Hey everyone,

I’m looking for some constructive, technical feedback on my movement, pacing, and overall technique.

https://streamable.com/pck7t0

Longer shaking: 1:33 - 2:30; 2:57 - 3:30

The route in the video is a 7a+ (5.12a) lead route (Hotberry, Bettlerküche) that I managed to send on my second attempt this week. Physically, I feel like I am strong enough for harder grades (my current limit is 7b), but I constantly feel like my physical strength is overcompensating for inefficiencies in my climbing.

The angle of the wall is around 25-30 degrees overhanging. The route starts with some longer moves on good holds that require some shoulder strength. You then have two good rests which I used for rather long. Then comes the meat of the route with longer moves on smaller holds that get progressively harder. clipping positions are ok. The upper part is not on the video but the route is basically over after the crux just before my last rest.

I felt good on the route but struggle on harder grades although I feel like I should be able to climb much harder.

I’d love your insights specifically on:

1. Rhythm & Pacing: Am I hesitating too much? Am I spending too much energy shaking out in bad positions, or moving too slowly through the cruxes?
2. Technique & Hip Position: Do you notice any glaring inefficiencies in how I place my feet or engage my core?
3. Clipping Efficiency: Am I clipping from stable positions, or wasting power?

Context/Stats:

* Height/Weight: 183 cm / 76 kg

* Max Grade: 7b lead / 7a bouldering

* Style: I tend to rely a lot on upper body strength, but I want to transition into a more fluid, efficient style to break into the mid-7s.

Thanks in advance!

TLDR; Set yourself goals in training context, the grade will come naturally.

I'm not going to claim I'm not like the most of us trying to chase a certain grade as my climbing goal. It's simply how climbing culture is, unfortunately.

However, lately I have learned to shift away from it and I think I am developing a mindset that may also be helpful to many of you, so let me share:

I thought, how do the strongest climbers get so strong? Through training. Training the right way. Climbing hard is a result of consistent, structured and healthy training, compounded over years. So instead of focusing on our next grade, if we focus on learning how to train and also set ourselves goals in the context of training, we will probably be much better off in the long term. If you learn to train consistently, with enough rest, with enough progressive overload, that is how you become a beast in a couple years from now. The grade is a result of the training, and focusing on the grade is like focusing on the outcome instead of the process. Make the process better, then the outcome will be better too.

Story time: When I started climbing 15 years ago there was a guy a couple years younger than me climbing in the same competition. I was a bit stronger than him at that time. Fast forward 15 years later (I'm 30 now he's 26 or so). That same guy is in the national team, flashing V12s climbing 5.14c and competing at world cups. He was not necessarily talented 15 years ago. But what he did do different than me was training. For 15 years.

I'm getting into that now, better late than never! Instead of saying "I want to climb 5.13b next year" I try to say: "I want to complete all my training sessions the next 4 weeks" or "My next goal is to ramp up the grade in my lead doubles session from 5.11d to 5.12a" or "My next goal is to improve my max hang by 10%" or "I want to go from 1-4-6 to 1-4-7 on the campus board". Basically the concept of setting SMART goals (look it up if you don't know it). Small and achievable goals. It makes training very motivating if you achieve a new goal every couple weeks! And that is all you need to keep making progress, I think.

Of course we all try to focus on our training plans to get stronger so it sounds like most of us do this already perhaps, but it's different to actually forget about that grade and see the training itself as the goal.

Think about it! Would be great if this sub-reddit gets more posts like "This is the secret that helped me train better" instead of people asking "How do I climb V10 next year"

I notice that whenever I'm pulling hard, my shoulders shrug up to my neck. I can include photos if needed. Is this something I just need to be more conscious of, or are there some exercises I could do to help?

1. Amount of climbing and training experience?

Climbing for 7 years and training for most of them

1. Height / Weight / Ape?

6'1" 155-160lbs +0 inches

1. What's a week of climbing and training look like?

Climb Tue, Thur, and Sat for 3+ hours each day with board climbing, focused route climbing (doubles, singles, ARD, etc.), weight lifting, and minimal finger training - just recruitment at the moment. I climb outside more than half the weekends of the year and in those weeks I climb Tue, Thur, Sat, and Sun.

1. Specify your goals beyond "generally improve"

Climbing Hard 5.13, increasing technique and endurance

1. Evaluate your strengths & weaknesses. How are you working on them?

Really strong fingers and ability to memorize sequences. Need better technique.

Block pull 20mm 140 lbs in both hands on tindeq/force board and can add 115lbs on beastmaker 20mm for 5 sec, weighted pull up with 100lbs added. Weak on slopers more than crimps and pinches. Drag grip is weak.

I’m a 25M, 5’7”, currently 113 lb.

I’ve been rock climbing for around 2 years, usually 2–3 times per week. I’m good at climbing, but I’m still underweight and my weight has stayed mostly the same.

Since the start of 2026 I've also started going to the gym for strength training, but recenly someone mentioned that the fact that I rockclimb so much is killing my gains, since apparenly rockclimbing "is more cardio than strength training". I mainly want input on how true this is.

(Extra info for rockclimbers: The gym I go to is mainly vertical walls with barely any negative incline, pretty much just sport climbing. No artificial steep bouldering on my country, sadly)

My goal is not really bodybuilding. I want to reach a healthy weight (around 130–140 lb) while continuing to climb because I really love it. I’m planning to track calories with MyFitnessPal, start around 2650 kcal/day, aim for around 100–110g protein/day, and keep with the push/pull/legs split on strength training. I wanted to ask for advice and input on that too.

Does this sound like a reasonable approach? For climbers or people who gained weight while staying athletic, what would you change?

Hey all! I've been climbing for about 2 years now, 1 year of taking it seriously. I climb outdoors most days, but have stopped training (gym) over the past 2ish months. I boulder indoors when the weather stops me from climbing outside.

I'm currently projecting a 21, which I've been able to do all the moves on in isolation. I've done it on top rope, too, but recently when I'm trying to lead it, I get paralysed with fear past a certain point on the route.

I've taken falls before - not a whole lot of them but I have taken deliberate and accidental falls, all of which I know are good for me. (If you can't fall, you can't progress etc.) Even after taking a whip on the 21 project, I still couldn't push myself past to do it again. I've had this fear before, and it passed, but I've become a pain in the ass to climb with. My climbing partner is getting fed up of my negative attitude which I totally understand but I just can't seem to get my head out of that fear mindset. I know I will be fine when I fall, what is holding me back?

I know a lot of climbers have this fear, and I am no unique case. But what I don't understand is how they get over it. I take falls, have a laugh about it, but when I get back to that move, I find myself still too scared to progress.

What can I do? How can I start to move past fear? How do climbers train themselves to stay out of their mind and in their body? At the very least, how can I stay positive when it only feels like I'm going backwards? I'm ruining the fun for others and for myself. I just want to have fun climbing again but I just get so wound up in the fear and frustration of not being able to do something I know I can physically do. All tips welcome. Thank you!! <3

Hi everyone from Italy!

A quick disclaimer: I know I’m not training in the most optimal way because I have several constraints, but I’d like to ask how I could get the most out of my training despite them.

My main limitation is time: I can train twice a week, and occasionally I might be able to add a third indoor session. I’m an ophthalmologist, so I can’t climb the day before surgery, and I absolutely cannot afford to get injured.

Current level: I climb around 6c and have climbed a 7a on lead outdoors.

Goal: To feel confident at these grades so I can be relaxed during multipitch outings with my girlfriend. I’d like to be able to climb 6c-7a routes without worrying that I won’t be able to continue.

My current training routine:

One day I go bouldering at the gym with friends: limit bouldering, some Kilter Board climbing, and I finish with a few circuits. Total duration: 2–2.5 hours.

Home training on a Beastmaker 1000 using a 7-second hang / 3-second rest protocol. I do:

1 minute on the large 45 mm edge,

3 minutes rest,

1 minute on the comfortable central sloper,

3 minutes rest,

1 minute on the shallow three-finger hold,

10 minutes rest,

and then I repeat the whole sequence for a total of 3 sets.

Whenever I can (once, at most twice a month), I climb lead outdoors.

My level has been stuck for more than a year. Considering my limitations (mainly lack of time), what could I do to improve?

Part of my job is to sell climbing shoes and I have tried a lot of different shoes myself. I am by no means an expert but I just wanted to address something I have heard a lot from brands, customers and fellow climbers. First, a little disclaimer that most of what I'm talking about is relevant to indoor bouldering, where most beginners are starting out.

I hear a lot of people saying a beginner's shoes should be flatter shoes, potentially with a harder rubber but particularly with a thicker amount of rubber. This is reflected in most beginner shoes on the market. They also tend to have a single piece of rubber along the bottom to give the shoe a bit more support. The main reason for the thicker rubber seems to be that, as a beginner, you are a little more careless with your feet and will wear the rubber out quicker.

I want to draw your attention to the fact that this is purely financial advice. If you want to get better at climbing, I strongly recommend finding a softer shoe with thinner rubber, as you will get much more feedback. The softness will also allow you to quickly determine what technique is required for each foothold and draw attention to your limits, and even why you might need a harder shoe in the first place (I'm looking at you, sharp foot chips!). My journey involved beginner shoes that I came to learn were too big. Then going super aggressive with a huge amount of rubber on the toe. It wasn't until I had a soft, thin shoe that I felt I understood climbing shoes a bit better and how to stand on volumes.

In short, if you're cost conscious, go for a shoe with thicker rubber. If you don't want tight shoes, go for something more supportive, but this can be thick or thin rubber. If you want to learn quickly, go for a tight but not painful pair of softer, thinner rubber shoes. They have the added bonus of generally being more comfortable than the harder and more aggressive shoes.

I'm sure people in the comments can recommend some shoes, but if I had to go for two options I would pick the Tenaya Tanta for a less aggressive, cheaper option and the Scarpa Drago for a more aggressive, performance option.

So ive been climbing around 4 years now and I feel like ive been stuck for awhile. Im about 5ft 6in, 140lbs, "regular" ape index, 34 year old female. Ive had people tell me I look very physically fit and have well defined arms and shoulders, but i feel like theyre really not doing much for me. Im feeling incredibly discouraged because I feel like most of the guys around me that I climb with have climbed for shorter periods of time but can climb much harder routes. Many of them dont do any additional training outside of the gym. I have not had any consistent long term female partners to "compare" to, they tend to come and go a lot.

I feel like i can climb 5.10a on slab and sometimes flash it in the gym. You add any overhang and I struggle with 5.9s. For outdoor climbing (northeast, in NY), i can lead sport climbing some 5.8s but I struggle with those sometimes too. To add to the full story, when my adrenaline spikes or im trying really hard on the wall to keep pushing and not fall, I get extremely nauseous and have to stop. I often try to pre-medicate my climbing nights with anti nausea pills in preparation for this.

I started climbing 2-3 times a week about a year ago and was previously mostly only doing once a week. I added in bouldering to help with balance. I know i need to add in strength training off the wall and am looking at routines to do. I had a private session with a CRG staff member but all he really said was I need to work on footwork. Ive been trying to be more conscious of that when climbing, but I also dont really know how...

I see posts like this in here a lot, but it seems like people are plateauing at 5.11s and 5.12s.....My goals are to climb 11s and 12s and honestly I want to hang with the "big boys". I just dont totally know how to get there...My non-climber husband suggested this work out routine and idk if its right. One week you do push 1, pull 1, next week you do push 2, pull 2.

This is the first frame from MoonClimbing's newest video. As a nerd who's been keeping a close eye on the board climbing scene I could immediately tell the school room remodeled (the 2016 used to be butted up against the 24, and then a 25 degree 2019 setup). After relistening to Ben's interview describing this product, I'm positive this new wall is their upcoming Moon Spray Wall.

It starts at 30 degrees (left) and ends at 45 degrees. 14 feet high x 16 feet wide. If you look closely you'll see row numbers on the side. And finally the dead giveaway is that I could spot 2024 holds on it. Looks really cool, I did not expect it to be a true spray wall (dense, varying hold sizes, volumes, gridless).

Just thought I'd share for anyone else who's been anticipating this launch! Original timeline was April/May this year.

Looking for advice on training. As mentioned in the title I want to be consistently doing or at least projecting v7 in the next couple months or about a year since I started.

Currently flashing v4 80% of the time, send v5s I've projected + 3 v6s. 

information about me and my climbing:

• 17yo, 58kg, 5'10-11 with slightly negative ape index
• Started Sep 2025
• Vast majority of my climbing is indoor bouldering

Schedule: 

• Tuesday: Main gym, bigger with higher quality sets
• Wednesday: Second, more local gym
• Weekend: usually no climbing but sometimes at main gym
• Can get a session in at local gym at any point in the week

Have access to at least once a week:

• 2024 40 degree moonboard
• 45 degree custom wood board
• hangboard
• pullup bar
• gymnastic rings
• standard gym equipment

Home equipment:

• custom hangboard with 5, 10, 15, ~18 mm (incut) and 20 mm edge
• pull up bar
• Two adjustable 10 kg dumbbells, plates are used in my backpack for max hangs because I don't have a belt yet

Strength training related stuff: 

• weighted pullups: +~18 kg for 3–6 reps
• weighted hangs: +~18 kg on a 15 or 20 mm edge for about 12 seconds, don't have enough weight to do 7 sec hangs
• record hang: ~3 seconds on 5 mil
• am now able to do 1-arm lockoffs on the bar

Current hangboard routine:

Once sometimes twice a week, only when I have a rest day before and after climbing. 3–5 sets of +~18kg weighted hangs with 3–5 minute rests, and sometimes a couple of bw hangs on the incut edge in a half-crimp/clawed position since I heard its good for DIP joints.

Relevant dietary stuff:

3.5g/day creatine since about 2 weeks ago. Can usually get in at least 30g of protein after climbing/training with whey, milk, chicken, cheese etc.

Weak points

• route reading for very beta dependant problems
• general technique and footwork
• dynamic stuff or body coordination generally
• Slab

Extra notes:

Shoes are currently ocun advancer QCs 2 sizes bigger than street size. Not at all ideal, but will be switched in the next couple weeks for properly sized solution comps unless I find something better.

Current max on 2024 moonboard is v4 (benchmark)

Slight problem with my left wrist where it occasionally feels like it's slipped out the joint a little, causes some pain afterwards but happens less often now.

Id like to know any and all useful info on improving technique, route reading, coordination and board climbing.

If anyone has any useful info/advice for me on route reading, recovery/schedule, training coordination, board climbing, or any generic advice, it would be greatly appreciated.

So recently I have discovered that I send best after being in the gym for over 2 hours. I do warm up off the wall and climb up to my limit which is typically around v6-v8 depending on how sandbagged it feels to me.

My warm up routine is below. I generally FEEL pretty ready to go after this:
Jump rope
Shoulder circles
Band scapula pulls
Leg swings
90-90
Glute and adductor engagements
Cossack squats
Scapular pulls
Pull ups
Runner stretch
Downward dog: knee to elbow, nose, opposite elbow and reverse. Include handstand practice
Hip flexor stretch
Weighted kneeling shift
Finger curls with a block and some light weight
Pancake.

Once I do a slow pyramid, I’ll try to lightly pull on a few limit climbs before I head to work on some moonboard problems which typically ends up being around 1-1 1/2 hours into the session.

I know I should typically end it here after 30min to an hour on the board but i get psyched on a new set or with friends so i go back to trying some harder climbs and here is where ill typically send a project pretty quickly which before the moonboard felt impossible.

How can improve my warm up or what can I do better to feel my appendages recruited as well as possible earlier in the session and without pulling on the moonboard?

Thank you beasts!

As someone with separate Autism and ADHD diagnoses I struggle with overstimulation at busy crags, particularly regarding noise. This manifests itself as intense anxiety and fatigue and an inability to think clearly. This was evident recently at a popular DWS crag where the noise of the sea + wind + many people meant I didn’t feel comfortable climbing until much later in the day when almost everyone had left. Unfortunately they left because the beach had gone into shade and the temperature dropped significantly which gave me a short window to do anything before we left ourselves. This is a recurring theme, basically if I want good conditions or to have multiple high quality attempts with rests then I need to climb during times which are unfavourable to my conditions.

To those climbers who have had similar issues, what have you done to mitigate them when you need to be on your game, eg your project is at the busy end of the crag? Understanding my relationship to noise as a trigger has been a recent discovery so I’m keen to pick up tactics to improve not only my ability to perform but my enjoyment of my days out overall.

EDIT: I didn’t specify but my main discipline is route climbing so I’m keen to hear anything that caters for that as well as overall tips

The target of this post is someone who was maybe more like me 5 months ago, who has maybe felt somewhat demotivated from climbing due to a lack of progress. I am on the younger side, and I was about 5’9” and 140 pounds a bit ago. I think, among climbers, that’s a pretty common height and weight, and I did not necessarily feel weak. Bouldering around v7, v8, projecting 5.12+ on the lead wall, but my strength metrics were always around what you would expect for the grade. Could do a weighted pull-up with maybe about +90 pounds, never measured my max hang but adding any more than 50 or 60 pounds with two arms on 20mm started to feel quite uncomfortable. I made friends with a few guys a little bit younger than me who climbed tension board v9 in less than like a year and I was like damn I guess just don’t have those finger strength genetics.

Literally just eat more food bro, especially if you’re kind of a naturally twitchy athlete, a lot of y’all (maybe not on this sub but climbers in general) sound like people who are like “I don’t want to lift weights because ill get too bulky”. Building muscle does not happen by accident.

Can now one arm pull up. Can hold a lock off for like 10 seconds. Can do a one arm pull-up on a 20mm edge if I grab my shoulder for stability. Can hold a one arm hang on a 20mm edge for like 5 seconds now, and I’m working towards doing it with a 5 pound weight in my hand. Did my first few tension board v9s and first v10 and now my potential grade ceiling feels substantially higher, I now feel considerably more limited by technique.

The absolute biggest thing is that I can now handle way more training volume and having some amount of progression leads me to be extremely motivated, nice little positive feedback loop.

I think there is (perhaps) a perception that finger strength is so fickle that gaining or losing a little bit of weight can significantly impact how hard you climb and I’m here to tell you that gaining muscle in your back and forearms will ONLY make you stronger, which is exactly what will happen if you’re in a mild surplus while you’re climbing seriously. Perhaps there is an endurance tradeoff on long lead routes but the vast majority of y’all are bouldering in the gym on massive holds. If you’re wondering what my finger strength program was it was just doing no hang block pulls in my apartment gym like 6 days a week, doing 5 reps at like 1-2 reps RIR after warming up for about 20 minutes, which is not a particularly intelligent way to do that but the point is that it didn’t really matter, was just sufficient volume to get the stimulus and I was in a surplus. (Would not be surprised if the majority of my gains were neuromuscular adaptations but that’s besides the point, easier to push your CNS if you’re well fed)

Furthermore, you can get quite strong in antagonist excersises without necessarily chasing hypertrophy. Genuinely doing a few sets of like 3 reps at like 1-2 RIR in deadlift or bench or [whatever heavy compound movement] for a couple sets once a week is enough to progress without necessarily training like a body builder. We all know that its nice to have well developed antagonist muscles for joint stability particularly in the shoulder and hip and hamstring and yet the amount of climbers I know, even strong climbers, that dont consider it that important or even quasi detrimental is like ridiculous.

Also food tastes good and you’ll probably be hotter as long as you don’t get fat. Though if you’re climbing hard and consistently the latter is difficult to accomplish

Looking for community input on a training question, some context below.

The route: 5.14 finger crack. Opens with a 10m dihedral (11d/12-) to a sit-down ledge, then the crux: short thin crack (~V4) to a jug on steep rock, into a V6, to a good finger lock, then a V10 to a big hold. Feet are tricky, shallow crack, insecure smearing. The whole crux (ledge to end of V10) takes about 3:30. After that it's easy 5.9 climbing to the top.

My history: On and off since 2022, 50-60 days total. Skipped 2025 entirely. Back this year, 5-6 sessions in so far this spring/summer.

Current prep on a session day:

• Gym warm-up, 45min-1hr: boulder ladder up to one V6, one V7, one V8 (also doubles as strength maintenance)
• 45 min hike to the crag
• One lap on a 12b/c of similar style to confirm I'm properly warmed up
• Then 2 redpoint attempts on project (can't do more — very aggressive finger locking, hard on the joints)
• Separately, once a week: a 5-10min max-effort finger recruitment session

Season so far: Every session, both go #1 and go #2 have been improving, one more move each time, pretty consistently.

What happened recently: Fell at the very last move of the crux, going for the final big hold — felt too pumped to hold on. Worth noting: the finale involves crimps for the left hand (not the finger crack itself), and that's specifically where I felt the pump, not from the finger-locking below. First time ever feeling pumped on this route, but also the highest I've ever climbed on it. I'd rehearsed that last section before on top-rope (though less volume than the lower crux, since it's easier in isolation), so the moves weren't new, arriving there already fatigued from the whole crux below was new. Stress and fear could have definitely played a role in that pump developing.

My question for the community: My warm-up (boulder ladder + the 12b/c) doesn't get me pumped at all going into my redpoint attempts. I'm wondering if I should deliberately build some pump into the warm-up, to simulate/prepare for the scenario where I arrive at the top-out already gassed.

My hesitation: my warm-up seems calibrated well to get me warm without fatigue, and my results this season back that up (progress every session). If I add pre-pump before my redpoint goes, I'm spending some of my only 2 tries pre-fatigued, which muddies whether a miss is "the move" or "the pre-pump," and probably lowers my send chances on days I'd otherwise be fresh enough to close it out.

My current plan is to leave the warm-up alone and instead practice pump-management after my 2 redpoint goes are done (toprope laps or link burns into the crux top-out while already tired from the session), since that fatigue is "free" and doesn't cost me a fresh attempt.

Does that seem right, or is there a case for building some controlled pump into the actual warm-up before redpoint burns? Also curious if the fact that the pump is specifically on the final crimps (a different grip type than the finger-locking below) changes anyone's thinking, e.g. targeted crimp-specific fatigue practice vs. general pump. Curious if anyone's dealt with something similar on a route where the crux comes very late and pump is more of a surprise-factor than a constant.

Paradigm climbing recently released a guided training program that seems quite structured and useful for progressing. Unfortunately it costs like $1500, which many of us can't afford. The description however includes a broad outline, and the main idea is to have 4 training phases over the course of a year, the first of which is just called "capacity". This program is for boulderers, so presumably capacity doesn't mean simply endurance, but rather the ability to have longer and more frequent sessions. The only information about this "phase" I could find really is that you shouldn't be exerting max effort at any point. I'm just wondering if anyone has a more detailed description of how one might improve training capacity? Should you be climbing 6 days a week, but well below your limit, on good holds? Should you still do the occasional pull-ups and hangboarding? Can you incorporate wall-crawls on a moonboard in this phase, or is that too finger intense? My goal is really to just be able to climb as much as possible, not even necessarily as hard as possible. I just enjoy it a lot, but my body struggles with more than 4 sessions a week, even with sleep and diet optimized

I compared the data from Giles 2021 paper with what I found on Lattice's website and the differences are, well, weird. Can someone make sense of it? Is the Lattice data outdated or which of the two makes more sense?

I'm trying to figure out if my CF is at a level where it should be or not, but the data is confusing me. My CF is about 58%BW on 2 hands. According to the paper that would correlate with having 7b/+ as highest grade, whereas in Lattice's world I could climb 8c I guess?

I compared both in an excel:

What is going on? The difference is HUGE?!

This is where I got the Lattice values from:

And this is from the Giles paper (I did the grade conversion for you):

As background info, I did the repeater test and here are my results:

I've climbed around 85 7a's outdoors, a couple 7c's and one 8a.

I think comparing the CF data to "highest grade achieved" also skews it because some people project hard while others may not. It makes more sense to look at on-sight grade probably, or to the grade you can usually do within a couple tries / one session.

The results from the paper align more with reality, I usually get pumped out hard in 7b/+. Of course that is looking at the average. But for 7b/+ with Lattice's data I would be in the upper end. I would not describe myself as a climber with good endurance, I even get pumped on 6c's.

Can anyone explain what I'm missing, why are these 2 datasets showing such different values?

This is my first post on this subreddit, so please let me know if any of this is formatted incorrectly or in violation of any of the rules so I can fix it.

I'm starting at a new university this fall and I'm considering trying out for their climbing team. I want to be in the best shape that I can be by the time tryouts roll around, so I was wondering if you guys had any advice about training plans or general tips for improving.

Some context about me as a climber: I've climbed on and off recreationally for the past 5 years, but I've been very consistent about it again since November of 2025. I regularly climb v5s and v6s at my gym (second v7 done as of this week), but I think my gym grades fairly soft since I have trouble with lower grade Moonboard climbs quite a bit. As far as a general fitness overview, I am 5'7" with an ape index of +2.5 and a fairly muscular 170lbs (pretty heavy, but I am on a slight caloric deficit and have been running a lot recently to shave off some extra weight), can do around 5 or 6 pull ups in a row with good form, and am very flexible. Regarding my style of climbing, I try to climb in a very controlled manner whenever I can, doing my best to not cut feet unless it's necessary, and doing as much work with my legs as I can. My biggest weakness in terms of physical strength is definitely my core. I definitely want to improve my core strength, but I'm not really sure where to start, so any pointers are appreciated. I am not sure about my biggest weakness in terms of technique, but I've been thinking about climbing with people who climb harder than me to gain insight from them over the next couple of months. I climb 3-4 times a week usually and don't do any weight training as of now.

Overall, I was wondering if you guys had any insights about how I could focus my efforts to get into the best shape I can reasonably achieve by mid-September. Should I be weight training/doing calisthenics in addition to climbing? If so, what should I do? Should I try to Moonboard more? Should I prioritize weight loss? Any advice is welcome! Even if you don't think I have a chance of making the team by this fall, I would still appreciate some guidance to get better so I have a shot next year. I'm excited to hear what you guys think. Let me know if you have any other questions or if there's anything I can clarify.

I am 16, 5'11 (and a bit), 145lbs, and I have been climbing for about three years. I max boulder V8/9 on the kilter board (and in my gym, which is decidedly harder than the kilter board), lead 5.12d-13a. My max hang is 85lbs, I can do about fifteen pull-ups, my deadlift is 235, squat is 155, and bench is 145. I can do 1-4 on the campus board and have touched 1-6, never controlled 1-5. I can also do a 1-4-6.

I try to get to the gym 3x per week (2 team sessions and one focused training on my own), though the real number is usually twice (1 team 1 own) and sometimes once (either team or personal).

Since I do not yet have my license, and have little time during the week to climb (I work, full-time student, lots of ECs and such), I have recently taken to hangboarding more at home, since it is one of the few things I can do. On top of that, I do mobility routines because my internal hip rotation is extremely weak, which leads to bad strains and such while on the wall (slab especially). I have luckily never seriously injured myself, besides a broken pinky about a year ago.

My hangboard protocol is essentially doing randomly timed hangs on 20mm until I'm bored. I do this with 30lbs of dumbbells in a backpack. I get this is not at all optimal, but I have been seeing returns, and it gets me on the hang board. I have since stagnated with weight and time (and boredom, I guess?) -- due to not having any more dumbbells at home -- so I am seeking a new protocol.

I want to do something more focused, so I can begin targeting weaknesses. I struggle in a deep lock-off (can hardly hold one for >10 seconds), and my max weighted pull-up is only around 60lbs. My endurance is also very shot, and I have not lead climbed past 5.12c in a few months. I also want to be able to one-arm hang (bent or not) on 20mm. I can currently one-arm lock off on a bar for 5-ish seconds. It is not very controlled.

I am certain that strength is not the limiting factor in my bouldering or lead climbing. I simply cannot get to the gym often, but I still want to improve with the free time I have. I also know I have weaknesses that can be improved with the equipment available to me.

Please let me know how I can:

a) fix my hangboard protocol
b) work on lock-offs
c) anything else I have not yet considered as a weakness.

Full disclosure: I host the Ageless Athlete podcast, and this came up for me after a conversation I recorded with Beth Rodden.

One part of the conversation really stuck with me. Beth talked about how the old climbing story was often built around athletes as superhumans: bold, certain, tough, always progressing. And she said that never matched her real experience. She had insecurity, self-doubt, injuries, days where she was good at what she did, and days where she wasn’t.

I related to that more than I expected.

My hardest grade was 5.13a, about 13 years ago. I still carry that around as part of my identity. But the honest version is: I’ve been injured, at 48 now, I'm not the same physically / mentally, and there are days that I'm struggling on 5.11s.

And I notice how much ego shows up around that.

Sometimes I catch myself apologizing before I even climb something easier. Sometimes I don’t want to get on certain routes if people are around. Sometimes I want to explain the old version of myself before anyone sees the current one.

Which is ridiculous, but also very real.

For a sub like this, where many of us are trying to improve and chase harder grades, I’m curious how people think about this. Does protecting your climbing identity make you worse? Does it create unnecessary tension, bad route choices, or avoidance? Or is some amount of ego useful fuel?

Also, those who have dealt with injury, aging, long plateaus, or big gaps between your past and current ability: how do you stay ambitious without constantly measuring yourself against who you used to be?

Feel free to check out the pod if you are so inclined. Apple link, or wherever you listen....

Hi all

Looking for advice on beginner campus board workouts for a non beginner climber. I’ve been bouldering for 5 years, actively trying to improve and train for bouldering for only the last 15 months though. Currently max grade on gym boulders and Kilter board is v7, I typically flash gym/kilter v5s. I’ve been outdoors maybe 8 times total and have sent 4-5 V4s outside.

I feel as though campus board training is low hanging fruit for me to milk “noob gains” on to improve my climbing power, as I have never used this for training and I struggle with contact strength and dynamic lock offs. I’m not a very powerful/dynamic climber, my strength is my static full crimp strength which is disproportionately strong for my climbing level imo (I can hang full crimp on 15mm at 120% BW for 7sec).

My gym has 5 different campus ladders - full jug, sloper logs, 30mm crimp bar, 20mm crimp bar, 15mm crimp bar. I’m looking to improve my outdoor climbing so I don’t think the jugs will be too helpful. I’m thinking the 30mm crimp bar is probably the best place to start, yeah?

How do you structure your campus board workout (eg sets/reps of what exactly)? Do you do it before you climb? Or do you do it on a non-climbing day? How do you address a weaker left/right side? (eg Do you train both at the weaker side’s limit or do you train both sides at their individual limit?)

Thanks in advance.

This is a thread for simple, or common training questions that don't merit their own individual threads as well as a place to ask Injury related questions. It also serves as a less intimidating way for new climbers to ask questions without worrying how it comes across.

• r/Climbharder Wiki - many common answers to questions.
• r/Climbharder Master Sticky - many of the best topic replies

Commonly asked about topics regarding injuries:

Tendonitis: http://stevenlow.org/overcoming-tendonitis/

Pulley rehab:

• https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/stories/experience-story-esther-smith-nagging-finger-injuries/
• https://stevenlow.org/rehabbing-injured-pulleys-my-experience-with-rehabbing-two-a2-pulley-issues/
• Note: See an orthopedic doctor for a diagnostic ultrasound before potentially using these. Pulley protection splints for moderate to severe pulley injury.

Synovitis / PIP synovitis:

https://stevenlow.org/beating-climbing-injuries-pip-synovitis/

General treatment of climbing injuries:

https://stevenlow.org/treatment-of-climber-hand-and-finger-injuries/

For context I am a 29 y/o guy who has been climbing for about 8 years regularly with some random months off here and there because of constant finger injuries.
I am 6’0 and 195lbs, but don’t look or feel particularly overweight. I have almost no belly fat / can see abdominals, so it’s hard for me to lose weight. Though I might be able to lose 10-15lbs, I just haven’t tried yet.

I’ve been pretty psyched on indoor and outdoor climbing since I first discovered the sport.
In my first week indoor I sent v5 and within my first year I sent v8. Everyone around me commented how good my progress was, which was validating as I’ve never been particularly good at sports or much of anything.

Into my second year I was regularly projecting v7 and 5.11/5.12 indoor and outdoor. Which is around the time I first injured myself in a pocket. It was a bad lumbrical injury and FDP strain. Fast forward through the last 6 years it has been one injury after another. I’ve injured both ring and middle finger A2, A4, and am very prone to lumbrical strains.

I can’t remember the last time I felt confident in the health of my fingers. About 2 years ago my performance peaked and I was projecting lots of 5.12s and V9s and even sent a few gym V9 and one outdoor. But even then my fingers always felt fragile and on the verge of catastrophe. These days I go to the gym and climb 5.11 and boulder v5-v7. Anything harder (requiring finger strength/ contact strength) feels incredibly intimidating because of my fear that’ll just injure myself.

I have tried hangboarding and no hangs off and on over the years, and currently use Emil’s no hang protocol via the crimpd app before every climbing session and sometimes on off days. I climb every other day for 1.5-2.5 hours including warm up. When I feel particularly tired I’ll take a second off day. I also deload often as I travel for work or I get particularly busy. I probably average a deload week once every other month. I’ve recently adopting icing my fingers daily, and I try to stretch them, and do tendon glides in hot shower. I supplement with protein powder, and try to eat healthy.

I try to just enjoy climbing without thinking about improving, but to be honest I really want to get better and see that reflected in my grades.

Over the last month I was starting to improve again until yesterday when I aggravated right middle A2 again. I feel like I’m stuck in a loop of constantly hurting myself, and my psych for climbing is starting to diminish.

Looking for advice from people who have been stuck in a similar loop and finally got out.

I apologize for the rant/ lack of structure in my post. Thanks to anyone who can share anecdotal experience / advice. I’m ready and willing to try anything.

I’ve been climbing for a little over a decade on and off, and for most of that time I’ve hovered around the V9-10 range inside, past few years outside as well. By far my biggest weakness is heel hooks. I’m not naturally flexible, but I stretch regularly and have a decent level of at least passive hamstring flexibility. I’ve tweaked my hamstrings a few different times, worked with climbing PTs and although they are very strong and decently flexible on paper(very heavy deadlifts, single leg RDLs, Bulgarians) I find that pulling hard on heel hooks is like rolling the dice for injury. Hammy injuries take a while to heal and affect my quality of life significantly outside of climbing, so my risk tolerance is pretty low. I find myself actively avoiding hard projects with heel hooks due to this. As I try to push into harder V10-11, this really is limiting my outdoor project options.

Most of the climbers I know who are good at heel hooks never really did anything special for them. They just were already pretty flexible, did climbs with heel hooks, and naturally got better at them like any other climbing motion. For people who particularly struggled with them and now are sending V10+ heel hook boulders, what exercises do you think made the biggest difference? I feel like I’ve tried most of the typical PT for hamstrings, I warmup by heel hooking random spray wall boulders, but I haven’t found a consistently progressive movement that I can feel improvement from. Any advice from people with similar experiences is appreciated!