The gym is a great place to
train, whether you climb outdoors or not. Apart from over 150 top-roped & lead routes,
we have a big 100m2 bouldering wall with angles ranging from vertical to 130 degrees.
The newest addition to our
training facilities is the Tower of Power, a purpose built area with campus
board, pegboard and three finger boards.
Articles
John Long's Workout from Hell
Links
Metolius' Training Page
- lots of info on how to train with a campus or finger board.
Eric Horst's Flash Training site
Technique Training
Finger Strength
Moves for steep routes
Stretching
Why you need speed
Climbing Technique
Have a look at a photo library of climbing moves.
Training Articles
"Hypertrophy
& Power Training" by Phil Requist
"Training
to Failure is Failure to Train – Interval Training for Anaerobic Endurance" by
Neil Gresham
Bobbi Bensman must know something about
training... Photo Simon Carter Onsight
Photography
Indoor Training Tips
Because you can burn out
so easily in the gym compared to an average day out at the crag, its important to have
frequent, planned rests to get the most out of your session. Use the time to stretch, have
a drink and a chat.
Warm Up
Warm up properly to avoid
injuries and a "flash pump" so you can have a longer and better quality session.
Have an Objective
If you're serious about
improving your climbing and want to get the most out of your session, you should have a
plan. Read some articles on training and have an overall objective. Very briefly, the main
"links in the chain" of climbing performance are:
- Technique
- Power
- Power-endurance
- Aerobic Endurance
- Mental aspects
- Flexibility
All of these can be
trained in the gym, but you can work on your flexibility at home, and the mental aspects
are tested more outdoors. Periodised training, where you work on a different
aspect for a number of weeks each, is popular. Good books to read are "Flash
Training" and "How to Climb 5:12", both by Eric Horst, and
"Performanace Rock Climbing" by Dale Goddard.
Technique
Improvements in your
technique can be made from either doing roped routes or boulder problems. Its best to
practise new or difficult moves when you’re fresh – near the beginning of your
session - since fatigue hinders co-ordination. There are various ways to improve technique
– climb with people who can give you tips, watch good climbers, watch videos, take
some indoor classes, and practise!
Power
The best ways to improve
power are bouldering, campusing, and system board work-outs. If you want to concentrate on
power during your session, an example of a workout could be:
- Stretch/warm-up
- Start on some easy boulder
problems, or roped routes
- Build up to harder
bouldering
- Work on some
"projects" – hard problems at your limit. Boulder with a few others –
its more fun.
- Finish with some campusing,
or a system board workout, since they require thorough warming up to avoid finger
injuries.
- Warm down and stretch.
See the article on how to use a campus board.
Also see the power training article.
Power-endurance
To improve
power-endurance, or otherwise known as anaerobic endurance, you want to be working at
70-80% of your maximum. Doing intervals (alternating routes or long boulder problems with
short rests) is a good way – see the article on interval
training.
Endurance
Aerobic endurance improves
blood supply to crucial muscles such as your forearms. It's trained by working at
50-60% of your maximum, and requires milage – traversing or bouldering
circuits, doing roped routes, or "Ratrace" workouts (on our climbing
treadmill). Try climbing continuously for 20 or 30 minutes without resting, have a
rest, and then repeating, for a good aerobic endurance workout. Practise
technique while you're doing it to avoid boredom.