[lincoln.3]

I've been climbing for 6 months but concentrating on bouldering for the past 4 months to build up strength. I've changed my diet to a generally more healthy one (not eating crap in front of the TV at night) and been building up my general fitness as well (running/stretching etc).

I'm climbing V5's at the moment but seem to have one good climbing session every four. The other times I feel as if I have no strength and everything is a struggle. 

Is this normal??? 

I understand that some session's will be better than others.

I'm getting a regular 7 hours sleep each night but can only climb once maybe twice a week at the most due to family commitments etc.

[Jim]

try having a week off and just chilling out

[erm, sam]

Are you having too many sessions in a row? Are you eating properly before a climbing session? Are your good sessions based around problems suiting your strengths and your bad sessions based around problems suiting your weaknesses?
After only 6 months climbing you should not be getting too precious about getting up a particluar grade or what not. If you are not having a good session then why not have an easy one and focus on movement or trying different techniques rather than rather than pushing too hard when it isn't working.
So, it might be normal, it depends on lots of perameters. But there will be lots of things you can do to effect it, and don't expect your improvement at climbing to be linear.

[ducko]

as jim said take sometime off or youll be over doing it, remeber your body has to adjust too the new stresses its put under, ive recently started and had porblems with over doing it, so take a week off and go back to climbing also i find streching helps personally (not yoga just light streches  )

[SA Chris]

What others have said - could be one of a number of things.

Are you warming up properly? Is your head really in it for every session? Are you really expecting too much from every session? Are you eating and drinking properly before every session. Many factors can make you feel out of sorts, just need to be in touch with your body and what's going on.

[lincoln.3]

The climbing bug has bitten me so dont want to have time off!!

I only climb once a week (Wed) but do have a session on my pull up bar on a Monday.... Might leave my heavy pull up bar session until after my climbing session!!!

My routine when climbing is:

Warm up on traverse 10-15 mins
Number of V2 & V3's (Climbing more than once to see if can find better ways)
Then V4 & V5's Again more than once.
Then drop back on to V2 - V3's

This is over a 3 hour session

Is this enough of a warm up??

[lincoln.3]

The 10 - 15 mins on traverse wall I mean......

[SA Chris]

Given that i don't live in your body, I have no idea if that's enough, depends on so many factors - age, weight, physique, physiology etc etc.. One of the crucial things you will need to learn in your climbing career would be to tun into your body ann know how it feels.

I know some people who warm up for half an hour, I know some people who do a dozen pullups to warm up.

[Monk]

I'm one of those people who has to warm up for 30 minutes or more before I can climb at my best. Obviously it's impossible for me to tell what your 10-15min of traversing is like, but in my warm up I would go from that through some VO and V1 problems to V2+, gradually building the intensity, before trying something just below my normal onsight limit. All through this, I will be alternating styles (slopy,crimpy, steep, vertical etc). Then I would have a quick rest and be ready to pull hard. If I don't do this warm up then I either can't pull as hard as I know I should be able to, or I get a deep pump on really quickly that I can't shake for a whole session.

Even then, I have some bad sessions. The key is to think "this is training, finding it hard is a good thing" and switching from trying hard grades to power endurance work, working on weaknesses etc.

[webbo]

If you are only climbing once a week and doing a fairly intense 3 hr session.This would similar in say running terms of running 15 to 20 miles once a week.I suspect as you are fairly new that you body does not recover in between sessions.you may benefit shorter sessions more often or stopping when you are still feeling strong.

[fried]

Sounds pretty normal to me. I've only been bouldering for a couple of years and only really 'seriously' for about 8 months. I find that many things that can ruin a session is eating at the wrong time, not drinking enough, not sleeping enough, not being motivated enough, working too hard etc, it's difficult managing a busy schedule.

You're routine sounds like hell, maybe you're exceptionally talented but warming up on V2s (font 6a) sounds like a good way to get injured. I like to spend 30mins doing the easiest problems there are, as well as possible just to warm up a bit before moving onto anything more taxing.

Also warming down and plenty of Yoga at the and of a session.

[slackline]

Just MTFU! 

[moose]

Crikey lad aren't you overanalysis perfectly ordinary human frailty.  Regardless of any climbing, I have days, if not weeks, where I feel hugely below my best.  It's just one of those things, either try to fight through it or just accept it and chill - let your mojo be your guide.

Rega

[Pebblespanker]

You're routine sounds like hell, maybe you're exceptionally talented but warming up on V2s (font 6a) sounds like a good way to get injured

can't help but agreed with Fried, if you are pissed off now that you get the odd bad session you will be really f*cked off when you can't train properly because of injury, I should know but my excuse is a rapidly aging body   

Also consider making sure you have enough energy for the session, trying hard when tired is also an injury risk. If you want to understand the poor days look back at the bad sessions and ask yourself: was it a bad day at work? did I eat properly during the day? was I properly hydrated? did I beast myself the day before? type questions and a pattern may emerge but don't get too hung up on it, focus on good warm up, good form/style and decent rest and nutrition and it will come together 

There is an old adage around traing frequency that says once per week = stasis, twice a week is gradual improvement, three time is steady improvement the maximum reccomended used to around 5 sessions per week because rest is important - one day I may listen to my own advice! 

Out of curiosity do you climb indoors/outdoors at the moment? Maybe a change of venue/probelms would help freshen things up?

[lincoln.3]

Thanks guys 

Had two weeks off and felt much better. Also started taking things a bit slower with a better longer warm up's.

Thanks Slackline for your construtive advice