UKC

I've been taking my girlfriend climbing recently, she's climbed for a while on and off but now she’s going with me she's getting more into it and wants to push her grade, plus it’s handy for me if she climbs harder. She can do about 6a, and 6b on a good day if it's short and not steep. She has a good body shape for climbing, good fitness for her grade and the footwork is coming on slowly, finger strength is also not bad for her level.

However, while assessing her climbing style and weaknesses there is a clear lack of brute power and this often leads to getting shut down on anything steep or even slightly powerful. Technique and fancy foot work can get her off some moves (with instruction from me) but it's only masking the problem, as soon as even the most efficient movement requires more than a slight bit of strength she'll be stuffed and that is already starting to happen on some of the harder routes.

So it seems obvious to me that she needed to focus on power training. This did not go well. I tried with getting her to do some bouldering and she could barley climb V1 and couldn't even get off the ground on V2's if it was on a steep board regardless of hold size. So I got her on a pull up board and even on the biggest jugs couldn’t get near a single pull up.

Now when I want to train power I train on the woody, do pull ups, at weight etc etc. None of this is an option for her. The obvious choice is to stick with bouldering but she does not like it because she is rubbish at it so doesn’t get much done, If I Can just get her to about V4’ish she might get something out of it but it’ll be hard going. Do you think I could build her power from just going routes? Or are there either ways to train people with really weak arms?

A professional coach once told me that he climbed 7a before he could do a single pull up. My recommendation to your girlfriend would be to invest in some professional coaching. I'm sure you have access to some via your local climbing wall. For what it's worth my girlfriend read your post and said she would have dumped you for writing this post!!

In reply to Lord_ash2000: Ash, I thought you got some good advice of some French guys on Fiesta the other week? Climb like a duck wasn't it?

In reply to Lord_ash2000:

And to extend that line of argument slightly further, she's rubbish at it because she doesn't do much of it. If she wants to gain power/strength, it's undoubtedly the way to go. If she wants to get stronger, she just has to want it enough to train for it. I think she's looking for a magic pill to pop (like the rest of us) and hey-presto, instant strength. Sadly it doesn't work that way!

In reply to Fraser:

And just one more nugget: in order to succeed, you have to fail.

In reply to Fraser:

What he said.

It's difficult to appreciate the problem coming from the other direction (bouldering background to route climber with poor stamina) but I can't see how bouldering isn't the answer for those who lack power.

Is there a wall/crag near you with steep but not crazy steep board? Something like 25deg overhanging would help her build confidence, strength and technique much easier than a 40+deg monster which will lead to instant shut-down.

In reply to Fraser:

Very true.

Around Christmas time I was feeling very weak, anything overhanging was just totally out of the question. I started forcing myself to go bouldering (which I'm no fan of). At first I couldn't do the first couple of moves on any of the overhanging v1/v2 problems but after literally laying siege to them and forcing myself to keep trying I started to make quite rapid progress. Within 2-3 months I was able to send most v3-v4 problems on the 40 & 50 degree boards, it's frustrating at first but it gets psychologically easier once you start to get one move further on your project every session.

In reply to Lord_ash2000:

As a not naturally strong (and still not very strong) female I would advise bouldering too, but I think that I built up a fair bit of strength early on at the climbing wall by top roping routes with short overhangs. Climbing 6a/6b with no strength must mean her technique is fairly good in other ways.

I think that I built up my strength by doing small slightly overhanging bouldering problems and BIG JUGGY problems with decent footholds on an only just overhanging walls. Then gradually build up to bigger, longer overhangs and smaller holds. Helps if you have a wall with a really large bouldering area so there is plenty of easy stuff. It is very demoralising to go to a wall where there is only loads of problems that you cannot even start up!

In reply to Lord_ash2000:

A girl I taught to climb had a weak upper body, but other than that she was perfect, low weight, tall, long reach. She got a pullup bar and now boulders way beyond my standard (although I can still route better than she can).

It's hard work and not particularly fast, but the results are quite surprising.

In reply to Lord_ash2000:

there was a link to pull up bar training on here (i think) a little while back that was some
well known training guru going through the differnt stages, (holding at top, controlled
lowers, etc) but i cant find it!

Ava has a thread on this http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=480500

In reply to Lord_ash2000:

few things -

+ bouldering can be pretty demoralising when you start. The first time I tried bouldering indoors properly I was able to lead VS, second HVS, yet couldn't even do some of the V0 problems. V0! I stuck with it and got better but I'm still not a big fan of bouldering and due to not being all that strong I struggle inside compared to people I know who I can outclimb outside (even outside bouldering by the way, I think strength is more important on plastic at times). Is she happy trying lots of V0-1 and realising that falling off is part of it or is she expecting to get up quick and first time? Might be worth reassuring her that it's normal and in a few weeks she'll be much better.

+ overhanging routes don't suit everyone. Does she have to do overhangs? I know it can be a bit restrictive at some walls but if she's going quite regularly she may benefit from doing routes without them for a bit longer. This will help her build up strength and she'll enjoy it more so won't be put off.

+ if she can't manage a pull up see if she'll do deadhangs or try and do as close to a full pull up as she can. If she'll do that half a dozen times a day (even if she can only dead hang for a few seconds atht estart) she'll soon build up to being able to do one or two pull ups and then obviously build from there.

+ does she have to build strength? it sounds like she's got good technique and is quite new, remember it's about her enjoying it. She doesn't necessarily have to climb brutal overhangs or high grades. Also you might be the wrong person to push her on stuff like this. She may benefit from climbing with someone else, possibly another girl, who she may not feel so feeble next to.