UKC

In this video Tom Randall looks at a couple of different ways to train stamina on a circuit board ready for early season sport trips and trad climbing during the summer...

Tom is also going to be live on UKC TONIGHT between 8-9pm to answer any training questions, general questions, anything really. If you have something you want to know - then pop a reply on this thread!

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=68749

In reply to UKC News:

That puts him up against the England game.

Only a friendly I know but it's World Cup year.

Cleverley on the plane or on the tarmac?

In reply to winhill:

Q: can you make the video downloadable so i can watch it on my phone when at the wall
- can be in small format - just as a reminder when there

In reply to UKC News:


Interesting video, but it did seemed to cut short Tom's description of the low intensity stamina reps (e.g. how many reps in a set and how many sets). Perhaps it will be explained in a later videos.

In reply to winhill:


Could like to some interesting crossover questions:

Which is wider Century Crack, or the cracks in England defence ?
Who's the best partner for Rooney - Wellbeck, Sturridge or Pete Whittaker ?
Is it acceptable to pre-place gear before taking a penalty ?

In reply to UKC News:

Thanks for the video, interesting. I didn't realise you shouldn't get pumped at all when training stamina.

Q: what is the rationale or science behind keeping the pump very low when training stamina? Would be interested to understand it.

Thanks

he said you shouldn't get pumped while doing the 2nd exercise, but should get pumped doing the first.

i guess if you are getting too pumped quickly then you cant climb for long enough to train stamina.

In reply to UKC News:

Q: Now that you've succeeded on Captain Invincible, will this give you more time to focus on the Sheep?
And given that you've upgraded CI to E9 but the Sheep has already taken you much longer, if you do succeed on it will you upgrade it to E10?

In reply to UKC News:

Q - How would you adapt this training on routes instead of on a bouldering wall?

Q - Do you (does anyone?) actually find this feasible to do on a busy bouldering wall in the evening?

(i.e. I know that I'd definitely struggle to do those reps in the specified times without either getting in lots of people's way or people getting in my way)

Q - To use the 'trendy' terms, Low Intensity is Aero Cap? High Intensity is Anaerobic Cap? Right? Wrong?

In reply to UKC News:

Q. how does this sort of stamina compare with 4x4 type exercises on routes ? Which is more effective or are they complimentary.

Cheers

In reply to UKC News:

Q. Do I make both of these work outs in the same evening. If so which one first?

Hi got 6 weeks till a sport climbing trip doing multi pitch sport in the mid to high six's. I've got a finger tweak at the moment so can't do high intensity stuff how would you structure my training for this period ? My onsight max is 6 c red point 7 b thanks a million matt

In reply to UKC News:
What is your 5 or 10K PB?

Cheers,
Karl

In reply to UKC News:

Hi everyone, just brewing a cup of tea and I'll on those questions! Some good ones there already...

I'll try and do one by one but if I miss anyone out, just remind me.

In reply to lithos:

Yes, we will try and make it downloadable via The Climbing Station website or our youtube channel next week. I'll get someone IT knowledgable on to it!

In reply to Jody:

You'd normally aim to complete around 250-500 moves in a stamina session or if you want to make it more basic then 20 or 30 minutes of total climbing time. The higher you level/standard, then the more you normally have to put it in.

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:

Tom,

Firstly, I'm a great fan of yours.

Next, would you recommend choosing soft touches as a viable alternative to training in order to increase your grade. If yes, how would you recommend choosing the best routes to achieve this?

Thanks.

Oli

In reply to Chris the Tall:

1. England's defence.
2. Who's Pete Whittaker?
3. Absolutely, as long you're happy scoring half a goal

In reply to alexjz:

It's not that you shouldn't get pumped at all when you do stamina training, but more that you should know that it's important to not be pumped too much! There's a place for everything and certainly I will get pumped in some stamina training, but over a whole month I may only spend 10% of that stamina training being pumped.

The rationale is:

1. Too much pump, you won't complete enough volume
2. Too much pump, you will take too long to recover

There's a whole load of reasons, but that's 2 good ones!

In reply to adamki:

Yes, that's correct. Also you have mitochondria in your slow and fast twitch muscle fibres, so the rationale to train stamina / endurance / aerobic capacity (whatever your terminology!) at different intensities is to work both muscle fibre types.

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:

How well does maximum deadlift correlate with climbing stamina?

In reply to Andy Reeve:

I'm still not sure if I'm ready for The Sheep. Mentally or physically. It's been a long path and I have a feeling that problem will be with me for a long time yet.....

In reply to mattrm:

1. You could do exactly the same number of moves and the same amount of rests. More upwards climbing that sideways climbing on a circuit board!

2. I try to train at the wall in quiet periods because you're absolutely right in saying that it's hard to mix in with the crowds. In recent years I have found this time of training easier on a circuit board or at home on my own board. Rather antisocial though.

3. Both training exercises in this video or AeroCap. One is slightly high intensity than the other.

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:

Hi Tom,

I like the stamina training video, thanks for that.

Could you give me some advice on how to periodise my training. How many days or weeks of e.g. stamina before moving on to train power etc.?

Cheers,
Colin

In reply to lithos:

This is lower end work compared to 4x4s on routes. They both have their place for sure and if I was to choose 2 x stamina/endurance sessions per week I'd do one from the video and one as a 4x4. That'd cover most peoples' bases.

In reply to Aigen:

No, I'd probably just do one only.

In reply to UKC News:

Hi tom do you have any tips for climbing long overhangs as I can't seem to get used to the feeling of being upside down and get a bit panicky when trying to clip.im big fan by the way

In reply to tunaficiency:

I have a question back for you: are the goals of your trip near you maximum capabilities?

In reply to ro8x:

Karl, you're unstoppable. I'm telling you.... my time was waaaay better than yours for the 10K, it's just that my Strava didn't log it properly

In reply to Oli:

Absolutely. It's one of the most satisfying ways to improve in climbing. No work needed, glory at the end of a Ryanair flight.

My method would certainly be to get on the UKC logbooks and 8a.nu to stalk people like Alex Barrows.

In reply to Ally Smith:

I believe it's a function of Deadlift weight x UKB posts + Eva Lopez hang board sessions. Simple huh?!

In reply to colin8ll:

That's a big question Colin. I'd probably be on for writing an essay and spending quite a bit of time 1:1 to come up with an answer for that!

If you can provide a little more info about what you're currently doing, what your aims are, who often you normally train then I may be able to help a little more.

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:
When improving forearm fitness is any activity that gives your forearms a good throbbing work out acceptable?

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:

Hi again Tom,

Your training video showed a wall in your garden which didn't have normal holds but what looked like wooden diagonal patterns. Could you tell us something about the idea behind this design?

Cheers,
Colin

In reply to Wsdconst:

1. Get yourself into it slowly. Build up to it.
2. Get confident on 10 deg overhangs.... then move on to 20.... then 30 etc.
3. Spend more time bouldering on overhangs as well and trying to find positions of rest.

In reply to steepstuff:

It depends on the volume and intensity. Are you "going at it" full on? For how long?

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:

Well I've just built a small home wall so I am training every second day at the moment. Usually for about 45 mins. I warm up on the big holds then have just been climbing 15 move problems until I am knackered. I'm turning 30 this year so my plan is to get as good as I can instead of year after year of ticking grade 6 routes!

Any tips will be followed to the letter!

In reply to colin8ll:

It's a training wall that I use with my private clients to assess energy systems and something that I have spent many years developing and working with. It's been a really rewarding process and one that I hope to continue to work with.

In reply to colin8ll:

Ok, so as a very broad guide, I'd aim to spend 70% of your climbing movement time at the moment training stamina, 20% power endurance and 10% bouldering.

You might look to do some conditioning exercises to compliment this (core and upperbody in particular) and some lower body stretching.

The above is a really, really rough guide though, and you're best off contacting a coach in your local area and asking them to help you out. I'm sure they'll help you towards your goals in a structured manner.

Hi tom
the goals for the trip are to possibly do my first 7a onsight, and climb sustained multi pitch up to 10 pitch's in length between 6b and 6c. so yes
cheers matt

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:

Hi Tom

Can you offer any advice on what to eat/drink before a session at the wall or a day at the crag?

I seem to be unable to find the magic combination of correct foods/fluid and optimum time to down them before climbing.

Cheers

Andrew

In reply to UKC News:

Do you find the holds in the Edge clean enough or should detergent be added to the hoseline for the jetwasher?

In reply to tunaficiency:

Then, in all honesty I'd say to reduce the aims for your trip. If I'd tweaked my finger 6 weeks before a trip where I was trying to climb my best then I would probably drop the grade a little.

There's nothing worse than trying to push through training and onto new standard whilst carrying an injury and all that may well lead to an unenjoyable trip as you've messed your finger up so much.

This may not be what you wanted to hear!

In reply to Street-Hoskins:

Pork scratchings.

In reply to Street-Hoskins:

I'm not the man to ask really! There's loads of people out there that know lots more than me. I think I probably do all the wrong things and still feel ok, so basically don't look to me for the answer!

Rebecca Denton on twitter might be a good follow up?

In reply to TradRat:

I've just asked Pete who's sat next to me and he's asked "why are you not out there right now, cleaning holds?"

In reply to UKC News:

Hi Tom,

Many thanks for the video, and for doing this Q&A. I have two questions:

1) What is your opinion on 4x4 bouldering circuits for power-endurance (i.e. doing four boulder problems (below your limit) one after the other, resting 4 minutes, then repeating three times - hence 4x4). How would you say it compares to your 'hard endurance' exercise in the video?

2) Is there such a thing as "active rest"? Say I do very hard sessions of either strength or power-endurance on Tuesday and Thursday, if I do a session of low-intensity endurance on wednesday, would that be beneficial, or would it have been better to rest completely?

In reply to UKC News:

I'm lucky enough to have access to a crack machine type thing at my local climbing wall - are there any exercises on there that are particularly useful? Thinking in terms of hands and fingers, rather than offwidth.
I do the standard up and down, focusing on technique, as well as trying to train how long I can hang on with one jam, but I'd be interested to know whether things like weight belts and so on could make a difference for a punter (looking at VS-E1ish cracklines).

Cheers!

In reply to UKC News: Hi Tom,

How would you train for doing Free Rider Yosemite in terms of jamming and crack training ?

In reply to Alun:

1. I'm not a massive fan of the 4x4 boulder problems mainly because people tend to do this exercise exclusively and it's not that specific to performance on rock - or more that it don't transfer that well because:

- People climb too quickly
- they don't do "simulated clips"
- they climb the same old problems week in, week out.

This exercise is nothing like the hard endurance exercise in the video and I'd say the video = aerobic capacity work and 4x4s = a strange cross between AeroPow & AnCap work.

2. Active rest has to be REALLY easy!!

You climb at the Climbing Station don't you? Come and ask me about it next wednesday when I'm down

In reply to DBoothroyd:

Crack climbing is all about mileage!! It's such a technique thing. Miles and miles and miles...... churn it out. That's what I did way back and it was the key for me.

You could use weight belts at some stage, but at present it's the mileage on each width that's most important.

Hi Tom,

Also a big fan.

You suggest training continuity 10mins on, 10mins off, etc, etc

Is there a reason you suggest this rather than doing 30mins in one go. Therefore, getting an extra 30mins in the pub?

James

In reply to John Dunne:

I'd build myself some wooden cracks to train on - mainly hands and fingers. I'd spend the winter getting strong enough to boulder around V6-8 on cracks (whilst developing a large volume base of normal climbing) and then put it all together in the late spring and summer with loads of high end stamina training on those wooden cracks and lots and lots of crack climbing outside. A bit of slab climbing might help too, but I suspect you're already pretty good at those.

Oh and don't go out when it's too hot!!

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:


Very interesting, thanks. A follow up question, if I may: I have been doing a lot of bouldering recently (and have got a lot stronger as a result) but now I want to get fitter to tackle typical long spanish sport routes. Should I focus on the AeroCap work (from your video) or try more AnCap stuff? I guess I'm a bit confused as to the difference between the two, and which of them I should focus on.


I'm afraid you must have me mistaken for somebody else. While I used to live in Loughborough a long time ago, I have since moved on to sunnier climes... (and climbs!)...

In reply to highrepute:

Hi James, you can do both. I quite like doing 10 mins on, 10 mins off mainly to break the boredom. It's pretty hard to keep going 30mins+ constantly!

That said, you should do what you're psyched for. If you love to stick the music on, pump up the volume and just get going then just stick to the low intensity and churn that mileage.

In reply to UKC News:

Hi Tom,

Q: I think I read somewhere that you had golfer's elbow a while back. Did you find you could still train when you had it, or was everything completely focused around recovery?

thanks

In reply to UKC News:

Hi Tom

Great that you're doing a QnA!

So - what role does body positioning, particularly in the shoulder where there's possibilty for inpingement or release of blood flow, play in stamina? What balance should I make between hard work, and the gentler approach of developing healthy movement patterns and good shoulder positioning..?

Thanks!

Mark

In reply to Alun:

Most likely for you, you should focus on the aerocap / stamina work like in this video. I'd also throw in some higher intensity stamina work as well, where you've got a bit of "an uncomfortable pump".

An example of this is 4x4 route laps.

This is somewhat dependent on your current bouldering grade and the grade of sport route you hope to O/S or redpoint though.


Ah sorry - my mistake on the loughborough thing.

Any tips on making a cellar a place you want to go and train? Do you have a problem with dust/damp in yours?

In reply to Nathaniel Larsson:

I tried stopping training originally and it made it much worse. I then went back to training and it didn't get any worse.....

Finally I was shown a stretch for it (it's on my website under "golfer's elbow - a possible solution") and that got rid of it very very quickly!

Elbows are very frustrating. I get problems on and off now.

In reply to marconi:

Hi Mark, I'm afraid this is beyond my area of expertise and I can't provide you with much of an answer - especially over the internet.

I'd advise booking yourself a session with a coach in your local area. Sorry I can't be more useful.

In reply to highrepute:

Yes, mine is a little damp. Air vents helped.

1. Music. Really important.
2. Messages on the wall for motivation
3. Posters on the wall
4. Friends who want to train with you down there!

In reply to UKC News:

Thanks for all the questions everyone. Good luck with all your climbing.

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:

No worries, thanks anyway, and good luck with yer climbing!!!

In reply to UKC News:

your training videos are awesome i have watched the WideBoys dvd so many times. i built a climbing wall in my spare room hehe and i copied your off with crack you had in your basement its so much fun you and pete are inspiring thanks guys scissor me timbers!!

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:

Uni. deadlines

In reply to UKC News:

How many reps and sets are being done for the low intensity climbing? You say you double the number of moves and the subsequent rests but are you doing this indefinitely, or stopping at a certain number of moves? Did something get cut out the video?

In reply to UKC News:

Just done a session on my finger board doing the high intense training. Really impressed with it, sweating and soled pump by the end of it.

thanks for sharing this

loz