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Introduction to effective climbing training

How your strength and other factors affect your climbing performance

„There is no such thing as enough strength“ – looking at this quote by Franconian climbing
legend Wolfgang Güllich, climbing and strength seem inextricably linked. Which climber
doesn’t know the sensation, feeling strong and being able to overcome the omnipresent
force of gravity for a short while?

But pure muscular strength is just one part of your body’s own resources that you can train,
and that are all equally important for the physical activity “climbing”. Climbing is more than
just pull-ups on a wall! Turning to sports science, we would say that – regarding strength –
there is a spectrum of different factors determining your performance, one of them being
your health-related fitness (in contrast to skill-related fitness for example, like coordination
or sport-specific techniques). Well then, so improving strength as one of the factors should
also improve your performance, shouldn’t it? Unfortunately it’s not so easy! Exercise science
more and more acknowledges that increasing your performance through training is a highly
complex process where several interacting factors are involved, and which cannot be fully
explained by linear models (Hottenrott & Neumann, 2010). Likewise, the traditional
supercompensation model does not sufficiently explain physiological adjustments triggered
by exercise and the complex interrelations involved in the process. Therefore exercise
scientists increasingly develop new models, employing information from different scientific
disciplines like molecular biology (Neumann & Berbalk, 1991) or human engineering (Olivier,
Marshall & Büsch, 2008). Specific mental processes and psychological strain during training
and the resulting processes of coping with this kind of stress also have to be considered
(Schlicht, 1989). Some of these new models have already been adopted successfully in
strength training, as the regulation of fitness and fatigue levels in dual factor theory. In
contrast to supercompensation theory dual factor training regards fatigue and fitness as two
separate processes, and therefore allows for a more complex planning of load, fatigue and
performance (Zatsiorsky & Kraemer, 2008). Nevertheless, there is no model that is able to
fully describe the interplay of all possible training stimuli with the human body. As a result, it
is essential to attain a basic knowledge of contemporary exercise physiology as well as to
listen to your own body and to trust a good coach and his experience.

Let’s come back to strength as one aspect of your health-related fitness: You can’t optimize
your climbing performance if you treat strength as a single, isolated component. We will try
to keep everything as simple as possible but as complex as necessary.

In order to utilize muscular strength for certain movements you always have to look at
components of health-related fitness (such as maximum strength or strength-endurance)
and skill-related fitness combined, as can be seen in the following chart:

Health-Related Skill-Related Aspects


Aspects of Fitness of Fitness

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Introduction to effective climbing training
Fig. 1: Interactions between health- and skill-related aspects of fitness, both of which affect
your performance

You can only make the most of your health-related fitness (fig. 1, on the left) and utilize it
efficiently if you manage to coordinate and control it while you actually move (fig. 1, on the
right). Studies even show that improving your strength very fast can have a negative impact
on the coordinative skills needed for sport-specific movements (Platonov, 1999). In the long
run it is essential that you combine these elements in your training. However, it is even a bit
more complex: Your mental state and tactics also play a role when you try to make use of
your physical fitness. Noted exercise scientist Arturo Hotz even considers the enhancement
of timing to be the true goal of physical exercise. It means the ability to perform the
demanded or planned movement in a spatial and temporal perfectly attuned way, managing
and conserving the available energy most effectively (Hotz et al., 2005).

Mental State
Motivation,
self-efficacy, etc.

Health-Related Skill-Related
Fitness Fitness
Maximum strength, Timing Coordination,
strength-endurance, orientation,
etc. rhythm, etc.

Tactical Aspects
Assessment of physical strain in a
specific situation, planning of
actions, etc.

Fig. 2: Timing as a key competence, in interrelation with health-related, skill-related, mental


and tactical aspects (based on Hotz et al., 2005)

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Introduction to effective climbing training
This may sound somewhat abstract, and we would have to write a whole book about it to
relate all the relevant details to the actual processes during training. However, your most
important guiding principle should be:

During your training, always try to achieve a balance and bear in mind all the four aspects!

How your muscles work

We don’t want to be too theoretical, so let’s skip the usual scientific terminology and
definitions. If you would like to deepen your knowledge on this topic, you will find useful
references in the bibliography.

Still, we need at least some basics – successful training requires a systematic and well-
organized approach, and thus you should have at least some concept of what you’re actually
doing.

The following chart illustrates the different ways that muscles work, which are also relevant
for climbing:

Muscular
Strength

Isometric
Dynamic
(Static)
Contractions
Contractions

Concentric Eccentric
(Lengthening) Contractions (Shortening) Contractions

Plyometric Contractions
(Stretch-Shortening Cycle)

Fig. 3: Different types of muscle contractions (based on Olivier et al., 2008)

During an isometric (static) contraction your muscle is held at a fixed, constant length, i.e.
there is a resistance, but no visible movement (for example, you’re hanging off a climbing
hold). A shortening of the muscle generates concentric force: you move your muscle against
a resistance, e.g. raising weights or your own body’s weight. A typical exercise would be pull-
ups. An eccentric (negative dynamic) contraction means a controlled lengthening of the

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Introduction to effective climbing training
muscle due to a high load, e.g. you can’t hold a lock-off anymore and you have to lower your
arms.

A specific form of muscle action is the combined eccentric-concentric contraction, also


referred to as stretch-shortening cycle (SSC). An active, controlled lengthening of a muscle
(eccentric contraction) is immediately followed by a shortening of the same muscle
(concentric contraction). SSCs can be classified either as short (<200 milliseconds) or long
(>200 milliseconds, Güllich & Schmidtbleicher, 1999). Many movements in sports (e.g.
jumping) involve such a stretch-shortening cycle (Zatsiorsky & Kraemer, 2008). In climbing,
the SSC occurs for example before a climber performs a lunge for a dyno or while bumping.

Types of strength

In addition to the different muscle contractions there are also several types of strength. The
following chart shows a well-established way to structure these types:

Maximum Strength

Speed-Strength (Power) Strength-Endurance

Explosive Reactive
Strength Strength

Fig. 4: The different types of strength (based on Boeckh-Behrens & Buskies, 2005 resp. Güllich
& Schmidtbleicher, 1999)

Your maximum strength is the most basic type of strength; it is the maximum amount of
force you can willingly exert. This voluntary effort differs from the maximum
musculoskeletal force you are involuntarily capable of producing in one single contraction,
i.e. by means of an electrical stimulation unit (absolute strength = 100%). Through exercising
you can increase the percentage from 70% (untrained) up to approx. 95% (Güllich &
Schmidtbleicher, 1999).

Your maximum strength is determined by the following factors:

1. The activation of your muscles by your nervous system


2. Size of the muscles (cross-sectional area)
3. Your muscle fiber composition: fast-twitch (type II or white muscle fibers = fast and
powerful contractions, but fatigue quickly) and slow-twitch (type I or red muscle fibers =
slow, low-intensity contractions, but high resistance to fatigue). The composition is
genetically determined; however, you can increase the size of the existing fibers through
exercise (this is called hypertrophy).

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Introduction to effective climbing training
Speed-strength enables you
Speed-strength to produce
enables you tothe greatest
produce thepossible
greatestimpulse
possibleinimpulse
a short amount
in a shortofamount of
time (power = product of strength and speed). The ability to increase the
time (power = product of strength and speed). The ability to increase the force of this
force of this
impulse asimpulse
quickly as
as quickly
possibleasispossible
called explosive strength (Güllich & Schmidtbleicher, 1999).
is called explosive strength (Güllich & Schmidtbleicher, 1999).
In climbing, this type of strength (your maximum dynamic strength) is required when
In climbing, this type of strength (your maximum dynamic strength) is required when you you
want to bump
wantortoperform
bump ora perform
dyno. a dyno.

Your speed-strength or explosive


Your speed-strength or strength
explosiveisstrength
mostly dependent on an idealonactivation
is mostly dependent of your of your
an ideal activation
muscles bymuscles
your nervous system and the amount of fast-twitch, white fibers in your muscles.
by your nervous system and the amount of fast-twitch, white fibers in your muscles.

Another type of strength


Another type ofisstrength
the so-called
is thereactive
so-calledstrength.
reactiveItstrength.
is a combination of an eccentric
It is a combination of an eccentric
contraction followed very
contraction quickly
followed by quickly
very a concentric one. In addition
by a concentric one. Intoaddition
the voluntary
to the activation
voluntary activation
of your muscles
of yourthe automatic
muscles stretch reflex
the automatic (myotatic
stretch reflex reflex, i. e.reflex,
(myotatic your nervous
i. e. yoursystem
nervous system
regulates muscle length in response to a stretching of that muscle) also
regulates muscle length in response to a stretching of that muscle) also plays plays a role. Equally
a role. Equally
importantimportant
is the capacity
is theofcapacity
the elastic components
of the of your musculotendinous
elastic components system (e.system
of your musculotendinous g. (e. g.
your tendons and deep fasciae) to store energy. These components gather energy
your tendons and deep fasciae) to store energy. These components gather energy through through
their elasticity
their(eccentric phase) andphase)
elasticity (eccentric release andit subsequently in the concentric
release it subsequently phase (pretty
in the concentric phase (pretty
much like much
a rubberlikeband).
a rubberYour tendons
band). Yourand muscleand
tendons fasciae arefasciae
muscle therefore
are much more
therefore thanmore than
much
just “anchorage” points of muscle
just “anchorage” points ofto muscle
bone. They perform
to bone. Theya perform
vital function
a vitalinfunction
the development
in the development
of your strength!
of your strength!

Last but not least


Last butthere is strength-endurance.
not least Muscular activity
there is strength-endurance. Muscular lasting up lasting
activity to 10 seconds
up to 10 seconds
involves a involves
minimal astrength
minimal strength loss due to the Anaerobic Alactic Energy System:isstrength is
loss due to the Anaerobic Alactic Energy System: strength
generatedgenerated
without requiring
withoutoxygen and
requiring the production
oxygen of lactate. of
and the production If activity
lactate. lasts longer
If activity lasts longer
than 10 seconds your body has to fall back on a different, less efficient energy supply,
than 10 seconds your body has to fall back on a different, less efficient energy supply, the the
AnaerobicAnaerobic
Lactate (Glycolytic) System: lactate
Lactate (Glycolytic) System:is produced
lactate is in the muscles,
produced in theresulting
muscles,inresulting
a loss in a loss
of strengthofand fatigue.
strength and Asfatigue.
a climber
As you are probably
a climber you arealready
probably familiar
already with this with this
familiar
phenomenon, when yourwhen
phenomenon, forearms
yourbegin
forearmsto burn
begin and
toeventually you have to
burn and eventually youlethave
go oftoa let
hold.
go of a hold.
The betterThe
yourbetter
bodyyour
can handle the lactate (e. g. through improving your lactate clearance
body can handle the lactate (e. g. through improving your lactate clearance
rate and your
ratebody's buffering
and your body's mechanism) the slowerthe
buffering mechanism) youslower
get tired.
you get tired.

Dimensions of strength
Dimensions in climbing
of strength performance
in climbing performance
The following
The chart shows
following theshows
chart different
thetypes of strength
different types ofasstrength
distinct as
dimensions (cf. Olivier(cf.
distinct dimensions et Olivier et
al., 2008) we
al., can
2008)create an outline
we can of outline
create an climbing-specific strength: strength:
of climbing-specific

High Maximum Strength Effort


High Maximum Strength Effort
Maximum Strength
Maximum Strength
Bouldering Maximum
Bouldering Maximum
BoulderingBouldering
Strength Routes
Strength Routes
Long Boulder
LongSport
BoulderClimbing
Problems
Problems Sport Climbing
Endurance Routes
Endurance Routes
Speed/Explosive
Speed/Explosive Strength-Endurance
Strength-Endurance
Strength (Power)
Strength (Power)

Low Maximum Strength Effort


Low Maximum Strength Effort
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Introduction to effective climbing training
Fig. 5: Requirements of bouldering/sport climbing and the different climbing-specific types of
strength

There is a clear emphasis on the dimensions “High Maximum Strength Effort”, “Strength-
Endurance” and “Speed/Explosive Strength”. However, in contrast to other sports like
weight lifting or rowing the requirements in climbing are much more diverse – which also
means that you always have to make sure that you don’t neglect one of the types of
strength in your training.

How to improve the different types of strength

You can specifically train for a type of strength mentioned above; the respective basic
methods are listed as follows. You should bear in mind that the numbers of repetitions and
sets as well as indications concerning the intensity of the exercises can only be a guideline.
To give more precise instructions is rather difficult due to gradual transitions and differing
research findings.

How to train your maximum strength

There are two basic methods of how to train your maximum strength (Zatsiorsky & Kraemer,
2008).

1. The Maximum Effort Method

Goal Intensity/Force Repetitions/Sets Rest Periods


To improve the Very high up to 1-6 reps (depending Depending on the
interaction between maximum: on the exercise) complexity of the
muscles and Close to the exercise: 3-6 min.
nervous system maximum voluntary 2-4 sets
(intramuscular and effort
intermuscular
coordination) Explosive force
(isometric,
concentric or
eccentric)
This method is recommended for more advanced athletes and pros. Maximum effort
training requires a high skill of agility and an experienced locomotor system to avoid
injuries. It is mentally demanding and you should definitely stick to the recommended
rest periods during training, even if your muscles feel recovered earlier. A rather fast
progress is typical for this method, as most of it is caused by neuronal adaptation within
a muscle (intramuscular coordination) or between groups of muscles (intermuscular
coordination). With this method there is almost no hypertrophy (stimulus for muscle
growth).

Further instructions:

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Introduction to effective climbing training
A technique to correctly determine the load for this method is to figure out your maximum
strength (100%). However, with many of our exercises this might be rather complicated and
it often didn’t turn out to be feasible. We concur with Boeckh-Behrens & Buskies (2005) who
recommend identifying the number of maximum repetitions by trial and error and through
additional weight or assisting counterweights.

2. The Submaximal Method or Repetition Effort Method (REM)

Goal Intensity/Force Repetitions/Sets Rest Periods


Muscle growth High: 6-12 reps (depending Depending on the
(hypertrophy) and 70-80% of on the exercise) complexity of the
enhancement of maximum exercise: approx. 3
motor coordination voluntary effort 2-4 sets min.

Isometric or
concentric force,
ranging from slow
to more quick
movements

Submaximal Method: You don’t have to repeat until failure (to the point of momentary
muscular failure, where your muscle can no longer move), but you can stop shortly
before that (e. g. 10 instead of maximum possible 12 reps). This is sufficient to trigger
hypertrophy (muscle fiber growth), however, it is not enough to exploit the full number
of muscular fibers that could be stimulated by a more enhanced neural drive (Zatsiorsky
& Kraemer, 2008). We recommend this method for beginners.

The Repetition Effort Method (REM):


The most important condition for this kind of training is to repeat until failure (e. g. you
do pull-ups until you can’t pull yourself up any more). In addition to a hypertrophic
stimulus there is also an increase in muscle units that are stimulated by your neural drive
(enhancement of communication between slow and fast muscle fibers).
This method requires a certain experience to estimate your maximum number of reps,
and is therefore suitable for more advanced athletes and pros. To find the right number
of reps you can try variations of exercises that allow you to “shorten” your limbs and
therefore alter your leverage (e. g. bending your lower legs or tucking up your legs
altogether when performing a front lever), which makes it much easier to perform the
necessary number of reps.

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Introduction to effective climbing training
How to train your speed and explosive strength (power)

The Explosive Submaximal Method (cf. Boeckh-Behrens & Buskies, 2005)

Goal Intensity/Force Repetitions/Sets Rest Periods


Increase in power Medium: 3-15 reps (depending Depending on the
(power = product of 40-70% of on the exercise) complexity of the
strength and speed) maximum exercise: approx. 3
voluntary effort min. (complete
2-6 sets recovery is
Explosive force important!)
(usually concentric)

This method is particularly suitable for advanced athletes and pros – for them this kind of
training should definitely be part of their workout. Training speed and explosive strength
is often neglected, even though explosive strength is essential for climbing moves! It
helps you to optimize your movements and your intermuscular coordination in general.
You should choose the number of repetitions in a way that your muscles are not
exhausted too quickly.

How to train your reactive strength

Goal Intensity Repetitions/Sets Rest Periods


• Improved neural High up to 5-10 reps (depending Depending on the
activation of the maximum: on the exercise) complexity of the
muscle 80-100% of exercise: 3-6 min.
• Improved elastic maximum 2-4 sets (complete
energy storage in voluntary effort recovery is
your tendons and important!)
muscular deep Explosive force
fasciae (reactive)

This method is only suitable for pros. It requires a lot of experience, and you could easily
get injured. Certain campus board exercises are perfect for improving your reactive
strength (see exercise descriptions).

How to train your strength-endurance

The Medium Effort/High Repetitions Method (cf. Boeckh-Behrens & Buskies, 2005)

Goal Intensity Repetitions/Sets Rest Periods


Improved fatigue Medium to high: 15-30 reps Depending on the
resistance during 40-80% of (depending on the complexity of the
movements that maximum exercise) exercise: 1-5 min.
require a high voluntary effort (usually no
amount of strength 2-6 sets complete recovery

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Introduction to effective climbing training
Ranging from slow necessary)
to more quick
movements
This method is suitable for everyone. It is a basic method to train your climbing-specific
strength-endurance.

Some general advice for your strength training

To achieve the long-term goal of improving your performance in a certain sport through
strength training (which is our philosophy) you need to know some basic principles. Below
are the ones we consider to be most important; where it is necessary, we added a short
explanation.

• Vary your strength training


Whereas for example weight lifting (maximum and explosive strength) or rowing
(strength-endurance) involve predominantly one type of strength, the requirements
of climbing are a great deal more diverse: Short climbing tours or bouldering requires
high maximum and explosive strength. Traversing or longer climbing routes demand
strength-endurance. As no route and no move are the same climbing is mostly a mix
of the different types of strength. If you want to improve your performance (and
don’t want to be a complete specialist for only one type of climbing) you have no
choice: You always have to bear in mind the development of your maximum
strength, your explosive strength and your strength-endurance. On top of that your
muscles need isometric (static), concentric (dynamic) and eccentric-concentric
(plyometric) stimuli, as all of them are needed for climbing as well.

• Vary your repertory of exercises


As mentioned previously, training is a complex process of adaptation. Your body
adjusts to new stimuli and tries to balance them out to conserve valuable resources.
Therefore it is important to systematically vary your exercises and confront your
body with unexpected tasks. As studies show this results in a particularly effective
adaptation stimulus (for a summary see Rhea & Alderman, 2004). If you always stick
to the same training routine and the same exercises, at some point you won’t make
any further progress, as your body is already adjusted to its environment
(homeostasis). How often you should change your exercises, which exercises you
should choose and how long you can stick to a specific exercise is a very individual
issue, it is also part of the so-called training periodization. As a rule of thumb you
should change your exercises every 6 weeks.

• Train complex and sport-specific


Complex training means that your exercises are always performed in regard to a
more or less complex movement as your goal. This helps to develop your strength
economically during sport-specific movements. Your muscles work together in so-
called slings: These are muscle groups that are functionally connected and thereby
allow for economical sequences of movements (Tittel, 1994). During climbing you
mainly make use of your upper extremity flexor sling. We recommend that you
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Introduction to effective climbing training
include first and foremost exercises in your training where the athlete’s own body
weight provides the resistance for a specific movement. These exercises usually allow
for a greater freedom in their execution and can be more easily related to climbing-
specific movements where your body is providing the resistance as well. Weight
machines are only suitable to a limited extent, e. g. for a specific rehabilitation
training after injury. Internationally renowned exercise scientists Zatsiorsky &
Kraemer (2008) say: “The most serious shortcoming of many weight machines is that
they were developed to train muscles instead of movements. For an athlete they
therefore don’t constitute the most important area of training”.

• Train with an adequate load


As previously mentioned it is crucial that you choose an adequate load to stimulate
your muscle fibers. It is also important to consider different components that are
part of your training. Turning to exercise science (e. g. Weineck, 2007) these
components are intensity (stimulus strength), work-to-rest ratio, duration, extent
(length of your training and amount of stimulus produced) and frequency (number of
training sessions per day/week). For example, if you can easily work a one-arm lock-
off for 5 seconds, then 2 sets with 5 second-lock-offs will produce a rather small
stimulus – therefore you have to increase the difficulty. Depending on your training
goal this can mean for example increasing the duration (longer one-arm locking-off
times), the intensity (additional weight), or shorter rest periods. At the same time,
getting started with a new, more difficult exercise (or a difficult boulder problem)
often requires a reduction of your training load (or in this case, reducing the
resistance of your own body weight).
The number of repetitions and how you should finish an exercise is determined by
different criteria according to your training goals (for a summary see Preuß et al.,
2006):

- Maximum number of repetitions: your set ends after the last fully executed
repetition of your exercise
- Point of momentary muscular failure (MMF): after the last fully executed repetition
you keep going until you are unable to continue
- Point of momentary muscular failure plus high-intensity training methods (PMF+):
At the point where a complete repetition fails you either try to hold it statically for a
short period of time and then release at a controlled, slow speed or you have a
training partner assist you with the repetition. This equally applies to
bouldering/climbing. If your training goal is to increase your strength you should plan
a systematic workout for bouldering/climbing according to the above-mentioned
criteria, depending on further objectives of your strength training.

• Train progressively
This is a classic training principle (Weineck, 2007). In accordance with your own
training goals it is important to systematically increase health-related, skill-related,
tactical and mental challenges step by step (also see fig. 2). Other areas may
compensate an unbalanced progression for a while, but in the end there will be
stagnation in performance. The problem is that many climbers see the cause of this
stagnation in something else, until some time has passed and changing your training
is getting more and more difficult! There are many different options to give your

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Introduction to effective climbing training
muscles a further challenge: Increase the volume (e. g. more sets), the intensity (e. g.
more difficult boulder problems or exercises), skill-related challenges (e. g. more
complex exercises) or tactical challenges (e. g. enter a competition).

• Train with objectives in mind


Here is an example: To prepare yourself for climbing in Ceüse it is rather useless to
train mainly on a campus board or with boulder problems that require a high
maximum strength effort (most people will probably already know that). But how do
the top all-around climbers manage both bouldering as well as redpointing or lead
climbing? The secret is a very broad-based workout that always trains strength-
endurance, maximum strength and explosive strength. Depending on specific
challenges (Ceüse: sustained endurance climbing and compact limestone rock) you
concentrate on certain aspects without neglecting the other ones. In sports science
this is called non-linear or undulating periodization (Kraemer & Fleck, 2008). This very
diverse and multi-faceted training is particularly suitable for climbers!

• Train your antagonists


Antagonists are “opposing” muscle groups; in this case it refers to the muscles that
are scarcely used during sport-specific movements. In climbing for example the
upper extremity extensor sling and some muscles attached to the shoulder blade are
usually neglected. This underdevelopment leads to imbalances in your
musculoskeletal system, and eventually may be the cause for discomfort or injuries
due to the one-sided strain. It should therefore always be your goal to train your
climbing muscles as well as your antagonist muscles. This will help you to put
together a well-planned workout that keeps you free from injuries in the long run
and to make your movements more economical and functional. You should spend 5-
20% of your strength training (depending on the training phase) to work on your
antagonist muscles. Keep in mind to use enough resistance!

• Complete a certain proportion of your training under mental pressure


Climbing involves certain situations that cause mental stress: Your arms are pumped
and you are meters above the last protection, or on the last day of your climbing
holiday the sun is already setting and you only have one last try for your boulder
problem. You have to learn to cope with these situations if you confidently want to
handle them. It helps to implement these kinds of conditions into your training from
time to time (time pressure, climbing or bouldering with pumped arms, competing
against others). It usually works out best to train this on a climbing or bouldering wall
– and it’s a lot of fun!

• Optimize your recovery periods


Totally exhausting yourself is easy. The real art is to plan rest periods in a way that
your body can recover from a workout and at the same time gives your body the
chance to actually improve performance. This applies to rest days during your weekly
training as well as to longer regeneration phases throughout the year. As training for
strength is a very complex process there is no universally applicable rule how much
time is needed to recover, and everyone reacts in a different way. However, it is
crucial to plan some time for recovery at all, even if you feel motivated and really
want to improve! If your motivation starts to fade away and if there is no more

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Introduction to effective climbing training
progress (in spite of providing enough stimulus) these might be the first signs of
overtraining. This can lead to tedious problems and overload injuries, which can
compromise your performance and your overall health for a very long time!

Training basics:

Before you get started here are some training basics you should keep in mind:

1. Always warm up
Ideally you should activate your cardiovascular system first, e. g. you could do
some easy running (general warm-up). If you can’t go for a run you can also
do some gymnastic exercises (e. g. jumping jacks, single-legged hoppers,
double-legged jumps, basic jumps). Then you should perform a quick
stretching routine (hold the stretch for about 8 seconds). After that do some
strength exercises at a low or middle intensity (e. g. some quick lock-offs at
the climbing wall or locking off in different pull-up positions). Afterwards turn
to some coordinative exercises you know from gymnastics (e. g. turning
cartwheels or dive rolls). Last but not least perform a more specific warm-up
at low or middle intensity at the climbing or bouldering wall, depending on
the goal of your training session.

2. First technique, then strength


When you plan your training session keep in mind that you should always
perform exercises that require mainly technical skills prior to health-related
exercises. This means bouldering or climbing first, strength training second.
More complex forms of training (e. g. simulating a competition) that train
several aspects of performance at once should also come first, less complex
forms of training come second (e. g. system training).

3. Don’t train your reactive/explosive strength when you’re exhausted


You should try to plan your training sessions in a way that you don’t have to
perform exercises for reactive or explosive strength when you’re already
exhausted. You don’t have to do these exercises right at the beginning, but
don’t burn yourself out completely beforehand. If you don’t overdo it, some
bouldering at first is not a problem. But bouldering at maximum effort for 2 or
3 hours prior to intensive campus training is a no-go.

Some further advice we would like to give you is about your general attitude towards
training, which we think is very important. Asking yourself some questions prior to
your training (leaving aside exercises and repetitions) can be of great assistance:

Recommended attitude Problematic attitude


I respect my body and accept its My body is a machine that I can program
individuality – I cannot plan and that has to function properly the way I
everything want it
I’m focused on my training I’m under a lot of stress and I only train to
come to terms with something else
I’m motivated and I’m looking I’m over-motivated and I will make

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Introduction to effective climbing training
forward to train everything work out, by hook or by crook
I’m curious how the training will go I’m stuck in my routine and I only train
today and I often think of new because I have the feeling that I have to
exercises
I have a training plan and I know I don’t have a plan and do my training
what to do next willy-nilly
I have some reasonable goals I want I don’t have any goals I want to achieve
to achieve through training through my training
After my training I allow myself to After the training there is other stress
enjoy some rest and relaxation waiting for me

Special training methods

Aside from the above-mentioned basic training methods there are also some special
methods we would like to share with you.

• Complex Training
Complex Training (not to be confused with complex strength training, which
resembles circuit training) is suitable mostly for highly trained athletes who don’t
seem to be able to increase their strength any further (Ebben, 2002). Complex
Training is basically training in supersets: the first set with an intense reactive or
explosive strength exercise and the second set with a similar plyometric exercise.
This only works for exercises that require a high explosive effort of course (e. g.
performing a front lever is not suitable as you are first and foremost training your
isometric strength). The number of repetitions of the second (plyometric) set should
be 3-10 (Hörst, 2008). Regarding the length of rest periods between the two sets of a
superset, recommendations range from no rest at all (Hörst, 2008) up to 3 minutes
(Ebben, 2002). Either way, it is essential to fully recover between supersets (up to 5
minutes)!

• High Intensity Training


High Intensity Training (HIT) has gained popularity mainly in weightlifting and other
fitness-oriented sports. A full description of this method would be beyond the scope
of this book, but you will find further information in the bibliography (→ Gießing,
2010). As a general rule only one, sometimes two sets are performed. You can
increase the intensity of this set by extending the time you need for the movement.
The standard rep timing is 4-2-4 (e. g. for pull-ups, this means you pull up for 4
seconds, hold the top position for 2, and then lower back down for another 4
seconds). There shouldn’t be more than 10 repetitions in a set (ideally 5-8) as you can
always increase the duration of a repetition to make it more demanding. You have to
choose your load in a way that you’re not able to perform another full repetition at
the end of one set (point of momentary muscular failure). One of the benefits of this
method is that it takes very little time (one or two 30-minute training sessions per
week are sufficient). This method is particularly suitable for advanced athletes, but it
can also be useful for beginners.

• Long-duration Isometrics
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© Copyright by Café Kraft GmbH
Introduction to effective climbing training
Described by Eric Hörst (2012), the goal of this method is the activation of as many
muscle fibers as possible. It involves isometric (static) exercises, holding the
contraction for 30-60 seconds. Therefore climbing-related exercises that require an
isometric effort are particularly suitable for this training method (e. g. pull-ups, lock-
offs on the campus board, system training or finger strength exercises).

• Different variations of your movements


Usually concentric exercises are performed as a single smooth, continuous
movement. To provide further stimulus and increase the intensity of the exercise you
can also vary these movements. There are several options (cf. Boeckh-Behrens &
Buskies, 2005):
Peak Contraction: Hold it at the end of the contraction for about 2-3 seconds
Stutter Repetition: Perform a repetition with several isometric holds (2-3 seconds) on
the way (e. g. when you do pull-ups)
End Contraction: At the end of the contraction perform several much smaller,
additional contractions

• Core Training
The ‘core’ basically refers to the bodily region between your shoulders and knees
(hip/pelvic girdle, spinal musculature, abdominal region). According to Gustedt
(2013) this area of your body is generally responsible for generating strength, and is
therefore the basis and starting point for every movement you make. The total
number of muscles in this area adds up to 29, and there are two different muscle
groups: local and global muscle groups. They differ in the type of muscle fiber (slow-
twitch and fast-twitch) and in the extent of muscle activation in respect to the
amount of resistance. Hence we can distinguish between core strength (global
muscle groups: large movements of the trunk) and core stability (local muscle
groups: stabilizing the spinal column and holding it in alignment). As these muscles
work in sync they should be trained together (Gustedt, 2013). To achieve this you can
do exercises that require movement and a stabilization of your body at the same
time. You can also use unstable implements (the sling trainer for example is perfect
for this kind of training).

How our book is set up

You will find several options how you can train your strength and other climbing
skills. There is generally an emphasis on strength exercises of any kind; however, the
chapter “Bouldering Wall” provides you with the full range of relevant activities to
improve your climbing skills (see fig. 2). Every chapter starts with a short description
of the specific “training tool” and the respective types of strength involved.
Afterwards you will find exercises that have proved to be most successful in our
coaching work. The given numbers of repetitions/sets as well as the length of rest
periods are based on our experience, and commonly used in our training. Of course
you can deviate from them and also vary in your training methods. Nevertheless, the
numbers provided may help you to get started.

To make it easier for you we made a distinction between exercises for beginners,
more advanced athletes and pros, based on average values. In the end, what matters

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© Copyright by Café Kraft GmbH
Introduction to effective climbing training
most is your individual experience and judgment: if you used to do a lot of
gymnastics it will be a lot easier for you to use rings than for someone who has never
had any experience with rings whatsoever. We also indicated which exercises mainly
train your explosive and reactive strength, as these kinds of exercises are often
overlooked in climbing training.

Last but not least some advice about how to plan your training:

Beginners

The focus of your training should be on climbing and bouldering (about 70-80%).
General strength exercises should constitute about 20-30% of your training (to
increase your body tension and strengthen your shoulder girdle). More specific
strength exercises like isolated finger training should only be part of your training
occasionally (not more than 5%). Don’t forget to train your antagonists!

Advanced athletes

If you already work with training plans you should systematically vary your exercises,
your training methods and the training volume over the course of a year
(periodization). The amount of specific strength exercises should generally increase a
bit (10-20%), while general strength exercises can be reduced to 10-20%. Training
your antagonists is still essential! At least 60% of your training should be climbing and
bouldering.

Pros

As a pro you work with training plans and probably also with a coach, who should
analyze your strengths and weaknesses, compile your training plans and talk them
over with you. The focus should be on your remaining weaknesses. Specific high-
intensity training methods like working on your explosive strength on the campus
board can constitute up to 40% of your training. Even so, bouldering and climbing
should always take up at least half of your training time!

Bibliography

(...)

___________________________

15
© Copyright by Café Kraft GmbH
analyze your strengths and weaknesses, compile your training plans and talk them
spezifische Krafttrainingsmethoden wie z.B. das Explosivkrafttraining am Hangelbrett können 
over with you. The focus should be on your remaining weaknesses. Specific high-
zeitweise bis zu 40% Deiner Trainingsinhalte ausmachen. Dennoch solltest Du auch hier immer mehr 
intensity training methods like working on your explosive strength on the campus
Introduction to effective climbing training
als die Hälfte Deines Trainings durch Klettern und Bouldern absolvieren. 
board can constitute up to 40% of your training. Even so, bouldering and climbing
should
  always take up at least half of your training time!

Bibliography
Literatur 

Boeckh‐Behrens, W.‐U., Buskies, W. (2005). Fitness‐Krafttraining. Rowolth: Reinbek. 
(...)
Ebben, W. (2002). Complex Training: A brief review. Journal of sports Science and Medicine 1/2002,  
     42‐46. 
___________________________
Faries, M. D., Greenwood, M. (2007). Core training: Stabilizing the confusion. Strenght & Conditioning  
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Gießing, J. (2010). Hit‐Fitness – Hochintensitätstraining. Riva: München. 

Güllich, A., Schmidtbleicher, D. (1999). Struktur der Kraftfähigkeiten und ihrer Trainingsmethoden.  
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Gustedt, C. (2013). Core Training: Zum Einfluss von Rumpfkraft und –stabilität auf die sportliche  
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Hörst, Eric (2012). Training with Long‐Duration Isometrics. Dead Point Magazine 18/2012, 54‐55. 

Hörst, Eric (2012). Training for Climbing. Falcon Guides: Guilford.  

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