UKC

If I do 2 lunchtime ARC sessions during the week, how long before I start seeing gains? I'm thinking I'd do 3 x 20 minute laps on an auto belay or traversing. Also intensity advice please - currently I can onsight 6c (wall grades) should I be targeting 6a and below for the sessions or aiming for my onsight max?
Cheers

In reply to 999thAndy:

I've done a little bit of reading on ARC, but i never really put it into practice and it was a while back so I might be wrong about some/all of the things i say. If i remember the point of ARC training is to climb for an extended period of time just below pump level, the idea is it increases the level at which you can climb without getting pumped. The downsides are that it can be difficult to get the intensity right and you need to do it for an extended period of time (boring). I think you want to be lightly out of breath, but not pumped, and you can adjust the difficulty of climbing on the fly to achieve this.

prob been mentioned here on ukc before too, but there are also some discussion threads on other sites which might give some more insight

http://www.reddit.com/r/climbharder/comments/2dzlqv/what_is_arc_training/

http://www.reddit.com/r/climbharder/comments/26tiug/arc_boredom/

In reply to Sink41:

Cheers I'll check out those links.

In reply to 999thAndy:

go by feel they talk about finishing sessions not much more tired than u started in performance rock climbing. what are you planning to get out of it?

In reply to alasdair19:

[...] what are you planning to get out of it?

More capilliaries !

Seriously though I was thinking about training as opposed to popping down to the wall once a week. In all the training plans available online, the first 2-4 weeks are shown as ARC. I'm interested to know what volume of ARCing do I need to do to see some benefit (i.e. how many sessions / week - is 2 enough?)

I think 2 is enough. But they say you can do a lot of ARC, e.g. It works well as an active rest day if you don't push it too hard. Gets v boring so I'd struggle to do more than 2 sessions a week.

I found juggy F5+ on overhangs about right as a goal for 15-20'mins, and my onsight level is similar to yours. That was when I was going up and down the same route. After a while I decided I preferred to climb up 6a and soft 6a+ and down easy stuff like 4+ or 5 - partly as the harder ups are slightly more fingery (so more specific to outdoors) and partly cos down climbing hardish moves can feel like a strain on elbows.

Helpful to find routes that are fairly homogenous if possible of course. I'd also say its harder than you expect to start with - you may struggle to get 20 minutes on indoor F5 if they're overhanging slightly, but the gains in the first few weeks are quite swift so don't be discouraged if you manage <10' the first time or have to go down to F4! The autobelayer makes it easier actually as it takes off a fair bit of weight on the way down.

Personally I think ARC is also good technique training if you make an effort to be mentally present: as you get tired you automatically start looking for tricks (like lunging) to save energy and these are often a good thing for efficiency in general even when you're not tired. Also trying to stay neat (accurate feet especially) as you get tired is also good training for climbing at your limit.