UKC

Afternoon FitClubbers! Lots of great advice flying around last week which is really encouraging to see. (Even though it makes doing the stats that much more complicated!)

A new thread is posted each week on Sunday for anyone to jot down their previous week's activity. UKC fitclub is a rich community with posters sharing their goals, noting successes and failures and offering support to those struggling to maintain motivation. Anyone interested in starting is very welcome to join, but to get the most of UKC fit club you should aim to post each week, every week, however little or much you have done. By making such a regular public record of your activities and by restating your goals every week this new habit will hopefully improve your training habits and drive you towards achieving your goals whatever the level of your chosen activity.

For those wanting to find out more about training for climbing a number of physical training articles are linked here: http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=274502

The following training article by Alex Barrows gives an excellent breakdown on training the four main "energy systems" specific to climbing: http://alexbarrowsclimbing.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/training-for-sport-climbi...

Last week’s thread can be found here: https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/walls+training/ukc_fitclub_week_607-69535...

You can look back at your previous posts here (to some extent… it’s still a work in progress, this now goes back to FC500): http://ukc-fitclub-user-posts.s3-website.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/users.html

Posters:

Jamming Dodger - whether its wetsuit aesthetics or beautiful scenery, it sounds motivating!

Hms - Was your TCA visit the classic problem of first session back on plastic? I find it never goes well after a fortnight on rock…

Guy123456 - You do spread yourself quite thin, I have enough trouble juggling life with just sport climbing!

Tyler - Sorry the ankle isn’t playing ball, are there any steeper walls around, that might help…

AlanLittle - I think you did well on your holiday, certainly sounds like you are making inroads into uncomfortable territory. It’s a funny old game isn’t it, I find steep pumpy long routes the least intimidating type!

AJM - How’s that winter training plan coming? Want to do a woody session…?

Mattrm - 666 goal added. Is the HiiT session starting to show any benefits?

Somerset swede basher - I see your issue, you keep on not climbing Jerry’s traverse, you should climb it instead.

Biscuit - Are you going on a ski trip at Easter? If so where to?

Ally Smith - How’s the popping knee? Really impressive week of ticks, do you ever have a rest week?!

Tom Green - 2.5 weeks is more karma than anyone deserves, glad it’s on the way out now though, hopefully you had a better week.

Lornajkelly - Got enough advice yet? How you feeling about that 666 goal now, i’ll put it down until you tell me otherwise.

The sheep - 5 minutes off your 5k? Blimey. You crazy runner types…

Alexm198 - unless it’s stated in the link, 85% of 1rm is usually calculated from total weight, so bodyweight plus added weight. If 85% is +12kg and you weigh e.g 70kg, then your 1rm should already be about 26kg. Depending on your weight you could be close already!

Powderpuff - I love a bit of Grimer, has he put any more new ones out since that one a couple of months ago?

Ardo - Ok gotcha, makes sense now! When do you go out to Spain? Are you already there?

Cyan - Well done on the second place! Don’t spend it all on beer!

Bones - Decent looking week, whats the issue with the front levers?

Dandan - Knuckle is being suspiciously quiet...

Rebecca Ting - I know exactly what you mean about the neck thing, been there!

Liamhutch89 - That’s a big deadlift, was that consecutive reps?! It’s almost double what I do! (not that i’m much of a deadlifter)

Fit Club 666 goals:

AJM - Mark of the Beast (or Blue Planet/Privateer); E5 (or equivalent); sport onsight/“quick tick” & some from Colors/Tennessee/Paradise Lost/Bird of Paradise/Return of the Gunfighter

Ally Smith - Devils Gorge newbies; Rock Atrocity; press a sport climber; 8c+

Tom Green - Satanic Verses

Dandan82 - Horny Lil' Devil/Mark of the Beast/Camino a la Perdicion; +66kg weighted pullup - +60kg; 666 one-arm pullups - 4/666; 666 ‘good’ handstands 16/666 ; 66 routes at 7a and above including 6 routes at 7c+ and above - 2/66 0/6.

alexm198 - Versant Sataniques, 1938 route

Tom Green - 666m of arete on lancashire grit

Tyler - 66 yoga sessions; 66 routes at 7a and above, 6 routes at 7c and above

Bones - A front lever

Rebecca Ting - Fiesta de los Biceps (7a); Riding to Babylon (7a+); Stanage VS challenge

Mattrm - Lead 6a, Lead 6b, Lead 6c

Biscuit - 6xV6 slabs, 6xV6 vert 6xV6 slopers at BUK

Lornajkelly - Comes the Dervish onsight

Thanks Dan, there are steeper walls in Margalef which is why we have decided to go there first week of Dec instead of here (I'm hoping it's not too busy as we had trouble getting accommodation).

M: Rest

T: One 7a second go, one sort of 7a on sight and one 7a sort of flashed. I thought I'd cracked it but...

W: Failed on a 7b, 7a, 6c+ and finally slipped off a 6c.

T: Battered, just about clawed my way up a 6c but was otherwise rubbish.

F & S: Travel /rest

S: BUK, a few boulders to warm up then half a BM FB session and then 2 sets of FoC, dropped 5 secs worth.

Enjoyed my trip, found a great restaurant I didn't know about (I've piled on some heft though!). Left the crag knackered and in the dark each day so it was a great way to get back into climbing after my injury but my back, hip and ankle are in an unsustainable way so goal for the week is to arrange some medical appointments.

666 goals - 466 7a

Thanks Dan.

STG (2018): Not sure. Something strength related and, realistically, indoors. Perhaps some moonboard benchmarks?
MTG (2019): Double digit 7's including Frankenjura 7b+ project
LTG (2021): Redpoint 8a before I hit 60 

M: 
T: Morning max hangs before work. Easing into a proper winter strength programme
    Bike one hour. Hiking around Telendos and up to Olympic Wall with a heavy rucksack doesn't seem to have done my base cardio fitness any harm
W: Wall, Thalkirchen. Ten routes. Pleasant to have a simple social/mileage session with no particular training agenda.
T: Bike 1½ hours.
    Half an hour shoulder mobility, wrist extensors, hamstring rehab. Shoulders noticeably tight after Kaly: work to do there.
F: Bike one hour. Boys' night stretching & hamstring rehab in front of the telly while watching Mad Max: Fury Road with my son.
S: More telly stretching while failing to convince the younger generation that everything these days is crap and Mad Max 2 is way better. It is though.
S: Wall, Boulderwelt. I have a decent set of hard boulder projects going now: a body tension roof, some desperate crimpy deadpointing, a balancy slab. The slab perhaps not much use as physical limit bouldering, but technique is good too.

A quiet post-holiday week mostly doing family stuff. Peeved though to be back in a plague pit office and perma-snuffles after two weeks of healthy Aegean sea air.
 

I did some thinking this week - I managed to have a slightly more restful rest week, and progress the holiday planning a bit further.

I figure I can go to the wall once midweek, and there I've got 4 things I want to somehow mix and match:

- woody - this is far from an area of strength and I felt like it did me some good last winter trying to project Dandans warmups

- general bouldering, trying hard problems

- general bouldering but with a focus on the things I'm bad at, stop ignoring the slabs and parkour and stuff, try to improve technoqie

- aerobic base - if I want to do trad well next year I can't just ignore this like I have done the previous 2 winters

I can hopefully do the latter as a finisher on each session - some 1-on-1off or back to back problems followed by a short stint of continuous traversing. Board and "things I'm bad at" might be doable in the same session, as being too tired for the board doesn't preclude trying hard in other styles.

Outdoors, I don't really have any firm plans. I'd like to maybe go to Lulworth or Durdle Door sport climbing, for something a bit different, and I'd like to keep some trad miles going if possible (and I'd quite like to do Coronation Street if the opportunity presents itself). I've got a few things I'm moderately interested in boulder-wise but my local psyche for this is probably less than it was a year ago just because I did a decent chunk of the things that were high on the list. I've got 2 boulder trips planned, a day or two in the peak at Christmas and a week in Font in March - I'd like to just do some classic problems, ideally tricky classic problems somewhere along the way, and if the chance to get back on last year's Font project I certainly wouldn't pass it up. Ditto if if the chance to chip away at a Dartmoor project came up I would be keen.

The one I'm finding trickiest is supplementary home training, which I can probably do once, maybe twice per week. I'm quite psyched to work on front lever progressions, and being straight armed it doesn't aggravate my elbow (which I do need to get fixed). I found the TRX productive last winter in that I felt, subjectively, like it helped with a bit more squeezing/shoulder burl. But somewhere I should also plod onwards with fingerboard and maybe tackle long standing weaker points like small pocket strength. But I don't think I'll have time to for those into one session, so to do both I'm reliant on doubling up which if I'm honest is going to be a challenge with time/mental energy/etc. And that's without even considering the benefits that a weekly foc session would have on my fitness work .

Would appreciate any thoughts from the hive mind here, some of this I know deep down is probably a want Vs ought (bodyweight Vs fingerboard) thing but thoughts very welcome.

I've found that silly volume shuffling can be tacked on the end of a session when the fingers aren't working any more, and it might be of some benefit for something.

Hi.

Did three commutes this week plus a teeny bit extra to get me over my 80 mile goal. Hardly effort of the century but just want to keep going as much into winter as poss. Now got showers at work too which helps. 

Today, ditched my running partner as I was feeling a bit poorly in the morning and slept terribly (not drink related!) but at about 1pm I had a strong word with myself and went out anyway. Just 6 miles today, but still worthwhile and feel better for it. The hound agreed.

Probably more of the same next week. 

Same old. Same old. All for a good cause.

Have a good week. 

Oh, and if anyone has any good tips for running downhill on roughground that’d be good. I tend to tip toe down stuff like that but would love to have the confidence to just throw myself into it like proper runners.

I'm a similar age to you but it's objectively wrong to say Fury Road isn't the best Mad Max film. The only real point of discussion is whether Thunder Dome is worse the first one. Next you'll be telling the poor lad that Rocky IV isn't the best of that series. 

Thanks Dan, some sound advice there! Been an active week training wise but not been able to get out to the crag at all this week. 

Mon. Campus session number two. Reduced the reps but upped the intensity. Laddering but missing some rungs this time 135789 then back down using all of them x 5 reps. Bounces going up to 5 (I could only manage up to 4 last time) x5 on each arm.

Tues. Fingerboard session. Still swapping the larger edges I used to use for the smaller ones. Managed one more middle two hang than last time. 

Wed. Work enforced rest day. 

Thurs. Boulder mileage session. 50-60 problems 5+ to 6b in just over an hr. 10km round trip on the road bike to get to the wall.

Fri. 9km run, medium fast

Sat. 12km ride with a 2stone noisy wriggly weight on the back. 90min session on my 66degree home board - I was pretty boshed after that. 

Sun. 8km steady run.

Assuming that you can't do your TRX in your rest time between hangs,  I think you should put a plan together for some form of periodisation (doesn't have to be fixed/linear.) In its simplest form this could just be a couple of months on pockets and then a couple of months on the TRX. Do it so that you are trained well for your goals/trips at the time you are on them.  I would also think about how this interplays with your wall sessions. Eg if you are on the Woodie I would be inclined to only do one additional fingerboard session in the same week because either of those leaves me needing lots of rest,  so three of them won't fit in a week with a day outside.  But you could still fit in a TRX session the day before /after the fingerboard. On the other hand,  if you were doing slabby and funky problems at the wall on big holds,  then you might well be able to combine this with two fingerboard sessions in a week without excessive rest periods. What you are doing outside also plays into this. Ie hard bouldering is a tough workout. 

Grit would benefit most from general hard bouldering (of the right type), core and TRX.

Font similar for many problems,  but depending on your goals there are also problems out there where you would benefit a lot from the Woodie or pocket work.

Also don't underestimate how hard a board session can hit your shoulders. 

So something like the following ordee:

Bouldering /core/trx/aero base for 2 months

Grit trip

Board/ core/ pockets /aero base for 2 months

Font trip

Pockets / aeropow work? 

Trad / sport trip? 

I'd be tempted to skip the Aero work for a couple of weeks before the font trip. 

Ultimately though it just needs to be something like the above that aligns with what you are psyched for.  There are lots of permutations on the above if you also think about which exercises might best maintain the things that you develop in other exercises, or if you end up with other intermediate outside goals that need other things.  I really need a plan like this myself... 

Thanks Si, good thoughts there.

I'd had the same thought about aero. I like a bit of campusing every now and again so a period before Font where I drop off aero and try to get some fast twitch time in felt like a plausible idea.

The shoulder overload is a bit of a concern. I find low rep I/Y/T facing down hit the shoulders and lower back pretty hard, and certainly hangs when I'm adding weight or assisted one arm work do seem to suffer if done the day after, let alone in the same session. And board can be hard on the shoulders especially if cutting loose is involved. So there's a definite challenge there in mixing them all up in short succession .

Do you have any favourites for "core" in the grit sense? I tend to assume board and TRX hit posterior keeping-feet-on core, and I don't tend to bother with large amounts of crunches/whatever as I've been dubious re relevance, but curious as to what you see as good, given it's yyour local .

Core strength on grit (and Font)  is most importantly about being able to swing your feet up high and accurately into heel/toe hooks while on poor (eg slopey) hands, and also pulling in on heel/toe hooks while in awkward positions (eg when they are a bit too close in). I've never been good at training this other than just doing repeated leg raises,  which are definitely at the easier end of the scale. However if you are psyched for front levers,  I'd have thought they would be great. Probably with something to train the obliques too (windscreen wipers?)

Thanks for the stats Dan,

Knee is unchanged - no more popping, but unstable in some positions. It's been like this before and rest should heal it up in a few weeks. 

Rest week/month planned for December, until then, pushing on...

Week 44

M – Garage training session. Crimpd an-cap hangs, 4x front-3 strict half-crimp @ BW-7.5kg, 4x deep front-2 @ BW+10.5kg. 3x10 Barbell curls @ 30kg, 6x DLx6 @ 75kg then hi-end aero-cap FoC 1on/1off x10 wearing 5kg weight vest. Slightly too intense as a 2nd session – failed on last set – not pumped but powered out.

T – Nowt.

W – 2hours at the Arch. Unstructured bouldering.

T – Pooped. Not motivated enough for hotel gym before work.

F – Max hang session, comparing against old benchmarks from winter of 2016/17. Where as I used to be able to do a 10s hang with a scrawny Moose hanging off me vimeo.com/197400682 I’ve totally upped my game and can now hang an 8c+ climber off me: 63kg!!

BM2K-AA          55kg     63kg

Front-3             20kg     27.5kg

Back-3              28.5kg  30kg

Middle-2          16.5kg  30kg

Crimp               23kg     26.35kg

Front-2             26.5kg  30kg

Back-2              14kg     21.25kg

Note that the 2-finger combos are in the deeper pockets, not the shallow BM2K-AA slots which I use for the 3 & 4 finger grips.

Finished with some DL; 100kg x8 – volume PB? Might have been able to push it to 10 reps without knowing what awaited…

S – 4 hours hedge trimming with the starting of a shitty cold. Unbelievable powered out shoulders wielding a 5kg trimmer at arms length for that amount of time.

S – Snuck in an early morning hi-end aero-cap 1on/1off x10 FoC with 5kg vest. Hard work as i've been ignoring (and will continue to ignore for now) the aero-cap. Then another 4 hours hedge trimming with snotty nose, followed by 3hours wedmin.

Thanks Dan. Think it was the curse of TCA rather than of 1st time back on plastic, cos my Redpoint session was a stormer. Outside there's usually somewhere different you can put your foot to get that little bit extra reach. Indoors with the TCA smooth walls there are no other options.

M - cycle commute. Yoga.
T - cycle commute. Back via UCR: 9 circuits up to ~7a. Rest, then 10x min on/min off on chunks.
W - rain was apocalyptic - drove in to work
T - cycle commute. FB: warmup then 5/10/5/3 x6 working up gradually to +18kg. Rest then 7/3/6/1 x8. Had planned on x10 but shoulders and fingers feeling a bit grouchy so seemed sensible not to push it.
F - visiting parents. Gardening: an hour cutting apple tree shoots with blunt secateurs, so that's pinch grip! 
S - digging out a compost heap. Carefully - this was how my Dad slipped a disc in his back. Then return home from parents.
S - Warehouse with husband and D1. 12 routes inc 7a+ OS, 7a 2nd got (lack of familiarity with their textured wall/style cost the OS), 7a which didn't go due to a crucial crimp turning out to be an unholdable foothold. Also tried a weird groove route - flashbacks to Pure Palm! Enjoyable session. 

This week is likely to be fairly similar, keeping a nice tick-over volume/difficulty until Spain.

Hi Dan,

Back to Fitclub for me to try and keep training motivation up through the winter. Quite looking forward to this off-season as my work/study pressures have reduced dramatically so allows far more mental capacity for training hard. I submitted my PhD at the end of September and have since been just going out, having fun and doing a load of what is effectively volume. for the last six weeks, so back to some structure.

STG (end 2018): 1) finish at least one of two long-term projects (weather depending) - Beltane (7b+) or Deliverance (f7B+); 2) complete planned strength and power sessions for the next 5 weeks

MTG (April 2019): Climb >10 7s (sport) - off to NZ in April so ideally before then but always scope to add some there if I can find a partner (>24 in terms of equivalent grades)

LTG (end of summer 2019): Depends on winter progress - either a 7c (maybe Gin Palace (7c)) or even 8a (maybe Statement of Youth (8a))

So last week:

AIM: Volume/have fun/do what I fancy

Mon: 2 x 30 min easy climbing, Circuit board 4 x 6 laps (unsure of a grade for this circuit, effectively the easiest way round a 20 degree board)

Tues: Gave 500mL of my blood away so a light day. 30 mins yoga and some forearm extensor/flexor curls

Weds: 1) Yoga; 2) AM Fingerboard (2 x 10 x 10sec hang/50sec rest) on the 35s and bottom four finger holds (BM2000); 3) 2 x 30 min easy climbing, 5 x 8 laps of the circuit, 20 pull ups

Thurs: General strength session - shoulder press, front raise, lateral raise, chest press, bicep curl, weighted crunches, windscreen wiper, leg raises (floor)

Fri: 1) Yoga, 2) Turbo trainer ~50 mins ("racing")

Sat: 1) Yoga, 2) Turbo trainer ~70 mins ("racing")

Sun: Lied to by the met office so didn't go climbing. Nice weather in the end. 1) Yoga, 2) Bike 42km

Plan for this week (and the two after) is to work on my general and finger strength, both of which are a bit of a limiter in my climbing (based on a Lattice Assessment from early summer). Two hangboard sessions (c. 50 mins each) with a strength session after (one upper body, one core) and off to the Peak at the weekend for a couples holiday but will try to sneak some outdoor (or indoor) climbing in. Might also do a couple of cardio sessions (either run or bike) if I feel like it during the week. 

Ah, good point! That hadn't occurred to me. The article recommends using this 1RM calculator: https://www.miniwebtool.com/1-rep-max-calculator/. So based on the fact I currently weight just shy of 76kg and I was able to do 6x4 pull ups with 16kg last week, my 1RM should be 24kg. That's promising! I also made a 1RM effort before a session at the wall on Saturday and managed to just about eke out a pull up with 25kg on my harness, so that makes sense. I'm now in awe of your +66kg pull up goal, though!

Last Week (Base Week 2/30):

M: 70min Z1 stairmaster

T: Ice/mixed climbing max strength w/core warmup. Managed 6x4 pull ups with 16kg. 

W: 50min Z1 stairmaster.

T: Ice/mixed climbing max strength w/core warmup. Same weights as Tuesday.

F: 50min Z1 stairmaster 

S: Indoor session. Put in a 1RM pull up effort and managed +25kg. Then attempted the 50:50 mixed intensity laps from Crimpd. Couldn't finish it! Shame! Shame! Shame! Even the easiest routes on the circuit board were too steep for me to recover on. Finished by flashing seven V3s (vertical or less than vertical). I should probably stop doing things like this and just prioritise steep jug hauling -- more applicable to winter.

S: Rest. 

Last week's goals:

2 ice/mixed max strength circuits w/core routine warmup [x]

170min Z1 [x]

20min steep Z2 [-]

1 day climbing-specific training [x]

Goals: (will add more/refine as they become clearer)

This week

• 2 ice/mixed max strength circuits w/core routine warmup
• 170min Z1
• 20min steep Z2
• 1 day climbing-specific training

STG (end 2019)

• 10x Scottish winter routes
• 1RM pull-up w/30kg...? 

MTG (~end of Winter, maybe a little later)

• 2x Scottish VII O/S
• 3x WI6 O/S
• 1x M8 O/S

LTG (~end of 2019)

• New route in the Cordillera Blanca
• Bugaboos trip
• Caucasus trip

Cheers Dan. To be fair running is my weakest event and the one I have been doing for the shortest amount of time so the easiest point to start making gains for next years triathlons. Been a week of two halves gone by with the wifes father being taken into hospital at the end of the week  so she went to stay with her family and I looked after the kids so no getting out for me. Anyway week went as follows;

Monday, 1km lunchtime swim

Tueasday, 1km lunchtime swim and 5k evening run

Wednesday, 1km lunchtime swim and 16k cycle home

Thursday, 1.5km lunchtime swim and stretch class

Friday-Sunday, nothing

Thanks Dan,  yeah some really good insights from a lot of people.  It was really useful.

As for training, there's not been much.  Several steps backwards because my rotator cuff injury from a few years ago has flared up again.  I had to tap out of climbing early on Tuesday and then circuits on Saturday.  Time to ring the physio again.  It's not a major thing like it was last time, just the warning twinge, but last time it took me out of the game for so long that I'm paranoid about it.  I'm going to the wall tonight on a see-how-it-feels basis, with no overhangs, no leading and nothing over 5+.  Time to start on the running too, because I clearly can't manage circuits.

Rebecca - thanks so much but I only saw your message about meeting up in the peaks on Sunday evening.  I love Froggatt too!  

Thanks me, another decent week despite not getting outside due to weather, iffy fingers are feeling good so I had my first foray onto the woody in a while, some classic problems still feel pretty comfortable so there is still some power there.

M: Fingerboard; BM2K AA slot 10 sec hang at +23kg (80% 1RM)  8 reps

T: Gym: Pull ups 10 x 4 at +15kg, lock offs 4x6 5 sec holds, shoulder press 4 x 6 at 16kg, squat 4 x 6 at 65kg, bench 4 x 4 at 60/65/70/70kg
Indoor Boulder; project session, made a new woody problem and managed all the moves but yet to link it up, maybe 7a+? Local superbeast Huffy was unable to flash it which is always encouraging!

W: Rest, completely forgot to do a pocket fingerboard session

T: Indoor routes; 4 laps of route around 7a with 1 min rests. 3 sets on 3 different problems.
4min on 4min off at 6c/7a

F: DIY club, fence is coming along nicely

S: Indoor boulder; double reps of 10 move problem with 30secs easy climbing between. 5 sets.
4 reps of 10 move problem with 20s rest. 2 sets. Knackered.
I also played on a few of the recent comp routes to warm up, I got a hard problem second go which apparently saw off all attempts at the actual comp, nice ego boost there.

S: More DIY club, first part of fence finished, just 4 more to go...

STG (Last week)
Keep training at a level to allow knuckle to improve - TICK
4 hamstring stretch sessions - 1/4
More 1 arm pull up attempts - TICK

STG (Next week)
Keep training at a level to allow knuckle to improve - 
4 hamstring stretch sessions - 
Repeat 7c+ indoor project - 

MTG: (up to Margalef in December)
* Onsight 7c in Margalef
* 8a in a day in Margalef
* 7c in a day on Portland - TICK
* Squat 100kg and Deadlift 130kg - Sq-80kg DL-120kg

LTG: (This Year)
* 150 ticks in logbook - 171/150
* tick 3 x 8a - 0/3 * tick 10 x 7c/7c+ - 7/10
* Squat and deadlift 2x bodyweight
* Go to Kilnsey - Missed the boat
* Get to December without any new injuries - meh
* reasonably static muscle up -
* Enter BLCC and don't come dead last - skipped due to it being in Scotland

BHAG:
* Onsight 8a+/Redpoint 8b+ in a day by March 2022 (40th Birthday)

666 Goals:
Horny Lil' Devil/Mark of the Beast/Camino a la Perdicion
+66kg weighted pullup - +60kg
666 one-arm pullups 28/666
666 'good' handstands; 20/666
66 routes at 7a and above including 6 routes at 7c+ and above. 4/66 0/6

Windscreen wipers is an interesting idea. Maybe that can go on the list. I think flexibility work might be useful for the high heels/etc point, I guess there’s 2 stages, getting the heel there in the first place and then being able to get power out of it.

Cheers Dan.

Leg physio etc all done. Need to increase it again as it's not hurting enough!

Went skiing again and was a big brave boy and went from the top of the big slope. Wiped out first time but all was OK after that. Going to be tricky over the next few weeks as my new placement is definitely not 20 mins from Chill Factore. 

Climbed 3 times. Which is great. Got distracted every time and just climbed a lot, which is not so great.

BUK - new set on the vert/slabs. In my defence this was working my weaknesses. Nothing over V5 done but tried hard on some V6's

Depot - my plan of a strength session went out of the window when I saw the new reds had literally just been finished when I got there. I didn't go on the comp wall but I managed to do them all (apart from one I got the beta wrong and was tired by then) in 1.5 hrs. Quite pleased with that but I think it was a soft set?

Eden Rock - made the effort to get up there and loved it again. I really like their setting. Having spent a long while travelling to get there it felt a waste to just pick a few hard ones to try so I did my usual and did most of the blue circuit (25 problems 6a-6c+)

So this tells me what I already knew. I can climb up to V5 easily and in large volume, but I can't get beyond that. I wonder what I should do to sort that...……...

Got a bike ride in at the weekend. 40km and 650m of ascent. Nice steady ride out and enjoyed it but i'm (unsurprisingly) not as fit as I was at the end of Summer.

This week:

Leg physio x7

Ski - hopefully 

Climb - hopefully

Should get better after this week for climbing. Not sure about the skiing.

Don’t start arguing about this, you will lose. 

Don't suppose you're climbing at Kendal wall on Sunday are you? I'm after a partner as I'm at the film festival

That would have been really good but I’m coaching at Rockover. Sorry! 

Hi Dandan,

I was binge listening to the podcast last week having never listened to it before. I think you might be referring to the Johnny Dawes & Nick Dixon episode which has been my favorite so far. The one and only time I enjoyed the one show was when Grimer was on it, the presenters didn't know what to make of him....I think Matt Baker thought he was drunk!

Tuesday:  ran to the wall and climbed a couple of v5's and worked a v6. Theraband for the shoulders. 

Friday: really easy session just potted about on problems in the v1-3 range.

Sunday: 10 mins Dave Macleod session which ended up being more like 25 mins.

Not bad for me given it was a full on week at work.

Thanks Dan. 

Current status: I can do x number of L-hangs (raising my legs up as high as I can hanging on bar) - roughly around 5, almost to 90 degrees. Currently doing a daily 3x 3 reps (as many as I can do consistently to keep form). It's a little bit arbitrary because I am not sure what I should be doing but figuring the incremental improvement will get me there eventually - I've just never kept doing it for long enough. There is very little I can do from all the videos and things I have read regarding progression...it sort of feels like some of the strength might be there but I am struggling to engage it.

Next step: I am going to take part in a trial programme from a trainer in Australia, who trains Morrissey (who used to post on here). Hopefully will get that this week. She has some core work to do alongside that she thinks will help.

In the meantime, I have been attempting daily L-hangs but I haven't remembered as much as I hoped. This week I have been writing it down every day so I remember and can tick it off. I am going to start videoing the progression too.

So last week:

I have had a huge amount of work on so am focusing on climbing regularly but haven't run as much. Consistently flashing V5s on slab/vertical climbs (not overhangs yet) at different walls so definite improvement. Completed 1/4 runs and 3/4 climbing sessions.

Mon: Stronghold boulder session - great session with Cyan and Guy - my slab climbing seems to be improving a lot. V5s are doable and I think V6 isn't too far off.

Tues: work - I obviously do so little normally that this is actually a significant thing

Weds: Short run and more work

Thurs: Castle boulder session. Finally, did the V5/V6 problem I tried last session by doing the little burst to crimp over and over and over and over. Did another V5/V6 and getting there with a slopey V5 purple.

Fri/Sat: solid days of just work

Sun: Boulder session at Yonder with Cyan and her massive climbing crew. Can't remember exactly but flashed a few V3s, V4s and also one or two V5s. Great sets there and always push it harder climbing with Cyan as she is totally nails.

This week my goal is 3 climbing sessions (possibly 4 if I go Sat and Sun), trying hard on V6 each time and 2 runs. Other than that, flat out working. 

My understanding was that L-hangs are only marginally related to front levers as you are strengthening your core but not in the same position as a lever (hips bent at 90 deg as opposed to hips being straight)

Have you tried pulling up into a lever position but with your knees tucked to your chest? Almost like what kids do at the park where they pull their legs up then flip their legs through their arms and go upside down, just without doing the upside down bit!

If you can't pull up to it from hanging you can kick off the floor to help get into position, then the progression from there is just to extend your legs as far forward as possible until you eventually end up in a front lever. Apologies if i'm teaching you to suck eggs but I think it would be more applicable than all the L-hangs. (which are a great exercise regardless)

Thanks Dan, I just can't get my legs up into that position. I can get myself into a crunched position if I have another bar to help (like on the monkey bars), maybe that is what you mean - I'll do a video and link it here to show you. Just gotta figure out how to do that first ;p

Yeah my understanding is that a lot of front lever is basically middle back muscle, whereas L hangs work predominantly front abdominals/hip flexors. Not much overlap.

I'd have thought the progression exercises are TRX I moves (facing down), knee to bar (as you describe) and then various less compressed versions of that (rolling to a horizontal back with gradually less crunched up legs)

STG - 14st

MTG - Goblin Girl (6b) 6c at Navigation, then WFD

LTG - Definitely bouldering, bearing in mind Trad will be hard for the next few years...

Weight - 14st 6lbs (2lb gain)

M - F - Rest

S - Crappy HiiT

S - Crappy HiiT

The "HiiT" is basically aimed at not getting worse over the next few months while I move house and stuff.  Also now the local wall is only open two days a week that's an issue.  It's sorta working I guess.  But the aim is just to stay the same.

Thanks Dan. I can mostly turn my neck now so my parking is improving...

School wall opened last week so have access to some great top rope options for fitness drills. Did a blitz across all the lines on Tuesday (apart from the 7a which is a morpho project I might never get) and site specific training on the Friday. Saturday was work and seeing people. Sunday did my usual over cramming so knocked out a crap WBL score at Wirksworth and popped to Rheinstor for routes and the traverse. Got to get back to the pocket game as I should put TOYP on my 666 list. 

ps. Not sure if you’re booked in to see Reel Rock but I think you’ll love the Ondra film - a unique visualisation process for hard sport that I think would be hard to get without seeing it on screen!