Because it's a quite controversial topic, which I'm writing about here, I want to tell you first of all, that this is just MY personal opinion; my post is not based on scientific facts.
And since I want to show you another training-philosophy, I know that there will be a lot of people that do not agree with me.
Also I want to metion, that I'm writing these lines with a good intention....the intention to maybe be able to help somebody, getting a better climber.
But of course - and I don't deny that - I'm also doing so, because I wanna get peolpe - including myself - to think about their training habits.
So, today I want to write about a topic which bothers me already for quite a long time: (the right) TRAINING FOR CLIMBING
Nevertheless I wanted to react. I read/saw a lot of posts from people doing some hard training (campusing, hangboarding etc.) to build up more strenght, to finally climb harder than before.
I wouldn't complain about it, if it were some top-climbers doing so, as those guys are at such a high physical level that "normal climbing" simply wouldn't always have such a great effect anymore, though they for sure do a lot of climbing!!
But guys.....here I'm talking about climbers in the 9a and upwards range; probably not even about 8c-climbers, thought it's not possible to fix it at a certain grade, as peolpe (climbers) are different and therefore also have different reachable maximum-levels!
But surely I'm not talking about 8b, 8a or below-7b-climbers...
It seems to me that most of the people forget what's the best climbing-training.
Do you already know what I want to say????
The best training we can do to improve our climbing skills is....................!!!CLIMBING!!!
I don't do down all this campusing and hangboarding because I don't like it or something, I do so because it's my deepest conviction that you will have a larger and even faster improvemenet by climbing (best by bouldering or doing some bouldery routes)!
If you wanna finish your project, but you ain't strong enough yet, it might be a good idea to do some bouldering, or even better simply practice your PROJECT!
But here I would like to differentiate a bit:
If you know you won't be able to send it soon, though you have all the beta, go bouldering instead of trying your project over and over, to build up some more power and then return and send it.
And if you have already done all the moves and just have to link them, keep trying your project please! ;D
With every single day you will feel more comfortable doing the moves (though it's normal that your shape won't be the same everytime, so don't despair, if it's not working well one day....the next one will be better again)
There is nothing more satisfying than the steady process of getting closer and closer to finish your project.
For example...I'm trying a boulder these days....first time I could do 4 out of six moves. The next time it were already 5 and I was very close to also do the 6th one too....and next time I will maybe already try to link the moves (and send it).
The point is, that your body is recording the movements, so that next time your muscles will automatically do the right things in the right time..therefore it's so important to work on your certain project.
Of course it's also possible to simply do some other hard routes/boulders and then return stronger, but the faster way is, to simply let your body adjust to the moves.
Two things I have to add here:
If you read my previous posts you might already have noticed that I'm not an endurance climber. :)
Therefore I have to add, that I refer to routes where probably resistance is not the limiting factor, though I also think it's best to gain resistance in your resistance-project.....but I'm digressing, sorry....
The second thing is, that I'm talking in general terms.
But if you know for example that your limiting factor is mostly - as e.g. for me - body-tension and locking-strenght, then do some boulders where you need exactly these skills and afterwards add some separated exercises to your (boulder-)training, or also do specific exercises on an own training day (without climbing), but still you should do an appropiate amount of bouldering/climbing during such weeks.
Anyhow, I don't want you to misunderstand me. I don't say that you should never do campusing, hangboarding etc. etc., but the main focus and the vast part of your training should be climbing!!! That's it!
So please don't think that I'm kidding you, if you see me at the climbing gym doing one of those or another exercises. ;)
The can be quite important, but they are not the basics!
What I say is, that it doesn't make sense to mainly do such separated strenght-training, and afterwards return to your projects with high expectations, for sure much more power, but just very little (or not at all) improved climbing skills.
But it always depends on YOU! If you like the exercising (on its own), don't stop doing it, but keep in mind, that just from a climbing point of view, there might be a better trainíng.
Btw I just realized there is another thing you should mind....TAKE ENOUGH BREAKS!
Your body isn't building up strenght during your training, but afterwards when recovering.
When you do your next training unit too early, it will not help you to get better, it will throw you back!
For example: I don't consider myself being an 8b-climber, but I'm now somwhere around the 8b-level i guess (yeah, I know I haven't climbed any 8b yet), and I'm training (climbing) 4 times per week, sometimes 5.
Every couple of days I take a two-day-break (probably arround every 10 days).
During the last months I had to pause a lot, but still I could raise my level a lot.
It seems to me that the majority of people is training too much, though they have the feeling to not train enough>>>the result: injuries and stagnation, or at least not the best improvement they could get.
Nevertheless, you should challenge your body, but it's important too listen to its (warning) signs!
This is a quite complex topic, but the fact remains, that nobody gets an injury because of not training enough, but injuries and overtraining (sorry, I dont know if this word exists in english) are a serious problem when training too much.
And of course you should limit the factors for injuries to the smallest amount possible, because what really prevents you from getting better quickly, are those nasty injuries!!!!!!!
To sum it up: - do as much climbing as you can, but note that your body needs breaks to recover
- if your project is in reach, get better by practicing it
- you can do exercises for your strenght and to work on your limiting factors, but in comparison to climbing it shouldn't get too much
- nevertheless train (boulder) hard
I've seen many things past the last few months that I simply don't agree with, though they are not per se wrong.
Nevertheless I wanted to react. I read/saw a lot of posts from people doing some hard training (campusing, hangboarding etc.) to build up more strenght, to finally climb harder than before.
I wouldn't complain about it, if it were some top-climbers doing so, as those guys are at such a high physical level that "normal climbing" simply wouldn't always have such a great effect anymore, though they for sure do a lot of climbing!!
But guys.....here I'm talking about climbers in the 9a and upwards range; probably not even about 8c-climbers, thought it's not possible to fix it at a certain grade, as peolpe (climbers) are different and therefore also have different reachable maximum-levels!
But surely I'm not talking about 8b, 8a or below-7b-climbers...
It seems to me that most of the people forget what's the best climbing-training.
Do you already know what I want to say????
The best training we can do to improve our climbing skills is....................!!!CLIMBING!!!
I don't do down all this campusing and hangboarding because I don't like it or something, I do so because it's my deepest conviction that you will have a larger and even faster improvemenet by climbing (best by bouldering or doing some bouldery routes)!
If you wanna finish your project, but you ain't strong enough yet, it might be a good idea to do some bouldering, or even better simply practice your PROJECT!
But here I would like to differentiate a bit:
If you know you won't be able to send it soon, though you have all the beta, go bouldering instead of trying your project over and over, to build up some more power and then return and send it.
And if you have already done all the moves and just have to link them, keep trying your project please! ;D
With every single day you will feel more comfortable doing the moves (though it's normal that your shape won't be the same everytime, so don't despair, if it's not working well one day....the next one will be better again)
There is nothing more satisfying than the steady process of getting closer and closer to finish your project.
For example...I'm trying a boulder these days....first time I could do 4 out of six moves. The next time it were already 5 and I was very close to also do the 6th one too....and next time I will maybe already try to link the moves (and send it).
The point is, that your body is recording the movements, so that next time your muscles will automatically do the right things in the right time..therefore it's so important to work on your certain project.
Of course it's also possible to simply do some other hard routes/boulders and then return stronger, but the faster way is, to simply let your body adjust to the moves.
Two things I have to add here:
If you read my previous posts you might already have noticed that I'm not an endurance climber. :)
Therefore I have to add, that I refer to routes where probably resistance is not the limiting factor, though I also think it's best to gain resistance in your resistance-project.....but I'm digressing, sorry....
The second thing is, that I'm talking in general terms.
But if you know for example that your limiting factor is mostly - as e.g. for me - body-tension and locking-strenght, then do some boulders where you need exactly these skills and afterwards add some separated exercises to your (boulder-)training, or also do specific exercises on an own training day (without climbing), but still you should do an appropiate amount of bouldering/climbing during such weeks.
Anyhow, I don't want you to misunderstand me. I don't say that you should never do campusing, hangboarding etc. etc., but the main focus and the vast part of your training should be climbing!!! That's it!
So please don't think that I'm kidding you, if you see me at the climbing gym doing one of those or another exercises. ;)
The can be quite important, but they are not the basics!
What I say is, that it doesn't make sense to mainly do such separated strenght-training, and afterwards return to your projects with high expectations, for sure much more power, but just very little (or not at all) improved climbing skills.
But it always depends on YOU! If you like the exercising (on its own), don't stop doing it, but keep in mind, that just from a climbing point of view, there might be a better trainíng.
Btw I just realized there is another thing you should mind....TAKE ENOUGH BREAKS!
Your body isn't building up strenght during your training, but afterwards when recovering.
When you do your next training unit too early, it will not help you to get better, it will throw you back!
For example: I don't consider myself being an 8b-climber, but I'm now somwhere around the 8b-level i guess (yeah, I know I haven't climbed any 8b yet), and I'm training (climbing) 4 times per week, sometimes 5.
Every couple of days I take a two-day-break (probably arround every 10 days).
During the last months I had to pause a lot, but still I could raise my level a lot.
It seems to me that the majority of people is training too much, though they have the feeling to not train enough>>>the result: injuries and stagnation, or at least not the best improvement they could get.
Nevertheless, you should challenge your body, but it's important too listen to its (warning) signs!
This is a quite complex topic, but the fact remains, that nobody gets an injury because of not training enough, but injuries and overtraining (sorry, I dont know if this word exists in english) are a serious problem when training too much.
And of course you should limit the factors for injuries to the smallest amount possible, because what really prevents you from getting better quickly, are those nasty injuries!!!!!!!
To sum it up: - do as much climbing as you can, but note that your body needs breaks to recover
- if your project is in reach, get better by practicing it
- you can do exercises for your strenght and to work on your limiting factors, but in comparison to climbing it shouldn't get too much
- nevertheless train (boulder) hard
