UKC

Hello fellow climbers!
I have a slight problem with my indoor bouldering. I usually go to the wall once a week (every monday). That way I can boulder around V0+. Several times now I've tried to up it to 2 sessions per week, but every time the following happens. All goes well for the first 3 sessions and on the 3rd session (first session of the second week) I can already climb a grade harder (V1), but then at the next session I get injured, have to lay off for a few weeks and then I am back to the square one. Can anyone offer some advice how to break out of it?

In reply to Kirill:

Warm up?

Get injured how?

In reply to Kirill:

Would help if you told us how you got injured

In reply to NorthernGrit:

I do warm up, climb very easy for the first hour or so. Is that enough?

Injuries are different every time, but what they have in common is that they happen during the 4th session after I up the number of sessions to 2 per week. I.e. on the 2nd session of the second week. I've had strained back, torn pulley, inflamed biceps tendon (possibly partial rupture), rotator cuff problems of all sorts, countless pulled muscles, etc.

No one has anything? Should I just give up?

In reply to Kirill:

do you do any other training in between climbing?

how do you warm up loads of easy problems, or a gradual increase in difficulty

do you stretch? before, after, on rest days

do you dyno?

age, weight, general level of fitness, mobiliy and flexibility?

In reply to Mick r:

I go for a little jog occasionally 3 to 6 miles, once, sometimes twice a week, should do more but can't make myself as I don't enjoy it that much. I also go climbing outdoors, but living in Cambridge means not as much as I would like. Five days in every month on average. Age 39, weight 80kg. I don't dyno. Yes, I warm up by doing lots of easy problems. I also stretch as part of the warm up.

In reply to Kirill: Whatever you do to reduce injury you may just find you're one of those people more prone to it than others. I seem to fit in to that category and in two years climbing indoors and out I've had three finger injuries, a sprained ankle, pulled back muscles and have done something weird to my left wrist.

Now when I go indoor bouldering I tend climb within my ability and use the session to improve/maintain endurance for climbing outside, rather than attempting crimpy, fingery stuff I'm likely to get damaged on. Unfortunately I made an exception to that a few weeks back and now have another finger injury!

In reply to Kirill:

What kind of angle is the wall you are training at? Overhang can be hard on the body if you're not used to it and if you're a bit heavier. Vertical and slabs tend to be easier on the upper body.

Might be worthwhile to take a look at another gym for a change. Indoor grades can vary greatly between gyms in my experience. Also some gyms set problems in a way which makes it easier to get injured on them.

In reply to Kirill:

I'd say you just have to be careful about how you climb. Some problems and holds are 'tweaky'. Also some gyms will have more of these routes than others.

It may also be that you are pushing yourself too much. Try climbing more slabs/doing easier problems on laps to build muscle/tendon strength. Climbing outside is also mush 'safer' in the sense that you often aren't pulling as hard on the holds, and it is more about balance and footwork.

In reply to Kirill:

I climb 3-4 times a week and try for 3 of the sessions to be quite hard, but it took a long time to be able to do this. I think it is important to increase the load gradually. At the moment you can manage 1 session a week fine. That's a good start. It equates to 1 day on 6 days off. You could try increasing the frequency to 1 day on 4 off that will work out about one and a half sessions a week. the other way would be to have your normal session and make the second one very easy. Limit the duration and discipline yourself not to try hard problems. As this becomes comfortable you can increase the difficulty of the second session

In reply to Kirill:

This isn't the art forum?

In reply to Kirill:

I had the same for ages and still do from time to time. Don't underestimate how tough a hard bouldering session can be on the body, especially if you climb with bad technique.

You need to increase the workload gradually and the more frequent your sessions become, the more mindful you have to be on what you are doing. Make sure you work a lot on technique and do lots of training for antagonistic muscles (eg push ups, dips, handstands etc).

Also, my advice would be NOT to stretch during warmup - static stretching will only increase your chances of getting injured. Stretch after the sessions instead. Do lots of exercises focusing on mobility prior to climbing and lots of easy climbing - you shouldn't really be getting on anything remotely hard before 30-45 mins of warmup.

In reply to TonyB:

Thanks. 1.5 sessions a week sounds like worth trying. Thanks to everybody for useful advice. Lots to think about.

In reply to Turbo tommy:

Some problems are more tweaky than others but it's usually too lake by the time you realize it was a tweaky one

In reply to FreshSlate:

Ha-ha New icons.

In reply to wurzelinzummerset:

That does sound a little like giving up. If I just boulder once I week I know I will stay injury free, but it also means I won't improve. And that in turn would be bad for motivation.

In reply to douwe:

There's all sorts of angles at our wall. I probably spend most time on vertical to 5 degree overhang because it has lots of problems that I can do. On steeper wall I can't do anything that is not just a ladder of jugs.

In reply to Kirill:

I think the main way to improve is consistency, so staying injury free is key - only takes one injury to knock you out for months and then you make several steps back.

But I agree with you regarding frequency - once a week simply isn't enough. You can try mixing the sessions, it should help eg alternate between training endurance, power-endurance, power and maybe general fitness/conditioning.

I remember reading a book on climbing and if my memory serves me right, the max power training frequency that was recommended was twice a week - so if you are a relative beginner (like me), don't think even one power session a week is unreasonable for a while until you can build up.

Also it's not really mentioned but I think sometimes the 'easier' bouldering problems can be back for elbow and back injuries because naturally beginners can't use small holds so always go for 'juggy' routes that allow for a LOT of pulling if done with bad technique. I find that when trying slightly harder problems, the main issue is fingers but they seem kinder to my elbows and back... (probably also because I usually just do 3 moves before falling lol)

In reply to Simos:

Try this....

alternate you climbing sessions to work different systems. Try first day circuits only. Dont push it, just focus on endurance. e.g. aim for 10-12 circuits each within your ability to the point where you are falling off easy stuff after 20+ moves.

then the nex day of the week, do your problems.

this will ensure the specific energy and soft tissue systems will get more of a rest between sessions. Make sure you have at least two full nights (and five periods of deep sleep!) between any intensive training activity.


Do you stretch off properly post session? thats just as important as teh warm up, IMHO.