Micro-Cycle timing.

[jetjackson]

I'm planning to do a Micro-cycle in my current training cycle in order to extend out my season. It helps with a couple of planning issues around long weekends, holiday opportunities, and setting up timing for my cycle next year.

When I read the micro-cycle post here it was completed in the 9/10/11th week of the cycle.

I'm looking at completing a micro-cycle in the 13,14,15th weeks of my cycle, in order to extend my cycle out to a total of 18 weeks. I figure that my endurance will be waning as I get to that point, so I'm planning to focus on shorter <=60 foot routes.

Am I doing this right? Is this too late in the cycle for a Micro-cycle?

[MarkAnderson]

I'm not sure where your Micro Cycle is, there's a lot going on up there. Is it weeks 47-49?

I don't know that there's a wrong way to do it, but I would guess your finger strength will be quite poor. In my example I had only 23-days gap between hangboard workouts, so I was still quite strong on the hangboard when I started the MC, and was able to get back to my PRs in only a couple workouts. It's very unlikely you will be able to do that, and you probably shouldn't try (for risk of injury).

So my point is, I think this can work but you need to have lower expectations--you're not going to get back to peak strength/power doing a micro-cycle this late in your season. But you should be able to improve your strength/power noticeably, which should buy you a couple more weeks of decent (but not ideal) performance.

[jetjackson]

Thanks for the feedback. I should have posted the color guide - yellow - arc, purple - power, orange - PE, blue - strength, red - stretching and antagonist, pink - personal stuff that gets in the way of climbing.

Yeah that's pretty much it - weeks 47-49. TBH I kind of just did the copy pasta from your post, but I'll be getting on the goal route I plan to do post micro-cycle at Omega Block, earlier in the cycle to feel out the moves, and I'll tweak the priorities in the micro-cycle depending on what the goal route at Omega Block requires.

Based on your feedback, I think I'll start the Micro Cycle HB workouts at my base level for a new season, i.e. 5 increments back from my PR on this hang-boarding cycle, so I finish 10 pounds off each PR.

I'm interested to see how I go. I'm yet to get to the level I think many others on the forum are at where they really notice a drop off in performance at the end of their season. I see it in the numbers, but I am yet to really notice it translate to rock. i.e. I think other things are holding back my climbing, rather than finger strength - but I keep at it because I'm investing in finger strength now, so that when the other things catch up and it eventually does become the limiting factor, I've put the time in already. i.e. that's why I think I can still climb close to my RP limit off not a hangboard PR.

[MarkAnderson]

I think you're right--if your level on the rock doesn't change much, you may be limited by non-physical factors. But as those areas improve, you will be well-positioned physically for rapid improvement.

[jetjackson]

Unfortunately due to injury I have not been able to do the micro-cycle correctly.

I did however do a hangboard training session last night. I focused on 4 out of 6 grips, basically edges and pockets and dropped the pinch and sloper - as there are not really any pinches on my upcoming project routes. I was able to do my PB on half crimp, and -5 pound from PB on full crimp, and -10 pounds from PB on IM 2FP.

Plan now is projecting for each of the next 3 weekends, with power/power-endurance workouts each Wednesday, increasing in difficulty as I recover from my injury. This weekend will be scoping the moves on 2 projects and just going bolt to bolt, as I don't want to risk a whipper on my back for another 2 weeks.

[jetjackson]

Adding in here, did the second hangboard session of my micro-cycle yesterday. Kind of forced because of my back injury - was going to do PE/LB, but my back needs a break from hard stuff.

I got back to my PB on 4/6 grips, now 10 weeks out since my last strength cycle. I don't know if that suggests I'm not pushing hard enough on the original strength cycle, or just that my strength lingers longer than a couple of months.

[MarkAnderson]

That seems really odd. Are you lighter? (Would have to be significantly lighter). In my experience that level of peak strength does not last 10 weeks. Maybe 5 or 6 if you’re climbing intensely.

[jetjackson]

Yeah, let me stand on the scales when I get a chance, but I doubt that I've lost more than 1.5kg off 70kg where I was at my peak. The lowest weight I've registered this year was 68kg during a period of intense stress and no eating yoghurt - I'm currently relaxed and eating yoghurt.

I was quite surprised, because I've seen drop offs in strength between seasons in the past that were much larger. I also have not been intensely climbing either due to some niggling issues and back injury from climbing fall.

[aikibujin]

Dec 4, 2017 15:48:49 GMT -7 jetjackson said:

Yeah, let me stand on the scales when I get a chance, but I doubt that I've lost more than 1.5kg off 70kg where I was at my peak. The lowest weight I've registered this year was 68kg during a period of intense stress and no eating yoghurt - I'm currently relaxed and eating yoghurt.

I was quite surprised, because I've seen drop offs in strength between seasons in the past that were much larger. I also have not been intensely climbing either due to some niggling issues and back injury from climbing fall.

You mentioned that your hangboard was mounted at a different angle, maybe that's why?http://rockprodigytraining.proboards.com/thread/1329/forge-sloper

[jetjackson]

Yeah, that could explain the result on the Forge. I have both mounted, and only using the forge for the closed crimp at the moment.

The other thing about the mounting though is that I've gone wider this time on the RPTC - so perhaps the wider mounting could have helped.

So perhaps it's explained by the change in mounting of both boards.