Climbing Training | Core Climber | Online Climbing Training Programs

Warming up for finger strength training:

We usually allow a minimum of 25 minutes.

Warming up is divided into 2 phases:

1. Follow the general body exercises in the “Warm up video General” (8 mins) – Rest 2 mins
2. Follow the exercises in the “Warm up Fingers” video (14 mins)

You can add simple stretching during the rest phases.

It’ very important that you feel warmed up and if you don’t then repeat the warm up fingers video again.

Setting an endurance circuit.

We call a small training climb or a specified number of moves as a climbing circuit as it does not usually involve climbing in one direction, usually up and down and left and right. It primarily involves a set of holds to follow in a specific order and can often involve climbing around the same area of wall and so crossing itself. It can start and end in different or the same holds. It ultimately depends on how much space you have.

Setting yourself circuits at a specific level is certainly a skill and if this is new to you you will most likely not get it right to start with. However once you had some practice it will become easier, and it is a very important skill to have for successful training.

To do this type of session, you’ll need to have access to a Bouldering Wall that has a good selection of climbing holds. Sometimes a home gym is better as you will have options to move or add holds, plus the chance to train uninterrupted. This is possibly an important thing to have in mind, you ideally want to have access to an area of wall that you can do a circuit on without getting in the way of other people or them getting in the way of you. So choosing a less popular climbing gym or a less popular time can be helpful.

You can use setting up your circuit as part of your final warm up, where you can work out the moves in sections. This is where the skill lies, you have to be able to judge how to set moves that are at the correct level that when added together create a full circuit of the desired difficulty.

In the example we’ll use you’re setting an 18 move circuit:

The first thing to do is find an area of wall that you wan to create your circuit. Choose an angle or angles that you want to climb on, ideally you want it a minimum of 20 degrees overhanging as we are training endurance and want to avoid small edges. Make sure there are a good selection of holds and as always, don’t choose holds that could damage or injure your hands and fingers. So no sharp holds or small pockets, and choose hold sizes that are suitable for your level. If you have a large area of wall to climb on uninterrupted great but you don’t need a lot of space to create a good circuit. You can be creative, overlap moves, climb up and down, in circles or figure 8’s if you don’t have the space.

There area few way you can set circuits with regard to the feet. You can track the feet on only the holds you are using, use only specified feet that you decide to use or use any feet and focus on the hands. If using any feet it makes setting and remembering the moves easier and allows you to use smaller holds for the hands and also lets you be a bit more creative with how you place your feet. It’s definitely the recommended way if you are new to this.

First find you start hold or holds and then visualize the moves you want to do from there. In this case we’re using any footholds on the wall so we just need to focus on the hand holds. This being the case though, try to avoid any really large foot holds that will take the weight off your hands.

Try to make your moves interesting with different angled holds (side holds, undercuts etc) and different types of holds (slopers, pinches. edges etc). As said, use holds that are suitable for your level and avoid any hold that may damage or injure your fingers Also try to make different types of moves, more controlled static moves and dynamic moves but make sure these are moves that are suitable for your level. Try not to favour the type of moves that you like to do.

Ideally you want to create a circuit of continuously challenging moves but no particular hard move or holds you can rest on and ‘shake out’. You want to create a circuit that you will be almost able to do or just manage.

Once you have worked out the hold sequence you want to do, mentally number them and visualize the moves that you will most likely do. Then start your circuit. If you find a move that feels easy then try to substitute to a hold that makes it more difficult. If you fail to do a move because it is at the limit of your ability then try to work an easier way to do the move or look to make it a little easier with different holds. Try do the 18 move circuit in 3 sections, so around 6 moves per section). Each section should feel hard but not hard enough that you fall on it. generally, the longer the circuit the easier the moves need to be so bear that in mind, but the difference in difficulty could be very subtle. What’s important for a power endurance circuit is that you climb on an angle that is steep enough that you cannot relax and the holds are small enough for you level that you cannot stop and recover. These circuits should be set so that you climb continuously to the end (if possible)

Now you are ready to train on you circuits and should be nicely warmed up. Have a good rest (5-10 minutes) and drink some water before starting you session.

If you climb the circuit easier on your first try then look to change some holds to make it harder for your the next attempt. If you fail up to 12 moves into the circuit (approx 70%) in then look to make it a little easier for your the next attempt.

In the case where you fall before finishing, get straight back on an attempt to climb to the end.

Over time you will get a feel as to what difficulty of moves will work for you but it will take a little time to get there if you are new to this.

Setting your levels.

In the programs we use the terms Easy, Medium , Personal and Hard level . This is used to set the difficulty of climbing exercises and is based on your own personal level. So before any climbing training sessions you need to have an understanding of these levels for you and below is a guide of how to set them. These levels are based on sport climbing route grades.

We describe your Personal level as the hardest grade that you climb in 1-5 tries within the same session and this being on a sport style route that you have not tried before.

So for example, if you have a personal route grade of 7a+/ 5.12a then you could set your route levels as follows:

Your Easy level : up to 6b+/ 5.10/d
Your Medium level : 6c/7a/ 5.11a/d
Your Personal level: 7a+/ 5.12a
Your Hard level: 7b/ 5.12b

You can apply this concept for the short and long routes.

Please remember, grading is a guideline to the difficulty and can vary from route to route, or gym to gym. There is also often a difference between the grade you climb outside verses inside. So setting these levels and the combination that works for you can require a little experience and it may take a little practice to get it right.

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I understand that this is an example training day for reference purposes only, and is not intended to be used as part of any training program.

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The Training Programs produced by Core Climber Inc. are intended for the personal use of registered members of Core Climber and are subject to the conditions of purchase entered into by the member at the time of purchase of the Program.

You should consult with your physician or other health care professional before starting this or any other Training program to determine if it is right for your needs. Do not start the Training Program if your physician or health care provider advises against it.

Participation in the Training Program may result in injury or aggravation of previous injuries, conditions, symptoms, or congenital defects. Do not engage in the Training Program if you have a medical condition that may not be compatible with the Program.

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