
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themadmilkman
Oct 21, 2006, 8:42 AM
Post #65 of 67
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I'm not saying take time off every month, only twice a year. Center one around a holiday you like, maybe Christmas. Put the other 6 months from that.
Your body will thank you, dearly.
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heiko
Oct 21, 2006, 9:22 AM
Post #66 of 67
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In reply to: I'm not saying take time off every month, only twice a year. Center one around a holiday you like, maybe Christmas. Put the other 6 months from that. Your body will thank you, dearly.
So will your mind. Unless you're only climbing abundantly bolted sport or low-ball boulder problems, your mind needs a bit of peace, maybe 1 to 2 months per year (not accumulating rest day, I mean full months).
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jeff_m
Oct 21, 2006, 4:41 PM
Post #67 of 67
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Isn't that what sleep's for? (I think 3.8 months of rest per year is enough....) :twisted:
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