The Training Week for Bouldering Season

Though I haven't described quite everything I do I think I can fill in the gaps while describing what a typical week is like.  I have added links on the charts page to my rowing times as well as a training log for odds and ends.  Before I continue its worth noting that this level of volume has been built over the last few years.  It breaks most of the rules in popular training books.  I decided that I would train this much as an experiment.  Once I did this I saw quicker gains in my hangboard, campus board, and one arm pull up numbers, as well as stronger climbing in general.  For descriptions of each exercise see previous posts.

Sunday

Morning: 2 sets of finger board repeaters separated by a set of one arm pull ups pyramids plus.  Row 500m.

Afternoon:  Campus board power endurance.  Pick a time (15 seconds or more) and ladder up and down the campus board for that time, rest 2 minutes and repeat 8 times.  I got this from the moonclimbing site.  In their article Rich Simpson suggests 40-60s of campusing.  I found this brutal, and the best I've done is 25s with failing in the last two sets.  I am convinced 60s is 9a climbing fitness.

Monday

Morning:  Row 2000m.  This is the only day of the week I row a full 2000m.  I try for a personal best each time.  I had good improvement until the last 2 weeks where I am stalling around 7:35.  I would like to row sub 7 minutes, but I think that would take too much time from climbing specific training.

Afternoon:  Four rounds for time of (run .25 miles, 5 muscle ups on rings, 10 push ups, and 15 pike ups).

Evening:  Ideally on monday evenings I climb on plastic somewhere other than my attic.  Originally I wanted this to be my local gym(AIR), but the problems don't change nearly enough, I don't have setting privileges, and would rather save my money for road trips and indian food.  Recently I have been climbing at my friend Adam's home wall on mondays, Its great fun.

Tuesday

Morning:  2 sets of finger board maximum repeaters separated by a set of one arm pull up pyramids.

Afternoon:  Cross Training Strength:  Usually involving some assortment of straddle front lever pull ups, assisted crosses on rings, upside down sit ups, and the standing ab wheel. Then: Campus Board maximum efforts and bouldering on the attic wall.  I have a training partner,Ben, on Tuesday afternoons and it is great not to toil alone

Wednesday

Morning:  I attend a yoga class and afterwards row 1000m.  

Evening:  Six rounds for time of (row 250 m, 20 touches of HS wall runs, 10 pike ups), followed by climbing at a friends home wall.  Mostly moderate traverses, taking it easy and getting a little pumped.

Thursday

Morning: 1 set of finger board single hangs followed by some one arm pull ups on holds.

Afternoon:  Same as tuesday.

Friday:  

This is a rest day.  I will usually do an easy run for about 20-30 minutes.  

Saturday:  

This is the day for climbing outside.  What I do depends on where I am.  At a new area with lots of problems I'll usually try to make some good flashes and climb everything I can in a few trys.  At a new area with a few problems I'll try to make a one day ascent of something that is hard for me.  At an area I frequent I usually try 1 or 2 medium/long term projects and then try to repeat everything I can.

How do I find the time:  At the moment I am a math grad student.  I teach one class and I'm currently writing my thesis.  This gives me a good deal of flexibility.

Why do I find the time:  Short answer: China Beach.  Medium Answer:  I am convinced that ordinary people can climb at a pretty high level if they put the work in.  I consider myself to be more average than mutant and so this is a grand experiment to see how hard I can climb.  Long Answer:  Maybe later.

Possible Gaps in the program:  A later post.