UKC

Hello,
I am a keen all round climber, mountaineer and skier. At the moment I feel that my climbing has reached a bit of a plateux and its not really improving. I manage to get out every other weekend but, until now, I didn't have a indoor centre near me. Always when climbing outdoors I seem to be limited by getting pumped to quickly. Aside from climb more does anyone have any advice how to try improve and get better? Thanks

In reply to ford23:
Hi. How often do you use the indoor centre?

Is it your fingers and forearma or your biceps that give out?

Do you suffer due to the length of a route or because of the moves? In other words would you get pumped on a 50m route of constant difficulty or is it more if there is a bouldery move sequence that's hard half way up a route with easier moves either side. If it's the former you need to train endurance...the latter, it's power endurance.

There are obvious technique to stop you getting so pumped...clipping straight armed and shaking out.

In terms of training you could do laps of a lead wall till you are absolutely dead or if you have a bouldering wall do circuits on that ( both at an easy difficulty level for you)...both these will help your endurance. For power endurance, just do the same but with less length and harder/more overhanging powerful moves.

In reply to phja:

The indoor centre is just about to open so planning on going there at least once a week.
Its my forearms that pump out generally and its usually over the whole route, not a particular move, so think its endurance. Yea I will defiantly start doing that when the wall is open. Are there any home exersizes which can help endurance for this?
Cheers

In reply to ford23:

I don't find that going climbing once a week is sufficient for building up stamina/endurance. I notice a big improvement if I go 2 or even 3 times a week, but when I dropped to once a week due to other commitments my stamina dropped noticeably, and consequently my grades

In reply to ford23:

Probably best to get a finger board and do an endurance routine using that...not much else you can do at home i don't think

In reply to ford23:


Go twice a week if you're serious about getting fit: do 40 or more routes per week. I doubt that stuff at home is going to help that much: you could get stronger, which will help, but you'd need absolutely iron determination to train endurance effectively at home.

In reply to ford23:

It's mistake to only measure improvement as climbing harder grades. A minimum of 2, or better still, 3 times a week will improve stamina, strength and flexibility and, if you pay specific attention, technique. There is a danger however that as you gain strength you come to rely on that to get you up routes instead of good footwork. Other metrics of improvement are more to do with judgement and you can only develop that by climbing more outdoors. Route finding, placing runners, managing ropes etc. only improve by getting mileage in. In fact, IMO, improving the former without the latter could prove dangerous.

Al

In reply to ford23:

To add to the above: we don't really know why you're getting pumped, so the advice you'll get here might not be the best. It could be that you're climbing with poor technique (which only more climbing - particularly bouldering - will help) or you might be weak and the moves are proving too hard: that'll get you pumped in no time. It could be that you're technique's fine until you get scared and over-grip and dither (almost everyone who's not out climbing all the time does this to some degree).

There are thousands of threads on here asking "how can I get better at climbing without going climbing more". Simple answer: you can't.

In reply to ford23:

Buy, read and apply The Self-Coached Climber

In reply to Jon Stewart:

Eh, I'm not so sure. It's pretty easy to do a few sets of 7 on 3 off on the beastmaker, and that certainly gets you pumped.

In reply to MischaHY:


Not sure what that it involves (sounds like a PE drill?) but I'm guessing that if the OP's climbing every other week outdoors, they might find it a bit impossible. To clarify, unless you're at a very high level, the only way to improve your climbing is by climbing.

In reply to Jon Stewart:

Hi Jon


Deadhangs on the Bestmaker: 7 seconds on, 3 seconds rest, repeat 6 times, 2.5 minutes rest, repeat the set 18 times. Each set on different holds. Repeat.
Sounds pretty tedious, but becomes a bit addictive, and is a reasonable vehicle to watch boxed sets on Netflix if there's a telly in view. Also even for the easiest circuits, it needs quite a decent and responsible attitude to ramping up in order to avoid injury. Esp. For old farts like me,

In reply to paul_in_cumbria:

18 sets!?!?!

Even the beastmaker website suggests that 10 times is a big amount.

In reply to Yanis Nayu:

Yes, buy and apply the Self-Coached Climber. Or the Rock Climbers Training Manual.

Failing that, do your climbing days all go the same way - show up, try some climbs, go home? If so, one way of breaking out of a plateau is doing something different. Have you tried redpointing climbs that are harder than anything you've ever done? Have you tried to do as many easy climbs as possible without resting?

If you always do the same thing, you will get the same results = plateau.

In reply to paul_in_cumbria:




Bit different to what I do - I basically get the 20mm crimps at the bottom left and right of the Beastmaker and do 7/3 until max, I.e. failure. Then rest the amount of time I was on for, and go again. 8 sets. Current PB for the first set is 5 mins 56 secs. Obviously drops off in subsequent sets but that's rather the idea.

In reply to MischaHY:


Nice, on my to do list starting Wednesday.

In reply to ford23:

Hi Ford,

Find yourself a goal to work towards, the goal has to mean something more than just a grade.

If no goal stands out in particular think about where the goal may lie, e.g trad, bouldering, sport, hillwalking etc. Put yourself together a short training plan for this type of area and make sure you get outside to get more inspiration, watch some DVDs, read a book, look at some photos. Rethink about your goal in a few weeks time.

The previous posters have lots of ideas you can try on how to do the specifics of dead hanging etc.

Also be mindful that the change in the clocks and the lack of sunshine tends to make things seem a bit depressing, get outside at your lunch breaks at work and at the weekends.

Good luck

In reply to ford23:
One way to break a plateau£

First identify if you are really in a plateau.
Are you really trying harder, mixing things up without improving? Or have you been climbing the same things, same grade for a year or so, and not doing anything different?

Secondly. If you are really on a plateau ask yourself the following 2 questions
1. Do you really want to improve?
2. How committed are you to improving?
If the answer to the second question is NOT £very£ then you are probably not being truthful about the answer to the first question and there is no point in reading any further.

Thirdly. If you want to improve strength/fitness then you require a change in stimulus. you can do this in 3 basic ways. Increase
Frequency
Intensity
Difficulty

In order to know if you are progressing/breaking the plateau you need to measure your climbing activity: frequency/intensity/difficulty.

A simple plan is, for 3 consecutive climbing weeks increase your activity somehow each week. On the 4th week, 'rest' by doing the same same things as in the second week of training. Continue with 4 week cycles from there, taking a £rest£ every 4th week. Each cycle being slightly harder than the one before. If you are measuring the activity, you will hopefully see you are improving even if it doesn£t feel like it.

Fourthly. climbing is (un)fortunately complicated by factors other than strength/fitness, most obviously confidence. Luckily you can improve this as well (sometimes with quicker gains than strength/fitness). You can do this by stacking as much in your favour as possible.

Being fitter/stronger £ if you can climb 7a down the wall you will feel more confident leading E1 outside
Improve/learn technique, this can be from; learning how to rest, to better rope management
More outside mileage, no matter what other people say, the more time you spend on rock the better you feel, trusting your footwork, placing gear, climbing above gear (see point above)
Be well prepared; learn as much as possible about the routes/area you want to climb, pick your routes £ grades are a range, so select those which are most suitable to start off with and gain more confidence, enlist supportive partners you completely trust, have light good working equipment, be well fed and hydrated - unless you are a teenager or Don Whillans you are not going to climb your hardest with a hangover, warm up well and If you struggle on a warm up don£t worry it was the warm up not the main event, be generally fit £ if you get knackered walking up to the cromlech don£t be surprised if you can't climb your hardest when you get there.

Fifthly. Remember there is no substitute for trying hard. If you think you are trying hard you are probably not £ try harder £ have one more go.

Finally if at any point you think, £I can£t/don£t want to do this£. Ask yourself if you are committed to improving.

Good luck