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Post by adkclimber on Jan 12, 2015 15:47:13 GMT -7
So, I just read the book. Really impressive! I'm super motivated to train! I just have a question regarding the development of a seasonal training plan for a beginner/intermediate climber focusing on bouldering. I've been climbing for about 7 months and currently flash up to V4 (very consistently V3), maxing out at V6. I noticed that the seasonal plan for bouldering on pg. 277 is geared toward an advanced boulderer and I want to modify it for a climber of my level. My first thought was a modify it with reference to the differences between the novice and advanced sport climbing plans; am I correct in this thinking? I would appreciate any help.
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Post by jcm on Jan 12, 2015 17:51:16 GMT -7
My initial reaction is that tailoring a bouldering-specific training plan may not be appropriate for a relatively new climber. Remember that the gains you make from train happen over--and last for--a many-year time scale. To create a specificly bouldering-focused training plans runs the risk of giving yourself a too-narrowly defined skill and strength set. Are you sure that bouldering is the genre of climbing you want to stick with long-term? A year ago you were not climbing at all...what will you be doing a year from now? It might be wise to keep your training plan relatively broadly focused, so as to keep your options open by developing a more well-rounded set of abilities. You can always decide later to narrow the focus of your training.
An additional argument for following a general training plan at this point in your career, as opposed to a bouldering-specific plan, is that bouldering and power training can be quite a bit more stressful on the body, or at least stressful in a different way, than base-fitness type training. Reaching V6 in 7 months is a very rapid rise, and is the sort of situation (too strong too fast) that can lead to injuries. Slowing down the power gains for just a bit and developing a more rounded set of abilites may be more conducive to a long, steady, and injury free improvement trajectory.
Anyway, as to modifications to suit your interests as a boulderer: I would use the general-purpose novice training plan as your basic template, and make bouldering-specific revisions from there, as opposed to taking the advanced bouldering plan and trying to novice-ify it. The general novice plan has a lot of base fitness; this is good. At this point, skill development is priority #1 (with physical gains, of course, being an important priority #2). Base fitness provides lots of opportunities for building skills. That said, endless bouts of ARC traversing may not be the most relevant for the bouldering-focused. Instead, do a lot of your base fitness as moderate bouldering circuits. Do many boulder problems that are of easy to moderate difficulty for you. Focus on climbing them perfectly. Climb for mileage, but make sure to quit before you are too wasted. Climb in a wide range of styles of boulder problems. Resist the urge to project something really hard (save that for your power phase). Maybe shorten the BF phase by a little bit from the novice plan, but not by too much. Again, skill-development.
Strength and power can mostly stay as-is from the novice plan. Maybe lengthen them slightly, since they are important for bouldering. Power endurance is the least applicable for you, but you should still keep some of it in to avoid becoming too specialized too soon. Maybe shorten the PE phase by just a smidge.
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Post by adkclimber on Jan 12, 2015 18:37:04 GMT -7
What your saying makes perfect sense. I did climb for a couple of years about 7 years ago and had a great mentor who really emphasized technique. That being said, I have no illusions that my technique requires considerable attention and development. My body has remained healthy and I've been fortunate in regard to injuries but I agree with you and feel I may be on borrowed time injury-wise. Thanks for advising me to reevaluate my thoughts on training. Cheers.
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