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.
Slow Strength 1
Tags: easy, limited time, Steve Bechtel, Strength
by Steve Bechtel Sometimes you just want to be climbing. I get it—it’s what we all got into it for, and the training can sometimes feel like a massive distraction. These days, I’m super busy, and when I get a chance to get outside, even for just a couple of pitches, I take it…and my…
Rebuild I
Tags: basic strength, Novice Training, rebuild
By Steve Bechtel This is a training cycle of 4 weeks for climbers who have either never trained using weights and hangboards, or who have been away from climbing and training for an extended period of time. The volume and difficulty is progressed conservatively, and we are looking for the work capacity and strength to…
“Time Off” Training Plan
Tags: Minimal Training, Steve Bechtel, time off
by Steve Bechtel OK, It might seem weird to write a training program for time away from climbing. It also might be weird to be seeking out a training plan to do that involves “time off.” Because isn’t “time off” just time away from doing a training plan? Sure, you could do that. You have…
Foundations of Power
Tags: Micah Elconin, Power, Power Training, Training Plans
by Micah Elconin Introduction Admittedly, this was an experiment. I’ve consistently strength trained for most of my multi decade climbing career and seem to be a relatively strong human given my age, history etc. Sure, there’s always some weak links I’m looking to shore up, but as a general rule, I know that strength is…
Long Haul – In-Season Maintenance Plan – Rock Climbing
Tags: in season, long haul, Peaking, strength maintenance
The Long Haul plan is built as a supplement to a regular climbing schedule that takes place for extended periods of time. In essence, it is written to keep athletes strong and explosive, and should be flexible enough to fit within the constraints of a normal climbing week – which can be all over the…
Five New Hangboard Sessions – Fall 2022
Tags: Finger Strength, Hangboard, programs, Strength, workouts
Five New Hangboard Workouts – Fall 2022 by Steve Bechtel Trying to decide between doing repeaters and max hangs is like living in Paris and trying to decide between eating at McDonalds or Subway. Not only are there other options out there, some of them might actually be better. Hell, I can’t blame the average…
2-3-1 Finger Strength A
Tags: Finger Strength, off-season strength, volume cycling
by Steve Bechtel If you’ve been training for any amount of time, you are probably familiar with “staleness” in training – when you go flat despite trying harder, putting more weight on the bar, or upping the grades in your limit sessions. Most athletes will show a pretty standard pattern of going flat after around…
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…