UKC

Obviously this differs for different people. But which point do you think you started/need to start doing additional training for climbing routes? be it doing bouldering laps, fingerboard training, or running etc to keep weight off?

I've found that for 4 to 6a my technique and general able-bodiedness has been more or less enough to get me up cleanly. But now I'm climbing 6b/+ I've started to feel that my extra power, strength and light(ish) weight I have gained through climbing specific training have been a good advantage and routes would seem harder for the lack of it. I know most people say that fingerboard training etc is only beneficial above 7a or b but I'm just curious to know your opinions...

Obviously I know at this point technique is still the most important thing for me and I'm focusing mainly on that.

In reply to TheseKnivesMan:
I know most people say that fingerboard training etc is only beneficial above 7a or b but I'm just curious to know your opinions...


When people say that I think what they mean is that it's pretty easy to get to 7a/7b just by climbing more. Clearly training (which is essentially just the manifestation of a conscious decision to improve) is going to be beneficial at any level.

Personally I don't train, I enjoy climbing too much. I do climb on a 35 degree board pretty often as its the closest wall to me. It's definitely increased my power a lot.

In reply to remus: I'd probably agree, if you're young and the right body shape 7a/7b should come pretty much as standard if you just go climbing often and push yourself when you do. Above that, unless you have a lot of natural talent then 'training' is likly going to be worth while.

In reply to TheseKnivesMan:

Getting to the mid F7s is so far proving doable without specific training. To progress through that I'm starting to think about looking at weaknesses but more so I can change the emphasis of my weekly climbing a bit rather than specifically target them. If you're talking onsight only then I think you're looking at high 6s, low 7s and a fair bit of climbing experience. Higher if you're fit and experienced, lower if you're not so.

jk

In reply to TheseKnivesMan: >

Dave Macleod doesn't say that. He isn't most people. Most people climb around VS and don't train. There may be a connection.

Do you want to be most people?

In reply to TheseKnivesMan:

Being a weak lump with no coordination, I needed to work on balance and flexibility from day one. I started to feel under gunned on the odd knarly HS.

In reply to TheseKnivesMan:

I don't think there's an upper or lower threshold for when you should start specific training. If you think it will help then do it - as long as you don't push too hard at first then it can only be advantageous. But in most people's cases it's a question of how much you actually get out climbing or down the wall rather than how many campus sessions you have in a week.

For what it's worth I haven't 'trained' or touched plastic/wood for many many years. My normal level is onsighting 7b-7c and redpointing 8a-b in a few goes to a few days, but then I'm lucky enough to get out on rock about 4-5 days a week. I know that for me to up my game I'd need to start more targeted training like board sessions etc (as skin is my main limiting factor) but I'm happy enough with my current level and don't enjoy training enough to replace days out on rock with days in a cellar!

If you only go route climbing once or twice a week though then it's a no brainer that fingerboard sessions/bouldering circuits etc inbetween will up your level significantly.

In reply to TheseKnivesMan:

The best kind of training for climbing is climbing.

If you have ever improved your climbing at all, even by just going out and climbing, then you have been training.

I thank you.

In reply to TheseKnivesMan:

On a slightly more helpful note, this all depends upon what you call training.

If you define training as fingerboarding, sit ups, fall practice and other refined exercises then the grade at which you need to use these techniques is dependant mainly on your circumstances.

If you get to the point that you are either definitely climbing all out (either physically or mentally) or recovering for every free second of every day and have stopped improving then the only way to kick start any more gains might be to use some other exercises.

If you have free time and arn't using it or you just go to the wall and amble around then there might be other things you can do that will give you more gains than just specific 'training' will. Of all the climbers I know, most who train like this begin training for various routes in the 6s.

If you consider training to be a climbing session/day/lifestyle with a definite aim to improve definite aspects of your climbing, where you might break the social rules a little and stand out from the crowd as doing something different, where you aim to think and understand and improve what you do and how you do it, then you might start training as soon as you start climbing.

In reply to TheseKnivesMan:

Training is a funny thing. I've never really trained (apart from having a pull up bar in most houses I've lived in), but I did go to the wall/crag at least 3 times a week (often 4 or 5) for several years with a loose grip on training ideas (things like periodisation, the different elements of performance, targeting weaknesses etc). And when I went to the wall, I went to climb rather than sit about chatting. Plus you have to be very aware of injury avoidance. This approach took me to 7c+ and V8+, and I'm pretty sure I could go a little further. Specific training would likely have taken me further and faster. I now have less time to go to the wall so have dabbled with fingerboards to keep some fitness going.

However, some people would see the way I climb as training. I enjoy bouldering and I enjoy climbing on woodys/system boards. To me it's just climbing, but others would class it as training.

I think that training is personal - if you are motivated and enjoy fingerboarding, go for it. It will help. Just don't overdo it.

In reply to TheseKnivesMan: If you see bouldering as training, then I would say the grade you need to start training at is about Vdiff.

I started climbing by leading HS/VS grit routes. I got up to soft HVS by just climbing routes, indoors and out. When I started bouldering, I developed finger strength and technique for doing hard moves, not just moving eficiently. It became immediately apparent that the holds on VSs are enormous, because I could use tiny crimps and nothing-slopers on boulders after a bit of practice. Very helpful if you want to climb E-grades.

As for pull-ups, finger boards etc for strength: you can get pretty good just by bouldering, so I don't really see the point unless you're at about font 7a and can't get stronger/better just by climbing more (probably due to lack of time doing it). I would suggest that below that grade or thereabouts, the time spent on training rather would have been better spent bouldering because it would improve technique and exactly the right kind/balance of strength in every area of the body. Training might be a quicker way to improve though, but I've met alot of climbers who do that who can climb overhanging boulder problems with decent holds (up to font 7b or so) but who can't climb a 6b slab or arete. That's called crap footwork.

As you can probably tell, I'm not expert on this stuff and have only just started training for climbing (before now, I've just gone to the indoor bouldering wall aimlessly over winter). I'm doing lots of laps on routes rather than strength training, because all the bouldering I've done over the years means I've got the strength and technique I need to climb harder, but I need to be able to use it when pumped out of my box.

But everyone's different - if your weakness is finger strength but your technique flawless, then finger boarding might be the best way forward. That could be at any grade I suppose (although I think it would be hard to develop flawless technique without climbing at least french 6b).

In reply to TheseKnivesMan: I don't think people's perception of what constitutes training is consistent, which makes discussions difficult.