Fitting in some climbing during strength and power cycles

[ben]

Sport, multipitch sport and trad are my jam. Freeing myself to climb long, hard routes are what motivate me to train. My question is this: Is there a way to incorporate some route climbing into the power and strength cycles RCTM espouses such that my psych doesn't tank during the ~18-24 weeks a year that when I'm supposed to be either just hangboarding or doing limit bouldering and campusing? What might be the best way to incorporate route sessions into the cycle of 7 hangboard sessions that are the recommended strength cycle. Same day? Alternate days? Pre/post HB sessions?

As an older dude, the efficiency of these training methods appeal but still like the idea of climbing bringing the fun to my week and I don't see myself maintaining 20 weeks of hangboarding alone each year.

[jcm]

20 weeks of just hangboarding! I think that you are reading the plans wrong. There is a lot of space for real climbing throughout the program, even in the strength and power phases; you just have to approach it strategically. You have to make sure to fit in climbing such that it doesn't take away from your main focus on strength and power. Every person has to find their own balance. A few possibilities:

If you are doing your hangboard/campus board time at the gym, 30 minutes of light bouldering (“warmup boulder ladder”) is a great way to warm up and also do a bit of fun climbing. Climbing routes would presumably do the job too. It does take some willpower and self-knowledge to not overdo it, by trying too hard or climbing for too long; the hangboard (or campus board) is the main focus of your energy on those days. My usual protocol on those days is to do a pyramid of boulder problems, until I can do one or two problems at my flash grade. This takes ~30 min, at a relaxed pace. Then I stop, rest 10 minutes, do one set of warmup hangs on a big edge, and then I’m ready to try hard on the hangboard.

For “real climbing” outside during the strength phase, you again want to be careful not to overdo it; you don’t want to interfere with your recovery between hangboard workouts. Easy multipitch trad climbing can be a good option to let you get outside and have some fun, without interfering too much with the training. Keep intensity at or below ARC level. Try to do this the day after a hangboard workout, so that you then have one full rest day before the next hangboard workout. You can fit this into the power phase in the same way.

During the power phase, outdoor bouldering is the obvious answer, so long as you have access to bouldering areas suitable to your training objectives. Just replace limit bouldering in the gym with limit bouldering outside. Even though you are a trad climber, learn to enjoy bouldering. It will make you a better climber, and will open up a whole new set of climbing areas to enjoy. Just make sure that your bouldering is being done in a way appropriate to what you are trying to accomplish with your training. Don’t get distracted and end up doing a big mileage day of moderate boulder problems when you are supposed to be limit bouldering. It is fun, but doesn’t do much for building power in the way that you want to. Limit bouldering outside, however, is an extremely effective way to build functional power and to learn to apply it on real rock…so long as you have access to the right sorts of problems.

I would advise against trying to do days of sport climbing outside or in the gym during either phase, since it is pretty easy to end up falling into that middle intensity zone and blowing your recovery. If you do go route climbing, again make sure to do it on the 1st of the two rest days between workouts, and make sure to keep the intensity low (ARCing intensity).

[MarkAnderson]

Ya, take a closer look at the Seasonal Training Plan for trad route climbing (on page 262). There is a ton of outdoor climbing built in. If that isn't to your liking, the STP for Novice Trainee (page 186) also has a lot of outdoor climbing built in.