Core exercises---Frequency?

[iclimb2improve]

Hey everyone! Just a question about the frequency of training your core muscles after reading the book and the functional core training article on the website, rockclimberstrainingmanual.com/2015/05/27/functional-core-training/ . How often should you do core training during a season if you are training for heavily overhung routes from 45 degrees to a horizontal roofs? Should your core exercises just go with each strength, power, and power endurance workout like the book suggests or should the core exercises be more frequent (I've heard that core muscles are much harder to over train)? I know Mark makes a note about also doing core exercises during the base fitness phase, but in the book, it mentions that they did not add supplemental exercises until after the BF phase.

Also for climbing these sorts of routes, what other supplemental exercises should be high priority?

Thank you very much for your help!

[scojo]

The frequency at which you can train your core is related to the intensity and volume of the exercises (true for any muscle group). For the core workouts I see people do, they tend to be really low intensity, which I think leads to this common idea that you can train your core more frequently than other muscle groups.

Is there any reason not to do supplemental exercises in the base phase? They shouldn't interfere with ARCing, since they shouldn't fatigue your forearms at all.

[Chris W]

"Core" can be defined in so many ways. If by "core" you mean 'abs':

Abdominal muscles are very resistant to overtraining. You can safely train your abs [assuming you are training them safely] 5-6 days per week. If you're using your 'climbing' muscles to train your abs, you may not be able to do so with impunity.

I [strive to] train my abs 5 days per week, which usually involves 5-10 minutes of floor exercises performed per session.

[jetjackson]

Feb 22, 2016 19:13:54 GMT -7 scojo said:

The frequency at which you can train your core is related to the intensity and volume of the exercises (true for any muscle group). For the core workouts I see people do, they tend to be really low intensity, which I think leads to this common idea that you can train your core more frequently than other muscle groups.

Is there any reason not to do supplemental exercises in the base phase? They shouldn't interfere with ARCing, since they shouldn't fatigue your forearms at all.

I tend to agree with this. If I do a hardcore ab workout, I can really feel it the next day in my lower back and just below my pecs around my rib cage. 

I have been training core during the strength phase, during other phases I'm on a whole lot of steep terrain anyway, training on the 45 and overhanging routes in the gym. My abs are normally sore the next day, so I figure I'm hitting core enough. 

I would think supplemental core would be unnecessary in Power, and Power Endurance phases if you're actually doing those phases on steep terrain.

[iclimb2improve]

Thanks for the responses guys!

Scojo, I didn't really think there was an issue with doing SE's during base fitness besides where it said in the book that he generally started in the strength phase. Given that information, I'll plan my next cycle with that in mind.

Chris W, I guess I should have been more specific by what I meant by core training. My definition of core is abdominal and lower back muscles, but I can see where there could have been confusion. You mention you do 5-10 minutes of floor exercises, what exercises are they (plank, bicycles, other?)?

JetJackson, I unfortunately do not have access to really overhung terrain besides two really small roofs at my school (everything else is flat wall), so currently supplemental core exercises are essential to my training.

[Chris W]

I have a program from Athlean-X that randomizes exercises in a specific order (in terms of movement), thus a new workout each time. Each exercise is for 30-60 seconds with occasional 30 second rest periods interspersed. Some of them are not necessarily the most climbing specific, but all of them help [me]. I've had issues with back pain and weak abdominal (and core) muscles and have to stay strong to prevent injury.

I know that's not a very specific answer, but I'll try to post some more specific examples later.