S - Garage board 1.5hrs. Strongest session on this board ever I think. Did all hard problems. Broke hold on fingery project as I was pulling so hard on it!
Training talk, I’ve been reading up on studies that look at comparative effectiveness of polarized training for endurance athletes versus “threshold” type modalities. Reminded me that Tom Randall mentioned the “black hole of the middle” that is to be avoided. Think I’m going to more fully embrace this in both Climbing and running training. Basically, make most of it really easy but some of it really hard. Try to avoid the hard-but-not-too-hard middle ground. Pinkles + 40kg hangs might fit this pattern. Anyone seriously embraced or rejected this sort of thing in their training?
Quote from: Murph on March 05, 2018, 01:49:39 pmTraining talk, I’ve been reading up on studies that look at comparative effectiveness of polarized training for endurance athletes versus “threshold” type modalities. Reminded me that Tom Randall mentioned the “black hole of the middle” that is to be avoided. Think I’m going to more fully embrace this in both Climbing and running training. Basically, make most of it really easy but some of it really hard. Try to avoid the hard-but-not-too-hard middle ground. Pinkles + 40kg hangs might fit this pattern. Anyone seriously embraced or rejected this sort of thing in their training?Climbing is a skill sport. Climbing hard is not just about being strong and I would imagine your approach (though I have no idea what pinkles are but am assuming they are relatively easy problems at the Works) misses this vital aspect.
From talking anecdotally to some folk I get the impression climbers are doing more intensity on these modern training programmes than runners would be. Runners tend to do a lot of base work at really low aerobic intensity ('easy miles'), then specific workouts.
Galapinos - yep agreed about skill. I think that is maybe where the read across from energy systems gets a bit blurred. Doing easy problems well is still, I think, practicing some aspects of climbing that might be handy in the real world.
Of course, the ideal training really does depend on the goals. Sprinters almost certainly don’t go out doing 2hr jogs and that’s a more obvious crossover to bouldering...
T. Had a taster session with a coach - Tim C. Highlighted all manner of wonkiness including the tightest lats he'd ever come across. Felt glum about it especially the bit where he said that to properly address the issues I would have to cut down on climbing and climb worse to get better. Not sure I can sign up to that.Session with Tim was thought provoking. I am sceptical that the benefits are worth the sacrifice of going all out to correct muscular and postural inefficiencies especially as I am reasonably adept at keeping injury at bay. Will see him again Fri and work on a plan that isn't too disruptive and focuses on the worst aspects.In meantime I have been foam rolling body parts into submission.
Murph are these circuit problems at the wall ones you can flash quite easily? IMO this is the definition of ‘junk miles’ applied to climbing: you won’t really get the skill element out of them if you’re not trying hard enough to be under similar stress as you would be when trying hard, and you’re not a route climber so there’s no requirement to hit the easy aerocap/arc difficulty level. IMO wall sessions (actual climbing that is, for training rather than for fun) to be valuable should either be working hard problems (projecting, repeating limit problems) or focused on PE if you have a project where that is required (linked boulders/up down up/4x4/ on the minute etc.)