Posts
Progress
Tags: Cragging, Planning, Programming, Redpoint Pyramids, Training
By Steve Bechtel It happens every year at a hundred different climbing areas. There is a glimmer of talent, a hint of drive, and a motivated climber is born. He cruises up through the grades, doing several 5.10 and 5.11 routes with his friends, he makes progress, and then he starts to pull ahead. Finally,…
Pre-Climb Rituals
Tags: Planning, Rituals, Stretching, Training, Warm-Ups
By Steve Bechtel I like to go to competitions. I like them for many different reasons, but mostly it is to watch people as they prepare to compete. See, the vast majority of pre-event activity is nothing like the way we prepare for training. At bouldering competitions, we see all kinds of craziness, and pre-climb…
Extensive Endurance On Home Wall?
Tags: ARC, Extensive Endurance, home wall training, Intervals
Currently the only means of plastic tugging I have is my 6 foot wide 45 degree home wall. I’m curious as to how you’d recommend approaching training extensive endurance with only a steep woody and some hanging implements. I’ve got jugs to rup my greasy fingers on but at the angle I’m working with its…
I don’t understand the 3-6-9 Hangboard Ladders. How much load? How much should I rest?
Tags: 3-6-9, Hangboard Ladders, logical progression, Q+A
I don’t describe a loading progression in the hangboard ladders because I think it should happen somewhat organically. I have found that time after time climber want to progress the loads on the board much more quickly than they should, and it is almost guaranteed that a finger injury occurs in the last week of…
I am a boulderer. How do I apply Logical Progression to my training?
Tags: Bouldering Training, logical progression, nonlinear bouldering
The Logical Progression program was written with route climbers in mind, but it can be applied to any sport. For bouldering, I’d suggest backing off a bit on the energy system work, and increase the strength and power facets of the training. Instead of training like this: STRENGTH > POWER > STRENGTH ENDURANCE You might…
V-Sum Question – Problem Completion
Tags: Bouldering Training, quantifying bouldering, V-Sum
Are failed sends counted? Today I did my warm up and then: v4, v4, v5, v5,v4, 3 attempts at 2 different V5, V4, 2 attempts at a v5, 2xV4. The attempts get me to or just past the crux and are only 1 or 2 moves short of completion. I am targeting overall intensity for…
Work Capacity – Climbing Hard All Day Long (part 1)
Tags: Alpine Training, Endurance, Fitness, Stamina, Work Capacity
By Steve Bechtel Most of the articles I write are aimed at improving performance in single-pitch rock climbing. Understandably, there are big questions when it comes to converting your single-pitch fitness into longer efforts such as big walls or alpine routes. When it comes to performing at a high level for a long day or…
Training Programs for Bouldering – Advanced
Tags: Accumulation, Advanced Training, Block Planning, Bouldering, Cycling Training, Recovery Weeks
By Steve Bechtel I was reluctant to release this training plan, and here’s why: I don’t think more than a handful of the climbers that will read this plan really need this plan. I have released training plans for novices and intermediate level climbers and I believe these plans are better plans for almost every…
Superpower
Tags: Bouldering, Explosiveness, Finger Power, Finger Strength, Power, Rate of Force Production
By Steve Bechtel We like to talk about power in climbing, and we like to think of ourselves as training “power” when we boulder, but is that really what we’re doing? The most powerful athletes in the world compete in activities lasting fewer than ten seconds. The athletes I am talking about are Olympic lifters…
Mobility and Stability, A Primer
Tags: Balance, Flexibility, Injury Prevention, Mobility, Movement, Movement Preparation, Recovery, Stability, Stretching
By Steve Bechtel …or “why you should stop doing everything else until you get this.” Mobility and stability is probably the most important training a climber can do away from the crag is to injury-proof himself. This can include a whole host of treatments, but for the average joe, it means training joint mobility and stability….
Introductory Hip Mobility Drills
Tags: Balance, Flexibility, Injury Prevention, Mobility, Movement, Movement Preparation, Recovery, Stability, Stretching
by Steve Bechtel If you want to see the damage that a desk job can do, teach squats to a group of adults. Many of us spend our days sitting at a desk, drive in a car for an hour or more, sit on the couch for a couple of hours, then curl up in…
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…