mid_gen's Climbing Training - Operation Try Hard

[mid_gen]

So, I've recently decided to start taking my climbing a bit more seriously....and I'm at a point where I need to start properly training to progress in the grades. Figured I'd use a thread here to record it.

I've been bouldering indoors about 5 years now I guess, with intermittent roped climbing over most of that, although I've seriously gone into trad and sport climbing this past year. In the last few weeks, I've cracked V6 (fontainebleau 7a) grade on indoor bouldering.

So...for training, gone for the classic....a Beastmaker 2000 is now installed above my study door. I got the 2000 because I want to train the 45 degree sloper.

Also just got a Lattice Training Pinch Block and weight pin, and a pile of weights.

Other stats :

Height : 6'2" (188cm)
Weight : 72.5kg
BMI : 20.5
Ape index : +5
Age : 40

Not really aiming to lose weight, but wouldn't complain if reduced my body fat percentage a bit. I don't have a lot to lose, and I suspect muscle gains from training hard will offset any fat loss.

Diet-

Diet wise, I'm on two scoops Huel back edition for breakfast. Two scoops Huel hot and savoury for lunch, some kind of snack in the afternoons if I'm having an early training session, then a veggie dinner.

Activity-
I climb indoors 3 times a week. Usually bouldering but sometimes sport. Weekends if it's dry I'm out climbing trad/TR solo.

The Plan-

Do a Lattice Training finger strength and pinch strength assessment. Start training both of them.
Continue bouldering and climbing 3-4 times a week.
Incorporate more hard training to those sessions. Spray wall, rings, campus board.
Core workouts and antagonist training at home on off days.

Let the trying hard commence!

 

[Martynt74]

I know nothing about climbing but did release a chuck at "Ape index"

 

[mid_gen]

I know nothing about climbing but did release a chuck at "Ape index"

Heh, finally a sport where my gangly limbs are useful Just means my armspan is 5cm longer than my height.

Did the Lattice pinch strength assessment. 10kg was my limit, being strict with the lines. Right hand could have done a few more kg I reckon, but left was desperate. Need to try and balance that out.

Bit pressed for time this evening, but did a set of 30 sit-ups with 10kg held at head height.

Tomorrow looks like sport climbing....need to push on.

 

[mid_gen]

Sport climbing session this evening, 2 1/2 hours of climbing.

Mostly 6B and above after a warm-up. Worked on a steep 6C+ for a while and could do all the moves but was getting pumped out of my mind and couldn't find good rests.

Found a sustained, fingery and powerful 7A and worked it on top-rope for a while and managed to send it. Couldn't manage the lead! Clip position below the crux was super awkward....one to come back to!

Really need to do more sport...power endurance is miserable....

Weight was down to 71.5kg this morning.

 

[mid_gen]

2 arm deadhang test today, on a 20mm edge.

12kg.

Not as much as I thought, definitely plenty to work on!

 

[mid_gen]

2hrs bouldering yesterday. Mostly just volume, tried a few limit problems though.

Quick set of 12 ab rollouts on the rings before we had to get going.

 

[Kreeeee]

Heh, finally a sport where my gangly limbs are useful Just means my armspan is 5cm longer than my height.

It’s great for boxing to when you are put into weight classes.

 

[mid_gen]

90 minutes of bouldering today. Mostly V5s, repeated a couple of V6. Beat a new V5 roof problem that felt very smooth and controlled compared to the struggle-fest last time I tried it. Progress.

Left elbow feeling a bit tweaky, mild tendonitis, so cut the session short though.

Tomorrow will be core and antagonist exercises while I'm watching the football.

 

[mid_gen]

Tuesday

Lattice Core Floor workout
3 x 15 Twisting crunches
3 x 15 dish tucks
3 x 15 kneeling superman

Wednesday
2 hours bouldering. Mostly steep/roof V5s.

Sent a V5 steep techy pocket/crimp suffer-fest. Felt solid.

Nearly done another V6, sloping overhang

 

[mid_gen]

Saturday

Bouldering...winter league competition. 1hr30 running through the comp problems.

Sunday

Arrived at Stanage shortly after sunrise on Sunday.

Top rope solo'ed on Heather Wall until lunch time, then when the troops arrived, did some leading and seconding.

Probably 25-30 routes in all, left in the dark with head torches.

In absolute bits today

 

[mid_gen]

Tuesday
=====

Two arm deadhang 90% (+3kg)
10 seconds * 6 reps

Two hours bouldering, mostly limit problems.....that I tried for too long and should have rested more on...and was still feeling a bit drained from my epic Sunday session.

 

[mid_gen]

Thursday
======

Two hours bouldering
Lattice training hip flexibility workout afterwards

Sunday
=====

Bochlwyd horseshoe, Little and North gullies, Bristly Ridge, Y Gribin descent. 10 hours on the mountain in total, doing some rope pitches.

 

[mid_gen]

Tuesday
=====
Indoor bouldering, 1 1/2 hours. Limit boulders.

Thursday
======
Indoor bouldering, 2 hours. Circuit wall, 4 repeats of the 7a circuit.

Saturday
======
Indoor bouldering, 2 hours. More circuit repeats. Also started working some moves on the system board.

3.5k trail run.

Sunday
=====
Short climb at Stanage Plantation, followed by 5.5k trail run along the edge.

Starting to feel in really solid shape. Going to boulder outside today with some try-hards....see how I get on.

 

[mid_gen]

Binned off the outdoor bouldering...too bloody cold

Monday
=======

5k run. 30', 150bpm.

2 hours bouldering. Working the 7b circuit wall. Pumped as hell...but nearly cracked it.

 

[mid_gen]

Down to 71kg this morning. 4kg down from when I started recording it in June. Steady downward trajectory.

Don't really want to lose any more so may up my calorie intake, especially now I'm running.

 

[fez]

Be very careful about your weight as you are already on the very lean side and you are 40. I have no idea about your injury-proneness but losing weight when you are already very lean suggests you need to up your calories considerably or you will either start losing progress or injure yourself. The lattice programs are also quite full on. There isn't a huge amount of recovery time built in usually. I don't know how much they tailor it to your age with the plan you have but quite a lot of people I know have been injured by ramping up their training quickly and their body not being ready for it.

Funnily enough its usually the circuit board at my local wall that injures people. I think its the dropping down at one end of the loop that gets people because you are tired and your form has gone to **** at that point and you are just pushing yourself on tweaky moves.

Glad to hear you are making progress on it though. I had fallen out of love with climbing a bit during lockdown and got into MTB over the last year a lot more but the grotty weather has driven me inside and climbing again so I am getting back into it.

Tried a session on the 40 board on monday and got absolutely put in my place. Could barely do 6B. Used to be pulling down 7B or harder when I was climbing a lot. Trying to use my weakness as an opportunity to fix some movement and technique issues I know I have before I fall back into the habit of being quite strong but with questionable movement.

 

[mid_gen]

Be very careful about your weight as you are already on the very lean side and you are 40. I have no idea about your injury-proneness but losing weight when you are already very lean suggests you need to up your calories considerably or you will either start losing progress or injure yourself. The lattice programs are also quite full on. There isn't a huge amount of recovery time built in usually. I don't know how much they tailor it to your age with the plan you have but quite a lot of people I know have been injured by ramping up their training quickly and their body not being ready for it.

Funnily enough its usually the circuit board at my local wall that injures people. I think its the dropping down at one end of the loop that gets people because you are tired and your form has gone to **** at that point and you are just pushing yourself on tweaky moves.

Glad to hear you are making progress on it though. I had fallen out of love with climbing a bit during lockdown and got into MTB over the last year a lot more but the grotty weather has driven me inside and climbing again so I am getting back into it.

Tried a session on the 40 board on monday and got absolutely put in my place. Could barely do 6B. Used to be pulling down 7B or harder when I was climbing a lot. Trying to use my weakness as an opportunity to fix some movement and technique issues I know I have before I fall back into the habit of being quite strong but with questionable movement.

I had a little lockdown/middle age weight that crept on round my waist, which is now gone. I don't plan on losing any more. I'm one of those annoyingly built for climbing people, all limbs, and naturally lean. Strength is what's holding me back now. Finger strength on crimps/edges is pretty good, I can pull moves that people climbing grades harder than me can't....my pinch strength and contact strength on slopers....and the usual core and technique needs work. I should probably get out and boulder on the grit more!

I'm not following a full lattice program, just complementing my climbing days with some of their workouts. If I've been doing volume in the gym I'll do finger strength workouts, if I've been working hard crimpy routes I'll do some flexibility and core.

Used to use a moon board, but the place I climb now just has a 40 degree woody spray wall, so I'm getting back on that. Really focusing on the circuit wall though to build my endurance for outdoors.

 

[mid_gen]

Wednesday
=========
Indoor bouldering. New woody routes, V3-6 ish.

Friday
=====
Another 1hr30 on the woodies

Saturday
=======
Max Hangs, 6x10 seconds 20mm edge +3kg
Lattice Hip mobility exercise

Sunday
======
About half an hour of bouldering outdoors at Churnet Valley, before the snow started.

Pinch block exercise. 6x2x10 seconds @9kg

 

[mid_gen]

Monday
=====
Max hangs 6x10 20mm +3kg

Tuesday
=====
1hour bouldering indoors

Wednesday
=======
2 hours bouldering indoors. including 5 reps of the 7b circuit (although I'm still just coming off the last move...shhh)

Can feel the gains already, particularly finger strength. I couldn't manage the first crux of the 7b while fresh....now I can do the whole circuit on repeat. Need to start linking multiple reps.

 

[mid_gen]

Saturday
======
2 hours indoor bouldering. New comp circuit, did 18 routes.

Sunday
=====
Max hangs, 20mm edge 6 x 10 seconds +3kg
Bicep curls, 6x10, 10kg