[Bobtheboulderer]

Hi there! I'm posting here because I have a problem. I've been bouldering for roughly 2 years now and in the beginning I was making these incredible gains. I went from 3a to 5c in about 4-5 months. I was really happy because I made a lot of progress. But the last 7-9 months I've been stuck on the same level (6a-6b). A few weeks of no progress wouldn't frustrate me all that much as long as I would be getting better in the long run. Now 7 months have passed and I'm still at the same level and all the people who were at my level are now climbing atleast 6c's.

My weak points are balance and control. I can do most hard moves dynamically as I have (relatively) well developed lats as well as some serious abs, but I can't do them slowly and static. What happens is that I get very shaky.

My legs are also not very strong. I cannot stand up on one leg (from a sitting position). My body looks stronger and my pecs look more developed lately, but I'm not getting better.

I climb really fast, because like I told you I get very shaky otherwise. I'm 6'3 (192cm) weigh 161 pounds (73 kg) and I look lanky. I can do approx. 25 push ups in one rep. do about 45 situps in 2 mins and about 5-6 pull-ups.

I really don't know how I can get any better, I've been bouldering 3 times a week (every week) for the last 2 years. I climb for about 2 hours per session.   If you could help me out with some advice or a training schedule or some links I'd be really grateful!!   

[moose]

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.

Samuel Beckett

[shark]

My legs are also not very strong. I cannot stand up on one leg (from a sitting position). My body looks stronger and my pecs look more developed lately, but I'm not getting better.

I climb really fast, because like I told you I get very shaky otherwise. I'm 6'3 (192cm) weigh 161 pounds (73 kg) and I look lanky. I can do approx. 25 push ups in one rep. do about 45 situps in 2 mins and about 5-6 pull-ups.

I really don't know how I can get any better, I've been bouldering 3 times a week (every week) for the last 2 years. I climb for about 2 hours per session.   If you could help me out with some advice or a training schedule or some links I'd be really grateful!!

Situps and pressups are minor attributes / exercises for climbing. Deadhanging from a fingerboard (or edge) and pullups are far more important. 5-6 pullups is low so this worth working on. A deadhanging session should involve 30 min warmup of progressively harder hangs then doing a set of hard hangs of between 5 and 30 secs in crimped, half crimped and drag position. A phase of deadlifting will quickly improve your leg strength. A coach will advise you better in analysing your specific weaknesses and proposing a training programme. Buying a copy of Dave MacLeods 9 out of 10 Climbers is a good investment too.

[blamo]

I wouldn't compare yourself to other people directly.  You should always ask "what is that crusher doing, that I am not?"  Similarly, you should ask "what is that wanker not doing, that I am?"  Then change things accordingly...

Definitely focus on finger strength and technique.

Buying a copy of Dave MacLeods 9 out of 10 Climbers is a good investment too.

 


If you are in it for the long haul, then focus on improvement and enjoying the process.  Unless you are planing on paying the bills through climbing, don't worry about any of it too much.

 

[bigtuboflard]

You also don't mention if you do the majority of your climbing indoors or out. I'll put my neck out and guess mostly indoors? If so, get outside some more and work on footwork and technique. Intentionally try and slow things down when climbing too; yes, you may well be shaky on stuff at your limit but I tend to find it helps my core stability.

Finger strength too as shark says.

And finally a few one legged squats might not be too bad a idea. They'll help with balance and stability plus on slabby stuff it'll help lots being able to put some controlled power on to your feet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bendavison]

I'm amazed how many of you are mentioning finger strength/fingerboarding as a limiting factor/way to get better.

Go climbing more, think about climbing more, try hard.

[Three Nine]

Oh the irony

[Hoseyb]

I agree with Ben, let the fingers strengthen with ability, especially in the 6's
feet feet feet. Unless you're Nureyev, there are always gains to be made here. If you are favouring a dynamic style, then you might be masking footwork errors, and core weakness.

Good core, good feet, good brain, strive towards these things.

[36chambers]

I'm in agreement with ben here.

I don't think there needs to be much emphasis on fingerboarding, if any, when trying to break into the 6c's.

Work your weaknesses and enjoy the process. Climb more things as slowly and as controlled as possible even if it means dropping your grades a little to begin with.

I have a friend who shakes a hell of a lot, it just means he's trying really hard and that's fine. 

[petejh]

Thing that I wonder when people ask generic questions like 'what should I do to get better at climbing' is how do you know anyone giving you advice on here is worth listening to? They may have taken 6 years to get to f7A.

My advice (which if I were you I'd ignore): try harder problems, until you do them. Repeat through until about the age of 50 then taper off.

[Paul B]

why does that only apply to generic questions? 

OP: I'd just go climbing and try as hard as you can every session to get your technique as dialled as possible / move efficiently. Try to fight the internal urge to chalk everything up as "not being strong enough"...

I cannot believe people (Shark) are even suggesting deadlifting/fingerboarding would be at all appropriate in this circumstance.

[shark]

His rate of progress and physical dimensions mean he is not a mutant. He already bouldering 3x a week which is optimal and plateaued so some supplemental work is in order. Finger strength gains are slow so start early. The dead lift suggestion was a specific response to his complaint about standing up on one leg.

And Bendavison - shame on you

[TheTwig]

Hi there! I'm posting here because I have a problem. I've been bouldering for roughly 2 years now and in the beginning I was making these incredible gains. I went from 3a to 5c in about 4-5 months. I was really happy because I made a lot of progress. But the last 7-9 months I've been stuck on the same level (6a-6b). A few weeks of no progress wouldn't frustrate me all that much as long as I would be getting better in the long run. Now 7 months have passed and I'm still at the same level and all the people who were at my level are now climbing atleast 6c's.

My weak points are balance and control. I can do most hard moves dynamically as I have (relatively) well developed lats as well as some serious abs, but I can't do them slowly and static. What happens is that I get very shaky.

My legs are also not very strong. I cannot stand up on one leg (from a sitting position). My body looks stronger and my pecs look more developed lately, but I'm not getting better.

I climb really fast, because like I told you I get very shaky otherwise. I'm 6'3 (192cm) weigh 161 pounds (73 kg) and I look lanky. I can do approx. 25 push ups in one rep. do about 45 situps in 2 mins and about 5-6 pull-ups.

I really don't know how I can get any better, I've been bouldering 3 times a week (every week) for the last 2 years. I climb for about 2 hours per session.   If you could help me out with some advice or a training schedule or some links I'd be really grateful!!

I would work your weaknesses. Judging from your post I would concentrate on:

• balance - climb more vertical and slabby stuff where it's harder to 'cheat' by doing every move dynamically or jumping for holds. Anything that forces you to take your time. (focus on your feet!!). Whats your general technique like? Do you do lots of flagging, drop knees, heelhooks etc?
• Climb slower in general. It will force you to find more efficient ways of climbing (In my opinion), rather than thrutching your way up by going super fast and holding onto every hold as hard as possible
• On the shaky thing, as in cramping up or just running out of strength quickly? You might have a magnesium deficiency or something like that. Might be worth looking into
• Do you always climb at the same place? Try somewhere else

[shark]

Shaking is fine - you just need to find your natural resonance. Ask Rob Barker.

[fatdoc]

A week in font, going for whole blue circuits in the honeypot areas ( thery are such for a good reason) would...

Change your life mate.

[blamo]

If finger strength is not worth improving when breaking into the 6C range, then at what general grade would people consider it worth improving?

[abarro81]

He already bouldering 3x a week which is optimal

Is it fuck

[petejh]

If finger strength is not worth improving when breaking into the 6C range, then at what general grade would people consider it worth improving?

Unless your finger tendons have the resilience of brittle saplings - which would probably preclude you reaching 6C - then I'd say around 7B/C (routes >8a+) is when some specific finger strengthening exercises may be beneficial, provided the time spent fingerboarding it isn't at the expense of time spent trying hard on real climbing.
Caveats to that are: recovering from a finger injury i.e. controlled progressive loading of the injured finger tendon; or no accessible climbing nearby i.e. it's the fingerboard or nothing.

But I'm shit at climbing.

[shark]

He already bouldering 3x a week which is optimal

Is it fuck

2 years in - seriously ?

[ducko]

The best thing to do is analyse your climbing or better still get someone else too watch you climb, find out what's making you fail and then target that, everyone has their own opinion on what's best so there is no correct answer but here's my opinion, If you can be honest with yourself about what you're not as good at then target that you'll always improve and get through plateaus.
I've always climbed dynamically so I've got ok upper body strength but my footwork and lower body tension is lacking so I'm targeting that, I find doing this helps keep the ball rolling well, personally.
Good luck and it's about having fun so don't get to worked up when you hit a wall from time to time

[ducko]

I have a friend who shakes a hell of a lot, it just means he's trying really hard and that's fine.

Doylo? 

[joble]

Just try harder

[Doylo]

I have a friend who shakes a hell of a lot, it just means he's trying really hard and that's fine.

Doylo? 

I only shake on certain things! And granite, i shook a lot on granite. Think it happens when i'm weak.

[Jim]

if you mainly climb indoors pull ups will help most, keep at them until you can do at least 20

[Sasquatch]

I'd actually go the opposite direction.  I think you shouldn't try so hard. 

After all, the best climber is the one having the most fun.  Generally, I find that to be the best piss taker.  So, work on the piss taking skills and you'll soon be the best climber in the world.