[Soap]

Hey,
I'm a regular UKB forum lurker but finally decided to start posting, I'm a bit stuck and after advice on training, the best situation I can give is at the wall so I will have to use that as an example. I'm happily sending V4's and 4/5 without problem but as soon as it comes to V5 there seems to be no hope what so ever. I'm wondering what I can start doing to improve this really, I'm going to the wall around twice a week. Do you think it's worth simply going more? Fingerboarding? Manning up?

Cheers

[nodder]

simply going more

That will be the one.

[tomtom]

  Lots of things you can do -

Going 2 times a week should mean you progress - 3 times or more means you progress faster but risk getting injured... If I go once a week I stay the same, more and I improve etc..

Try focusing on your weaknesses - e.g. technique, footwork, finger strength, shoulder strength, core etc.. Climb on different types of rock or go to a different wall to get experience of different styles. Try climbing with different people - you often get different things out of different people etc..

[mr__j5]

Exactly. I'm at about the same ability level and I know that finger strength is what is holding me back.

My fingers are so bad, that I can't really do proper fingerboarding sessions. But adding a 3rd session a week has helped them improve.

[shark]

Key things for continued improvement is progressive overload and tackling your weaknesses. At some stage everyone hits a plateau where their body adapts to the activity they do and is most likely limited by the weakest aspects of their climbing. To get better you have to to raise the load by doing more in a given week/session or by raising the intensity/diffculty of what you are doing or introducing variety to address the weakest link or links that are holding you back. Or a combination.

If you can look at your individual performance and activities in these terms the answer may present itself.   

[Soap]

I'm struggling to tell what is holding me back really. I suspect it is finger strength for a lot of it so I will start working on that firstly as I think my footwork is pretty sound for my level. Cheers guys.

[JamesR]

Mate
Just stay psyched. With a positive attitude and continued discipline you will improve. Always re-evaluate what you are doing and try hard. Go for another move, even if you think you are gonna fall off. Don't push into painful moves and do regular injury prevention exercises. Warm up properly. Get some circuits/problems that you know well, so that you can always ascertain your current level of fitness/strength with a good perspective. Above all else, focus your training on fine tuning technique, momentum, foot position and staying relaxed. The goal during training is to perform each move with minimum effort. Work open handed finger positions (even though it is hard) and aim to get into a resting position as often as possible, even fractional recovery moments can mean the difference between success and failure. Look after you skin, never forget super glue and tape. And, stay psyched.

[Krank]

The goal during training is to perform each move with minimum effort pull really fucking hard

sorted

[jfw]

heya soap

keep getting on the V5's (when you're warmed up) - make it your goal to do one move - then two - it will come - don't get disheartened by not doing the whole thing at first.

[gremlin]

Speaking as a relative novice, I think it's easy to get hung up on finger strength.

I thought finger strength was my main weakness but after running into Serpico at Preston a few weeks ago he had me climbing stuff I couldn't even even do the first move on previously. The problem was I wasn't moving properly. Specifically, I wasn't using my hips enough to generate movement.

Hope this helps.

[Barratt]

I'm struggling to tell what is holding me back really. I suspect it is finger strength for a lot of it so I will start working on that firstly as I think my footwork is pretty sound for my level. Cheers guys.

if you're going to jump on a finger board - take it easy to start with, otherwise injury will follow shortly after.

[highrepute]

Finger boarding is very risky business, especially at the grades you're climbing at, and it's likely you'd benefit more from an extra session a week. I think gremlins comments are most likely on the mark for you. Movement is key. Where do you climb? I know when gremlin posted a similar thread lots of people volunteered to offer some friendly advice when they saw him down the wall.

[cheque]

Here's Gremlin's thread plenty of good advice in there.

I agree with the recommendations in Dave Mac's book ("9 out of 10 climbers") as it's written specifically for those in a bit of a plateau who don't know what exactly to do to get out of it. It helped me!
 

[Soap]

I'm a bit reluctant to go fingerboarding due to the risk of injury plus at my level I don't think it is really worth it. Yeh I think you guys are right just to up the sessions, just wanted some thoughts reaffirming.

Highrepute: I generally go to either North West Face or West View. Depends how the mood takes me.

Cheers for the advice guys.

[gremlin]

On the subject of fingerboards: for me they're a complete no-no. A session on one just wrecks my elbows for at least a week.
Maybe I'm doing it wrong?

[shark]

On the subject of fingerboards: for me they're a complete no-no. A session on one just wrecks my elbows for at least a week.
Maybe I'm doing it wrong?

Sounds like somethings not right. Are you warming-up properly?  Are you doing pull-ups ? If so might be best to restrict to deadhangs. If you just deadhang are you locked out (bad) or using a slight broken lock (better) ? Have you got a history of elbow problems? Have you tried pess-ups as part of the warm down ?

[robertostallioni]

Have you tried pess-ups as part of the warm down ?

pess-ups?

weirdo.

[gremlin]

Maybe that's where I'm going wrong. Perhaps inserting some kind of medication up the rusty sheriff's badge would help my elbows? 

Seriously though. I do warm up properly and just hang with elbows slightly bent. I don't do pushups straight after but do them as part of my oppositional training (arms wide apart) on a nightly basis.

I think I just have weak elbows.