[tomtom]

Another week (7 of my lockdown training diary). This week was supposed to be a bit of a rest week - and - er it was a little bit

Mon: Supposed to be a rest day, but the lad decided he wanted to play Lego on the mats under the wall - so I did a few sets of 1 arm hangs on a 20mm edge. Managed a few repeats at -15kg (open hand) no chance on half crimp.. Right upper arm/tricep/shoulder feeling a bit tweaky still...

Tu: Board session 80min. SUPERB session - did some new problems and one up the rattier crimps up the board (15, 15 and 12mm). Real gurn and pull job. Loved it.

We: Fingers were feeling it after tues... 1 arm day. 3x -15kg (very easy now), 2x -8kg, 5x -4kg (Yay! Hard but just ish made it through the sets, 1x -15kg warm down.

Thu: a rest day!

Fri: Board day. Very hot (wife closed the attic windows that I’d left open to keep it cool) so by the time I got going (3pm) it was roasting. Double fans. Took ages to get going - 40 min to do a medium grade problem. Managed to repeat the pinches which isnt that hard - but was given temps and my form. Managed 80 min again somehow. Core faded (Joe Wicks fault...)

Sat: 1 arm day. 3x -15kg, 2x -8kg, 5x -4kg. Good session - right arm faded a bit towards the end - and still feels a bit tweaky if I go too front on.

Sun: Board day. Alright ish session. Warmed up much better than Friday - repeated medium problems fairly easily. Moving quite well. Got shut down on crimps problem from Tuesday (tips hurt) and on the gaston problem I did last week. Fingers felt tired. 

A decent week when I was planning to take it easy. Stopped interval timing on wall sessions - and they feel much more productive as a result. Crimp problem was ace. I don’t’ think my fingers could take some small hold added weight FB’ing at the moment - they get a real workout on the board (small and slopey wood holds at 50+ deg). I’ve had achy fingers (in a good way) several times this week...

No idea whatsover whether this will help my outdoor climbing - but it probably helps stem the rot... Made good use of 1 arm/shoulder work on one of the board problems, catching the final jug with a wild swing as everything came off - with bent arm and held it :D

[monkoffunk]

M - rest
T - rest

W - One arm repeaters. -15kg
6 on 4 off x6 alternating hands each hang so 3 total per hand for one set.
One set half crimp, 2 30 rest. One set open hand, rest.
3 sets each grip.
Need to get used to this. Didn’t feel like I was working as hard as with two handed stuff on small holds with more weight, but struggling to complete 6secs with less weight removed so clearly it’s hard for me even if it is just in maintaining the shoulder stability. Open hand was on top sloper, half crimp on middle bottom crimp, 20mm? Open hand felt much easier, next time will do different weights.

Two sets finger tip pull ups 6 and 5.

T - Rest

F - One arm hangs. 10 secs each arm. Varying from -10 to -15kg. I’m somewhere around -12.5kg for 10 secs at very best. 
Rest then Horst style hangs using +20kg on the 15mm edge. Felt really good, most hangs 10 secs, a few 9. Given I was failing to make 10 secs for one hang at start of lockdown very pleased with that.

S - Rest

S - Sets of one arm hangs again. 10 secs each hand, 3 per hand, -13.75kg
Anderson style repeaters. Humid and felt hard. Tried hard.
Short calisthenics circuit, because I’m basically doing no non finger board exercise.

Another steady week, feel good, but also feel like I’m forgetting how to climb. Really wish I had a board.

Considering buying some beastmaker micros when they are back in stock. Have a number of potential projects with very small holds, maybe be better specificity. In meantime will aim to get weight assistance down on one arm hangs.

[AJM]

Considering buying some beastmaker micros when they are back in stock. Have a number of potential projects with very small holds, maybe be better specificity. In meantime will aim to get weight assistance down on one arm hangs.

You’re Dorset somewhere, right? I don’t know quite how small you want, but you could probably have my 6mms because I’m too weak (and borrow my 10mms to tide you over if it’s helpful - I have the 8mm and a 15mm so could do without them for a bit) if you’re anywhere in striking distance of poole.....

[Murph]

I said I would do something or get off PC.

M-5k jog
T-"Just Do Something" routine of 10 24kg goblet squats, 10 decent press ups and 3 decent pull ups. 3 sets.
W-5k (felt a bit of DOMS)
T-JDS
F-5k
S-JDS
S-JDS (feel improvements already)

Weight just now 68.7 so I've put on less than 2kg during lockdown. Not bad really.

Stepping it up a gear this week, going to try a couple of sessions of unweighted fingerboard and get back on the IF.

[Duma]

TT - when you say one arm day, I assume you're talking about pull ups, not hangs?
Couple of questions as I seem to really struggle with one armed stuff.
How are you warming up (for hangs or pulls)?
IIRC you use a band for assistance? How does this work on pulls, surely you're getting much less by the end of the pull (or more at the start)?

[Bradders]

Did most sessions this week first thing in the morning, mainly to beat the heat. Worked really well though, think I prefer training early rather than late.

M - board project session. Tension suddenly seemed to have returned after going AWOL last week; did a problem that on a good day feels like a harder warm up and on a bad day feels impossible. Worked three hard problems and did stand starts to two of them, plus linked sit starts into stand on both. Have done the third before; couldn't repeat but got close.

T - 4km run, 20 mins or so, 20 mins stretching after

W - warm up on board and then one arm repeaters. Six sets 3r 6/4 alternating half crimp and 4f open on the large outside 2k slots w/ 10kg assistance. Followed up with 4 sets of open mono pick ups, including up to 22kg on both middle fingers, 15kg indexes and rings and 10kg pinkies.

T - board project session. Repeated the stand to one of the hard ones from Monday and got close to linking sit (got to move 3/5). Managed my longest standing project 4th go, having dropped the last move on 1st and 2nd, very satisfying. Did all the moves on a new long one (11 moves) and made a good link through first half, but couldn't link second.

F - big session, warmed up on board and did a couple of advanced warm ups using the poorer feet. Then fingerboard, 20s hangs 19mm edge +15 & +20kg. Attempted +25kg on 14mm edge and managed 15s. Then repeaters; 6r 7/3s on 19mm x2 +20kg, x1 +15kg, followed by 1x 7/3s on medium slopers +5kg but this was fucking desperate so just did last two sets at bodyweight (in fairness, still pretty flipping hard). Superset all of the repeaters sets bar last w/ 5x 5r +4.5kg pull ups, 5r +4.5kg leg raises, one leg tucked maximal front levers, 20r push ups and 30s plank. Finished with a few attempts at one leg tucked front levers and did 1x 6r 7/3s repeaters supinated half crimp on 19mm and 2x same on 14mm (hard, failed last rep), at bodyweight.

S - 10km walk, 20 mins stretching after

S - board projects. Great progress on two of them, one an 11 move power endurance fest (got to move 9 on best go) and the other a 5 move pure power boulder (got to move 4). Brief tries on a couple of other things. Warmed down trying 5 of my advanced warm ups with a 4.5kg weight belt and did 2 of them.

[tomtom]

TT - when you say one arm day, I assume you're talking about pull ups, not hangs?
Couple of questions as I seem to really struggle with one armed stuff.
How are you warming up (for hangs or pulls)?
IIRC you use a band for assistance? How does this work on pulls, surely you're getting much less by the end of the pull (or more at the start)?

They’re hangs - but with quite a bent arm. So neither really! I wanted to get the stability/strength in my shoulder and upper arm right before going down the one arm pull up or harder one hand hang paths...

For warm up i have a foot loop with bands for assistance. I start by doing 2-3 sets of 10 ‘pull ups’ (that are a scrap shrug going into half a pull up (elbow just greater than 90 degrees. I do these in jugs and then smaller crimps. These seem to warm up the shoulders and fingers fine. So far!

I have two managed injuries I’m trying to keep a lid on - 1 tennis elbow - hence not going too high on pull ups - or any one arm work with my arm too bent 2. A wee bit of deuptryns (sp?) on the other side - little finger - which starts to tickle/complain if I do too much weighted two hand small hold deadhangs etc... both of these are tweaked a little by the board work - but I can be quite selective of problem design to get around this (little or no left arm locking off - not too much ratty crimp work with right etc..).


Edit. Realised I’ve not answered your last point- yes with bands you get max assist at the bottom not the middle! Though you can double up the bands and this gives more in the middle  proportionately.

[Will Hunt]

Have been reading Make or Break this week which is good but is basically like being given a bollocking for 226 pages and it makes you quite scared to pull.
The tenderness I've felt in my fingers is probably some pulley damage of the kind that I've felt after past board climbing campaigns. I'll lay off the crimps a bit and things should settle down

M - still feeling a bit tired and fingers felt a bit tender. Rest.

T - board. Had a very enjoyable session setting a new problem. Figured out the Rose move at the end of Pot Shot then stuck the lower crux. Had a good rest then did it a few goes later. Psyched.
Changed plan for rest of the week as a few pulleys are feeling the strain. Will rest fingers until next week and see how they feel. Ring finger A2s and RH middle just above the PIP joint.

W - core. Ab ripper X has been taken down! Had to make do with doing the bits from the start to the Fifer Scissors that I could remember. Not the same without Tony encouraging me to bring it. Then switched to BD thing to finish.

T - rested

F - short repeaters session. 6 sets of 6 hangs. All open handed. Using the 33mm slots so fingers are quite deep in them - that's still open handed, right? I always think of open handing as more of a fingertip drag. Actually feel more tired and shaky in the shoulders at the end of this.

S - cycle. 25km taking 3rd birthday presents to the other two families in our NCT group. So a couple of stops on the way. It was nice to have a chat.

S - rest. Helped my neighbour cut down and dismember a tree.

[Duma]

Thanks TT. So what size edge are you on? You mention 20mm on Mon but not the other days, assume its bigger?

[Duma]

MoF - if I read yr post right you're doing one armed repeaters on the middle edge (on a bm2000? In which case it's 24mm ish) with 15kg assistance, but your best 10s one arm hang is 12.5kg assistance? That can't be right, is that on a different edge?

[Nutty]

Two weeks to update:

M: Wrist feels painful doing daily tasks like picking up a kettle. Rest.
T: Itching to do some exercise, but wrist continuing to hurt. Go for first post-lockdown run, 8.5km.
W: Calves are so tight I have to hobble/crab down the stairs, to the amusement of my wife. Rest.
T: Calves still tight. Foam rolling, stretching and wrist exercises.
F: Rest.
S: Stretching and wrist exercises.
S: Rest.

M: Run. Same 8.5km loop as last week.
T: Foam rolling and stretching.
W: Foam rolling and stretching.
T: Rest
F: Rest. Wrist felt ok? No pain in normal activities today  .
S: Finger board session. Decided to start a block of assisted 1-arm hangs rather than add more weight to the 2-arm hangs. Rigged up a pulley to take off weight. 5 x 20sec hangs on 25mm edge @ 70% bodyweight per arm. Wrist exercises.
S: Rest. Wrist feels fine after yesterday's fingerboard session.

Couple of (very) light weeks. Think wrist pain was De Quervain's tenosynovitis brought on by pinching hard on board problems (no thumbs! ) and having insufficient rest between sessions, probably also aggravated by picking our little boy up more and the increase in volume of push-ups etc. Finger board session was good, felt easy at the weight but will take it slowly. Having been running at least once a week pre-lockdown, my runs the last two weeks have shown how much having 5 weeks of not leaving the house has reduced my fitness - will do more running now restrictions on exercise are being lifted. Aims this week are to get a board session in, 1-2 fingerboard sessions and a run.

[shark]

11.10-12 Average 165.4 (up 1.0lbs)

M.

T.

W. Evening. First session after effectively a 7 day break (not counting a short AeroCap session on the Saturday) Fingerboard warm up with intention of benchmarking max hangs. Fingers melted at modest level of added weight so sacked it off. Did a few crappy pulls on bachar ladder. I have gone to rat shit

T. AM Cooler morning conditions. Did slightly better with max hangs but still well below what Ive done recently. Feel like Im starting from scratch all over Few pulls on bachar ladder. Strength still down but managed a single pull through off right just once

F. Morning. Bit the bullet. First go on the Board. Plenty of documented problems to go at courtesy of Ben and his uni mates. Did a 6C but then got shut down on a 6B+ (Later found out I was missing out a hold). Fingertip held up despite problems being snatchy though still a bit sensitive and getting used to its new shape

S.Morning. Had another play on the board and did the other two 6’s Ben recommended. Had a feel of the holds on a 7.
PM/Eve. Systems board. Was intending doing AeroCap but felt strong warming up but got carried away and ended up doing an extended hard session. Worked on variations of throw move and ended up doing hardest version. Back to full power! Managed to lock myself out of the shed at one stage and had to break back in causing needless damage as found I was using the wrong key which I broke in the lock) Did the old AnCap circuit and two sets of 20/10s to finish. In doghouse when I got home as missed Zoom session with in laws and late for evening meal

S.

Mood considerably improved throughout week. Thought it was going to be a long road back but systems board session on Saturday proved otherwise.

So happy at prospect of going outside again with the boys this week

[mr chaz]

Goals:
i) Exercise everyday ii) End lockdown fitter iii) Maintain current finger strength

M. 15 mins kettlebell HIIT. 20 mins (2 sets) foot on hangboarding.
T. 25 mins kettlebell HIIT. 20 mins yoga.
W. 20 mins foot on hangboarding. 15 minute yoga.
T. 15 minute HIIT. Short run (!!), reckon about 2km (2 laps of my local loop anyway).
F. Nowt 
S. 20 minute HIIT.
S. 20 minute HIIT.

Big week ahead, MSc project deadline on Tuesday and then teaching gf to belay.

[tomtom]

Thanks TT. So what size edge are you on? You mention 20mm on Mon but not the other days, assume its bigger?

Yeah - 50mm. Two padder slot.

I’m on about -15kg for 5-6 secs open handed on 20mm.

[monkoffunk]

MoF - if I read yr post right you're doing one armed repeaters on the middle edge (on a bm2000? In which case it's 24mm ish) with 15kg assistance, but your best 10s one arm hang is 12.5kg assistance? That can't be right, is that on a different edge?

I’ve been experimenting with taking off weight, did the repeaters at start of the week with -15kg, and then tried taking off less weight for single rep hangs. I could definitely do -13.75kg on Sunday but not better, on Friday I’m pretty sure I managed one -12.5kg. The repeaters did feel like maybe I could have less assistance I think!

[monkoffunk]

Considering buying some beastmaker micros when they are back in stock. Have a number of potential projects with very small holds, maybe be better specificity. In meantime will aim to get weight assistance down on one arm hangs.

You’re Dorset somewhere, right? I don’t know quite how small you want, but you could probably have my 6mms because I’m too weak (and borrow my 10mms to tide you over if it’s helpful - I have the 8mm and a 15mm so could do without them for a bit) if you’re anywhere in striking distance of poole.....

Ah, thanks very much for the offer, but I managed to source some in the end yesterday! I’ll be starting with the 10mms for a bit I reckon, 6mm will definitely be too small.

[nai]

M - Small hold repeaters then mono pickups. No doubt did some conditioning but can't remember what now.

T circuit of 10 problems x 3. Again, possibly something else too

W - mostly rest I think, maybe some stretching

Th Board - good session, did a couple of new problems and close to another.  Definitely stopped after 3 or 4 x 10 minute sessions so likely to have done some Calisthenic stuff afterwards.
Or maybe it was today I did the stretching?

F- 2x10 x20kg straight leg DL, 3x10 30kg Front Squat, 2x20kg single leg hip thrust, 3x10 Floor Slides, One Leg Straight leg DL  2x10x8kg, 1x10x10kg, DL 3x6x60 kg

S - Glutes and Hamstrings very sore, good stretch PM

S - Legs still a bit sore.
Conditioning - 3x10 Scap Shrugs +10kg, Dips, Pike pressups, Crane Stands, HI core including lever variations, LVL sits, Bat crunches.

[cheque]

M- Rest.

T- Beastmaker 7:3 repeaters. Felt strong and recorded what are possibly my best numbers since the big reset- actually seeing an increase in the amount of the hangs I can do without assistance. 

W- Rest.

T- Iron Thursday. 5 deadlift reps at 20, 25, 30 & 35kg then 2 reps each at 60, 70, 80, 90 & 100kg. Felt good so tried 110- got it off the floor a few times but didn’t feel like I could get it up (so to speak) with anything like decent form so settled for 105kg. Only did this once but the video shows my form is massively improved from the other week.

F- Rest day.

S- Walk to Stanage and back. My other half says it’s about an 11 mile round trip to the pole so I reckon I did 13-14 miles in total with walking around once there and taking a longer route back. Felt great to go out for a whole afternoon, put my contacts in, make sandwiches etc.

Weird to be at Stanage on a sunny bank holiday Saturday almost completely alone with hardly any chalk on anything (only the Pebble and Business Boulder)- the road to the reservoir was very busy with runners, cyclists and cars but the edge was virtually deserted (only two cars in the popular end parking) and I saw a lizard under Goliath’s Groove!

S- Very tired and sore. I’ve barely used my legs since the start of lockdown and it’s a bit scary how unfit I’ve become! Did 9 pull-ups and 35 push-ups after- plan was to do more but didn’t have it in me...

No plans to go out climbing again for a while yet.

[AJM]

Ah, thanks very much for the offer, but I managed to source some in the end yesterday! I’ll be starting with the 10mms for a bit I reckon, 6mm will definitely be too small.

No probs!

I've not done much with the 10s but from a brief play they didn't feel that much worse than the bottom edges on a bm2k - smaller but with a more clearly defined edge. But I've not exactly rigorously tested my comparative weight limits on each.

The 8s I can do with a bit of weight but at half pad they aren't enormously comfortable. For me, good for adding some specificity on small holds but I'm not sure I'd want them to be my primary training tools.

The 6s are a bit pie in the sky for me, but then I strongly suspect you're stronger than I am!

[duncan]

Well done everyone who is managing to get something done with any regularity. I seem to have missed a week but this is lock-down “where time becomes a loop”. 

STG: stay mentally stable, do something active every day, don’t get injured, work finger strength every other day.
MTG-LTG: who knows?

M - One armed fingerboard hangs. 20mm edge but lots of help from the other arm. All good. 
T - (Light) weighted pull-ups.
W - One armed fingerboard hangs. 45mm edge with some help from the other arm per tt. Felt like I was trying hard; fingers, elbows and shoulders all tolerated it.
T - Weighted pull-ups (+15kg). Knee strength (high step-ups, single leg squats).
F - One armed fingerboard hangs. 45mm edge with some help. Left shoulder felt as tired as the fingers, probably due to the pull-ups the previous day.   
S - Shoulders. Shoulder strength exercises: IYTs, planks, handstands.
S - Weighted pull-ups. Warmed-up for a fingers session but left middle PIP felt creaky again so binned this for pull-ups.
M - Heath walk/shuffle/skip/jog
T - Weighted pull-ups
W - Shoulder strength /
T - Weighted pull-ups
F - Knee strength, hip stretches
S - Weighted pull-ups, knee strength
S - Shoulder strength, hip stretches


Plus brisk walk/jog/shuffle for 6-8km on the Health every day. Added a Heron and a pair of swans with six cygnets to the list. Neither unusual but both cool to see in London.

Taking a short break from fingerboarding but the weighted pull-ups still feel vaguely relevant. I feel very well-trained for the walk-in to Carn Dearg Buttress or Cloggy followed by some vigorous trad. thrutching.

I’ve not climbed since mid-January, initially due to being a temporary single parent. I was fine about missing what I anticipated would be a couple of months knowing it was a good chance to get stronger. Didn’t anticipate I’d still be doing pull-ups and fingerboarding in mid May.  Have unsurprisingly experienced a dip in motivation as weeks turn to months and badly missing being in the proper outdoors. Biggest physical impact has been an expanding waistline: I always cycle ~3kg up and down from Winter to Summer but it’s like I’m still in winter hibernation.   

[monkoffunk]

Ah, thanks very much for the offer, but I managed to source some in the end yesterday! I’ll be starting with the 10mms for a bit I reckon, 6mm will definitely be too small.

No probs!

I've not done much with the 10s but from a brief play they didn't feel that much worse than the bottom edges on a bm2k - smaller but with a more clearly defined edge. But I've not exactly rigorously tested my comparative weight limits on each.

The 8s I can do with a bit of weight but at half pad they aren't enormously comfortable. For me, good for adding some specificity on small holds but I'm not sure I'd want them to be my primary training tools.

The 6s are a bit pie in the sky for me, but then I strongly suspect you're stronger than I am!

Agreed, I think the BM bottom edges will still be what I use mainly. I have tried hanging the 6 before and don’t think I could even get off the ground, but maybe the 8 is worth a go!

[Will Hunt]

I'm considering having a dabble on the fingerboard that but must be careful to leave the pulleys alone and rest them.

This is a stupid question, but if I put my fingers in the 33mm slot as far as they will go, is that still achieving an open handed grip? I've always thought of open hand as being a slight angle at the DIP joint to achieve a drag effect. So by definition if you're on slots as opposed to slopers, you'd only be able to drag them with your tips while open handing?
Is this nonsense? Maybe safer to just stick to the 35 degree slopers while resting pulleys? The workout will still have an effect on the shoulders and arms which I feel is the weak link in the chain for me.

[teestub]

Why not just climb on big holds on your board until you are happy with how your pulleys feel? This will get the blood flowing and probably be better ‘active rest’ than fingerboarding.

[Bradders]

I'm considering having a dabble on the fingerboard that but must be careful to leave the pulleys alone and rest them.

This is a stupid question, but if I put my fingers in the 33mm slot as far as they will go, is that still achieving an open handed grip? I've always thought of open hand as being a slight angle at the DIP joint to achieve a drag effect. So by definition if you're on slots as opposed to slopers, you'd only be able to drag them with your tips while open handing?
Is this nonsense? Maybe safer to just stick to the 35 degree slopers while resting pulleys? The workout will still have an effect on the shoulders and arms which I feel is the weak link in the chain for me.

I'm doing my one arm hangs on this edge, and am doing both a forced half crimp (I.e. I'm actively making sure my pip joints are higher than dips on front 3 fingers), and open 4 finger where pips are lower. There's a really noticeable difference between the two.

[cheque]

project deadline on Tuesday and then teaching gf to belay.

In this coming phase I guess living with a climbing partner is the new having a home board for route climbers.