Will's Training Log

[wcohen]

Well, this may be the wrong section of the site to put something like this, but I couldn't think of anywhere much better. Mods, feel free to move this puppy over if needed!

I wanted to start an electronic/web based log of my training on a forum as it has helped me in the past when general bodyweight and fitness goals were my norm. It was awesome to be able to look to other's logs for ideas and inspiration. So far, you don't see that too often in the climbing training world, but hopefully this is impetus for others to join the fun! So I'll be recording my workouts, goals, accomplishments, trip reports, injuries, woes, etc here.

Well, I just began my second cycle of the RCTM approach. I feel as though I definitely progressed during the first cycle, but I was unable to completely dedicate myself to it because I was studying for the MCAT at the time and that is where I needed to place my priority.

So with the close of the outdoor season in NY (mostly) It's time to begin training anew, hopefully more focused and effectively at that.

So here's where we ended off last season:
I led 40+ routes in the Gunks and Powerlinez alone
60-70 pitches total
Outdoors:
Hardest trad onsight: 5.8 (Rachel's Crack at plinez)/ Arrow Gunks
Most pitches led in a day: I want to say 8. Not many and this is a number I would like to push.
Hardest red-point (Sport): 5.10b/c Sins of the son (Plinez) --Would very much like to get on this route again and perfect it.
Hardest Boulder outdoors: V3+ Kata 4 (Plinez)

Indoors: 
Hardest onsight: 5.11a
Hardest TR: 5.11c
Hardest boulder: V5 (on Slab)
Hardest Onsight: V4 (slab as well)
Hardest Overhung boulder: V3 (need to work these more and catch up with my slab climbing ability)

Goals for next season:
Outdoor goals:
Ultimate Goal: Irene's Arete; Lower Exum linked to Upper Exum (Tetens)
Skills needed:
-Fast and efficient movement on easier terrain
-Comfort on 5.8 and above terrain. Ability to move quickly in these sections as well.
-Cardio!

Intermediate goals:
-Get comfortable on 5.8 Trad (Moving quickly and efficiently):
-Goal routes: Son of Easy O, Birdland, Double Crack
-Lead 5.9/5.10 trad: Goal Routes: Ant's line
-15+ Pitches in a day I'll set the goal of 20 pitches
-Comfortably follow/TR 5.11 routes outdoors
-Boulder V4/V5 outdoors. Utilize outdoor bouldering as training more often
-Mileage! Let's hit 100 pitches led at least next year. TR solo will prove useful. I need to be on rock more

Indoor goals:
-Boulder V6 and train more on overhanging terrain to round out my ability
-Toprope 5.12
-Build some level of comfort on the campus board
-Leading 5.11 at least (hopefully 12's)
-Climb/train at least 3x a week

Things to fix from training from last season:
-During ARC sessions I will get frustrated from a busy gym, and will quickly lose focus on the skills i am trying to practice due to my surroundings/trying to be polite. I need to really focus in on why I am there and use my time more effectively. 
How to fix this: Use a shorter timer and make mini skill blocks. Pre-plan each ARC session before executing it.
-Getting frustrated from the lack of harder climbing during Arc and Strength phases
How to fix: I've implemented 20-30' of boulder ladders as a part of my warm-up my daily routine will look something like this:
    -Arc: 20-30 minutes of skill based climbing
    -Warm-up boulder ladder based on current grade climbed: 20-30 minutes of progressively more difficult boulder problems to 2 grades below limit            ex) 4 V0, 4 V1, 3 V2, 1-2 V3 for V5 level
    -Proceed to daily objective
-Friends trying to get me to stray from the training program
   How to fix: Explain daily objective to them and tell them I'm following a structured program. I can work casual climbing into the program every once in a while, ask them to join in on the day's activities, or tell them to join me on an outdoor mileage day in a few days.


So right now I am starting my second cycle which will be 1.5 cycles combined to last me until the winter lets up. Hopefully I will come out stronger and better than ever for next season.
it'll be broken down as follows
4 weeks base strength/endurance
3 weeks strength
2 weeks power
1 week rest
3 weeks base 2
3 weeks strength 2
2 weeks power 2
3 weeks power endurance
then sending time!


Total 21 weeks which puts peak performance right at the end of April/beginning of May


Let's get rockin!

[wcohen]

Day 2:
12/7/14
Phase: Base
Warm-up 25 minutes ARC traverse
-5' silent feet traverse
-10' hip to wall traverse (you can only make a hand move if the corresponding hip is turned into the wall)
-10' turn and flag traverse (same as above but must be in flagged position to make a hand move

Results: Felt pretty good, but I got busted by the staff for traversing too high in the middle of the set and had to hop down.
-Foot hit a spinner as well, so I fell at one point, but not due to becoming pumped
-My timer stopped during the hip to wall traverse, so I think I went overtime on that portion of the set, so I cut the turn and flag drill a bit short...

-Did 2 routes on auto-belay for funsies 5.10a (not bad) and a 5.9 that was arguably harder than the 5.10a
Warm-up boulder ladder 20' up and down climbing everything
4 V0 of varying terrain. I tried to do most of my climbing on overhangs today
3 V1
3 V2 --All overhanging --I didn't realize how much I needed to work on this angle
1 V3 --worked on an overhanging more pinch/slope based v3 which is apparently not my strong suit as I didn't finish it, but I have all of the moves in segments completed, and could get to the final sequence by the time time was up, but didn't have enough time to send (next time)

Work set: 25 minutes Arc (all up and down climbing)
2 laps on a 5.9
1 lap 5.7
1 lap 5.8
1 lap on a different 5.9
1 lap on another 5.10 (started getting pumped out and decided to switch to the 5.7 again)
Not sure what else I did, but it was all on auto belay, as I did not have a partner today.
Results: I felt like i cheated a bit because I forgot to stop my timer while waiting for a different auto belay to do more routes or if I accidentally fell off a route. In the future I'll be more diligent about this, but today I was under time pressure anyway. I will focus more on a fewer number of routes and force myself to climb more laps of the same routes. This will also let me find the most efficient beta and really master the moves.

Work out:
-Campus like pullups on a pvc sloper campus board 
1-4 matching sets 5 each arm
-Campus rung pullups 5 total
-Overhead press:
    45#x5
    55#x5
    65#x5
    75#x5,6
Deadlift:
    45x5
    95x5
    135x5
    155x3
    185x5

A couple more grease the groove campus pullups then I showered and went to listen to Ueli Steck speak in NYC! great talk really motivated me to get my ass moving, stronger, and get out there and get it done!

[jessebruni]

One question. You have "Toprope 5.12" and "Lead at least 5.11" both as indoor training goals. Why bother top roping at all? Seems like a waste of time to both toprope and lead. IMO, toproping is meant for people who lack the mental fortitude to lead, and for working moves on a project route. If you are planning on leading anyway, the former doesn't seem to apply to you, and the latter is simple enough to do on lead anyway (and once you get strong enough that no one else can lead your projects your only options will be to work the moves on lead or to walk up and around or climb a neighboring route to hang a top rope). I personally find that the ability to lead climb is mostly about feeling comfortable on the sharp end. The difficulty of the moves I can do on lead and on TR should be limited only by my strength, and thus, should be the same. If I can pull harder moves on top rope it means that my head is not in the right space on lead and thus I should be spending more time leading to improve it. It seems like any way you cut it, time spent on top rope would be better spent leading, so I'm curious what your reasoning is for including both in your plan?

[wcohen]

Dec 8, 2014 10:38:19 GMT -7 jessebruni said:

One question. You have "Toprope 5.12" and "Lead at least 5.11" both as indoor training goals. Why bother top roping at all? Seems like a waste of time to both toprope and lead. IMO, toproping is meant for people who lack the mental fortitude to lead, and for working moves on a project route. If you are planning on leading anyway, the former doesn't seem to apply to you, and the latter is simple enough to do on lead anyway (and once you get strong enough that no one else can lead your projects your only options will be to work the moves on lead or to walk up and around or climb a neighboring route to hang a top rope). I personally find that the ability to lead climb is mostly about feeling comfortable on the sharp end. The difficulty of the moves I can do on lead and on TR should be limited only by my strength, and thus, should be the same. If I can pull harder moves on top rope it means that my head is not in the right space on lead and thus I should be spending more time leading to improve it. It seems like any way you cut it, time spent on top rope would be better spent leading, so I'm curious what your reasoning is for including both in your plan?

Jesse,

Thanks for taking the time to read my post and give feedback!

I completely agree with your thinking, and fully admit that i can climb harder on TR than I can lead. Which gives your argument even more validity; thus all the more reason to spend as much time as possible on lead!

The sad reality of my current situation is that I work the evening shift. Thus, I have two options 
A) Go to the gym mid-day and be pretty much completely partner-less and find noobs or casual partners who are generally not lead certified-->TR
B) Go to the gym after I get off of work which leaves me on the best days 2 hours to climb before last climb, but more often just over an hour for my entire workout. By this time most friends are leaving the gym and need to get back to kids, sleep for work, etc, and I can't get in my day's work.

It would be great to find a solid and steady gym partner with similar ideas and goals, but no such luck yet. Thankfully, I should be changing jobs soon which will either leave me with a better work schedule, or leave me living up in the Gunks, so time will tell.

I should probably just learn to network a bit better and find a steady partner, but my work situation is so crazy right now that i don't know if anyone would want to put up with my schedule hah!

I find my friends and I only end up leading together maybe once or twice a month, so I'm happy to hop on lead when they're around and push myself, but my most likely situation is that i'm on the auto belay, or if i'm lucky snagged a noob partner that can belay me on TR. Thus the two separate goals.

[jessebruni]

Ah, well that makes sense. Honestly that's half the reason I don't do much lead training in the gym, opting instead for bouldering in the gym and lead climbing on my outside days.

[wcohen]

Same here. I feel like really getting to lead in the gym would help me get a lot stronger/better for my main goals, but bouldering has become my main form of climbing in the gym and has it own merits

[wcohen]

12/8

Recovery run 2.5 miles

[wcohen]

12/9/14

-25 minute arc session on the auto belay. Just kept repeating a 5.9 and 5.8 climb for the full 25 mins

-Boulder ladder
-4 V0, 3 v1, 3 v2, 1 v3 nailed the V3 I had trouble with last time

-25 minute arc traverse with drills:
-10' hip to wall traverse
-5 minute hip to wall flag drill
-5 minute turn and flag drill (the hand and foot on holds must be on the same side of the body)
-5 minute warm down traverse

6 campus board pull ups (adding one rep each workout until up to 20ish in a given session)

1-4 on the campus slopers 3 each arm

30 push-ups

[wcohen]

12/11/14

-25 minute arc:
10 minute hip to wall traverse
5 minute turn and flag drill
5 minute line and flag drill
5 minute passing the farthest point in a wall drill (this one is tough!)

1 hour of moderate toproping:
2 5.8's
4 5.9's
1 5.10
1 M7

10 minutes of bouldering:
got a V4 in 2 or 3 goes

9 campus board pullups
2 offset campus board pulls each arm

Done. Didn't sleep well the night before and didn't want to push myself with weights

[MartinK]

Hi Will,
Thanks for sharing your training log. I find it motivating to check what (and how) other people do the training (this whole forum is awesome source).
I have my training log on web as well - you take a look here. As of today (1/13/15) I am two workouts in the PE phase and I already can see the gains in the volume of climbing and hardest grades. I cannot wait to get back on the rope.
Good Luck with your training and keep pushing!
Martin