Ok bolt clippers, let’s deal with what it takes to hit the chains and deal with the blend of endurance AND strength! Sport climbers find this whole mixture (or conflict) of strength and endurance super tricky to deal with, here are a few tips from us as coaches and training plan writers…

1. THE PUMP – Whether it’s 5.10 or 5.14, it’s felt by all climbers when they’re climbing at their limit. What should you do in your training though? Is it important to address all year long? First up, we do NOT believe in training the “at your pump limit” style training all year long. We do not see this as beneficial in the long run! Second, is that you must remember that why you get pumped has multiple factors going into it – it’s not solved by a single training “method.” You want to address all 3 “parts” of the endurance spectrum to effectively train for it (low-end, threshold, intervals) at the right time of the year.

2. PACING – We’ve said this before (check our YouTube video called “Power Endurance – 3 Common Mistakes“) but it’s worth hammering home. When you’re planning your training, it’s super important to be intentional about the pacing you use during the preparation. There is a significant physiological, technical and psychological difference in the experience between 1 move per 10 seconds vs 3 moves per 10 seconds. Take note sloth-like climbers! 

3. RECRUITMENT – You can find out a bit more about this in our article “The Truth Behind Strength Training – 4 Pillars” but in short it comes down to the fact that sport climbing training often involves lots of volume which will typically have a derecruitment effect in your strength. Luckily it’s primarily a neurological adaptation so, you can combat it with just the right amount of complimentary high-intensity work in your sport peaking phase… Hey presto, you feel strong AND fit!

If you want to have all of this taken care of and planned out by the world’s most experienced coaching & training team … you know where to come! Just drop us an email or check the below for the right plan to support you!

Main article 📸 Mike Hutton (@mikehuttonimages)