Primary Goal
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When to use it
Use this session to develop supplementary strength, address physical weaknesses, and improve resilience without compromising priority climbing sessions.
Preferred scheduling options:
Immediately after climbing, as a short supplementary strength block
Earlier in the day before an easy evening aerobic climbing session (ARC)
Earlier in the day before a manageable home AC-AR session, provided finger and upper-body fatigue are controlled
During strength-focused phases when additional gym work supports specific climbing goals
Avoid placing demanding gym sessions on designated rest or recovery days. Consolidating training stress can help preserve genuinely easy days.
Preparation
If performed after climbing, a separate general warm-up is usually unnecessary. Begin with 1–2 progressively heavier warm-up sets of your first exercise.
For standalone gym sessions, start with 5–10 minutes of easy movement and joint preparation, followed by progressively loaded warm-up sets.
Exercise Selection
- Pulling strength: Weighted pull-ups, rows, lat pulldowns
- Posterior chain: Deadlifts, hamstring curls, hip hinges
- Lower body: Split squats, step-ups, squats
- Pressing strength: Bench Press, push-ups, dumbbell presses
- Shoulder support: Cable rows, Lu Raises, external rotations
- Trunk stability: TRX body saws, Pallof presses, loaded carries
- Explosive strength: Medicine-ball throws, Explosive inverted rows
Execution
Begin with a short general warm-up and progressively lighter sets for the exercises selected.
Perform 2–4 supplementary strength exercises, prioritizing movement quality and controlled loading.
Use approximately 2–3 working sets per exercise, adjusting volume to the demands of the climbing session.
Rest sufficiently between sets to maintain consistent execution.
Avoid unnecessary repetitions to failure, particularly when another training session is planned later in the day.
Finish while technique remains consistent and before substantial residual fatigue accumulates.
When combined with climbing, keep the gym work supplementary rather than turning it into a second full training session.
Dosage
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Duration: 20–50 min
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Intensity: Session RPE 4–6/10
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Frequency: Typically 1–2× per week
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Exercises: 2–4 per session
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Working sets: Generally 2–3 per exercise
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Rest: Usually 1–3 min between working sets, longer when necessary
Important
- Gym training should support climbing, not compete with it.
- Avoid heavy or unfamiliar exercises immediately before important projecting, limit bouldering, or performance sessions.
- Be particularly cautious with high-volume eccentric loading, which can produce substantial muscle soreness and interfere with climbing for several days.
- When combining morning gym training with evening ARC or AC-AR, adjust both sessions according to the accumulated fatigue. AC-AR can impose substantial local forearm demands, especially at higher intensities.
- If strength training consistently reduces climbing quality, decrease gym volume, intensity, or frequency.
Expected effects
Improved supplementary strength and muscular capacity
Better trunk stability and whole-body tension control
Increased posterior-chain and pulling strength where specifically trained
Improved tolerance to selected loading patterns
Better physical support for demanding climbing positions
Improved ability to address individual strength limitations
More efficient integration of general strength work into a climbing-focused training week