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hardcoredana
Oct 20, 2001, 10:20 PM
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I have read Eric Horst's articles on mental training ("Training, it takes more than muscles" Climbing #120 and "Training, making moves: Visualization Techniques." Climbing #121) and found them to be very helpful. Both articles, if you haven't read them (you should), provide a concrete program for developing the mental aspects of training for climbing.
What other kinds of mental training exercises can you do for climbing? Do you think that mental training is valuable or a waste of time, and why? What other resources are there for mental training?
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greatgarbanzo
Oct 20, 2001, 11:24 PM
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MENTAL TRAINING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF CLIMBING, PERIOD.
Climbing is, at least 75% mental and 25% phisical. If you think you can do it you will, BELIEVE ME...
Everything is in visualisation, relaxation and believing in yourself!
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compclimber
Oct 20, 2001, 11:58 PM
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I do mental training all the time. Some of my favorites are to sit in a pitch black room and just meditate...or sit in the bathroom with the shower running, The sort of deafening roar of the shower allows you focus on your breathing and makes you aware of the tightness in your muscles and allows you to relax. I also listen to music that flows and is deep and rythmic, Imagining it is moving through my body as I listen to it.
spellmaster fiend wuz here
[ This Message was edited by: fiend on 2001-10-20 21:43 ]
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trillium
Oct 21, 2001, 12:05 AM
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This is a little along the lines of mental training: At a rockgym blindfold yourself or just close your eyes (without cheating) and try to climb while on belay. It has helped teach me concentration and visualization while in action.
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pianomahnn
Oct 21, 2001, 12:06 AM
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Hardcore says I'm too tense when I climb. Should I chill in the shower more often to maybe loosen up my muscles?
Sometimes I start thinking I can't do something, but then I get over it and climb on. I don't think I do much mental training, except overcoming things that might be harder than I excpected, or something.
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vaness
Oct 21, 2001, 12:39 AM
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i agree than 75% is mentel and 25% physical. i have seen people capabul of climbing a 5.8 but cant get up a 5.5 because they say they wont be able to do it. if i said i cant do this i can try 1000 times and i wont get up. i take the day before i climb to prepare thinking about the climb and seeing myself climbing. i wont stop thinking about it but thats mostly exitement.
trillium thats a good idea about the blindfold thing.
vanessa
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compclimber
Oct 21, 2001, 1:32 AM
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Ya piano give the shower thing a try....it works for me. I do it the night before a competition and when I am at the comp then I just think of how relaxed I am when I do that and I start loosening up.
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metoliusmunchkin
Oct 21, 2001, 1:42 AM
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Compclimber, Trilium: I have never really given mental preperation a thought, though have considered it. I will seriously try your methods (mainly the blindfold, the shower and pitch black room meditation). Sounds really mythodical and relaxing, it should help!
Thanks!
-Pat
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beta
Oct 22, 2001, 3:36 AM
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This might be wierd, but I find that if I have been uptight during a climb, my jaw hurts, an unconcious clenching of the teeth thing. Since I have noticed it, I try to focus on relaxing my face.
Other than that, just realizing that any particular climb, pitch, move, is not the end of the world, and relishing in the success and adventure in realizing a particular goal is what climbing is all about. It might take time. Enjoy the failure, the reason you sing is not to get to the end of the song.
Climb on, climb for life, and know that there is a new day for you, a day that others don't get to experience, it's a gift.
Jeff
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hardcoredana
Oct 22, 2001, 4:34 AM
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Beta, that's not that weird. I notice that when I am tense on a climb, my jaw tightens up too. Instead of relaxing my face, though, I smile. Now that probably sounds weird, but I find that the smile automatically relaxes my face, and it puts me in a better mood.
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tyraidbp
Oct 22, 2001, 3:59 PM
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Hey Hardcore this is a great topic. I like it, I like it alot. For you and all you other "mental cases" I have found that time off is the key to becoming stronger. What I try to do is take a week to two weeks off after a strong session(meaning a long month or two)and not think about climbing at all. Well ok, I cant not think about climbing, but I dont think about certain moves on problems or routes. What this will do is give your brain time to develop what is know as ingrams. Your brain knows what you should be doing whether it is breathing, feet, core strength, whatever. But if you continue to climb and take no time off, your brain will not have time to develop. I forget who said it with the facial thing, but you too are correct. Your face has over 80 different muscles in it, and they all directly affect how your brain is functioning. So for example, you have this stern look mixed with some frustration and anger, you will not do as well as you might if you are in a time of pursuit and happiness. If your face is screaming anger, then so is your brain. Try to make sure that before you even start the climb or problem, that you are in good spirits, relaxed, and most of all, having fun. Then if you find yourself moving out of those said values while climbing, stop mentally for a second, and do something totally outrageous to change back to the way you were on the ground. Think of something funny you saw when belaying your partner. I like to remember a time when this guy I was climbing with was working this route called Bird In Hand. He is almost to the crux, getting knocked around by said route, pushing for all he had, when all of a sudden he just rips ass like no bodies business. Now, that may not seem so funny, except there was this really hot girl watching him! So if all that makes sense to any of you, GOOD! If not, I am sorry, let me know and I will try to think of a different story. Like PianoMahnn drinking a MountainBee. Good luck to all of you in your adventures.
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hardcoredana
Oct 23, 2001, 3:33 AM
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Here's a funny story. Okay, so it might be one of those "you had to be there" funny stories, but so what. I'm punchy today.
I was climbing a route full of dynos, and in case you don't know, hardcore sucks all kind butt when it comes to dynos. Four or five of my friends were watching/encouraging me. I was trying to get the first (and incidentally, easiest) dyno, but I couldn't do it. In case you don't know, hardcore hates it when people watch her climb. Especially when she sucks. With each successive try, I kept getting more and more embarrassed/frustrated. My audience, of course, was getting more and more vocally supportive. Finally, I just turned around and asked everyone to stop watching me. I expected them to wander away and find someone else to torment, so I set up for another attempt. Before I threw for the dyne, I happened to look over my shoulder, and all I saw was five guys, standing in a row with their backs to me. I burst out laughing, and we all laughed for a good 3 minutes. I got on the route and sent the dyno right after that.
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jds100
Oct 23, 2001, 4:51 PM
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You could also check into Dale Goddard's & Udo Neuman's book, "Performance Rock Climbing", for more discussion of 'engrams'.
For me, I've had greater accomplishment when I've not had such a hard focus on "sending a route" or "doing" a specific problem; rather, when I've been more casual and relaxed in the time preceeding the attempt. That's for me; other folks seem to need to be hyper-focused and intense. You'll find what works for you by experimenting with different approaches for awhile, and then comparing the results.
It seems like a lot of the articles and webpages that talk about this, though, do emphasize the need to focus on making the effort, not the results of the effort. In other words, evaluate yourself (which we all must do to ourselves to gauge our progress and "success") according to the effort given, not the result achieved.
On the ground: make a habit during vislization of submitting fear to your rational evaluation skills.
On the climb: smile, breath steadily, focus on completing the next move or two -solving the problem that's right in front of you- (not the top, or a possible fall); let your rational evaluation habit do its job.
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aulwes
Nov 17, 2001, 2:49 AM
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Does anyone know any good books on mental training, or over coming fears?
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jumaringjeff
Dec 15, 2001, 12:43 AM
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I can certainly agree with the fact that climbing is largely mental. I had been working on this overhanging route at the gym for over a month and once I got all the beta/learned all the moves, I simply spent a week visualizing myself performing the moves. I went back the following weekend and sent it!! It was so easy; I just flowed from one hold to the next, just as I had meditated.
Just remember, your mind controls your body. The more you control your mind, the more you control your body.
Mind over matter; if you REALLY want to do something, and the more you believe in yourself, you'll do it. I only have 4 fingers on my left hand but that doesn't stop me from climbing 5.10 (working on 5.11). Just stay positive and have fun!!
Happy jumaring,
jj
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graniteboy
Dec 15, 2001, 5:08 AM
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Mind. one of the points is to spend enough time climbing that your mind becomes completely at home with movement in a vertical world. Yes, all these engram suggestions are good. But they're just the intellectual description of the PROCESS. You have to Feel the climb. Before, during, and after you send. Try ashtanga yoga, too. lots of good breathing control exercises while doing impossible movements that translate well into climbing applications. And the flexibility and strength you gain from yoga don't hurt your climbing either.
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nikegirl
Dec 15, 2001, 6:05 AM
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Right on Granitboy! I've stated, so many of times, Yoga is a major key to mental training. I may be new to this all, but, Yoga is what brings me to "center" before, during, and after climbing. I have my best days climbing, when i practice Yoga prior to my hitting the wall (Gym, it's bloody raining here, ,41 out of 51 days, and so far 24 days straight).
Breathing, stretching, clarity. You name it. Yoga is key to my climbing.
I just want sunshine.
just a little.
waaaaaaahhhh!!!
oops, went off on a tangent.
T
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paulc
Dec 24, 2001, 8:39 PM
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I second JDS' comment about PRC, by godard and neuman (sp?). Hands down the best full body/mind training book I have read.
Paul
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colin
Dec 24, 2001, 11:26 PM
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I just don't think about what I'm doing. For me, most moves come naturally, it's just a matter of ignoring my thought and doing what my body feels.
Also, when I'm climbing I ask my spotter to tell me to climb certain problems at random. When he does, I just go into autopilot and without thinking can find and climb almost any line.
Colin: Currently convincing himself he can do "The Fly" for when he goes to NH.
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treyr
Jan 5, 2002, 6:48 PM
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For me my best mental exercise is to get the brain going breathin is really a key to climbing breath in through the knows and out through your mouth. And think before you make a move.
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