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Post by Carl0s on Feb 17, 2015 18:32:00 GMT -7
Hello friends,
First I want to wish everyone the best this new year with life, love and climbing!! of course.
I am depresed about the fact that I can't stay motivated to stick to a structured trainning plan.
I climb at the gym twice a week, but I end up just climbing for fun and not sticking to my training.
Any suggestions on how to stay motiviated?
Thanks,
Carlos
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Post by joshvillen on Feb 18, 2015 11:08:15 GMT -7
Take out the aspects of training you dislike. I personally don't like keeping records or writing anything down...I know systematic training isn't training unless you have records! But personally, I know when I am getting stronger or weaker and that's enough for me.
Another aspect I always found monotonous was waiting around between sets, so I started jumping on the treadmill to kill time, works really well.
I also train on the things I am psyched to train on, obviously hangboarding for 8-10 straight workouts is great for skill acquisition but I prefer to mix it up, a few hangboard workouts here, some shoulder exercises there. The important thing is to keep training, far more important than the sets/reps/ or synergy of the "plan".
Motivation and not getting injured are the most important things, not making a quota.
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Post by tedwelser on Feb 18, 2015 12:56:43 GMT -7
Hey CarlOs, I think people with different temperaments find training difficult for different reasons. I find that I really enjoy the systematic nature of the program and workouts, and I am sometimes more excited to train than I am to climb. Partly this is because my fitness is less than my earlier standard, so every new accomplishment feels partial or that my best is not really my best.
Also I don't mind training after going through raising two young children, and all the changing of diapers and interrupted sleep schedules, any amount of "drudgery" related to climbing seems pretty fun in comparison. But if I did not already feel that way, I think I would try to strike a compromise by splitting my climbing time between training and climbing for fun.
I think Josh raises some good points and that mixing things up and playing to your current strength can be very satisfying. I agree that most important things are to keep motivated and healthy.
On the other hand I sometimes I find the strict adherence to the workout type (for that time period) can be helpful for my motivation. When I start a new cycle, I get used to it, start making progress, enjoy the progress, stall out a bit, re-focus, and then it is almost time to switch. I usually get sick of hangboarding right when it is time to switch to power, etc. I find I enjoy my cycles more when they seem more novel, and part of that comes from the notion that I only have a couple weeks to campus, or to hangboard before I move on to a different type of workout.
One solution might be to climb for fun every weekend, then, on Tuesday and Thursday warm up, do your training, but then climb a bit for fun afterwards. You would need to decrease the total amount of training on your training days (to save your skin, etc.), but you would have the more motivating fun climbing as well.
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Post by Chris W on Feb 19, 2015 3:00:54 GMT -7
Sometimes it's about progress, not perfection. I agree with Ted with regards to temperaments. I'm one of those folks that really enjoys the process of training. I'm also extremely motivated by the fact that I don't often get a chance to climb outside. My kids are 3 and 1 and, sometime in the near future (once everyone in the house recovers from the flu), we'll be making more babies (  ) to add to the craziness. Little kids + tired wife = less climbing time and very difficult traveling. When I get a chance to go outside, I want to be a finely tuned crushing machine, because I don't know when I'll get to go back. Ultimately, climbing is a "leisure" activity. It should be fun. If you're at a point in life where your training is sapping your enjoyment for the activity, it may not be a bad idea to take time off of training. It sounds like you have a trip coming soon. Why not just enjoy the trip, have a good time, and come back refreshed to start training again? |
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Post by slimshaky on Feb 19, 2015 9:51:37 GMT -7
dude! you gotta get fired up big dog! snap into a slim jim!
i think anybody who trains seriously and tries hard will go through these periods. i think the thing that separates the 'lifers' from the 'short-timers' is that the lifers always seem to get back on track somehow.
do you have any other interests outside of climbing? i used to have almost zero other interests (other than ear blistering death metal and listening to stunt guitar music). the last few years i have enjoyed following basketball and football. after getting into it i feel like i can relate a lot to their struggles. peyton manning is my age and trying to win one more title as his body declines. lebron has won a few titles and is basically EXPECTED to bring home a championship each year. how do they build up the psyche to endure each season without 'going through the motions' and just thinking about the playoffs? i don't think most people realize how hard that must be.
there is a series of short tv shows about various teams and athletes, it's called '30 for 30'. i have watched a handful of them and found them to be pretty inspiring. sometimes it's the positive things in them that inspire me, and sometimes it is being able to relate to the failures that inspires me.
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Post by Carl0s on Feb 19, 2015 10:40:02 GMT -7
Take out the aspects of training you dislike. I personally don't like keeping records or writing anything down...I know systematic training isn't training unless you have records! But personally, I know when I am getting stronger or weaker and that's enough for me. Another aspect I always found monotonous was waiting around between sets, so I started jumping on the treadmill to kill time, works really well. I also train on the things I am psyched to train on, obviously hangboarding for 8-10 straight workouts is great for skill acquisition but I prefer to mix it up, a few hangboard workouts here, some shoulder exercises there. The important thing is to keep training, far more important than the sets/reps/ or synergy of the "plan". Motivation and not getting injured are the most important things, not making a quota. What resonates the most of what you said is "The important thing is to keep training.." "not getting injured". Thanks, Carlos |
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Post by Carl0s on Feb 19, 2015 11:06:14 GMT -7
Thanks for the advice guys.
I had a good night at the gym last night, I finished all the projects (the fun part), but still left the gym early after it was time to "workout" in the weight room.
Felt like I did good, but could have done better by training instead of "just climbing for fun".
I am resting today and feeling good (except for the sore fingers), but tomorrow night when it's time to get on the hangboard who knows if I'll be feeling it.
Time to "get fired up...and get back on track!!!!" like Mr. slimshaky says. hahaha
I'm also thinking of paying for a few hours of coaching, maybe that way I can re-ignite the motivation.
Investing ($) might help me stick to a schedule, cause I don't like to waste ($).
What you guys think of this approach?
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Post by tedwelser on Feb 20, 2015 23:00:13 GMT -7
Hey CarlOs- What is your gym like, and what stage are you in in your training cycle? Does your gym have a good HB setup? Good campus board? I find that once I have a clear training schedule leading up to my sending season I can stick to my training plans pretty well. The one big exception is that I will sometimes take a trip outside on the weekend and skip a workout, regardless of which cycle I am in just to take advantage of the outdoor trip. (since they are rare for me given my other time constraints.
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Post by Carl0s on Feb 21, 2015 0:44:38 GMT -7
Hey CarlOs- What is your gym like, and what stage are you in in your training cycle? Does your gym have a good HB setup? Good campus board? I find that once I have a clear training schedule leading up to my sending season I can stick to my training plans pretty well. The one big exception is that I will sometimes take a trip outside on the weekend and skip a workout, regardless of which cycle I am in just to take advantage of the outdoor trip. (since they are rare for me given my other time constraints. The gym is small (Rockreation in Costa Mesa, CA), but good for training. I do my hangboarding at home on my Beastmaker 2000. My hang board set up is just as the book recommends (fan, pulley system, timer, etc). The campus board is at the gym and it's okay, but the rungs are not set up to any standard spacing, but they won't let me adjust them. I figure that as long as I campus it doesn't matter the distance. I train on the campusboard at the gym every Wednesday when I'm in the POWER cycle. I'm currently on the STRENTGH "hangboard" cycle for another 2 weeks then I'll jump into 1.5 weeks of CAMPUS training + LIMIT BOULDERING. Then it's HUECO Tanks in mid March. I think writing about my low motivation, here on the site, has help me a bit and I'm not so down anymore. Todays' HB session went pretty good. I didn't set any records, but I was able to finish the session. I had a chance to go outside this weekend, but I decided to stick to my training schedule and save the sending for March. |
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Post by amalec on Feb 21, 2015 9:54:37 GMT -7
In general, in a struggle between habits and motivations, habits kill motivation. See: everybody who wants to lose weight, quit smoking, etc. Also, in any struggle between short and long term fun, short term kills long term. Same examples. Anyone who has been successful, reframes the problem around cultivation of successful habits. For example, I don't eat the dessert because I have the will and motivation not to eat dessert, I don't eat dessert because I don't eat dessert
If you frame your problem about how you get "more motivation" or "more willpower" you are generally going to lose: if you frame it about how you cultivate better and more successful habits, you are generally going to win.
Sounds like your problem is getting on the hangboard and doing supplemental strength exercises and you don't have problems doing limit bouldering and campusing. Some ideas:
1) Set the calendar on your phone with specific blocks with specific activities. E.g.., 30 minutes of "easy warmup with skill practice: 3 traverses, 10 easy problems", 45 minutes of "Hangboard", 30 minutes of, e.g., "shoulder press, one arm row, etc". Then reframe your strength phase as "doing what my calendar tells me to do"
2) Don't go to the gym during the strength phase, or only go one day a week. Get your home setup so that you have all the tools you need (you've got the HB: perhaps rings and a weight vest or whatever). If you only have the tools to do strength and not have fun bouldering, you'll do strength.
3) Get a training buddy or, as you suggest, a coach, then reframe the session as a positive
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) to add to the craziness. Little kids + tired wife = less climbing time and very difficult traveling. When I get a chance to go outside, I want to be a finely tuned crushing machine, because I don't know when I'll get to go back.