Author: Rob (Coach & Personal Trainer)
Whether we climb indoors or out, there will always be a point in our climbing careers where we will need to sit down and focus on how to improve our performance. In this article we will list our top 10 coaching tips to help improve your climbing performance.
1. Climb more!
Sounds simple doesn't it? But actually it makes a lot of sense. Just like any other skill set, you need to get the mileage in to build up your experience and understanding. In an ideal world, we would be climbing every day. However 3 quality sessions a week should be sufficient to see improvements.
2. Go back to the fundamentals/ ABC's
The fundamentals of good climbing movement all pivot around our ABC's; Agility, Balance & Coordination. You should be incorporating these aspects into your warm ups. By doing this, you will be ever more aware of when you are neglecting an aspect of your fundamentals. This includes when you do your warm up routes/problems.
3. Warm up properly!!
We've all done it; Got to your local wall/gym after a long day, done a couple of star jumps and cracked on with the climbing. Unfortunately this is just setting us up for failure and, at worse, injury! Your warm ups are essential to improving your overall performance and shouldn't be neglected. A good warm up regime should take 10 - 15 minutes and be progressive. Start with cardio exercises to raise your pulse rate and get more oxygenated blood to your muscles and joints. Once your pulse rate has elevated and your breathing has got heavier, then look at dynamic stretches to warm up targeted muscles and joints. Start from your neck and work your way down to your toes. Do not neglect any part of your body, especially those fingers!! Then climb some easy routes/ problems to warm up your mind into effective climbing movement... remembering your ABC's.
4. Cool down/ Stretch out
The number of climbers we see neglecting this, is astounding! Your muscles will be tight after exercise and will need stretching out to aid recovery.
Stretching out also aids:
- Flexibility
- Blood Flow
- Recovery from stiffness & soreness
- Recovery from lactic acid buildup
- Reducing the risk of injury
A good cool down regime should take just as long as your warm up regime.
5. Look after yourself!
In the rush of modern day life, this can be difficult. But your hydration levels, what and when you've eaten, stress levels and how much sleep you've had; will all have an effect your on climbing performance as well as your own well-being. You cannot expect to perform at your maximum, if you're not looking after number 1. Make time to eat properly. Carry a water bottle around with you during the day and use it!! Get regular, quality sleep.
6. Give yourself a plan and time scale
It's all fair and good setting yourself the target of climbing 7a/ 8a/ 9a etc. But you need to be able to break this down into manageable milestones. Give yourself a realistic timescale to achieve each milestone. Look at every aspect of your main goal and perhaps break it down further into these 3 categories;
- Physical training (overall strength and conditioning)
- Psychological training (head game)
- Technical Training (skill sets, techniques required, knowledge)
Once you've broken your plan down; write it down! Put copies of each target around you in daily life, so that it is always on your mind.
7. REST!!!
Rest days, resting between climbs, resting between attempts on your project. Resting is an essential part of improving your performance. Resting between attempts allows the body deal with the lactic acid buildup in your muscles and gives you time to think about what went wrong and what can be changed.
Rest days are vital as they allow the body to recover and regenerate muscles, nerves, bones and connective tissue. And when we say rest days, we mean REST. You shouldn't be doing anything physically strenuous. Give your body time to recover properly and it will pay off.
8. Learn to Route Read
This is an important skill to have. The ability to read a route, whether it's indoors or outdoors, will save you time and energy. If you can see the sequence, recognise the holds, body positions required and movements within your chosen route; Then you will be able to move more efficiently through the sequence. Route read every route, even the easy ones! Perhaps practice using visualisation techniques, mock every move with your hands and feet. You want that sequence dialled in, so you don't find yourself in a situation asking yourself "where do I go next?"
Watching other climbers will also assist you in figuring out the most efficient way to move through a sequence. This, in turn, has the added benefit of allowing you to observe how good climbers move through their problems/routes i.e. smooth, fluid and effortless.
9. Film yourself (and be self-critical)
Whether it's you doing a couple of traverses or climbing problems in your local gym; Film it! Watch the footage and be critical of yourself. Are your foot placements precise first time placements? Are you slamming your feet down? Are you swinging wildly through your movements? By identifying areas of improvement, you will be able to quickly rectify any weaknesses and become a better climber.
10. Get some new shoes!
We know you love your favourite pair of shoes. Yes, they may not make them anymore. Yes, they were the shoes that saw you all through your month at Font. But if your little piggies are making their way to market, via the front of your shoes; it's time to get a new pair! Now we not advocating that you need to bin your shoes every time they lose their edge, but you need to be able to effectively transfer your weight through your shoes, on to the rock. If your shoes are suffering from old, hard shiny rubber, peeling soles or there's more toe than shoe contact, then this is likely to make your performance suffer...
..And while we're on shoes; get a pair that fit!! There should be no gap between the front of your shoe and your toes, nor any voids in the heel. Try on as many pairs as you can, until you find the perfect shoe! It will be worth it!
So there you have it! Our top ten tips to improve your climbing performance. If you would like further help to improve your performance, then please book a 1:1 Coaching sessions at www.upandunderadventures.com/coaching
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