Warm up for 30+ minutes.

Lately, I'll have a great session, followed by five or six climbing sessions that are rather disappointing. I'll be well rested and thinking I'm going to crush and then feel completely sapped within a few problems.

I'm basically wondering if it would be acceptable to do some "maintenance" exercises on non climbing days in an attempt to set a new baseline and increase consistency. I'm trying to be very careful not to overwork myself.

Right now, in addition to stretches and such, I've been adding three twenty rep sets of medium weight dumbell curls and two twenty rep sets of hammer curls, two sets of 25 pushups, and a fair number of squeezes with a BD rubber ring.

FAIL.





Moving on...


So you're saying that you have a good climbing day once about every two weeks?



Sorry, this is just confusing me a little. What do you feel you are not maintaining? General fitness? Specific fitness? Also, just so you are aware, "maintenance exercises" and "setting a new [fitness] baseline" aren't compatible in methodology.




Without knowing exactly what feels sapped, it's hard to say what this will do. Personally, I don't think the curls will do much for you. The rubber ring...who knows? The push ups are okay for building antagonist strength but I don't know if they will change your general energy on the rock much.

The only other things you should maybe consider is not eating enough calories, not getting enough sleep, or a medical problem (maybe a Complete Blood Count is in order?).

Worry less.

Drink more PBR.

Climb, don't boulder.

Warm up for 30+ minutes.

Have fun.

So you're saying that you have a good climbing day once about every two weeks?

Sorry, this is just confusing me a little. What do you feel you are not maintaining? General fitness? Specific fitness?

Without knowing exactly what feels sapped, it's hard to say what this will do. Personally, I don't think the curls will do much for you. The rubber ring...who knows? The push ups are okay for building antagonist strength but I don't know if they will change your general energy on the rock much.

Aerili is probably your best source of info on this here intardwebsite, being a professional in the field, but after answering the same questions over and over it's kind of like being a doctor at a cocktail party...everyone wants free advice. "Hey doc, can you take a look at this goiter on my chonson?"

Thanks for the kind words, and also I find your statement so funny and true.... Sometimes at social events I avoid telling my background because I end up either

1) Being interrogated (usually by a guy) to go over their training program detail by detail in order to help them improve it, or

2) Argued with by some moron who has read/heard something quite inaccurate and employed it in their training and doesn't want to believe that I could know any better than they do

You FAiL because you were born, yeah i went there.

Wow. For posterity.

Yeah, for posterity... For truth.

For PBR. those that take this serious... lAME. go climb a tree

One handed variations are a great tool for rehab, balance and core training and overall strength too.

Worry less.

Drink more PBR.

Climb, don't boulder.

Warm up for 30+ minutes.

Have fun.

I really do appreciate all the replies, even the "have more fun" answers.

After a recent martial-arts class, one of the young guys expressed how he has begun weight training. A massive black-belt, former major college offensive lineman, and very experienced weightlifter, asks the kid what he's doing. The kid starts out, "bench..." "OK, let's see", says the big guy. The kid goes to my bench, and starts the typical slow, non-powerful bench press of an inexperienced lifter. "That's what I thought", says the big guy. "Try it with one hand"... (It was a lever-type machine)

"WHAT?" says the kid. ONE HAND? "Yes", says the big guy. "Try it". The kid tries a couple. "I don't like that, I don't feel strong"

The big guy just smiled knowingly.

Why does everyone over analyze everything? Climbing makes you stronger. If you feel good go climb. If you feel good enough to climb everyday than go for it.

I know the secert to climbing hard.......

Train less and have fun more oftern.

well I missed the point of that story. unless it was that you lift less with one arm than you do with two. or that you shouldn't use weight machines. both of which are pretty obvious.

Do you really think it's "pretty obvious" that NO ONE should EVER use ANY "weight machines"?

Sorry you missed it, fresh. Others seemed to get it.

Do you really think it's "pretty obvious" that NO ONE should EVER use ANY "weight machines"?

Always and never are two words you should always remember never to use.

Got it, fresh?

P.S. Believe it or not, independent limbs can move MORE weight individually than the percentage load they move when used together.

The kid goes to my bench, and starts the typical slow, non-powerful bench press of an inexperienced lifter.

generally, I think weight machines suck. you gain a lot in muscle isolation for losing a lot in balance, coordination, and stabilizing. I'm sure they have their uses but I suspect their usefulness is primarily in focusing on specific weaknesses and rehab, which for most folks is a pretty marginal part of their program. but in case someone mistakes me for someone who knows more than I do, I'm not basing that on any science. just common sense.

well as you can see, I didn't say that. but let me be more clear. generally, I think weight machines suck. you gain a lot in muscle isolation for losing a lot in balance, coordination, and stabilizing. I'm sure they have their uses but I suspect their usefulness is primarily in focusing on specific weaknesses and rehab, which for most folks is a pretty marginal part of their program. but in case someone mistakes me for someone who knows more than I do, I'm not basing that on any science. just common sense.

ohhh, I get the point of the story now. old athletes are inclined to send unclear messages about exercises that should be used as a complement to one's program (that being one-armed exercises). or maybe that they enjoy showing how much more they know than noobs who show genuine enthusiasm? am I getting warmer?

Now, if you'd like to add a qualifier about how machines are useful in some circumstances, well, then we really wouldn't have much disagreement.

The clarity of my message was sufficient for some, especially for those who have knowledge of exercise physiology. At least three such people have taken the time to write in and say so.

Regarding doing slow, non-powerful power lifts...could you provide an example of when powerlifts are best done non-powerfully?

As far as me being an "old athlete"...guilty. But I think you'll find that Argumentum ad hominem won't get you very far.

http://philosophy.lander.edu/logic/person.html

You'd be partially right if you are only referring to old school machines (certainly a lat pull machine or a cable row machine is useful for general training). But the new generation of functional machines that have been coming out in the past decade or so rival anything you can do with freeweights or bodyweight exercises and can actually be superior for serious training. Better to use all the tools available than limit yourself.

I dunno, your argumentum ad hominem faeneus has been working pretty well for you? I wasn't calling you an old athlete. I was calling the man in your anecdote an old athlete.

being an old, smug athlete who doesn't take care to explain himself, but instead smiles knowingly at all the noobs I have a problem with because he's being an asshole.

Regarding doing slow, non-powerful power lifts...could you provide an example of when powerlifts are best done non-powerfully?

I live in a county with seven microbreweries, although I do drink some PBR occasionally. Its my drink of choice at the RRG. I manage to get some rope climbing in, but it is TR at a gym because there are no bolts set up for leading. I wish I could climb more, but the nearest gym is over half an hour away and real rock is 45 min+.


This is not always the case but sometimes it seems like it. Granted, when I get the opportunity to climb, I'm usually pushing myself pretty hard and have fairly high expectations. It's not like I'm flailing on everything; my form and focus seem to be adequate.


I would say general fitness. It is more like my whole body feels tired as opposed to my arms, back, legs, etc.


My general energy is what I'm hoping to change. I know that there is no surefire way to do this and there is no way to guarantee that I'm even going to feel 90% every time. I suppose I will start adding in more moderate roped routes, add some cardio (lacking as of late), and perhaps try to sleep more (I'm already getting close to 8 hours).

I really do appreciate all the replies, even the "have more fun" answers. I have definitely realized that my initial question was actually a fairly complex one. Much of prompted my post is probably psychological because I do have my moments where I feel like I suck at climbing. Nevertheless, I'm in love with the sport.

To answer some more questions (forgive me for not quoting the askers):

I have never had a true training regimen. I just climb, making sure I focus on a variety of problems and routes. I don't use a hang or campus board either.

I'm 24, 5'8" and 142 lbs. I had a CBC about 8 months ago and everything was fine.

Warming up includes a lot of stretching, probably 80 feet of traversing, and then two runs up an easy roped route or a couple of problems at lower grades starting at V0. A given roped session might include 10-12 pitches, while I may crank out 25-35 (I'm guessing) problems at the gym.

Right now I get around 7 hours of sleep a night and usually around 9 on the weekends.

Question: If I do a 10-minute hang board exercise 3-4 times a week when not climbing would that be beneficial? The workouts are just the ones posted on the metolius website- a combination of pull ups, dead hangs, etc. I'm trying to get over the v4 hump.

Thanks for the help

Personally i like to do a large volume of climbing simply because its stress release from work and i just love the tactile feel of climbing - so it is not 'training' as such.

At the moment i climb 5 -6 days a week at an indoor gym down the road from work on my way home and get out on the weekends if possible.

To prevent hurting myself i split my climbing days how i used to split my training when i did powerlifting, powerlifters do a lot of volume but they don't go in and smash the heaviest thing they can lift 6 days a week. they do a max lift day, speed day, technique day ect.

I roughly climb like that, i only crank as hard as i can two days a week. The other sessions i work on things like technique, balance, ARCing, endurance ect - nothing too crazy. (not serious endurance just what i need at the lvl i climb which tends to be shorter routes)

that's fun for me :) 99% of the people on this site climb harder than me though I'm only pushing 23s (Australian) so you can take that rambling advice for what its worth.

Personally i like to do a large volume of climbing simply because its stress release from work and i just love the tactile feel of climbing - so it is not 'training' as such.

At the moment i climb 5 -6 days a week at an indoor gym down the road from work on my way home and get out on the weekends if possible.

To prevent hurting myself i split my climbing days how i used to split my training when i did powerlifting, powerlifters do a lot of volume but they don't go in and smash the heaviest thing they can lift 6 days a week. they do a max lift day, speed day, technique day ect.

I roughly climb like that, i only crank as hard as i can two days a week. The other sessions i work on things like technique, balance, ARCing, endurance ect - nothing too crazy. (not serious endurance just what i need at the lvl i climb which tends to be shorter routes)

that's fun for me :) 99% of the people on this site climb harder than me though I'm only pushing 23s (Australian) so you can take that rambling advice for what its worth.

wow you all really work out hardcore. I just hang on my hang board till it hurts then I go about 3 minutes past that for my anearobic workout. then shuffle around my neighborhood 3 miles for cardio. Followed up by a session on my ghetto boulder cave and after all that I climb at the mountain in my backyard (crowders). none of this in any order or consistancy.seems to work for me, But im not that motivated.