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.
Route Climbing: Late-Season Fitness – Logical Progression Style
Tags: in season, logical progression, maintenance, Route Climbing
by Steve Bechtel What do we do in the latter stages of a performance phase? Usually, we just hold on to hammering against our project, slowly losing fitness in the hopes of being fresh for each climbing day, until we run out of time, energy, or fitness to do the climbing at all. I know…
Aerobic Capacity Program 8:3 (Level 2-3)
Tags: aerobic endurance, capacity, Endurance, Steve Bechtel
by Steve Bechtel A better way to look at endurance in climbing is to understand that unless you’ve totally neglected it, you probably have some kind of general endurance for climbing. I’ll also preface this by saying that if you never try (nor plan to try) routes or long boulders, you might not really need…
8-8-8 Endurance (12 Weeks)
Tags: aerobic power, alactic intervals, Endurance, High Low, Power Endurance, Stamina
by Steve Bechtel The 8-8-8 Plan is a 12 week program aimed at making a long-term improvement in endurance capability. So often people go looking for a plan that will get them “in shape” for endurance, but only ever realize an endurance peak that takes them back to the same level that they previously attained….
General Endurance Training Plan 3
Tags: aerobic power, capacity, cardiac output, Endurance, energy systems, general endurance, High Low, Power Endurance
This is the third General Endurance Plan in the CS series, but isn’t necessarily a progression from GE 1 and 2… This plan is simply one that utilizes some different sessions than we saw in 1 and 2. I’ll remind you that GE2 was a no-climbing-available plan. This plan, although do-able in a gym, requires…
General Endurance Training Plan 2
Tags: aerobic power, capacity, cardiac output, Endurance, energy systems, general endurance, High Low, no climbing gym, Power Endurance
This is the second General Endurance Plan for the site, but isn’t necessarily a progression from GE 1…This one is built with the idea that no actual climbing is available to you. I built this for an athlete that was stationed in Afghanistan and had access to nothing but a hangboard, weight room, and cardio…
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…
Specific Endurance Training Plan 3
Tags: alactic power, Endurance, energy systems, High Low, Intervals, Power Endurance, specific endurance
This is a third option in our specific endurance plans, after, Specific Endurance 1 and 2. This is the highest-volume plan and is somewhat of a progression over 1 and 2. To review from SE1: The alactic energy system is primarily responsible for extremely high-power, short duration activities. Because it relies on energy stored locally…
Specific Endurance Training Plan 2
Tags: alactic power, Endurance, energy systems, High Low, Intervals, Power Endurance, specific endurance
This is a second option in our specific endurance plans, after, Specific Endurance 1, of course. This is not necessarily a progression from that plan, but is a slightly more intensive series of workouts. To review from SE1: The alactic energy system is primarily responsible for extremely high-power, short duration activities. Because it…
Specific Endurance Training Plan 1
Tags: alactic power, Endurance, energy systems, High Low, Intervals, Power Endurance
The alactic energy system is primarily responsible for extremely high-power, short duration activities. Because it relies on energy stored locally in the muscle, supplies dwindle immediately, and then are replenished via the aerobic system. This system is the one you use to do most strength and power training, and it is the one that kicks…
Preseason Build – 4 week – Logical Progression 3
Tags: integrated strength, logical progression, nonlinear, preseason
This plan is built to be done in any rock gym, and you should feel free to modify the specifics as necessary as long as the general build keeps its form. This 4-week plan (which can be extended to 6 or even 8 weeks if progress keeps coming) is ideally suited for a run-up to…
Off-Season Strength and Power – Logical Progression 2
Tags: alactic, logical progression, nonlinear periodization, Off Season
The Logical Progression plans are built to function either as stand-alone training with no additional climbing days, or as in-season programs done between days at the crag. This plan is built around a priority of strength and power development in the off-season from performance climbing. The intensity and difficulty of the training is such that…
Aerobic Capacity Training Plan 2A – 6 Week
Tags: aerobic endurance, Anaerobic Endurance, High Low, muscular endurance, Training Plans
“To increase endurance, you don’t need Tabatas. You definitely don’t need Tabatas.” Pavel Tsatsouline Endurance is like money. If you don’t use a lot, you don’t need a lot. You just need enough to stay ahead of your goals. Most importantly, you never want to spend it faster than you can sustain it, or you’ll…