Detailed Training Plan for Rock Climbing

Summary

In this video, the creator outlines a comprehensive 12-week training plan for elite climbers, focusing on five key steps: building a basic structure, accommodating lifestyle constraints, assessing strengths and weaknesses, setting specific goals, and selecting appropriate workouts. The plan is tailored for Ben, a v9 boulderer, and includes a mix of indoor and outdoor climbing, strength training, and flexibility exercises. It emphasizes the importance of balancing training with lifestyle commitments and using targeted workouts to improve weaknesses and achieve climbing goals.

Takeaways

• 📝 The video outlines a comprehensive 12-week training plan for climbers, focusing on five key steps: building basic structure, accommodating lifestyle constraints, reviewing strengths and weaknesses, setting specific goals, and selecting appropriate workouts.
• 🧗‍♂️ The plan is customized for Ben, a V9 boulderer, who is preparing for a summer bouldering trip.
• 🔍 Identifying Ben's strengths and weaknesses through testing revealed his need for improvement on smaller edges and in general fitness areas like base endurance and power endurance.
• 🗓️ The training plan includes macrocycles of 12 weeks, mesocycles of 3-4 weeks, and microcycles of a week, starting with base training and ending with a taper and performance phase.
• 🏞️ Ben's lifestyle, including his work schedule and proximity to climbing facilities, is factored into the plan to ensure consistency and practicality.
• 💡 The plan emphasizes the importance of outdoor climbing and social climbing sessions to maintain motivation and enjoyment.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Specific workouts are tailored to address Ben's weaknesses and prepare him for specific climbs he aims to conquer during his trip, like the 'piranha' problem.
• 📈 The training program uses a combination of board climbing, moon board sessions, and endurance workouts to build strength, power endurance, and recovery.
• 📊 The plan includes fingerboarding sessions to improve Ben's strength on smaller edges, starting with full crimp dead hangs and progressing to more challenging grip positions.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Weight training is incorporated into the plan with exercises like deadlifts and overhead squats to build general strength that translates well to climbing performance.
• 🍲 The script suggests 'hiding the broccoli' of mobility and flexibility training within warm-ups to ensure Ben works on these areas, crucial for his climbing goals, even if he doesn't enjoy them.

Q & A

What are the five key steps to creating a training plan as mentioned in the script?

The five key steps to creating a training plan are: 1) Building the basic structure, 2) Working around lifestyle constraints, 3) Reviewing strengths and weaknesses, 4) Using specific goals to your advantage, and 5) Choosing the right workouts.

What does the script suggest about Ben's finger strength on larger and smaller edges?

Ben's finger strength is performing well on a larger edge (20mm), but he is underperforming on a smaller edge (10mm), where he is expected to hang with around 22.5 kilos but only managed 5 kilos.

What is the significance of the 50% additional load on a smaller edge compared to a larger edge in climbing?

The script mentions that generally, there is around 50% additional load on a smaller edge compared to a larger edge, which is significant for climbers to consider when assessing their performance and training needs.

How does the script suggest incorporating lifestyle constraints into a training plan?

The script suggests considering lifestyle constraints such as work and family commitments when creating a training plan, and building the plan around the individual's working days and days off.

What is the purpose of adding a D Lo (Deload) week in the training plan?

A D Lo week is added to provide a psychological break to structured training, allowing the athlete to come back to the next training phase with more motivation.

How does the script recommend balancing outdoor climbing with structured training?

The script recommends balancing outdoor climbing with structured training by including unstructured climbing sessions on the weekends and adjusting the training plan to accommodate this.

What is the significance of the 'macro', 'meso', and 'micro' cycles in the training plan?

The 'macro' cycle refers to the overall 12-week period, the 'mesocycles' are smaller blocks of about 3 to 4 weeks, and the 'micro' cycles are week-long periods. This structure helps in organizing the training into manageable and progressive phases.

How does the script suggest using specific climbing goals to tailor the training plan?

The script suggests using specific climbing goals by researching and understanding the requirements of the climbs the individual wants to achieve, such as 'piranha' in Magic Wood, and incorporating these insights into the training program.

What is the role of fingerboarding in the training plan as outlined in the script?

Fingerboarding plays a role in the training plan by focusing on finger strength and addressing specific weaknesses, such as Ben's discomfort with front three and back three grip positions.

How does the script propose to improve Ben's performance on smaller holds?

The script proposes to improve Ben's performance on smaller holds through a combination of fingerboarding, shoulder stability exercises, core strength training, and increased mobility.