Tom Randall is back with another solo podcast session, following on from the recent “Common Mistake in Endurance Training” that was very popular. Like the previous format, he explores the big issues that climbers will typically have when training or preparing their power endurance.

In part 1, he breaks down the critical factor of ‘specificity’ and why you need to address it on the three fronts of technical, psychological and physical preparation. Ignoring, or wrongly addressing almost any of these elements will significantly impact both the effectiveness of your training and the performance outcomes. Get them right though, as you’re talking about huge steps towards success!

Technical:

1. Rock types and associated movement patterns.
2. Specific move types and efficiency within them.
3. Learning how to climb fast AND slow at your project/goal grade

Psychological:

1. Accessing your ‘try hard’ zone with correct focus and frequency
2. Learning to relax to the demands of the goal and not ‘wasting’ energy.
3. Training to rest appropriate for your project.
4. Chalking up ratios
5. Terrain recognition and environmental stress/familiarity
6. Fears of heights, exposure and falling

Physical:

1. Pacing for contraction and relaxation ratios.
2. Hold size and types relative to muscle activation and soft tissue demands.
3. Specificity of project demands on ancillary muscle groups such as core, back and legs.
4. Skin and pain conditioning
5. Respecting the specificity of volume, intensity and ‘section’ interval frequency when training

The Lattice jingle is brought to you by Devin Dabney, music producer of the outdoor industry who also hosts the American Climbing Project.