{"id":40204,"date":"2018-11-29T08:00:27","date_gmt":"2018-11-29T16:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=40204"},"modified":"2020-05-22T12:51:44","modified_gmt":"2020-05-22T19:51:44","slug":"want-to-build-climbing-skills-quit-maxing-out-every-training-session","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/climb\/want-to-build-climbing-skills-quit-maxing-out-every-training-session","title":{"rendered":"Want To Build Climbing Skills? Quit Maxing Out Every Training Session"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most of us have felt that urge at the climbing gym or at the crag\u2014the little voice that says, \u201cJust one more route!\u201d It\u2019s the feeling we should dig deeper to try one more climb or one higher grade, until we\u2019re so fatigued our hands literally can\u2019t hold a grip and we start falling out of sheer exhaustion. It can be frustrating or satisfying, depending how you look at it. \u201cMany of us have been indoctrinated into the myth that fatigue is the hallmark of a good workout,\u201d said Kris Hampton, climbing coach, podcaster and owner of <\/span>Power Company Climbing<\/span><\/a>. \u201cThe easy answer is to do one more pitch, get really tired and go home feeling like you really got something done.\u201d But if the goal is to build skills and become better a better climber, Hampton says this strategy is actually more harmful than helpful. <\/span><\/p>\n

We asked Hampton what it does to the body to \u201cmax out\u201d during every climbing session\u2014and what to do differently in order to make more efficient progress. Here\u2019s what he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A

It might seem counterintuitive to keep yourself from climbing to the point of fatigue\u2014but it might save you from developing bad habits and injuries.<\/p><\/div>\n

Pushing to the point of fatigue every workout opens you up to injury. <\/b><\/p>\n

The level of fatigue you build by always going as hard as you can takes much longer to recover from, Hampton said. \u201cThree or four of that session in a row and you’re much more likely to end up sick or injured, as well as with drastically reduced performance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It also reinforces bad habits and is a good way to get frustrated.<\/b><\/p>\n

Your skills degrade as you fatigue, Hampton explained. \u201cIf you [climb to the point of] failure every session, as your footwork falls apart and you lose all body tension while lunging to holds, you’re strengthening the neural pathways that recognize that behavior as an acceptable way to climb.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn my experience, it’s a vicious psychological cycle,\u201d Hampton said. Because you\u2019re fatigued, your climbing suffers\u2014which can make you feel disappointed. Which can push you to go even harder, closing the loop of exhaustion, when more rest is actually the better solution, according to Hampton.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Three

Resting might be as important as trying hard, according to climbing coach Kris Hampton.<\/p><\/div>\n

A better way to improve: Pay more attention to subtle markers\u2014and less attention to grades.<\/b><\/p>\n

Focusing on the quality of training\u2014instead of shooting for constant intensity\u2014takes more attention to detail, but can make a bigger difference in the long run. This is especially true because it requires looking past climbing grades. \u201cIf that is the only measure used to determine progression, it quickly becomes a slippery slope,\u201d Hampton said. Grades are ultimately subjective, and when you\u2019re only measuring yourself against numbers, it can be easy to feel stuck on a plateau. \u201cIt’s important to be able to point to the more subtle progression, and the patterns in your climbing that either support or inhibit that progression,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

How to do that? Start a journal.<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cThe only way I know to do that is to keep notes about the subjective parts of your experience,\u201d Hampton said. Consider investing in a mindfulness journal, like the ones Hampton has developed and sells on his website. They contain prompts that Hampton has found most useful for teasing out patterns and habits. \u201cBut it doesn’t have to be that in-depth to begin with,\u201d he says. \u201cKeep track of your sleep, how you feel before, during and after a session, and your intentions for each session. Did you meet those intentions or get sidetracked? Why? How can you improve on that for the next session?\u201d The most important thing is to notice patterns.<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn to discern when it\u2019s actually time to push yourself to the limit\u2014and how to do it.<\/b><\/p>\n

In your day-to-day training, it\u2019s more beneficial to learn how to climb at what Hampton calls near-maximum effort. \u201cFor instance, if you’ve done 54 moderately difficult moves in a row, you’re likely pushing near your limit, and may find it hard to continue,\u201d he said. \u201cBut no single move has required anything near maximum effort.\u201d This is the kind of effort Hampton recommends for 80 percent of training sessions\u2014more of a sustainable slow burn. As far as frequency, he recommends climbing as little as possible without sacrificing session quality.\u00a0<\/span>“While that\u2019s a tough thing to gauge, if we\u2019re being honest with ourselves we know when our output has dropped,” he said. “This usually comes after an exhausting workout. Those are times when you need to rest.” While you might see some pros climbing five or six says a week, he explained, if you look closely at their workouts, time spent resting far outweighs time spent climbing.<\/p>\n

However, there certainly is a time and a place to go all-out, he said. \u201cThe ability to push to the limit\u2014that desperate, can-barely-hang-on-but-still-climbing, should-have-fallen-six-moves-ago effort\u2014needs to be learned,\u201d Hampton said. It might not be super helpful in everyday training, but it\u2019s certainly essential for performance. They key is to learn the difference between the two types of effort and when to employ each of them. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Most of us have felt that urge at the climbing gym or at the crag\u2014the little voice that says, \u201cJust one more route!\u201d It\u2019s the feeling we should dig deeper to try one more climb or one higher grade, until we\u2019re so fatigued our hands literally can\u2019t hold a grip and we start falling out […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":40938,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[448,734,1377,451,716,879,814,66,68],"internal-tag":[1679],"class_list":["post-40204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climb","tag-bouldering","tag-climbing","tag-climbing-skills","tag-climbing-tips","tag-gym-climbing","tag-skills","tag-sport-climbing","tag-tips","tag-training","internal-tag-pre-redirect-climbing"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/climb\/want-to-build-climbing-skills-quit-maxing-out-every-training-session","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Want To Build Climbing Skills? Quit Maxing Out Every Training Session","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/climb\/want-to-build-climbing-skills-quit-maxing-out-every-training-session","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/climb\/want-to-build-climbing-skills-quit-maxing-out-every-training-session"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/11\/Climb-Harder-header-image.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/11\/Climb-Harder-header-image.jpg?fit=2000%2C1000"},"articleSection":"Climb","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Michelle Flandreau"}],"creator":["Michelle Flandreau"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["bouldering","climbing","climbing skills","climbing tips","gym climbing","skills","sport climbing","tips","training"],"dateCreated":"2018-11-29T16:00:27Z","datePublished":"2018-11-29T16:00:27Z","dateModified":"2020-05-22T19:51:44Z"},"rendered":"