[Offwidth]

People here need more beer and pies.

[webbo]

No I think you misunderstood if  I burn off 3,000 cals. I sort of think its ok to consume  4,000 cals and blame it on a slow metabolism. 

[Sasquatch]

No I think you misunderstood if I burn off 3,000 cals. I sort of think its ok to consume  4,000 cals and blame it on a slow metabolism. 

Ahh, 

[mindfull]

It all depends on what you wanna do, and your constitution of course. For 180 cm. I was 55kg, some years ago, when my only calorie intake was from beer, and burning fat on my meth intake. When I was at the climbing gym I did 500-600 meters at my max level. Then a year ago I got sober, ate healthy food (lots) and was suddenly at 75kg in a few months, no sport at all. At that time I took up climbing again and went to 67kg with a fat % of 12,7. Now I excel more in bouldering and also in chuffing my level rose with 6b to 7b+, but after one route I'm pumped as hell.

So you have to see. What is making up your weight. The muscles or the fat. Muscles are heavier than fat BTW. Do you need the muscles (e.g. bouldering) or are you into route climbing where the lighter is the better.

Power to weight ratio and endurance to weigth ratio are the keywords IMO.

As it sounds from your description, you"re a healthy person, and maybe according what you wanna do, some minor tweaks will help.

And fingerboarding will always help, but be conservative and do not overdo it.

[fatdoc]

Once you stop lifting.. And no cheating power reps for old times sake

And... I'm presuming you have left previous super high protein fest diet choices behind....

The muscle bulk will fall.

But, if you are the stocky build... Then just go with it... AND be really careful with yr finger tendons.... As above it takes yrs to get tendons to tolerate the power of muscle in climbing...

5 ft 7, 72 kg fat, 69 thin ( mid summer), 29 inch waist and 38 inch chest...  Was 64kg when I sport climbed as hard as I could.... 15 yrs ago. For bouldering losing that 3 kg makes all the difference.

*GSOH, non smoker, no pets, looking for...... *

[GCW]

  I don't know what the science is, but for me running is much better at keeping my weight down than cycling.

I'm doing hill marathons and getting fatter. I don't cycle. QED?

[fatdoc]

Wierd one for me too... I take up road biking... Lose loads of gut fat 4 years ago... And put on weight.. ( large thighs.. Esp as I'm the short stocky model )

But I start to run 3 times a week at the beginning of the year, I lose 2 kg in 6 weeks... No diet change... Wtf???

[mindfull]

Might be that long distance running burns more fat, and does not create as much muscle tissue as cycling. Don't know.

[tomtom]

It seems like all the people who are ridiculously strong are either freakishly tall skeletons

freakishly tall - check!
skeletal - check!
strong - ....oh bugger

C'mon Moose - you have a limpet like crimpness..

[Sasquatch]

  I don't know what the science is, but for me running is much better at keeping my weight down than cycling.

I'm doing hill marathons and getting fatter. I don't cycle. QED?

no idea 

[lagerstarfish]

how long have you been climbing?

what grades are we talking about?

indoors or outdoors?

of course fingerboarding is going to make a difference, but so will other stuff



183cm @ 93kg, well hung, GSOH, climbs like a bag of potatoes, 6A indoors, 7A on grit, 6B on lime, can't crimp so open hand everything, advanced stages of male pattern baldness

[moose]

I'll be able to put the effects of weight loss to the test today.  I seem to have lost around 10% of my body weight in the last month (a bit of a mystery, admittedly very busy and stressed at work but not eating any less so far as I can tell).  If I can escape the wind, I hope to get back on the grit for the first time in a while and try some previously elusive projects.  Don't have great hopes..... closing my front door and opening the microwave oven feel strenuous to my palsied limbs at the moment!

[Oldmanmatt]

how long have you been climbing?

what grades are we talking about?

indoors or outdoors?

of course fingerboarding is going to make a difference, but so will other stuff



183cm @ 93kg, well hung, GSOH, climbs like a bag of potatoes, 6A indoors, 7A on grit, 6B on lime, can't crimp so open hand everything, advanced stages of male pattern baldness

Thank you for making me feel so much better on a particularly shite Saturday.
I've been nursing a shoulder injury for two months and am now 10kg over my ideal/normal and unable to climb over V4/5 indoors (what's outdoors?).
Going stir crazy, building things in the training room and not being able to try/use it. Watching the resets and not being able to try.

183cm, 84kg and rising....

[Fultonius]

183cm 73kg. At my lardiest I was pushing 80kg. I think most of my weight loss is due to drinking less and eating a lot less meat (lass is vegetarian)

I've lost a fair bit in the last 2 years, which, combined with doing not a lot of traninig but plenty climbing, I have managed to maintain the bouldering level that I had a few years back when I was bouldering 3 times a week and fingerboarding. ~7A/B

In fact, thinking back, my most continuous period of fingerboarding was when I was recovering from knee surgery. At that time I was around 79kg and I could hang the 45s for 30 secs. Training heavy.
Hopefully this winter I can capitalise on stronger tendons and a lighter body to make some proper bouldering ganis. I'd like to break into the upper 7s as I've never got up anything harder than 7B (straight up) or 7B+ (traverse).

I also think (fairly subjectively) that I've been less prone to injury than I was, but I'm finding it harder to recover after an indoor session now.

30, PSOH, Loud, opinionated, know-it-all pain in the ass. Likes long walks of short piers and long stands.

[Jim]

you bulimic's need to try and keep a good meal down. 95kg (probably be in triple figures by next year )

[Fultonius]

you bulimic's need to try and keep a good meal down. 95kg (probably be in triple figures by next year )

Last night I had 5 pints of ale, pub dinner and a kebab on the way home. I'm trying Jim, I'm trying.

[as646]

Thanks for all the replies. I've been climbing just over a year; both indoors and on grit I'm consistently around 6B-6C, with the very occasional 7A if it suits me. I'd like to start making headway into the 7s.

I reckon if I eat less and make sure I disregard the call of the iron, I'll eventually be able to get down to 80kg, but I doubt I'll manage much below that.

In the meantime, I'll definitely look to start spending some time on a fingerboard. I presume EL is for more advance climbers who already have a fair amount of strength in their fingers. Any recommendations for a decent beginners program?

[kelvin]

178cm x 63-65kg .... no excuses there for me unfortunately.

178cm and 78kg... 

*wanders off with a bag of crisps in his hand knowing why he's a lard arse

[Nibile]

I'm 65 kg and 172 , but I've been 11 kg heavier years ago doing lots of weights in the 10/15 reps range.
I started to become stronger as I dropped running and cycling and started concentrating on good training and correct eating.
Getting fatter with cycling is very common. In fact, all the guys I know, that cycle, are far from good shape. It's a catabolic effort and losing muscle mass in most of the body is the logical consequence. This progressively lowers the metabolism, as it's related to muscle mass and its needs. It's a downward spiral, lower metabolism means that every calory that you eat goes into fat. So you eat less, you keep lowering the metabolism, and so on.
Many studies show that high intensity interval training or weight lifting are a lot better at losing fat. Higher metabolism, highest post workout consumption, etc.
Plus, you look better on the beach.

This is very simplified but you get the idea.

One year? Your body will need years and years to adapt to climbing! One year is too early to worry about fingerboarding, dieting, changing body composition etc, especially if you already climb 7a.
Take it easy, think long term and give your body the time it needs.
Leave the call of the iron for when you'll be older! (This is what I tell myself...)

[Mike Tyson]

I'm 180cm and 81kg and consider myself a tad burly! I'm hoping to drop to about 75kg but will only achieve this when I put some effort in. Which may not be for some time due a niggling foot injury.

Very depressing as I declared this to be the winter of crushing! Crushing cans for recycling more like!

[fried]

I'm 1.85 and 75kg and I'm fat. That's 'cos I've got the thinnest legs and arms anyone's ever seen*. I reckon I could drop another 3kg if I could just stop eating curry, kebabs and friiiieeed chicken.

*this isn't a challanger, I'm sure someone has thinner wrists than me. At school people used to queue up to put their hands around them. Yes, I'm still in therapy, no, there was nothing else to do down south before we were old enough to start taking drugs.

[psychomansam]

I'm 192cm and currently equalling the lardiest I've ever been, 109kg. A couple of people here appear to  be half my weight.

The weight gain, like others here, is due to health problems - for the last 15 months. But bear in mind that I'm broad shouldered and 90kg for me is light as fuck. The current weight sucks, and it is effecting my climbing - although not a lot, but when I can take up the running again it'll go and I'll be stronger than ever.

[rosmat]

 182cm - 65kg. Still shit.

[JamesD]

I feel like I need to make you all feel better, 186cm, 109kg and I love bouldering, should I give up now or get liposuction?
 
Just got back into bouldering again for a couple of months now, indoors only, haven't been outside for 2-3 years, struggling up 6A/6A+ at the moment.
Could definitely shed some weight, although i'm not an uber fat-bastard a lot of it is muscle, physical job, powerlifting/strongman style training has definitely bulked me out more than your typical climber.
200kg deadlift, 350kg tyre flips, 130kg bench press etc to offer some perspective on it...
When I stopped previously I wasn't as strong but I was around 6 kilos lighter, used to manage 6b/6b+ on occasion, the problem I find myself suffering from right now is that I am a lot stronger, but the finger strength is missing and my technique has definitely gone to shit in all that time off, so I find my fingers flaking out before everything else on my body usually.
Climbing twice a week a the moment, easing back on the strength training a little bit and fingerboarding gently seems to be helping speed things up am I doing the right thing, or should I wind it in to once a week and do a shit ton of finger strength work?

It seems to be going ok and i'm learning a lot more fun techniques this time round from other much more experienced climbers i've been hanging out with.

[fatdoc]

Watch year finger tendon pulleys James, take a while to readjust...