just more climbing

about an hour and half of forerunning new problems in the 0 to 5 range, then the real training

7 goes V2 - 6 moves on face
7 goes V2 - 8 moves on face
7 goes V5 - 7 moves on face
7 goes V2 - 11 moves on face
7 goes V1 - 7 moves on face

sandwiched in there was barbell getup and external rotation work
did 75lb x 5L/4R then decided to switch to get up situp sets of 3/3 75lb
all ext rot work was w/ 30lb for sets of 5/5

also did 10 minutes of 4 reps every minute LCCJ w/ 40kg

climbin fake rocks

Gotten in a couple of days of climbing back in the gym, the weather was good for outside but it just wasn't in the cards...such is life...

Barbell getups 65lb x 2/2, 85 x 1/1, 95lb x 1/1
external rot 30lb x 5/5,5/5,5/5
wrist ext x 30,30,30

each round mixed between:
5 rounds V3
5 rounds V4
5 rounds v3

Then today was unusual. I spent more time at the gym than i can remember...5 hours of climbing. It wasn't non stop but it was consistent. I mixed in the usual prehab exercises...
BGU 65 x 2/2, 85 x 1/1/1/1, 95 x 1/1/1/1, 105 x 1/1, 1/1, 95 x 1/1
ER 30 x 8/8, 8/8, 8/8, 8/8, 8/8, 8/8
WE 35lb->20lb x 10->20 x 6

warm up of V1-V4 total of about 9 routes
-worked a 6 on face with a psuedo blind throw off crimps, 6 moves, sent after 9-10 goes
-repeated a 7 less then 5 goes, 6 moves on overhang
-worked an 8 got to last move
-worked a 6
-worked the 8 again
-worked a 6

plus a bit of spazzing and campusing here and there...

I really need to work on my willingness to throw to a good hold of bad feet or foot and crimps...it seems to need some work, i'm not sure if it was due to climbing with glasses or what...
The limiting factor today seemed to be skin. Even at the end I was still doing well with the 6 strength wise but fingertips are weepy. Overall a good day and need to do a deload on tues.

Training updates

Nothing especially exciting but I noticed I'm getting behind again on writing. so here's what I've been up to...

Following my last day of climbing I ended up climbing 2 more days in a row, it wasn't intentional but it happened that way, did some vertical nice and easy...

2 5.9's, 2 other 5.9's, 5.9 and 5.10, 2 5.11's

the next day it was working some problems to test them out prior to the comp did up to V7.

Intermixed there was also:

Deadlifts 225 x 5,4, 275 x 3,2, 325 x 1
Pistols 12kg x 5,4,3,2,1
Presses 24kg x 5,4,3,2,1
Pullups 12kg x 5,4,3,2,1

Deadlifts 245 x 5, 255 x 4, 265 x 3, 275 x 2, 285 x 1
Presses 28kg x 5, 4, 32 x 3,2,1
Pistols 16kg x 5,4,3,2,1
Pullups 20kg x 5,4,3,2,1

Then yesterday V0, V1,V2,V3, V5, V7 (took 3 tries due to a low percentage move), V3, V2, V4, V5, V6, V1, V2 with Barbell Getups and single arm external rotation plate curls and wrist extension work mixed in.

Been playing with my grippers again since the finger's doing well as well as some other grip work. Managed to close my hard #2 with two fingers, about 2 dimes off of my hard #3, been able to start tearing cards again and have done a couple of phone books here and there. It feels good to be doing some grip work again. I'd like to get my card tearing back to where it was and add in some bending again.

Cold Temps + Rest + Motivation = PR!

Yesterday was incredible, forget the fact that I was able to get outside and climb on a tuesday of all days, and the rain that was forecasted never showed, and had everyplace we went all to ourselves...I was the fact that yesterday was the breakthrough of a new grade I've been working/waiting for. I did my first V7, a short powerful problem called Raw Meat. I got it within 5-10 goes. On top of that it required me to throw to a hold with my right hand and use the fingers that I've been letting heal up. Then later on I got my second V7, croaker's crack, in about the same number of tries at a different area called lost cove. The best part is that neither of them were that bad. It had a pretty scary topout but I don't think that I even thought about it until I was at the top and it was done. I also got to scope out some projects that may go this season but we'll have to see. Needless to say I'm still really pumped especially since it had no negative effects on my fingers. I'm going to keep moving forward with my training especially since it keeps me on track and holds me accountable. I have a lot of processing to do in relation to yesterday.

A couple more workouts

Friday -
Getups 32kg 4/4
Single LC 32kg 8/8 followed by 30sec hold
FSQ Rack position 32kg 13/13
Snatch 32kg 7/7

Repeat with 28kg


Saturday -
Easy climbing on top rope.
4 5.9's
2 5.10's
1 5.11
Worked a 5.12

Barbell Getup 65lb x 1/1, 75 x 1/1, 95 x 1/1
External Rotation 2 sets of 8/8 with 30lb


Sunday -
5,4,3,2,1 of

Pistol 12kg, 16, 16, 20, 20
Press 28, 28, 28, 32, 32
Deadlift 255, 265, 275, 285, 290
pull up 16, 20, 24, 28, 32

messed around with some bodyweight circuits I was designing for a client afterwards.

Training

Taking a small break from long cycle to work on strength for the next 3 weeks before returning to the business.

5->4->3->2->1 of pullups, deadlifts, presses, deadlifts

DL 5 x 245, 4 x 245, 3 x 255, 2 x 265, 1 x 265
Press 24kg x 5/5, 28 x 4/4, 28 x 3/3, 32 x 2/2, 32 x 1/1
Pistol 12kg x 5/5, 12 x 4/4, 16 x 3/3, 16 x 2/2, 16 x 1/1
Pullup 16kg x 5, 16 x 4, 24 x 3, 24 x 2, 32 x 1

Climbing's felt a little off since hitting the long cycle pr but it's coming back and I should be fully recovered and able to refocus efforts soon.

Geoff gave me some tips on my deadlift and I have a new setup method. It's great being around knowledgable people.

Just another weaknight...

Well not quite a 'weak'night but it could have been. The first step toward a far off goal came to fruition...100 reps of long cycle clean and jerk with 2 16kg kettlebells. Yes it's not the most manly weights to use but the goal was to get a total workload equal to MS status for my weight with the 32kilos and that is done and done. Next up will be working with the 20's or 24's, most likely the 24's but it's not a certainly...24's mean single arm with the 48kg while 20's mean single arm with the 40kg...decisions, decisions...

Previous best with the 16's was 62 reps (+/- 1, not sure, i have to check), once i got to 63, I told myself I'd do at least 70, once to 70 I told myself I can do 80, every rep done past that was done solely to avoid having to ever do this many reps again...the thought of getting that close and not finishing had more dire consequences than having to subject myself to this special kind of hell...i mean fun, yeah that's right, fun...was not a possibility. I chose long cycle because it's easy on the skin but not on the mind, you either do the reps or quit, it's that simple. So much of me wanted to quit but today it wasn't in the cards and I feel better for it. I will take this tenacity and apply it to climbing. When I want to quit, I won't. I've proven again to myself that the desire to quit does not mean that you have to, it means you want to take the easy way out. The easy path is well trodden but there's so much fun to forging your own way and each step is a victory in it unto itself. The highest I need to go next time is 67 reps with the 24's or 80 reps with the 20's, since that keeps the total load constant. But whatever it is, it is less than 100 reps and that's all that matters to me since volume has always been the bane of my existence. I'd rather make things harder than do more.

Well I'm off to do a little happy dance/pass out and recover.

Closer to the end...

Hit the total volume I'd initially planned on getting in last night with 50 total problems done, to address the mounting boredom with doing multiple laps on easy problems I changed things up a bit.

Barbell Get Up 65lb x 5/5
external rotation 20lb x 8/8
extensor work 20lb kb x 25
plate curls 25lb 3/3

V0 7 laps, less than 1 minute rest between goes, 8 moves on overhang
V1 7 laps, less than 1 minute rest between goes, 8 moves on face

Barbell Get Up 75lb x 3/3
external rotation 25lb x 8/8
extensor work 20lb kb x 25
plate curls 25lb 3/3

V1 7 laps, less than 1 minute rest between goes, 6 moves on face
V2 7 laps, less than 1 minute rest between goes, 6 moves on face

Barbell Get Up 75lb x 3/3
external rotation 25lb x 8/8
extensor work 20lb kb x 25
plate curls 25lb 3/3

V2 7 laps, less than 1 minute rest between goes, 8 moves on overhang
V1 7 laps, less than 1 minute rest between goes, 6 moves on overhang
V0 8 laps, less than 1 minute rest between goes, 6 moves on face

Within 2 weeks there will be about 50 new problems up at the gym since there will be a competition so that should infuse some enthusiasm in just the nick of time. The prehab work is coming along well, I'd like to hit 35lbs in the external rotation and at least 75lb for 5/5 on the barbell get up. Pretty soon I'll be using the bumper plates at the gym for plate curls since they have a broader distribution of mass as I work up to using the 35lb plate for curls.

Spaztacular Fun and Zones of Proximal Development

Since I didn't get to make it outside and get the requisite spazzing in, (translation-regressing to the usual training style of trying things over and over regardless of plan) I got it in in the gym instead. I used the time to really focus on being mindful and use it as a learning experience. I spent the first part of the session climbing with those much better than myself and focused on getting as much feedback as possible and implementing it each time to aid in progress. Later on I spent some time climbing with a borderline beginner and worked to help them with their technique and walk them through tips to enhance their own ability. The Zone of Proximal Development is the difference between what an individual can do without outside assistance and what they can do with help of others. Tonight I got to be the helper and the helpee. Climbing went well and inadvertently ended up pulling much harder on my right hand than I had intended to but there was no pain or complications following the excessive crimping. This is excellent news and reaffirms that what I'm doing is keeping me on the right track. It's going to be a great season and I can't wait to see it unfold. I have decided that I'm going to be adding in some specific grip work again to enhance my pinch and wrist strength more. I long time ago I dislocated both wrists and the laxity comes back on occasion but the more wrist work I do the less my wrists pop out. It hasn't been an issue but I was reminded of it when working with the big boys, so i'll take care of it before it's really a problem...an ounce of prevention....

Short and Simple

Long cycle Clean and Jerk 32 kg kb 7 reps every minute on the minute swichting hands every minute for 18 minutes.

Might have to do this one again before going up to 8 reps or try to do it without setting it down. Need to wear the heart rate monitor next time since checking with just counting the pulse gave me a peak of 190-200 and a recovery of 150-160 at a minute, it's be nice to have more accurate records.

Tomorrow should be a climbing day and the highest volume yet. Then one more back off day and either extend the volume one more week or switch to the next phase.

More of the same and follow up from long ago

Get ups with barbell 55lb x 5/5
extension work 20lb kb x 24
plate curls 25lb 3/3
external rotation work 20lb 8/8

10 laps V1 less than 1 minute rest, slight overhang, 6 moves

Get ups with barbell 60lb x 4/4
extension work 20lb kb x 24
plate curls 25lb 3/3
external rotation work 20lb 8/8

10 laps V1 less than 1 minute rest, slight overhang, 5 moves

Get ups with barbell 65lb x 3/3
extension work 20lb kb x 24
plate curls 25lb 3/3
external rotation work 20lb 8/8

10 laps V1 less than 1 minute rest, moderate overhang, 5 moves

Get ups with barbell 70lb x 2/2
extension work 20lb kb x 24
plate curls 25lb 3/3
external rotation work 20lb 8/8

10 laps V0 took minimal rest because I was getting bored, 5 moves on face

on the whole it was a bit of a low energy day...I'd planned on going outside but sometimes things don't go as planned, so it was a little hard to get psyched in the gym on a nice fall day especially with some bad reggae dub music going on in the back ground. Doing this much volume on the same problems is a little monotonous but I only have about 3 more times of mainly volume workouts and most likely the next time i do a volume focus I'll do more different routes but less laps on each.

I realized the other day that I never posted comments post 'spider technique' usage...simply put it worked well. I will use this again a little later on in the season when appropriate in another mini cycle. I would say that my hesitation in climbing due to a fear of falling is reduced by at least half if not more. It's really not even an issue inside anymore. I've been thinking about a couple of changes to make it more applicable to myself. Nevertheless it is an excellent tool to have but I think it's one to use sparingly, I can't imagine using it more than 3 times a year if that...basically I want to keep it stowed away for really important times rather than just exhaust it's effectiveness.

Just more training

Long cycle Clean and Jerk with the 32kg
sets of 6 every minute on the minute switching hands every set for 20 minutes

not too bad just wanted to get a little sweat in.

Climbing

slight deload day...i'm going to reduce volume to about 60% every third workout

Three different V0's six sets of each about 45 seconds of rest between each go.

It was ridiculously easy and hard to keep from doing more...it seems the trick for me to avoid getting off track is to go to the gym when other's arent' there...I'll save my actually trying for outside with others.

Finished up with three rounds of:

Barbell Get up 3/3
External Rotation work 20lbs x 8/8
extensor work 20lb kb x 20
barbell front raise x 5
plate curls 25lb x 3/3

I'll keep working on improving the getups and external rotation work for a while. The goal is 3 sets of 8 with 35lbs and a single get up with 135 on the bar. I've done 95lb a bunch of times and I wouldn't mind moving it up a good bit.

Another day...

Climbing

Barbell Get up 4/4 with 50lbs
Kettlebell Wrist extensor work 20lb x 20
Rotator cuff work external rotation 15lb x 8/8
VO x 10 rounds 1 minute or less rest after each, done on slight overhang 7 moves

Rest

Barbell Get up 4/4 with 55lbs
Kettlebell wrist extensor work 20lb x 20
Rotator cuff 20lb x 8/8
V0 x 10 rounds with 1 minute or less rest, done on bigger overhang 9 moves

Rest

Barbell Get up 4/4 with 55lbs
Kettlebell wrist extensor work 20lb x 20
Rotator cuff 20lb x 8/8
V1 x 10 rounds with 1 minute or less rest done on face 5 moves

Felt good and easy, fingers felt fine, technique got smoother each round, could have done a lot more.

Next time will most likely have at least 4 different problems. Once I'm up to 50 total problems I'll start adding in some visual drills I've come up with and see how that works. I'm planning on addressing volume first, then precision, then intensity or density. It will most likely be density since that should give me more time to let the fingers rest.

Now it's time to get psyched for some long cycle...if that's possible...

Back To Bidnis And The Dangers Of Unexpected PR's...

For some reason I can't seem to get into regular blogging, but the only way to do it is to do it, so here I am again. I've been busy, been training well, and making progress on a lot of my miscellaneous projects. So in no particular order, not that you'd expect much different from an ADHD mind like mine...

It's the start of the climbing season and it's going well, the last two times I've made it outside to climb I've fired off 3 V5's in a handful of goes, and 3 V6's in less than 5 goes each and now after this last week in Boone (beautiful weather by the way and incredible leaf changes up there) I have 3 V7's and an V8 to work on. The biggest thing is making sure these stupid A2 pulleys get back up to snuff. In the beginning of the year I ripped my right ring finger pulley and shortly after letting that heal the middle finger one partially tore too...so now that they're on the way the goal is to make sure that I don't do something stupid and get set back again...I'm slowly getting back to where I want to be/where I used to be...back a couple of years ago I was getting pretty respectable I sent a couple of V8's and V9's in a competition but when it comes to outside i was never able to do as well, but now I'm seeing things come together well. I can see the path ahead and as long as I'm smart about things I should have my best season ever outside. Spending time outside has given me a lot of ideas about addressing how to train for climbing that I'm looking forward to implementing. The hardest part is going to be to sticking to the plan and not getting sidetracked due to excitement. One of the hardest things with climbing is breaking away from the traditional training format. Cycling load and intensity is virtually non existent. It's push hard and try and try until you do it then find something new and repeat. Common sense dictates after you ramp up to a personal best you go back and build back up, in powerlifting you might take months to build back up, in climbing it's more like minutes or hours....and people wonder why climbing causes so many injuries....so no that i've unexpectedly hit several pr's in the last two weeks I'm stuck with the decision of deciding if i'm really at a peak and it's time to start back over or if it's just a bonus along the way...i'm not super psyched but i'm going to stick with the former....it's just not worth potentially reinjuring something....So with that in mind my current climbing plan is to work on increasing volume with technique....the last workout was 10 repeats of a V0 with a minute of rest after each go with the goal of each send being smoother than the last, I then switched to a different one and did the same thing, before each grouping I did some wrist, extensor, and rotator cuff work, I felt great after I was done and I'll add in another problem to increase the volume next time, I'll add more until I'm up to 50 total sends and then back off and change up things. I'll continue sandwiching prehab work in between and then I'll reevaluate in about 3 weeks ( as that seems to be as long as I can deal with any cycle) Additionally I'm working in some long cycle with the kettlebells with the goal of getting back to some respectable numbers with out adding the amount weight that I added the last time I did this. That's it for now...

Vacation time

headed off to idaho to do some rafting on the salmon for 6 days...should be a good time.

Training is going well and have gotten a lot of climbing in and have noticed some interesting things since applying the spider technique. Not sure how much is placebo effect but I think it's been beneficial. We'll have to see how well it transfers to outside climbing but it's promising.

First Spider encounter...

Well I gave Scott Sonnon's Spider technique a first run through. My thoughts... Honestly it sucks. Have you ever spent 10 minutes thinking/visualizing about something that scares you/holds you back/freaks you out? I mean replaying an image or images over and over until you literally can't take it anymore. I felt queasy and anxious and started getting in a really bad mood. Then after the time was up I got up and started swinging. I had planned on doing the VO2 max snatch protocol but decided against it since the previous day's climbing had been full of crimping on some halfpad edges, my middle finger was feeling a little tender and didn't feel like pushing it. Today the finger is feeling better so it seems like i did the right choice. I subbed out swings and burpees for the snatches so it's not like i took it easy. I definitely hit the point of effort to push through as required for the method and used a few tricks to make it through. Afterwards, I felt really good, I felt like I had done more than just finishing a tough workout. It was the satisfaction of doing something well that you really didn't want to do but it was more than that. I'm going to have to see how this pans out and as i think more about it I'll share. Until then, take it easy and happy training.

Motivation...

Been climbing with the big boys again, and can actually hang reasonably well with them. I've been getting in a good bit of climbing and it feels really good to be getting it in regularly. Holds and problems that just a few weeks ago were seeming impossible are becoming realized progress. Holding on to things and moving to and from them are no longer theory but instead actuality. Is it where I want to be yet? No. But it is getting closer. The problem is the nature of climbing training in general. Nearly every climber got better by climbing more. The usual pattern is to keep trying something over and over until you finally do it. You may take 20 or more attempts on a single problem before you finally get it done but rather than repeat it, instead you move on to the next one and repeat the process until you're spent for the day. It's like taking multiple max effort attempts on a regular basis only to succeed because of more luck than skill. But that's the way training usually goes. But the problem is that in climbing that type of training is fun and most climbers shy away from 'actual' training because it ends up being more monotonous. So I've thought a lot about how to deal with this not just with my own training but when discussing training with others. So what's the plan? I'm going to do both. Over the course of a week I'm going to spend one day spazzing with friends, think of it as a max effort day, and two days of focused training most likely going to the gym on off times so i won't be distracted or pulled into veering off the game plan. The general plan for the week is:

Monday - Nothing
Tuesday - max effort climbing 2-3 hours with mixed in assistance work
Wednesday - VO2 max protocol with mental training before and additional weakness work
Thurs - lots of Z
Fri - Reactive climbing training - campusing mixed in assistance work
Sat - high volume easy-ish climbing - and add'l weakness work
Sun - lots of Z

If i remember correctly a la westside, reactive training is best done the day before max effort work but I'm going to try this method first because I feel I need more rest to get the most out of my high effort at least it works that way mentally for me. The goal is to build up the volume while addressing weakness both physical and mental. Eventually I'll get back to the a 4 day a week climbing split but that won't happen until sept assuming all goes well.

being in the right mind

I had the opportunity to take a short clinic from Arno Ilgner, an authority on mental training in climbing, and talked with him a good bit about some different ideas. He's one of those coaches who generates a good bit of a socratic dialogue. During the clinic he had us climb a route at our own pace and pay attention to the what was going on in our mind, then he had us climb the same spot again but this time go faster and again pay attention to our mind's streaming feed. When he gathered everyone together, i was the odd man out. While everyone else actually felt more comfortable climbing faster, I didn't. Which got me thinking...I initially chalked it up to the difference in the amount of climbing experience the others had but i think there's more to it than that. I've been climbing for over 14 years, while there have been some periods of no climbing at all be it due to life or injury, regardless I've gotten in a bunch of practice. When I was able to climb at my own pace, I wasn't thinking about anything but as soon as i had to speed it up, everything felt awkward and unnatural. It was the difference between feedback and feedforward. When I could climb at my natural pace, i could use constant feedback to facillitate a flowing movement but when i had to speed it up it I had to guess and use a feedforward method. It was very different. I had planned on playing around with speeds in climbing for a while (based on information gained from going through the S phase certification of Zhealth) but this shed a different light on it.

Also during the clinic Arno asked a couple questions based on what we were thinking about during climbing and I commented that my mindset was very different depending on the type of climbing, climbing vs. bouldering. I have no worries in my head when i spend time on rope but get me off the deck and it's a whole different ballgame.

This led to thinking about training mindsets i.e. onsight vs. redpoint...I'll be going into more depth on this later but for now I just wanted to get some thoughts out...

It's fortunate, I've been putting all this thought into mental training and suddenly I'm presented with food for thought.

The game plan...

I've spent a lot of time wondering what direction I want to take my training. My main focus is improving climbing with a few side goals ( beast challenge, get back into a lot more grip challenges, among others). I've put a lot of thinking about what I think is the biggest factor holding me back in climbing and I think it's fear. A couple of years ago I broke my ankle in a climbing fall and my head has never been quite the same. I routinely catch myself second guessing myself when i climb. I'll be getting ready to make a move and then rather than go for it my mind goes to wondering what will happen if i fall or what is my landing like? So far I've spend time making my self jump off once i get to different heights, I spent some time with Dr. Cobb going over different ways to land and roll, but while these things helped some the issue with falling is still present. So the other day i came upon a technique from Scott Sonnon that he called his Spider technique, rather than retype it here check out the rmax magazine 6.2

http://www.rmaxinternational.com/home/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=399

Basically it's a way to use the benefit of a second wind to diminish the magnitude of whatever it is that bothers you. First you spend time thinking and visualizing what you're afraid of and when you can't take it anymore you then you immediately go into some form of cardiovascular exercise. The idea is that when your body gets its second wind in order to deal with the physical stress, the psychological stress can be lumped in at the same time. So that way you lessen your response. I do have some concerns in using this method which I'll go into later but for now it looks like I'll be using the V02 max snatching protocol as my method. I'm planning to do this about once a week

better late than never...

but better never late....

So this is the first post in way too long, I admit it, I've been slack. But I have been busy...In the last 7 months I've ripped a flexor tendon pulley, been climbing in sweden (see pic below...I would have had more climbing pictures but i ended up climbing by myself a good bit and wasn't able to meet up with anyone until the last day, but that guy, Irish, did get one of me the last day i was there...
Modomsrovet 6A+ it's an area classic


Additionally I was able to assist at the RKC in Denmark and had the pleasure of working with Doug Nepodal and Nicole Du Cane. The trip was even more fun than it looks.

And lastly I finally finished my massage therapy program. 944 hours of fun accomplished. So now I can actually use a lot of the Level 4 Zhealth material.

There's been so much going on that it's next to impossible to completely sum it all up so I imagine there will be a lot of going back and forth. In the mean time the focus is going to be improving climbing with the possibility of competing again at the end of the year. Everything is coming together well.

As one last little thing there have been a couple of PR's recently...a double license plate rip, a sots press with the 32kg, and 32 bodyweight pullups.

So while that's not all, here's to planning to get back on track with blogging.