UKC

Coming up I've got about 4 months with absolutely nothing on. I can do as I please. Naturally I'd like to dedicate a lot of time to climbing, even more than now. Currently I hangboard, do one arm pull up variations and core 3x a week and climb twice. With the schedule:

Monday - Training
Tuesday - Training
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - Climbing
Friday - Training
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Climbing

I've had great success with this, bouldering up to 8A outside. My deliberation now is do I spend more time climbing outside or do I keep my current schedule and try to be outside on my climbing days as much as possible or do I switch it up? I think that I would loose strength if I just climbed but of course climbing would be good for my technique. I'd like to get stronger over the summer so feel like I'd need to keep 3 training days a week as well. I could climb outside and train on the same day but I'd need to be careful to not injure myself. Anyone got any advice? It's a great problem to have I know!

In reply to Jack McKechnie:

Having four months to yourself is the perfect opportunity to use all that hard earned training. Go on some trips, climb somewhere youvealways wanted to climb, get stuck into some outdoor projects.

In reply to Jack McKechnie:

In the words of the late George Michael, "Lets Go Outside"

There's plenty of time to train in the evenings when you are working a regular job and can only look out of the window at the decent weather.

In reply to Jack McKechnie:

What was all that training for?

In reply to Jack McKechnie:

Absolutely get out at every opportunity. Put that strength to use on some routes

In reply to MischaHY:

Go to magic wood

In reply to Jack McKechnie:

I just took a look at your log book. There's a very big world of climbing out there. No point training if you aren't going to use that strength to sample the best climbs out there. It's a no brainer - get out and climb while you can!

In reply to Jack McKechnie:

Outdoors! You'll remember great days outdoors for ages, compared to that an extra 2% finger strength is pretty irrelevant.

In reply to Jack McKechnie:


It looks like you're a pure boulderer; is that right?

Everyone has said the same thing so far, so I'll try to say something a bit different, although I concur with all they have said. Clearly improving is important to you and perhaps it is particularly important to you to not go by going outside instead of training. You can train outside too, but it's different. If time is what you have a lot of, it will probably improve your climbing more than just indoor sessions because it makes your technique better.

I know that going outdoors over a whole summer can mean that strength takes a hit (it does with me every year, but I enjoy the climbing, so I don't care), but if you want to you can be strict with yourself and make sure some of the outdoor sessions are training on steep problems the same way you might in a gym. You'll probably have to eliminate holds and be inventive, but that will surely be a bit of fun too.

I'm only a punter, but I reckon there would be many people at your level or better who'd say the same

cake

In reply to Jack McKechnie:

I'm just coming to the end of 5 months with nothing to do so may be able to help.

GO OUTDOORS. I was forced indoors for my first 2 months by injury, so had lots of physio to get me in good shape to climb properly again. If you're not injured then get outside!

If you're worried about losing strength then remember, "the BEST climber is the one having the most fun" and outside is always more fun. N.B. this really helps me as i'm not very good but i do have a lot of fun.

If you're stuck for ideas and can afford it, then come to Cape Town! I've been here since January, leaving at the end of this month. There's a crag for each day of the week within 30 mins drive of the city centre and Rocklands season has just begun only 3 hours away...and the local bouldering community is really welcoming.