UKC

Fitness after long break

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
 jules699 12 Nov 2015
Been focusing on cycling last 8 months so haven't hardly done any climbing. Want to get back into it. Used to do it 3-4 times a week. Lost a lot of upper body strength/muscle. Do I need to start from bottom again?
Andy Gamisou 13 Nov 2015
In reply to jules699:

> Been focusing on cycling last 8 months so haven't hardly done any climbing. Want to get back into it. Used to do it 3-4 times a week. Lost a lot of upper body strength/muscle. Do I need to start from bottom again?

Nah - I'd start with back, shoulders and arms. Gluteus maximus can wait.
 Michael Gordon 13 Nov 2015
In reply to jules699:

Well I wouldn't jump straight back in to 3-4 times a week. Maybe 1-2 times a week but you'll be able to go by the amount of aches and pains that may or may not crop up. Quite straightforward really.
 Sharp 13 Nov 2015
In reply to jules699:

I read something about this recently, perhaps in the new alpinism. Can't quite remember time scales but the message was coming back to a sport after a long lay off was your most likely time to be injured. Watch your elbows, your muscles will get strong pretty quick but your tendons will take longer.
 planetmarshall 13 Nov 2015
In reply to Sharp:

> I read something about this recently, perhaps in the new alpinism.

Yes, basically you need to prepare your body for training again - what House and Johnson refer to as the "Transition" period ( don't know how prevalent this term is in other texts ). If you've been cycling a lot, you'll have good cardio vascular fitness but your body will need to get used to supporting its own weight again.

 Siderunner 13 Nov 2015
Interesting thread, as I'm in the same boat - though running not cycling has been my diversion.

My approach is going to be high volume and low intensity on the wall for 2-3 weeks. Some sessions will be just lots of easy mileage - which for me helps to rebuild the love of the sport too - and some will be ARC traversing in timed blocks. I'll combine that with some light-ish weights in the weights room, some physio-type exercises, and core training. Basically building a base of forearm endurance whilst hopefully pre-strengthening my shoulder girdle and core to prevent injury when I ramp up the difficulty level. The ARC traversing can do my elbows, so I'll be cutting it and doing high volume easy bouldering instead if that flares up.

I'd be aiming for at least 4 sessions of this a week at the wall if my work schedule didn't involve so many evenings, but will definitely be shooting for 3 or more days at the wall even though that may involve a couple of 6am-8am sessions.

Once that gets a bit old I'll start trying a few harder things on rope and switch one session to bouldering each week. Also one or two short fingerboard sessions a week (eg once through BM 5A workout) at home in the mornings. I'll still nip into the weights room after my wall sessions but will just do a few exercises for around 5 sets each with (increasingly) heavy weights. I.e. A switch from aerobic capacity to strength. Core will be fitted in at the end of the other stuff at least twice a week, with maybe one dedicated session where I push it a bit.

Sorry for the ramble, but now I've written my plan down I just have to do it

 paul mitchell 13 Nov 2015
In reply to jules699:

There are now finger grippers on tinternet with adjustable tension.Thus on the one gripper you can go from about 10 kg up to 40 kg according to need. rather useful.I got one on Amazon.
OP jules699 13 Nov 2015
In reply to jules699:

Thanks for all the advice. Hoping to get back to where I left off eventually....

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
Loading Notifications...