Only one week of rest after boulder program?

[mikael]

Looking in the RCTM book it looks like the program for bouldering only gives one week of rest after the performance period (p.277). Is there any thought behind this or simply a misprint/layout mistake?

[jlarson]

I can't give you too much insight into the reasoning behind the general bouldering plan in the RCTM. Mark has acknowledged that the bouldering chapter is the weakest in the book, probably because his and Mike's efforts have been directed mostly towards hard sport climbing and big walls. I interpret this as being a pretty open invitation to experiment and share results/best practices.

For what it's worth I can tell you my experience. I follow a modified version of the bouldering plan. Basically I only ARC after HB workouts rather than include them in any dedicated phase of my training. I also don't include a PE phase.

Basically it's lots of OM, then a HB phase, followed by a Power then Performance phase. I take 2 weeks of rest after my performance phase ends and I've found the rest phases to be super helpful to replenish psyche (I feel pretty drained after several months of focus and discipline) and diagnose real injuries vs. little tweaks that can be trained through.

[mikael]

Thanks for answering. I also lean towards two weeks of rest after a hard season of training. But still I wonder if it's a layout mistake or intentional.

[slimshaky]

my guess, also based somewhat on my experience, is that if you are focusing on bouldering you probably aren't working the ultra pumpy PE types of routes. these types of routes seem like they just really drain the life out of you, and after a month or so of it you really need a good chunk of down time to get everything back together. on the other hand, when i have just toggled back and forth between strength and power, i literally don't need any rest time between the 2 phases. it seems like they don't drain the battery nearly as much.

[MarkAnderson]

Jan 29, 2016 15:17:23 GMT -7 mikael said:

 a misprint/layout mistake?

Blasphemy!  

No, it's not a mistake.  There are a few reasons, including what Slim said.  The Bouldering STP is much shorter than the others, and in my experience you really don't need as much rest after following that plan (FWIW, I've followed that plan many times, including doing 4 cycles a year on that plan.  I've also gone with as little as 3 rest days between cycles of the Bouldering STP). Another factor influencing the rest is that the Bouldering STP really only makes sense in a 4-cycles-per-year scheme (assuming you want to be fit at the same times each year).  In order to get in enough training along with a worthwhile Performance Phase, it helps to keep the rest period short. Finally, the Bouldering STP is intended for more advanced/serious climbers, who generally will not want or need as much rest.