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Diggidy


Mar 19, 2013, 2:15 AM
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Critique my training program?
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Hey guys, new to these forums and I wanted to get some advice/ suggestions on my training regimine that I'm just starting on.

Little background; I've been climbing for around 1 years, mostly indoors with a half dozen trips outdoors. I boulder V5, can top-rope 12a and lead around 11a. I progressed pretty quickly when I started, getting to where I'm at now after about 7 or 8 months and have seriously plateaued at this point. I've noticed in general my lack of strength is what's holding me back, specifically hand strength, as well as back strength for large one arm movement/ lock offs. I'd like to train, but realize that I'm still relatively new to climbing regardless of the grade I climb, and would like to avoid serious tendon injury.

I've created the following training regime to begin building basic strength; after significant gains I will start more advanced training like campus boarding and whatnot. The hangboard I have to use is a SoIll Iron Palm.


Finger Strength:
-Hangboard: 2-3 sets (Add weight/remove fingers when too easy)
Lower rail 4 finger open crimp (5-10 second hang, 10 second rest, X6)
Big sloper rail 3 finger open hang (5-10 second hang, 10 second rest, X6)
Slopers (5-10 second hang, 10 second rest, X6)
Small pinch (5-10 second hang, 10 second rest, X6)
Big pinch compression only (5-10 second hang, 10 second rest, X6)


-Finger rolls: 3-5 Sets
Adjust weight for 5-7 rep sets, keep straight wrists


Back/Arm Strength:
-Offset rock rings: 2-3 Sets (Increase offset when too easy) Offset pull ups; 5-7 per arm, hold for 1-2 seconds, lock off until failure on last rep

-Pull up rack frenchies: 2-3 sets
Lock off at full, 90 degrees and 120 degrees; repeat until failure (Add weight when reps >5 full frenchies)


-Reverse row with one arm lock offs: 2-3 sets (Add weight when too easy)


Core strength:
-Bicycles: 2-3 sets; 50 reps (25 per side)
-Planks: 2-3 sets; Hold until failure
-Hang board knee raises: 2-3 sets; 10-20 reps ( straighten legs/ try levers when these become easy)
-Side planks: 2-3 sets; hold until failure
-Slosh pipes: 2-3 sets; 8-12 reps (add water/ build bigger slosh tube when too easy)


Antagonist muscles:
-Finger extensors: Rice Bucket
Pointed fingers, stab into rice, open fingers
Punch rice, rotate fists in both directions
Punch rice, move fist up and down, left to right
On surface, drive thumb deep into rice


-Triceps: Push-ups; 2-3 sets
Use dumbbells, narrow arm width to isolate triceps; 15-20 reps


Day 1 = Bold
Day 2 = Underlined

I will rotate each workday, with a rest day in between every workout. I will substitute climbing days at the gym as a Day 1. I've tried to separate the major muscle groups into multiple days because I don't want to be doing hangboarding and then finger rolls all in one day so as to avoid injury.

What do you guys think?


rhythm164


Mar 19, 2013, 12:47 PM
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Re: [Diggidy] Critique my training program? [In reply to]
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You should see results from this, seems well laid out. One thing id suggest: drop you hang board rests from 10 seconds to 3 seconds with a two - three minute rest between hold types.

Ideally you want to achieve failure at the last couple reps, and go hard enough that you're pretty cashed at the end but not so hard that you can't do another session within 48 hours or so. Experiment, you'll find that sweet spot.


mr.tastycakes


Mar 19, 2013, 4:19 PM
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Re: [Diggidy] Critique my training program? [In reply to]
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If you're a legit V5 boulderer, you've already got the bouldering strength to send in the mid 5.12 range. You emphatically do not need to be any stronger to send harder sport routes.

I would do something a lot more focused on the technical, tactical, and mental aspects of the game if I were you.

Fingerboarding is not generally recommended for someone without a couple years of climbing under their belt, at least. I would hold off on it for another year or two. The rest is all quite unspecific, and I would drop it. This probably isn't what you wanted to hear, but you asked.


redlude97


Mar 19, 2013, 4:48 PM
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mr.tastycakes wrote:
If you're a legit V5 boulderer, you've already got the bouldering strength to send in the mid 5.12 range. You emphatically do not need to be any stronger to send harder sport routes.

I would do something a lot more focused on the technical, tactical, and mental aspects of the game if I were you.

Fingerboarding is not generally recommended for someone without a couple years of climbing under their belt, at least. I would hold off on it for another year or two. The rest is all quite unspecific, and I would drop it. This probably isn't what you wanted to hear, but you asked.
+1. I would instead work on things like aerobic/anaerobic endurance with ARCing and 4x4s, 8x2 and CIRs and see if that boosts you past your plateaus before you jump into hangboarding.


Diggidy


Mar 19, 2013, 5:06 PM
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Thanks for the advice so far. I definitely agree with the mental aspect of training, which I'm slowly trying to accomplish as well. A V3 problem that I could easily flash on a boulder would give me a great deal of trouble on a sport route just because the fear of taking an unexpected whipper

As far as technique, I'm lucky enough to have a lot of better climbers around me that can critique my climbing, and I'm definitely a lot more conscious of my climbing now, how I use my feet, body position and what not, which is helping me become more efficient, but I still do not have the strength to progress any further at this point.

I also realize hang boarding is dangerous for my weak tendons, which is why I'm not focusing so much on heinous crimps (the 4 finger rail is still a half to full bad rail), and more on slopers and pinches as they are a great weak spot of mine (I get made fun of a lot for crimping on pinches because I do not have the thumb strength to really use a pinch).

As for the unspecific stuff, I just wanted to strengthen up my core as I don't want to focus just on my upper body and have an unbalanced core/lower body, although I know it's not going to directly translate to specific climbing gains.


rhythm164


Mar 19, 2013, 7:31 PM
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Hangboarding shouldn't pose any huge threat to you from a tendon health standpoint provided you dont over do it. It would actually probably benefit you from a tendon strength standpoint, as long as you stay off tweaky holds, basically I wouldn't drop any lower than the medium sized holds on, for example, a Metolius Simulator and any hangs you do do on those hold, do without additional weight. you didn't mention anything about it, but if you've considered campusing, Id hold off on that for a good while, as the dynamic loading and unloading of your tendons would likely lead to injury at your level of experience.


mr.tastycakes


Mar 19, 2013, 8:54 PM
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Re: [Diggidy] Critique my training program? [In reply to]
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Diggidy wrote:
Thanks for the advice so far. I definitely agree with the mental aspect of training, which I'm slowly trying to accomplish as well. A V3 problem that I could easily flash on a boulder would give me a great deal of trouble on a sport route just because the fear of taking an unexpected whipper

As far as technique, I'm lucky enough to have a lot of better climbers around me that can critique my climbing, and I'm definitely a lot more conscious of my climbing now, how I use my feet, body position and what not, which is helping me become more efficient, but I still do not have the strength to progress any further at this point.

All good stuff.

My comment about having enough bouldering strength/power was in regards to climbing harder sport routes. If you want to climb 5.12 sport, you've already got the strength.

If you want to boulder harder, you may indeed require more finger strength, among other things.

In reply to:
I also realize hang boarding is dangerous for my weak tendons, which is why I'm not focusing so much on heinous crimps (the 4 finger rail is still a half to full bad rail), and more on slopers and pinches as they are a great weak spot of mine (I get made fun of a lot for crimping on pinches because I do not have the thumb strength to really use a pinch).

I actually don't think hangboarding is more dangerous than climbing. IMO, it's one of those things that's been said so much it's accepted as fact. The loads you put on your fingers while hangboarding are more controlled, and can be gently increased over time. Hard bouldering is the opposite; the loads are random.

If you're set on trying it out, maybe take a look into the classic "repeaters" or "max single hangs" protocols before coming up with a routine all your own.

In reply to:
As for the unspecific stuff, I just wanted to strengthen up my core as I don't want to focus just on my upper body and have an unbalanced core/lower body, although I know it's not going to directly translate to specific climbing gains.

OK, fine. Just watch out for elbow tendinitis from all the lockoff training.

Good luck.


Partner camhead


Mar 23, 2013, 6:47 PM
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Great replies, and other than maybe decreasing your rest periods between hangboard reps, your workout looks good. A few observations: if you are strong enough to start hangboarding, you are strong enough to start campusing. Campusing is certainly not more "advanced" than hangboarding, and the two go together like chops and salsa. After you peak from hangboarding in 4-6 weeks, take some time off from that and get into campusing.

Another thing you may want to consider, depending on your climbing goals, is your lockoff strength. While you don't really need to be cranking out the one-arm pullups or anything, you should be able to hold a one-arm lockoff for 7-10 seconds (especially if your goals include hard trad). Weighted pullups help, too (way more than endless normal pullups)-- try adding enough weight so that you fail around 6-7 pullups, rest for 5 minutes or so, and repeat.


shotwell


Mar 25, 2013, 1:35 AM
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Re: [camhead] Critique my training program? [In reply to]
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camhead wrote:
Great replies, and other than maybe decreasing your rest periods between hangboard reps, your workout looks good. A few observations: if you are strong enough to start hangboarding, you are strong enough to start campusing. Campusing is certainly not more "advanced" than hangboarding, and the two go together like chops and salsa. After you peak from hangboarding in 4-6 weeks, take some time off from that and get into campusing.

Another thing you may want to consider, depending on your climbing goals, is your lockoff strength. While you don't really need to be cranking out the one-arm pullups or anything, you should be able to hold a one-arm lockoff for 7-10 seconds (especially if your goals include hard trad). Weighted pullups help, too (way more than endless normal pullups)-- try adding enough weight so that you fail around 6-7 pullups, rest for 5 minutes or so, and repeat.

Jesus, 7-10 seconds? This has been debated before, and I definitely agree with strong lock off skills for trad climbing. I just don't find it to be all that useful for a sport climber or boulderer. For the record, I can't do a one arm lock off. At all. I do keep getting better though, primarily because I'm building my dynamic movement skills!

Camhead, you're physically a beast. One arm lockoffs, front levers, a shit ton of hand strength, all this together is pretty impressive. I've also watched you climb before and you seem pretty strong technically. Maybe your next step in training is to ask yourself what is really holding you back. Seems like you have some serious room to grow. Good luck healing up and getting back after it!


Partner camhead


Mar 25, 2013, 12:14 PM
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shotwell wrote:
Jesus, 7-10 seconds? This has been debated before, and I definitely agree with strong lock off skills for trad climbing. I just don't find it to be all that useful for a sport climber or boulderer. For the record, I can't do a one arm lock off. At all. I do keep getting better though, primarily because I'm building my dynamic movement skills!

Camhead, you're physically a beast. One arm lockoffs, front levers, a shit ton of hand strength, all this together is pretty impressive. I've also watched you climb before and you seem pretty strong technically. Maybe your next step in training is to ask yourself what is really holding you back. Seems like you have some serious room to grow. Good luck healing up and getting back after it!

Yeah, the lockoff time might be excessive, but lockoff strength seemed to be about the only facet that the OP was not addressing in his in-depth program. Furthermore, although lockoffs are not super essential for "good" technical climbing (the flow of longer, power-endurance routes really needs very little lockoff strength), it's a skill and strength that is great just to keep on the backburner, in case you ever have to pull if out where technique fails. The 7 seconds came from one of the climbing training books that I read.

And Shotwell, thanks for the vote of confidence on "room to grow!" I definitely know what's holding me back at the moment (foot injury), and my upper body strength has really grown disproportionately since my injury this winter, but you're right, I always felt that I was stronger than my climbing level.


climberdude17


Apr 12, 2013, 7:11 PM
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check out this video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVCDp2qG0NU


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