UKC

Interested whether any one has tried weighted (+5-10% Bodyweight) route or circuit laps, either for power endurance or aerocapacity? and if so if they had any successess?

The thinking behind it, is easier routes can be used such as overhanging jug ladders, as I tend to find that the harder routes indoors tend to be cruxy which is not really helpful. Want to make sure i am not doing a an inefficient combination training of strength/endurance, or "wasted miles".

In reply to SFrancis:

I think it's pretty well accepted as a training method although it's true you don't seem to see many people doing it.

In fact the only person i've personally seen train with a weight belt has ticked Era Vella (9a), and i've heard some bloke called Adam Ondra uses one too and I think he's an OK climber, perhaps we are all missing a trick here...

In reply to SFrancis:

Ondra does indeed use a weight vest to train. That doesn't mean it would work for everyone though!

I recommend contacting a coach and discussing a proper performance plan before doing something that could potentially get you injured.

In reply to Dandan:


Perhaps for most of us, training progression is better achieved either by increasing difficulty or decreasing rest. I guess for the likes of Ondra, increasing difficulty could be something of a challenge.

In reply to MischaHY:


He needs to, since he's about 3 stone wet through........

In reply to planetmarshall:

I would agree totally agree, and by adding the weight i am increasing the difficulty, with a trip imminently to Riglos I was trying to tailor training towards that. Specifically trying to target longer endurance, on the easier overhanging sustained routes (6a-6c).

Where I climb i find the harder routes tend to be cruxey which given the height probably isn't a suprise, and circuits aren't a real possibility.

In reply to SFrancis:



You'll probably get better progress from 4x4 type power endurance training on this terrain than adding weight.

Adding weight for max hang type work can be good, but for active movement it can effect your centre of gravity if its more than a few kilos... which can through your muscle memory off.

Moon's and Eric horst's (training for climbing) youtube channels have plenty of insight on decent ARC training too. (Though if your trips imminent the gains may be minimal even with input from a coach)

In reply to SFrancis:

Before skiing the Haute Route I nipped up and down my local fell a few times with a big old Electrolux vacuum cleaner in my rucsac. It didn't seem to do me any harm on the ski trip.

In reply to Rigid Raider:

fingers are a little more delicate than legs...

If you want ski training water works better as added weight than a vacuum cleaner as you don't have to carry it down again!

In reply to SFrancis:

Anak Verhoven trains with a weight vest so doesn't seem to have done her much harm.

This one looks particularly nice though pricey:
http://www.hyperwear.com/product/hyper-vest-pro/

I'm no Adam Ondra or Anak Verhoven, and I have had good success doing endurance training with a weight vest. I think the key for mortals is keeping it relatively light and focusing on maintaining proper form. Big risk of tendon injury otherwise. With relatively light weights (5-10kg) a small backpack with weights works fine, too.

In reply to moonpalace:

All sounds good though not sure about 10kg as 'light' weight. I vaguely recall Ondra saying he trained with about 4kg. That weight vest is only 10lbs (4.5kg) though it can be made to go up to 22lbs.

In reply to SFrancis:

For me, systematic training/cycles are insanely boring. I have no desire to do a foot on campusing interval cycles that lasts 40 minutes. Nor can I be stand under a fingerboard and work a routine for 40 minutes. It's all so tedious.

Add a weight vest and you can train harder, quicker, and get better gains (according to my heavily caveated advice, relient on anecdotal evidence and containing many variables). The trick is managing fatigue and getting enough antagonistic exercise ( gotta watch golfers elbow)

I do weighted deadhangs on 12-14mm crimp- 15 mins routine. Some pulls ups weighted - 15 mins. And occasional circuit boulder with extra weight.

Using weights for the semi focused training I do has seen noticeable gains.

If you're climbing in the 6's I wouldn't recommend, but Im punting mid 7s and it's helping.

In reply to SFrancis:


There was a recent thread on this same topic.
https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=672766

The people being cited on this thread as training with a weight vest are serious climbing wads. I'd suggest they're training with added weight because they've done so much 'normal' training that they need to crank it up to continue seeing gains.

For 6a-6c endurance I personally cannot see that training with a weight vest is necessary or desirable in terms of movement skills and efficiency. I would have thought the gains at those grades would come from massive aerobic volume at your normal bodyweight, plus spending 6 weeks before the trip doing boulder 4x4s or 15-30 move circuits for aerobic power endurance.

I agree that harder routes and circuits indoors can be set in a frustratingly cruxy way which makes training on them difficult. But of course you can always construct your own circuits.

In reply to RockSteady:

Hang on perhaps i didnt expain myself well enough, Im suggesting to train on the "easy" 6a-6c routes with the weight vest, not suggesting im using weighted vests to train endurance of routes of that grade. I just find overhang routes aroudn those grades don't tend to have cruxes.

I'm thinking more endurance for euro style high 7s.

In reply to SFrancis:



Sorry yes I misunderstood and thought your plan was to train for 6a-6c endurance routes! Nonetheless, even at the high 7s I still think training endurance at your own bodyweight is a better idea than with a weight vest, simply because the volume of moves you do in an endurance session will start to program movement patterns, and your movement patterns will be thrown off by a vest. The wads mentioned in this thread who are training with weight vests are climbing in the F9s. Still, if you try it and it works feed back to the thread!