[fuzzface93]

Basically i've heard through the grape vine that tearing muscles then letting it rest gets you more muscle ( as we all know ). Recently i was told that exercising almost everyday ( 5-6 days a week ) for 6 or so weeks then taking a week or so off to re-cooperate will get you mad strong ( although for the first six weeks you will prob feel weaker and weaker as you never get enough time to rest properly.). Basically my question is, is this true? If it is then do you think climbing 5-6 days a week and adding in some pull ups for 6 weeks straight then taking  2 weeks off at Christmas would yield net gains or would it be disadvantageous?

I'm not looking to get super strong, i'm aware there are probably much more effective ways of doing that. I just really enjoy climbing, so it seems too good to be true that just by climbing 'too much' and doing some high intensity low volume pull up type exercises could also work as a decent training program. Is there anything i need to know such as upping my protein intake may be essential?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated

Fuzz

Feel free to point out any forum faux pas I may have made.

[Nibile]

I think that training until muscle failure is not a very good thing. Climbing is super specific, and I think that applying too general training rules to it doesn't work perfectly.
If you like to train and climb, keep each session's volume low and change the sessions, there are many options (steep, fingery, jugs, big moves, fingerboarding, weights, core, etc). This will allow multiple days on.
And taking two or even one week off in my opinion is too much. You can do something tailored even during a recovery week.

Anyway, a very good thing is asking a professional trainer.

[shark]

There is a lot to be said for multiple days on but 6 weeks of it is a big ask (unless you are an elite climber) and will very probably be counter-productive. A better structure is 3 hard weeks slightly overdoing it  followed by an easier week and repeat. 

Varying the sessions, as Nibs says, allows multiple days on. You won't get full recovery between sessions which is why the easier recovery week is important and should enable you to go into the next 4 week cycle fresher, stronger and able to do more.

As for other tips:
Carbs before a session then carbs+protein immediately after
Progressively warm-up
Stay hydrated. Lay off alcohol if you can
Sleep well
Record what you do
Push yourself hard but stop strongish and be alert to symptoms of injury
 

[Serpico]

Basically i've heard through the grape vine that tearing muscles then letting it rest gets you more muscle ( as we all know ).

Do we all know that? there's little SCIENCE to support it. Basically you're talking about a particular version of super compensation theory which is only really still popular with gym meat heads verses Dual Factor Training theory which is the predominant method of training in sport.
Google 'Dual Factor Training', and 'Planned Over reaching' for more info.

[Ti_pin_man]

sounds to me like an exaggeration of the old training addage where you over train and then rest.  A very common training theory.  It works along the lines of ... anaerobic sport, 6 weeks hard, 1 or 2 weeks rest / recovery (gentle)... aerobic sport same theory but 12 weeks training. 

Climbing is in theory more of an anaerobic sport, short burst of activity rather than sustained hours and hours of effort BUT, and the experts can correct me, climbing is not exactly the same as that, increased muscle size isnt the real point.  Indeed pure muscle strength isnt.  theres a relationship between strength and weight but a lot of climbing is tendons and technique. 

[Johnny Brown]

I'm not looking to get super strong... I just really enjoy climbing... it seems too good to be true that just climbing 'too much' could also work as a decent training program

'Just' climbing is a much better way to improve at climbing than any training program. 'Too much' in this context would mean getting injured. Amazed no one has asked what grade are you climbing, and what type of climbing are you looking to improve at?

[abarro81]

'Just' climbing is a much better way to improve at climbing than any training program.

[Note, the following comes from a route climber's point of view, if you're only interested in bouldering it might be different, you lot can get away with being slackers much more  ]
Yes (well, maybe) if you are full time, and you're tactical about what you do when 'just' climbing. If you've got limited time then I disagree, and if you're not tactical about what climbing you do then I disagree. But then if you're being tactical and planned about what you're climbing then you're basically following a training program, just outside rather than inside, so actually no, I just straight up disagree.
E.g. If I go on a long trip just route climbing and mainly on 20+m routes - which is what I mainly want to do - I don't really improve at climbing. I do get better at technique, tactics, movement etc., however that is offset, in my experience, by my loss in strength. It does however give a great base so that if I come back and train hard I get the strength back and with the newfound ability on rock end up better than before.

[Three Nine]

I get the strength back and with the newfound ability on rock end up better than before.

But still fucking ugly.

[Johnny Brown]

Note, the following comes from a route climber's point of view, if you're only interested in bouldering it might be different

Yeah, I thought about including that caveat but this is UKbouldering after all. And we still don't know what grade he climbs. Unless you work long hours and live in the only place in the Uk without a half-decent wall I still believe climbing is better than training for anyone operating below 7b+, sport or bloc.

[jwi]

Au contraire, the higher the level of the athlete the more specific the training has to be.  Less advanced athletes benefit more from general preparation. Basic science.

[fuzzface93]

Cheers for the replies guys i appreciate that. It seems there is so much I don't know I don't know about training. The way of the world I suppose. I completely agree that climbing is more about tendons and technique rather than strength. i'm a skinny skinny dude and used to climb with some friends of mine that were very strong, they could never figure out how i kept up with them even though my biceps / tris are smaller than my forarms ( which are not very big ).

If it helps I used to boulder about v9 untill i tore a ligament ( fairly bad, took 4 months off then 2 months just doing low 6's before i could 'climb' again ) now operating at a level where i can do a couple of v6's in a sesh ( focusing on volume rather than intensity as i am scared of re injuring ) sporting around 7b+ and trad... All my friends are scared of trad looking for a trad partner.

I like the suggestion of 3 weeks of overdoing it then one week of chilled climbing.one week a month of taking in the scenery and doing all the worthwhile low grade, high balls sort of problems sounds like a real attractive prospect.

Shark, what exactly would you say the 'symptoms of injury are? i would very much love to be alert to them.

[Nibile]

I like the suggestion of 3 weeks of overdoing it then one week of chilled climbing.one week a month of taking in the scenery and doing all the worthwhile low grade, high balls sort of problems sounds like a real attractive prospect.

Shark, what exactly would you say the 'symptoms of injury are? i would very much love to be alert to them.

Two things.
The recovery week is as important as the load ones, if not more important. I don't think that chilled climbing is the key here, whenever I used to take a week off (something that I never do now) I wanted to put in, apart from climbing on rock, at least one session, centered on very intense moves and very very little volume. Say, two moves problems just for a few goes.
In my recent experience, even two days off are too much for me now.
Moreover, bear in mind that a 3+1 cycle is very hard if you do it properly. You have to tailor the sessions very well, especially the third, intensity and volume wise. If you get to the third week thrashed, it's not going to work. So you need good knowledge of different excercises, routines, mixing them in the best way.
2+1 could be easier at first.
Then, injury symptoms.
You have to know your body. It's the difference between that good sensation of a hard work, with tight, achey muscles; and the bad sensastion of something pulled, or strained.
Injuries are very specific, so beware of any stingy feeling in elbows, fingers, wrists, shoulders and so on.
Hope this helps.

[shark]

Shark, what exactly would you say the 'symptoms of injury are? i would very much love to be alert to them.

Pain. Which comes in many varieties and locations. As Nibs said it is a matter of continually trying to get to know your body and differentiate between workout soreness and whether you are on the verge of a strain or compounded over/misuse of fingers, elbows or shoulders in which case backing off, rest, ice, working antagonists, changing routines are all options.

Last year I was keenly training assisted one armers on an edge and got a sharp pain in my elbow. I tried it again "just to be sure!". It took 9 months to get rid of the niggle and even considering that type of exercise again.
Ive recently started campus and pull-up stuff and not surprisingly getting sore elbows and taken to running cold water over them mid-session - just to be on the safe side. Fortunately they have been fine the following day. 

Play the long game.