[Bubba]

Did this again tonight - impatient to fit too much into a single session, tried to warm up too quickly and got that horrible pump that just won't go, and the associated uselessness that follows.

My question is - is there any benefit to be had by continuing to train in this situation, or is it better to just bag it off and try again tomorrow?

[a dense loner]

can't really reply to the pump situation cos of my all to obvious inability to string more than a few moves together. however, it takes me ages to warm up. i frickin hate it. i hate people who can warm up close to their limit, you know who you are :twisted:

[dave]

in a 2hour bouldering session it used to take me 60 minutes to reach full tilt, which is ridiculous. i dread going to new crags where i've not got loads of stuff dialed to warm up on!

[Fingers of a Martyr]

in reply to your original question Bubba. i've done that as well, sort of. i've gone down the wall feeling strong and pshyced campussed up the leading wall with no warm up then just climbed shit for the next 20 minutes. basically i stopped for 15 minutes then started again from scratch and progressed very slowly and the session was saved :D

[account_inactive]

The dreaded flash pump :evil: .Its worth carrying on your session but a change in its emphasis will give you better results.

The pump you are feeling is the lactic acid that is burning your muscles as a result of working anaerobically.  You can't get something for nothing!

The first thing to do is stop and massage your forearms, try to get the lactic flushed out. Shaking your hands obove your head and flicking them like a sport climber will help.  Also using hand exercises or clench a fist and release 30-50 times will helpthe flow.

Next step is to start climbing again to circulate the blood.  This must be V.EASY climbing.  You need to work aerobically, too much and you will just add to the pain.

Sometimes, if you have not over done it, you can return to your climbing routine but more that likely you will still be feeling pumped.  This is where you modify your session to either power endurance or endurance work.  So look at longer problems or laps on easy stuff .

If all else fails maybe do some core exercises or upper body work (campus large rungs or lock off's)

D.

[Bubba]

Thanks guys.

[T.H.]

I don't use my upper body for most of my warm-up.  Then I know I'm going to avoid pump.

I look like an idiot at the climbing centre, but I'll jog on the spot for upto ten minutes, mobilise the shoulders, arms, fingers etc.  Then I'll do really light pull-ups and two handed dead hangs.

Works for me.

[a dense loner]

i'd rather injure myself than endure that :wink:

[dave]

I don't use my upper body for most of my warm-up.

....mobilise the shoulders, arms, fingers etc.  Then I'll do really light pull-ups and two handed dead hangs.

 :huh:

[T.H.]

Why the confused look?

I'm using the big muscles in my legs to raise my heart rate, increase my body temerature, and generally prepare my body for physical activity.  Rather than waste energy in my upper body muscles which I want to use for climbing.

When I say mobilise, I literally mean that I move them about. Flex the elbows, put the shoulders through their whole range of movement,  flex and extend the fingers.  It

It's the same as what you'd do if you went down the gym, and exercise down the gym is exactly the same as exercise at the climbing wall, which is the same as at the cycle track, the swimming pool, the running track, the football pitch, the hockey pitch................

[dave]

just you said you don't use upperbody for most of your warmup, then listed a load of upperbody warmups you do.....

[Jim]

i hate people who can warm up close to their limit, you know who you are :twisted:

 

[dobbin]

I put a chair under the campus board and stand on it then ladder on the massive rungs for a bit, do some pull ups and the easy warm ups on the board.

Not on warm ups but not worth its own thread saw the now long-haired cubitt last night doing pull ups with 45kgs of weight on - he only weighs 48kilos!!!!  :shock:

[a dense loner]

are cubitt, keen youth n sharma the same person? we all must have some strange warming up thing, personally i just do the easier probs on the board, somedays maybe a little slower than others but thats about the limit of my imagination. do you or dylan warm down T.H? personally i'm of the school of leaving when you're feeling good. ie i'll grab mi coat

[T.H.]

I get your confusion now Dave.  What I mean is, like some people, I won't jump straight on and do an easy traverse of the bouldering wall, or a load of chin-ups or something like that.

Like I said, I'll do the main part of the warming up using my legs, then finish with just a little bit of arm and finger work.

Dense, I don't really do a structured warm-down.  I will do developmental stretches though, which I guess is pretty much what a warm down is.

[tommytwotone]

interesting that - saw that prog on steriods last week and the trainer geezer was saying that warming down was where the muscle growth happens.

With the exception of packing my stuff away and walking to the car I never did a proper warm down...regret that now!

Gonna do it now tho, are we just talking heaving up some easy stuff to cool down? If so, I'm a bit sceptical about that:

I tend to trash myself to the point where i can't even do easy stuff at the end of a session.

Also, I'm a big believer in the psychology element, not sure of failing on easy stuff at the end of a session would leave me feeling good...any thoughts??

[Fingers of a Martyr]

I tend to trash myself to the point where i can't even do easy stuff at the end of a session.

for a start, don't do that.

stop when u still feel ok and do some really easy traverses/problems etc. thats what i do.

[T.H.]

The trainer guy from the prog about steroids said that it was during post exercise rest that the muscle growth/repair takes place.  Something I was going to point out to Fingers :wink: .

[a dense loner]

of course all growth occurs at stages of rest, what should be highlighted is that it is rest after you have ripped all your muscle fibres from hard work