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First post.
Ok so I've been rock climbing for about 3 months February through May of 2015. I stopped for a period of time because I was too busy but now I've gotten back Into climbing. Before I had only ever top roped and lead in the gyms and now I've come back only bouldering which I've really began to enjoy. I've consistently been gaining grades every few weeks since around October when I got back into it, so I've only been bouldering for about 3-4 months. Currently I'm bouldering mostly at V8 on a daily basis but I've just finished my 3rd V9 and about to link my first V10. Now my question,"would a weight vest be appropriate." I ask this because in the gym the highest bouldering routes only extend to around V10-11 and i will finish all of the hardest routes before they reset the walls in two months. Hopefully in about a month I'll shoot a V11, assuming I continue at the rate at which I am and there will be no harder routes to work on. I was thinking about getting a weight vest to Boulder between v2-v5 for every two days I climb and 1 day without a weight vest to finish projects. I don't use any training boards so this vest around,"10-20 pounds would be used solely for bouldering but on lower level routes. I would not risk crimping too much because I'm not looking to improve grip strength. my crimp strength has never been a problem even when on v8's and v9's and I know that added weight on crimps holds could result in an increased risk for finger injuries.
So my question is,"how appropriate would it be to use a weight vest in order to increase overall raw power propotionant to my body weight."
Post edited at 17:39
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In reply to NickAtVE:
So since October you've gone from climbing in trainers to climbing font 7c? Just keep doing whatever your doing now!
So since October you've gone from climbing in trainers to climbing font 7c? Just keep doing whatever your doing now!
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In reply to Greasy Prusiks:
The moves required of me to consistently climb higher than v9's is raw power. People say,"technic is key," and I probably have less technique than others but strength is the final factor, at least in the gyms and I feel like power is what I need to excel. For instance, the v10 I'm working on has chips half the size of my finger tips on a 25 degree wall and it required me to one finger grasp to a mono with terrible foot chips, it's a raw power move and no technique is going to save me lol.
I'm just wondering if from v2-v5 how appropriate a weighted vest would be and the risks that come with it.
The moves required of me to consistently climb higher than v9's is raw power. People say,"technic is key," and I probably have less technique than others but strength is the final factor, at least in the gyms and I feel like power is what I need to excel. For instance, the v10 I'm working on has chips half the size of my finger tips on a 25 degree wall and it required me to one finger grasp to a mono with terrible foot chips, it's a raw power move and no technique is going to save me lol.
I'm just wondering if from v2-v5 how appropriate a weighted vest would be and the risks that come with it.
Post edited at 18:34
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In reply to NickAtVE:
It's very hard to say without seeing you climb really. Personally I'd steer clear of weights until your tendons have had time to catch up with the level you're climbing at. You might be surprised how much technique will help. For example the terrible foot holds you mentioned might become semi decent with some really neat foot work.
It's very hard to say without seeing you climb really. Personally I'd steer clear of weights until your tendons have had time to catch up with the level you're climbing at. You might be surprised how much technique will help. For example the terrible foot holds you mentioned might become semi decent with some really neat foot work.
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In reply to Greasy Prusiks:
1. I climb at vertical endeavors Minneapolis
2. I can send a video of a v7, that's all I have for videos right now
3. Tendon issues: idk if this is related to climbing harder but I do have quite a lot of tendon issues I feel like others don't, however I haven't asked people before. I go to the gym every other day except I usually got Friday and Saturday and rest Sunday, but my fingers are always hurting. Right now both my pinkies have sharp pains occasionally but not always when I'm climbing, it's not noticeable. But sometimes I got this sharp pain in them across the top to my knuckle. Might be a tendon problem?
4. All in all though, I believe I would be perfectly fine tendon wise if I'm avoiding crimps. V2-v5's are usually pretty light in my opinion. I'm just worried that I'm only seeing my side of the picture and there might be a worse side? No one else uses weight vests that I've seen
1. I climb at vertical endeavors Minneapolis
2. I can send a video of a v7, that's all I have for videos right now
3. Tendon issues: idk if this is related to climbing harder but I do have quite a lot of tendon issues I feel like others don't, however I haven't asked people before. I go to the gym every other day except I usually got Friday and Saturday and rest Sunday, but my fingers are always hurting. Right now both my pinkies have sharp pains occasionally but not always when I'm climbing, it's not noticeable. But sometimes I got this sharp pain in them across the top to my knuckle. Might be a tendon problem?
4. All in all though, I believe I would be perfectly fine tendon wise if I'm avoiding crimps. V2-v5's are usually pretty light in my opinion. I'm just worried that I'm only seeing my side of the picture and there might be a worse side? No one else uses weight vests that I've seen
Post edited at 21:11
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In reply to NickAtVE:
I'm not sure it'd be enough to look at one video. I was more interested in what your general weaknesses are climbing.
I wouldn't feel qualified to advise you on tendon issues as I've never had problems my self. People on here would advise you if you put a post in the appropriate forum.
I'm not sure it'd be enough to look at one video. I was more interested in what your general weaknesses are climbing.
I wouldn't feel qualified to advise you on tendon issues as I've never had problems my self. People on here would advise you if you put a post in the appropriate forum.
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In reply to Greasy : I'm sure I have more weaknesses than just power but when I'm working on an extremely hard route v9+ I feel like I just can't make the next move because I don't have the power to do it. Which is why I feel like a weight vest would allow me to bump up a grade. It's just the power
In reply to NickAtVE:
I'll be honest Nick:
Sounds like you are setting yourself up for some long-term injuries. It is not normal for your fingers to always be hurting. Anyone who tells you it's okay has no idea what they are talking about. Some soreness a day after a session, maybe two if it was an intense session or particularly crimpy climb, but no more.
You say you can pretty much do all of the routes in the gym. Does this mean slab, vertical, overhang, cave-style, compression problems? I would focus on making sure you are a good all-rounder first
If you are climbing around v8-v10 I think it would be much more appropriate to start (unweighted!!) campusing. It is much more controlled than bouldering and you are a hell of a lot less likely to get injured doing basic campus routines than weight-vest bouldering. By the sounds of it your fingers are really stressed out. I would stick to doing big moves on large/medium campus rungs rather than damaging your fingers on the smallest rungs.
Go buy Dave Macleods book '9 out of 10 climbers'. I think it will be a big help to you, good luck
I'll be honest Nick:
Sounds like you are setting yourself up for some long-term injuries. It is not normal for your fingers to always be hurting. Anyone who tells you it's okay has no idea what they are talking about. Some soreness a day after a session, maybe two if it was an intense session or particularly crimpy climb, but no more.
You say you can pretty much do all of the routes in the gym. Does this mean slab, vertical, overhang, cave-style, compression problems? I would focus on making sure you are a good all-rounder first
If you are climbing around v8-v10 I think it would be much more appropriate to start (unweighted!!) campusing. It is much more controlled than bouldering and you are a hell of a lot less likely to get injured doing basic campus routines than weight-vest bouldering. By the sounds of it your fingers are really stressed out. I would stick to doing big moves on large/medium campus rungs rather than damaging your fingers on the smallest rungs.
Go buy Dave Macleods book '9 out of 10 climbers'. I think it will be a big help to you, good luck
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In reply to NickAtVE:
Just a small matter really, but this is a U.K. climbing website and your terminology might confuse people, over here we call them crisps, to us 'chips' means fries.
> ...the v10 I'm working on has chips half the size of my finger tips...
> 1. I climb at vertical endeavors Minneapolis
> 1. I climb at vertical endeavors Minneapolis
Just a small matter really, but this is a U.K. climbing website and your terminology might confuse people, over here we call them crisps, to us 'chips' means fries.
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In reply to NickAtVE:
Nick,
Your progress as described is pretty amazing if not freakish! Do you have a sporting background? (Are you a trained gymnast for example?) What's your age, weight and height?
As has been alluded you may need to let tendons and other connective tissues catch up with the inherent strength of your muscles. Nothwithstanding your apparent capacity for improvement it may be worth slowing down a tad. While your indoor projects may disappear in a month or so, the real thing, outdoors, are going nowhere. You don't need to rush.
Given the short time you've been bouldering it is very unlikely that you can have developed all aspects of technique - It takes time to develop and embed the complexities of footwork, body position, and finger/handholds.
I'd second the advice about using a campus board rather than a weight vest on problems, as it's more controllable.
Good luck, though I suspect we may hear the explosive crack of your tendons popping in the UK
Steve
Nick,
Your progress as described is pretty amazing if not freakish! Do you have a sporting background? (Are you a trained gymnast for example?) What's your age, weight and height?
As has been alluded you may need to let tendons and other connective tissues catch up with the inherent strength of your muscles. Nothwithstanding your apparent capacity for improvement it may be worth slowing down a tad. While your indoor projects may disappear in a month or so, the real thing, outdoors, are going nowhere. You don't need to rush.
Given the short time you've been bouldering it is very unlikely that you can have developed all aspects of technique - It takes time to develop and embed the complexities of footwork, body position, and finger/handholds.
I'd second the advice about using a campus board rather than a weight vest on problems, as it's more controllable.
Good luck, though I suspect we may hear the explosive crack of your tendons popping in the UK
Steve
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In reply to SteveSBlake:
So weighted vests is out of the question it seems for now. I do however like the idea of working in campusing to my training. Currently I do no specific training besides projecting every time, I work on the next hardest route in the gym the whole 4-5 hours I'm in. Recently I've added my own circuit training though, bouldering v7 down to VB all in a row with 20 second intervals.
Body stats: 18 years old, 5 foot 9 inches, 130 pounds.
I don't quite see how campusing would help aid in building power though, it doesn't take a whole lot of power to just campus across the wall.
Forgive my grammar and sentence structure, I haven't been proof reading my messages.
So weighted vests is out of the question it seems for now. I do however like the idea of working in campusing to my training. Currently I do no specific training besides projecting every time, I work on the next hardest route in the gym the whole 4-5 hours I'm in. Recently I've added my own circuit training though, bouldering v7 down to VB all in a row with 20 second intervals.
Body stats: 18 years old, 5 foot 9 inches, 130 pounds.
I don't quite see how campusing would help aid in building power though, it doesn't take a whole lot of power to just campus across the wall.
Forgive my grammar and sentence structure, I haven't been proof reading my messages.
Post edited at 12:05
In reply to SteveSBlake:
Thanks for talking me out of a weight vest. Probably would have been a terrible idea, I just needed someone else to tell me that it's a terrible idea.
Thanks for talking me out of a weight vest. Probably would have been a terrible idea, I just needed someone else to tell me that it's a terrible idea.
In reply to NickAtVE:
Lolz bruv!! U deffo need 2 use a weights vest if ure gettin steamed out now lol
Start wid a 20kg chest vest. You need 2 make sure itz a gud fit 1st cause ure gonna be fecked off it it moves around later innit. Add sum ankle weights @ 5kg each, den sum wrist 1z on alternative days @ 8.5kg each. GET ON DA CAMPUS BOARD BRUV! Think lite innit, make setz out ov it but u wanna be goin from 1st - 6th. 6th- 10th. 10th - 1st. 1st - 10th. Datz a rugh warm up innit.
After each session take 1 pint of Reflex ISO protein powder mixed in wid 1 gallon milk. 7 scoops ov matrix creatine n a couple ov NOExplode scoops innit cause dwey are bomb innit.
Nuffin 2 it jus 2 do it bruv!
Lolz bruv!! U deffo need 2 use a weights vest if ure gettin steamed out now lol
Start wid a 20kg chest vest. You need 2 make sure itz a gud fit 1st cause ure gonna be fecked off it it moves around later innit. Add sum ankle weights @ 5kg each, den sum wrist 1z on alternative days @ 8.5kg each. GET ON DA CAMPUS BOARD BRUV! Think lite innit, make setz out ov it but u wanna be goin from 1st - 6th. 6th- 10th. 10th - 1st. 1st - 10th. Datz a rugh warm up innit.
After each session take 1 pint of Reflex ISO protein powder mixed in wid 1 gallon milk. 7 scoops ov matrix creatine n a couple ov NOExplode scoops innit cause dwey are bomb innit.
Nuffin 2 it jus 2 do it bruv!
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In reply to NickAtVE:
That's sounds as if you're doing it wrong - you're supposed to go vertically!
(and in the background folks, I'm secretly call this one!)
> ... it doesn't take a whole lot of power to just campus across the wall.
That's sounds as if you're doing it wrong - you're supposed to go vertically!
(and in the background folks, I'm secretly call this one!)
In reply to Fraser:
It takes a lot of endurance to campus accross a wall not,"power," is what I'm saying.
It takes a lot of endurance to campus accross a wall not,"power," is what I'm saying.
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In reply to Fraser:
I just started leading This week though so that should help my endurance. However, I'm currently terrified of falling lol, which is terrible because VE is one of the tallest gyms in the US
I just started leading This week though so that should help my endurance. However, I'm currently terrified of falling lol, which is terrible because VE is one of the tallest gyms in the US
In reply to NickAtVE:
Campussing 1-5-9 on small runs is all power, it's only two moves!
Jan isn't training endurance here:
vimeo.com/66473915
Campussing 1-5-9 on small runs is all power, it's only two moves!
Jan isn't training endurance here:
vimeo.com/66473915
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In reply to NickAtVE:
When people talk about "campusing" as training, they're normally referring to campusing on relatively small rungs on a purpose-built campus board, not to feet-off climbing on a general bouldering wall.
Doing this often and hard without knowing what you're doing is a famously easy way to injure yourself, though.
When people talk about "campusing" as training, they're normally referring to campusing on relatively small rungs on a purpose-built campus board, not to feet-off climbing on a general bouldering wall.
Doing this often and hard without knowing what you're doing is a famously easy way to injure yourself, though.
In reply to VE:
Story sounds amazing. Injuries and pains you mention sound like something you need to pay serious attention to.
Please pay for a session with a professional coach who can analyse your weaknesses, while seeing you climb, and give you a tailor made training program.
Story sounds amazing. Injuries and pains you mention sound like something you need to pay serious attention to.
Please pay for a session with a professional coach who can analyse your weaknesses, while seeing you climb, and give you a tailor made training program.
In reply to douwe:
If he can go from total novice to V10 in 3 months then professional coaches should be paying him. Or professional novelists.....
> Story sounds amazing. Injuries and pains you mention sound like something you need to pay serious attention to.
> Please pay for a session with a professional coach who can analyse your weaknesses, while seeing you climb, and give you a tailor made training program.
If he can go from total novice to V10 in 3 months then professional coaches should be paying him. Or professional novelists.....
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In reply to Lurking Dave:
Now you mention it there is something in the air ?
> Three months, V10... can anyone else smell that? what is it?
Now you mention it there is something in the air ?
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In reply to Wsdconst:
Yes, there is a high probability there is some smelly business involved here.
But let's assume it is true which is not entirely impossible since the OP is extrapolating his progress into climbing V10/11 in the coming months. But has actually bouldered V8 and some V9, in the gym (unbeknownst to us), and hasn't been very clear about his base level before those 3/4 months.
I would be most concerned with those lingering pains he has revealed to bother him and would advice him to get those sorted asap. And at the level he claims to be climbing I think it would be worth his money to get some personal coaching going as well.
But I'm sure in a gym in Minneapolis there must be some other strong climbers who can advice him as well and would have noticed somebody making such stellar progress in such a short time frame.
Yes, there is a high probability there is some smelly business involved here.
But let's assume it is true which is not entirely impossible since the OP is extrapolating his progress into climbing V10/11 in the coming months. But has actually bouldered V8 and some V9, in the gym (unbeknownst to us), and hasn't been very clear about his base level before those 3/4 months.
I would be most concerned with those lingering pains he has revealed to bother him and would advice him to get those sorted asap. And at the level he claims to be climbing I think it would be worth his money to get some personal coaching going as well.
But I'm sure in a gym in Minneapolis there must be some other strong climbers who can advice him as well and would have noticed somebody making such stellar progress in such a short time frame.
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In reply to VE:
aye- that would be really handy, actually.
show me the video and i'll show you the first step onto the eightfold path of enlightenment in return.
send CA$H and i can help (or your money back).
> 2. I can send a video of a v7, that's all I have for videos right now
aye- that would be really handy, actually.
show me the video and i'll show you the first step onto the eightfold path of enlightenment in return.
send CA$H and i can help (or your money back).
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In reply to VE:
Something most climbers pay attention to is the fact that muscles can get stronger much faster than tendons can. Getting strong too fast is thus very risky for one's tendons. Making fast progress is very satisfying for the ego but really there's no rush and one injury can put progress into reverse for a good while. So you need to let your tendons strengthen to keep up with your muscles.
If you run out of problems to do at your local gym just make up new ones using a combination of the different holds on the wall. If you're dynoing a lot try climbing very slowly and statically. No only is this great for technique and balance its also great for strength and less risk of injury.
If you want to push yourself harder trying to several problems in short succession with little or no rest.
You might also want to explore more options for climbing: other walls, lead climbing, or outdoor crags when the weather is good enough.
Something most climbers pay attention to is the fact that muscles can get stronger much faster than tendons can. Getting strong too fast is thus very risky for one's tendons. Making fast progress is very satisfying for the ego but really there's no rush and one injury can put progress into reverse for a good while. So you need to let your tendons strengthen to keep up with your muscles.
If you run out of problems to do at your local gym just make up new ones using a combination of the different holds on the wall. If you're dynoing a lot try climbing very slowly and statically. No only is this great for technique and balance its also great for strength and less risk of injury.
If you want to push yourself harder trying to several problems in short succession with little or no rest.
You might also want to explore more options for climbing: other walls, lead climbing, or outdoor crags when the weather is good enough.
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