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ohekmat
Nov 26, 2008, 1:10 AM
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Hey guys. I just signed up on the forum. Ive been climbing for about 3 months now and have gone from V0's to being able to knock out most V3's I try if I'm fresh.
I've been strength training on the side and I have been seeing very positive results in consistency and ability.
The jump in difficulty from V3s to V4s seems a lot bigger than from V2s to V3s. Does anyone have any advice on what kind of strength training I should be doing to improve my ability? Currently I fit in 2 strength training workouts a week. Mostly consisting of different variations of pullups and hangs.
I dont know if I should be doing other workouts or maybe just a lot more climbing. Any advice on how to improve the transition from V3 to V4 would be awesome. Thanks guys.
noobie out
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Valarc
Nov 26, 2008, 1:24 AM
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Forget strength training and focus on technique. Buy The Self Coached climber and work the exercises in the book. Focus on footwork, body position, movement initiation, and climbing efficiently, not counting how many pullups you can do.
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meahtots
Nov 26, 2008, 1:25 AM
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its actually the jump from V10-V11 that you should be worrying about
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ryanb
Nov 26, 2008, 1:37 AM
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You need to identify your weaknesses and target them.
Honestly strength training is probably not going to help you as much as training on the wall. With pull up and (i'm assuming) bent arm hangs you are pretty much targeting one very specific movement (lock off strength), and there are probably other movements that you are worse at at this point. Also, too many pullups/lock offs can lead to muscle imbalance and climbers elbow.
I suggest trying to focus on a few of techniques/movements/grips that are giving you trouble each session on the wall (choices might include heel hooks, toe hooks, drop knees, stemming (inside corner), compression (ouside corner/arete), quiet foot placement, precise dead pointing, shaking out/resting on the wall, endurance (staying on the wall), using slopers, using under clings, locking off and campusing). At this stage you will probably make the biggest gains with foot work/body position.
You can experiment with light grip training but it is very easy to overdo this and injure a tendon so be careful and say in control.
Also work to develop core strength (balancing abs and lower back) as it is crucial in harder bouldering.
Whatever you do, aim for balanced muscle development. If you can get 3-4 sessions on the wall in a week most of your off the wall training should be to balance out the muscles you build climbing (ie pushing muscles) and maybe build general endurance.
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full1346
Nov 26, 2008, 1:57 AM
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im not much of a boulderer but climbing is climbing i general i suppose. like what was said previously, focusing on technique is much more beneficial that brute power.
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kirksullivan
Nov 26, 2008, 4:01 PM
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pfft, don't pay attention to the number, most of the time its the number that gets people.
but, do some yoga!
(This post was edited by kirksullivan on Nov 26, 2008, 4:01 PM)
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Parkerkat
Nov 26, 2008, 4:07 PM
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Climb and watch others who are better climb..watch what they do...the technique and your gold..
The number of meatheads I see who do lots of strenght, can campus through any v0-v3, but anything higher just flat out stumps them since strenght only goes so far before technique is a must have.
Forget separate strenght training.. Go climb as much as possible, and finish off you day with your pulls, hangs and push ups.. you'll get a much deeper workout, but mostly you'll just be climbing more!..
You don't learn anything without doing!
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headchop
Nov 26, 2008, 4:40 PM
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As others have already said, but to further stress the point, forget strength training and focus on technique.
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paclimber12
Nov 26, 2008, 5:14 PM
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focus on technique..try doing easier climbs without ur feet making a sound. more than anything climbing will help you get better at climbing
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greatgarbanzo
Nov 26, 2008, 5:18 PM
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...and dont forget to try as many V4 as possible! one migth suit you just right!
Dont hesitate to try all V5 and V6 neither... you might surprise yourself.
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ohekmat
Nov 26, 2008, 8:42 PM
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Thanks for all the input guys. I think I will concentrate less on working out and more technique and frequency of climbing. I think its about time i pick up a book aswell so i dont form any bad habits in regards to technique.
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sidepull
Nov 26, 2008, 9:15 PM
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Valarc wrote: Forget strength training and focus on technique. Buy The Self Coached climber and work the exercises in the book. Focus on footwork, body position, movement initiation, and climbing efficiently, not counting how many pullups you can do.
I agree with the above. Also, if you can climb with people that are better than you it will help your progress immensely.
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PNUT
Nov 26, 2008, 9:32 PM
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ohekmat wrote: Hey guys. I just signed up on the forum. Ive been climbing for about 3 months now and have gone from V0's to being able to knock out most V3's I try if I'm fresh. What gym are you climbing at or what outdoor crag is it??
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clews
Nov 26, 2008, 9:37 PM
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when i have a hard time breaking through to the next level of climbing I find that if i climb super hard for 3 or 4 days in a row until my body can't handle it anymore then take a couple days off I come back stronger than ever...
screw technique... just climb hard
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ohekmat
Nov 26, 2008, 9:49 PM
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I climb mostly at planet granite in belmont. I try and go to the new one in SF when I can. I've been bouldering outdoor once and I plan on doing so again when the rain clears up.
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bennydh
Nov 26, 2008, 10:05 PM
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No it doesn't. Almost, at all. Get retardedly strong in gym. Then go outside, get ass handed to you. Learn from failures what you are lacking. Apply what you have learned while practicing in the gym, if you can't be outside.
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clews
Nov 26, 2008, 11:34 PM
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bennydh wrote: No it doesn't. Almost, at all. Get retardedly strong in gym. Then go outside, get ass handed to you. Learn from failures what you are lacking. Apply what you have learned while practicing in the gym, if you can't be outside.
haha I climb v5-v6 in the gym and like v2 outside if i'm lucky
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PatMcGinn
Nov 27, 2008, 12:39 AM
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I think that depends on the person, for me V4-V5 was the hardest grade jump, but for you this may be the hardest. I climb one grade harder in the gym than I do outside, but that's just me. I know people who climb V7 in the gym and climb V5 outside.
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apeman_e
Nov 28, 2008, 2:30 PM
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My advice is to try some sport climbing. Even though it's pretty safe, you'll get above your gear and feel all "life or death" and all of a sudden your footwork, balance, and body positioning will start gettin real precise...
I guarantee you won't be doing the desperate, no feet, bouldering lunging that I'll guarantee you do as a three month climber.
One of my best friends only boulders for like 10 years now, he is strong as an ox, but his technique and footwork are disgusting and he never really gets any better unless he finds a route he can struggle through with only power.
e
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i_h8_choss
Dec 7, 2008, 2:21 AM
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Ive sent V7 outside, although this past week, I got shut down on a VO in Yosemite. Do you think this means I can do some V9's in a gym ??? Just kidding.....ratings suck!
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Senate156
Dec 20, 2008, 3:27 AM
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yeah ratings do suck and can be much more psychological than anything.
However, I've noticed the opposite of what all of you guys have here, I climb V4/V5 outdoors and V2/V3 indoors. But my gym has a crew of really talented route setters who tend to underrate a lot of things. Also, when it comes to bouldering indoors, I'm always worried that I'm gonna accidentally use a "cheat" foot when flagging and I also consider it cheating to use smears on an indoor wall unless your doing it on specific holds. So in that sense I think it's the freedom of bouldering in the real that allows me to climb harder.
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camhead
Dec 20, 2008, 4:14 AM
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the key is to find a gym that does not rate boulder problems. then you just focus on whatever is challenging for you.
I think the original poster's dilemma may also be linked to the fact that many route setters consider v3-4 to be one of those divides between easier and harder, so they grade their problems accordingly. Outside, I have noticed there is not quite such a divide, and there are plenty of hard v3's.
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dudemanbu
Dec 20, 2008, 7:06 PM
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clews wrote: bennydh wrote: No it doesn't. Almost, at all. Get retardedly strong in gym. Then go outside, get ass handed to you. Learn from failures what you are lacking. Apply what you have learned while practicing in the gym, if you can't be outside. haha I climb v5-v6 in the gym and like v2 outside if i'm lucky
That's so interesting. I climb v4/v5 inside and have redpointed a handful of 6's outside.
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