Luke - I think that's fine, though climbing is better since it teaches you to climb obviously. If you're worried then just make sure that you're holding each hold for a length of time vaguely comparable to when climbing. With respect to volume, more is better from the point of view of getting fit. The more you do, the more it'll tire you out for strength work though, that's where a balance needs to be struck.
Does everyone have a different base level of fitness? I'm guessing people adapt differently to different types of training too.
Quote from: Luke Owens on April 16, 2015, 10:26:42 amDoes everyone have a different base level of fitness? I'm guessing people adapt differently to different types of training too.Bouchard, Claude, and Tuomo Rankinen. "Individual differences in response to regular physical activity." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 33 (2001): S446-51.
I've always believed that people differ hugely in their untrained levels of vascularity, which is a huge component of aerobic fitness for climbing. In other words some people are "naturally fit". I believe this without any supports evidence.
Something else that I find strange is some people I know that climb well and don't get as half as pumped as I do and think I'm speaking a different language if I mention aerocap. They have never done anything like it in their life.
I bet they have - I bet they'll have done a shit-load of trad-climbing. AKA ledge-shuffling AKA arc training. A few years of this provides a solid foundation for being able to rest up a lot of stuff without entering anerobic zone - watch a good solid E5 trad climber (not someone pushing their grade) who gets out on the rock lots, on anything vertical to slightly overhanging and you'll know what I mean.
(I think..) Everybody differs in their natural ability to run 100, 1000 and 10000 metres (the 1st two anerobic, the 3rd aerobic), as well as differing in their natural ability to leg-press and hamstring curl with weight. Most people sit in (grade)bands of similarity with relatively few outliers at each end.Climbing is running (aero or ano) with your forearms, or hamstring curls with your fingers. Except it's mostly isometric contractions instead of lengthening/shortening of muscles. Usually a combo of aero/ano/strength with one emphasized over the other depending on the style of route.edit - actually, it's like running with your legs fixed at a slightly bent angle and bouncing along..Once you start training aerobic or anerobic fitness, or strength, everyone's body differs in its response to the same training. Again with people pigeon-holing into bands of similarity of response with relatively few extreme outliers.All my opinion based on reading but no sauce.
Unless you're genetically screwed-over (unlikely) in the department responsible for your body's response to good quality ano/aero training there's no physical reason why you can't become a fitness wad.