Training
Call it What You Want, Periodized Training Works
Tags: Bompa, conjugate periodization, Matveyev, nonlinear periodization, Periodization, Planning, Program Design
By Steve Bechtel I get a ton of questions about whether periodization is effective. The answer, unequivocally, is yes, periodized training works. The confusion comes in that many climbers don’t really know what periodization is. In fact, many climbing coaches read an article or two about classic periodization models (i.e. Bompa or Matveyev) and they…
More On Periodization
Tags: Bompa, Charlie Francis, Periodization, Planning, Program Design
By Steve Bechtel I remember the first time I learned about classical periodization plans. The whole idea of planning out my training according to easily defined phases which would lead to spectacular results appealed to the eternally plateaued climber in me much the way x-ray specs appealed to me as a nine-year-old. I tried a…
40 Workouts, 8 Weeks
Tags: Conditioning, Dan John, Discipline, Kettlebells, Quality Training, Strength Training
by Charlie Manganiello SFG II Is Your Strength Glass Half-Full or Half-Empty? 40 Workouts – 8 Weeks… It’s so easy you won’t do it. Disclaimer: I did not invent this. I plucked this gem out of a book called Easy Strength written by Dan John and Pavel Tsatsouline. I know, they sound like strong dudes,…
Less is More – One Reason Your Training Plan is Failing
Tags: Focus, Programming, Simplifying Training, Tactics
By Steve Bechtel Some people train so that they can climb better. I am convinced, though, that some people train so that they can make up cool spreadsheets and obsess over numbers. They start to lose touch with the basic rules of training, and add, add, add more stuff until they don’t have any room…
Strength and Power Sessions for Bouldering
Tags: Bouldering, Campus Board, Circuits, CNS, Hangboard, Movement Preparation, Power, System Board, Weight Training
By Steve Bechtel Training for bouldering is a little bit different than just bouldering. I submit that just bouldering itself is great for getting good at the sport, just as going running is a good way to get ready for a 5k. As you know, though, top runners don’t “just run.” In order to develop…
Minimalist Training
Tags: Indoor Climbing, Minimal Training, Planning, Program Design, short workouts
By Steve Bechtel Minimalist training has been around in some form or other for years. And when I talk about minimalist training, I’m not just talking about doing jack shit and calling it good enough. I’m talking about doing the minimum necessary training to see continued progress. Undoubtedly, doing more of a particular thing works…
Strength Training for Rock Climbing (Part 2)
Tags: Specificity, Strength Standards, Strong, Training, Weight Training
By Steve Bechtel In part one of this article, I talked about why many climbers should consider supplementing their climbing-specific training with resistance training. In this article, I’ll talk about how. First, let me say that I think resistance training is terribly misunderstood and misused by climbers. When we talk about strength training with weights…
Strength Training for Rock Climbing (Part 1)
Tags: Strength Standards, Strong, Training, Weight Training
By Steve Bechtel Although rock climbing is my favorite sport, my day job is that of a strength coach. At our facility, we train athletes of all walks of life, and the majority of what we do is strength training with weights. We also have a climbing gym at our facility, and we often…
The Value of a Climbing Coach
Tags: bouldering coach, climbing coach, climbing trainer, coaching, hiring a coach
by Steve Bechtel Thirty years ago, almost none of us had coaches. I remember road tripping down to the front range for some competitions, and climbing against a young kid from Colorado Springs named Kevin Gonzales. He was good, younger than we were, and super strong. Most intimidating of all, though, was that he had…