TRAINING
If your progress hit a plateau and you feel like “just climbing” is not enough anymore, it is time you should consider starting some supplementary training. Here you will find detailed descriptions of the most popular training protocols for developing both strength and endurance.
How to boulder hard – conversation with Paul Gennaro!
This is the story of Paul Gennaro, a New Yorker who recently climbed his personal best at the local climbing area of Shawagunks.
In early 2022, Paul reached out to me asking if I thought a 40-year-old veteran could still make some strength gains to leap from V10 to V11 outdoor bouldering.
When he wrote to me, he was getting close to sending one of the few premier lines in the Gunks called Venus in Scorpio, graded V11, which he ultimately sent in the fall of 2022.
If you’d like to learn about Paul’s bouldering training methods, read the post and listen to our recorded conversation.
Dr. Tyler Nelson’s Density Hangs Finger Training for Rock Climbing
Density Hangs, named so and popularized by Dr. Tyler Nelson, is a powerful hangboard training protocol. The term Density Hangs stems from the fact that the routine is generally considered to increase the cross-section of forearm tendons. That is partly true as pretty much any hangboard training method does that, but the main advantages of this unique exercise lie elsewhere. Namely, you can effectively use this method to make the muscle-tendon system more robust and less susceptible to injury. That lets you prepare your forearms and fingers for heavy and dynamic training loads while reducing the risk of damaging the connective tissues, which would stall your progress. In addition, if you’re already injured, you can use Density Hangs to speed up the healing process and increase the quality of your tendons by overcoming the stress-shielding mechanism and forcing the disrupted collagen to realign correctly. Read on if you would like to learn more about this must-know fingerboard protocol.
Elbow Pain – The Ultimate Guide for Rock Climbers
Have you been suffering from elbow pain for a long time? Has it prevented you from hard training and stalled your rock climbing progress? If so, this article is for you! Read it, and you will learn everything you need to know to diagnose your elbow pain accurately, heal it and prevent it from recurring. To write this comprehensive guide, I teamed up with Dr. Jared Vagy, a.k.a. The Climbing Doctor, and read through hundreds of scientific articles to ensure that the data presented is valid and up to date. Find out which methods work and from which it’s better to stay away. In addition, learn how to properly execute strengthening exercises as well as stretching and manual therapy techniques! Finally, don’t waste your time suffering when you could be enjoying pain-free climbing days at your favorite crag!
Eric Hörst’s “7-53” finger strength training program (case study)
In this article, you will find the results of a hangboard strength training plan designed and executed by one of my blog readers. The program was based on the Maximum Weight “7-53” protocol – a highly effective finger strength training method developed by Eric Hörst.
Carson trained hard, and in just eight weeks, he improved his finger strength by 17% relative to his body weight. Go ahead and read the full article to learn the details of his training program!
Hangboard Training Program Results – José Antonio
José Antonio is a highly motivated climber from Mexico who likes both lead climbing and bouldering alike. When José Antonio and I met in June, he’d been climbing for over three years, and his personal best was 5.12a/7a+. After two months of following the program, he quickly sent his first two 5.12b/7b routes, and he’s hungry for more!
9 Powerful Reasons to Warm-Up for Rock Climbers (Review)
In this post, you will learn 9 powerful reasons why it’s critical that you do a good warm-up before beginning any kind of rock climbing activity. Based on a vast literature search, I review and examine the most vital physiological mechanisms associated with the warm-up. From increased blood flow through postactivation potentiation (aka “recruitment”) to stretching, all these effects are essential to maximizing short-term and long-term performance and preventing injuries. After reading this post, you will think twice the next time you feel like skipping the warm-up!
Eric Hörsts “7-53” Hangboard Maximalkraft-Protokoll
Das “7-53” Hangboard Maximalkraft-Protokoll ist eine hocheffektive Krafttrainingsmethode, die von Eric Hörst als etwas zwischen dem klassischen 7/3-Repeater-Protokoll und Eva López MaxHangs entwickelt wurde. Dieses sehr zeiteffiziente Protokoll ist der Mittelweg zwischen Kraft- und Kraftausdauertraining und wird für mittlere und fortgeschrittene Kletterer empfohlen. Mit dieser Methode stieg Eric auf einer 14-mm-Kante von 22,5 kg auf 41 kg Zusatzgewicht, und es ist sein bevorzugtes Hangboard-Protokoll!
Hangboard Training Program Results – Piotr
Piotr is an extremely motivated and experienced lead climber, who excels at crimpy slabs and vertical walls. He lives in Mexico, where he has access to vast areas of high-quality virgin rock, which allows him to bolt his own new lines. After solidifying his 5.13a/7c+ level, Piotr is firmly on his way to sending his first 5.13b/8a!
Hangboard Training Program Results – Sam
Samantha is a super experienced lead climber, who has traveled worldwide and climbed rocks on almost every continent. She likes climbing bouldery routes, with short cruxes and good rests in between, but since her aerobic endurance is excellent, she can comfortably project longer routes as well. Her goal in 2021? Simple – send 5.13c and beyond!
Hangboard Training Program Results – Daniele
Daniele is a powerful all-round climber who specializes in bouldering but is also successful in sport climbing. He’s had a great summer so far, and he managed to set personal bests in both bouldering and lead climbing. His most spectacular achievement in 2020 was climbing Souvenir 8A in Chironico, which was set by Fred Nicole.
Hangboard Training Program Results – Jędrzej
I’m currently developing and testing my own Experimental Hangboard Training Program that’s based on cutting edge climbing research. The program is addressed to both boulderers and lead climbers, and the training sessions are tailored to fit the climbers’ current goals and climbing schedules.
A group of climbers agreed to participate in the experiment by following the prescribed training protocols and undergoing periodic assessments to test their progress. Here you can find the regularly updated details of my progress.
Personal Hangboard Training Program – Results
I’m currently developing and testing my own Experimental Hangboard Training Program that’s based on cutting edge climbing research. The program is addressed to both boulderers and lead climbers, and the training sessions are tailored to fit the climbers’ current goals and climbing schedules.
A group of climbers agreed to participate in the experiment by following the prescribed training protocols and undergoing periodic assessments to test their progress. Here you can find a ranking with the most recent test results of all the climbers following the program.
