We build all of our training plans to work for real people. Built on 4-week cycles, our plans can be assembled to address almost any training goal. Whether bouldering, big-wall climbing, redpointing, or just getting generally stronger, this is your starting point for getting better.
Alpine Base Fitness II
Tags: Alpine Training, big wall, cardiac output, mountaineering
by Steve Bechtel Contrary to popular belief, the level 2 type programs are not “better” than level 1 programs, it’s that they are aimed at more specific fitness adaptations. Like day trading versus just investing in a diversified fund, the needs of most climbers will be best met by simpler (and easier-to-implement) programming, as in…
Alpine Base Fitness I
Tags: Alpine Training, big wall, cardiac output, mountaineering
by Steve Bechtel I’m not known for my alpine climbing accomplishments, nor for building a training company around getting people to the top of peaks, but more and more often, we’re seeing athletes that have ambitions of climbing in the mountains coming to us for training advice. The majority of training programs for alpine climbing…
General Endurance Training Plan 1
Tags: aerobic power, capacity, cardiac output, Endurance, energy systems, general endurance, High Low, Power Endurance
Here’s what you don’t want to hear. You don’t want me to tell you that the root of your problem might be a fundamental lack of athleticism, that you might be lacking the basic building blocks of not just climbing fitness, but general fitness as well. There is a bit of a yin/yang relationship when…
Pitch One – Start Here
Tags: base fitness, beginner training, Strength Training, Training Plans
This is where you should start If you haven’t been training. This is a general strength progression to help you get ready for harder and more targeted training later on. We suggest this for novice trainees, for climbers who have had more than 6 months off, and for climbers coming off a major injury. The…
Base Strength 1
Tags: Finger Strength, Off Season, Simplest Hangboard Plan, Weight Training
When I say base, I mean base. This plan is a 4-week repeatable plan that is aimed at climbers who are coming off a layoff or who have not done any strength training before. It is a 3-day per week resistance training plan, with a little bit of climbing sprinkled in. You can do more…
The 1-Arm Pull-Up Plan
Tags: Pull-Ups, Strength Training, Training Plans, Upper Body Strength
The 1-Arm Pull-Up Plan is, you guessed it, built around getting an athlete to be able to do a one-arm pull-up. Although this program works well for this purpose, we have also used variations of this program to develop big strength gains in single-leg squats, one-arm push-ups, and other exercises. We’ve modified parts of an…
Unilateral Strength
Tags: Pull-Ups, Training Plans, Unilateral Strength, Upper Body Strength, Weight Training
The Plan Unilateral strength training is simply training one limb at a time. When we do squats or barbell bench press or pull-ups, we are training bilaterally – both sides of the body at the same time. Most of the time, this is a perfectly effective mode of training. There are two reasons, however, to…
Base Strength 2
Tags: Finger Strength, General Training, Off Season, Simplest Hangboard Plan, Training Plans, Weight Training
The Plan Base Strength 2 is obviously the next phase behind Base Strength 1. For the most part, you can stick with Base Strength 1 for 2-3 cycles before you need to make a change. This phase uses the same basic framework, but the set progressions change slightly. Each of the sessions features six movements, as…
Introduction to Strength Training
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This introduction to strength training program is designed for climbers who have been actively climbing in the gym or outside and are considering adding structured training to their program. This plan features fundamental strength exercises and hangboard work. This is designed to be added to a 2-3 day per week climbing schedule. Time commitment is…