[T_B]

Surely many people have this conundrum? You're bumping along, keeping your hand in etc and realise it's 4 weeks until your bouldering trip and maybe you should do some 'proper' training? This year we're going to Font. Having been there many times before, I am partly thinking that 'training' will be pretty pointless. After all, Font is all about technique, tricks, conditions and not thrashing yourself. It will be September, so it's gonna be pretty warm. I'm keen to check out some more obscure areas that are often damp in winter (e.g. Rocher Greau?)

Anyhow, I don't have much time at the mo to train (4 month old baby) so it's not like I can do tons of volume. My ace in the hole is that I work approximately 25 metres from the Foundry. Any ideas for a useful build up, or have I already left it too late? Am thinking as much volume/variety as possible (though fairly restricted at the Foundry). Or maybe I should just deadhang for 3 weeks? Do on-the-minutes? Or go on a crash diet and not worry about training?

[SA Chris]

Don't neglect working on your pastry capacity. Many a font trip has gone disastrously wrong when people struggle to finish more than a couple of delicacies a day and run out of steam by mid afternoon.

[T_B]

I've never had a problem handling my share of pastries TBH 

[rodma]

Or maybe I should just deadhang for 3 weeks? Do on-the-minutes? Or go on a crash diet and not worry about training?

Campus board and food poisoning combo. Best pre-trip conditioning ever.

[T_B]

Thanks. Getting some really helpful replies here 

[ianto9]

I'm at the same piont,font in 4 weeks,but nursing an injured finger. I'm taking it slow just one pain du chocolate in the morning followed by rest,a quick lie down on a boulder nothing to hard then one or two small bottles of beer.Its going really well.

[rodma]

Thanks. Getting some really helpful replies here 

hit the campus board and finger board for a tune up 

[shark]

Thanks. Getting some really helpful replies here 

Apart from the beastmaker innovations I suspect old skool power and strength training is still the way to go. I suspect advances in bouldering are less do with advances in training and more down to more participants, more problems and better indoor facilties. If wrong I would love to hear different.

[T_B]

OK, I'll try the obvious thing that I've never really done before and get on the fingerboard. Oh joy 

[Paul B]

I'm not so certain a (first time) fingerboard 4 weeks before a Font trip is ideal, gains seem to come remarkably fast, a lot faster than increased blood flow.

I did exactly this before going to Albarracin and from a lack of open strength (as in I could one arm BM crimps but not hang a campus rung open) I improved rapidly to playing with back 2. At the Tor I was playing on Rattle and Hump the powerful way, caught the crimps open handed and carried on amazed, only to find my hand somewhat claw like on the return to the floor which turned out to be my worst finger injury to date.

Surely knee-jerk intensive training before a holiday is a recipe for disaster where bouldering is concerned?

Rocher Greau has quite a few steep problems, and (IMO) climbs a lot differently to other areas in Font so I'm sure the wave will sort you out, that is unless you're after the highball slabby things that I avoid every time I visit 

[T_B]

Surely knee-jerk intensive training before a holiday is a recipe for disaster where bouldering is concerned?

Oh dear, maybe you're right. I was just thinking how my niggly finger strains have all disappeared. Perhaps I should just tick along and head for the highball slabs!

[yorkshireman]

my advice is dont go to almscliff 3 weeks before and de-glove one of your fingers on demon wall left hand

[Richie Crouch]

I'd do just volume sessions and build fitness to be able to do lots of problems just below your limit and maybe a session a week working harder things. Probably not worth risking injury just before a trip trying to overload on fingerboard/campus rungs this close to the trip?

[SA Chris]

Do a skin maintenance rotine beforehand. Tip skin is always my limiting factor on a font trip.

[lukeyboy]

Other than climbing training, I'd get a lot of press ups done to ward off the inevitable font elbow

[SA Chris]

Good call. And some tricep work for sloping mantle topouts.

[Johnny Brown]

Perhaps I should just tick along and head for the highball slabs!

Sounds amazing! Don't miss Calamity Jane if you do - obscure E4/5 6c and totally brilliant.

[ducko]

personally id do lots of open hand work nothing too intense too avoid injuries and work on stamina so you can make the most of your time there!

[T_B]

I'd do just volume sessions and build fitness to be able to do lots of problems just below your limit and maybe a session a week working harder things.

Yeah, that's good advice I reckon. Kind of what I was hoping for from this thread. I hadn't thought about that, but due to having been doing very little recently except keep my hand in, I can easily see my session fitness being poor. I need my lunch time hour of pow to be lots and lots of vol.

Also - lukeyboy - good knowledge on the elbows. Especially when you combine Font slopey top outs with walking around with a small child under one arm. Potentially a recipe for disaster. I was getting into doing plank (pilates) quite a bit a while ago, which I think is also good, though more so for shoulder instability...

[T_B]

Perhaps I should just tick along and head for the highball slabs!

Sounds amazing! Don't miss Calamity Jane if you do - obscure E4/5 6c and totally brilliant.

Looks good. And I see there's a 7a+ dyno there too (le Danseur).

[Johnny Brown]

Yeah, that's well worth doing, its like a smaller version of Deliverance.

[dave]

Danseur is good, much easier than deliv. Another good semi-dynoesque one at that crag is Basta:

[T_B]

Looks good. And shady.

[ghisino]

Other than climbing training, I'd get a lot of press ups done to ward off the inevitable font elbow

+1
plus triceps and pec machine, at least if you're not already very strong in your big muscles.

being strong in those areas seems to make things a lot easier as it allows you to bourriner your way up stuff...

just don't overdoit and go easy on your last week

[Rocksteady]

Yeah I think the above advice is good - up your volume so that you can climb more over your trip, do prehab exercises for your elbows etc so you can climb more over your trip, get your skin in good condition so you can climb more over your trip!

For me 4 weeks probably wouldn't be enough to make any real strength gains that would transfer to climbing a harder grade when away. But since you haven't been training much it might work for you - though as above there is the associated injury risk...

Good luck and have fun whatever you decide!

[dontfollowme]

How long in advance would be enough to make strength gains?