[duncan]

Happy New Year folks.

Missed a week.

M - Fingerboard for strength, 20mm at 85kg.
T - Shoulders: Side-planks, handstands, press-ups, IYTs.
W - Fairlop with AJM and Mike. A bit cold - ice in the top-out jugs wasn’t melting - but a fun social outing and I can still do the big roof.
T - Shoulders. 7km walk. Train to Edinburgh.
F - 10km walk.
S - Shoulders. 10km walk
S - 10km walk.
M - Ratho with Wil. This is a fine place with good staff and a crap online booking system which charged me twice. Enjoyed the session and seeing Wil. Did 8 routes to 6b+, felt like I could have done more but was still being a bit cautious I didn’t impede my recovery from whatever bug I’ve had for the last six weeks.
T - 8km walk. Train back from Edinburgh.
W - Fingerboard, ‘aeropower’ on a ~35mm edge. 7/3s repeaters 10-12 reps x 4 sets. 8km walk.
T - walked 8km including a stroll around Acton with seankenny.
F - Fingerboard, ‘aeropower’ on a ~35mm edge. 7/3s repeaters 11-12 reps x 4 sets. Walked  8km.
S - Right elbow sore. Walked 13km.
S - Right elbow sore. Shoulders. Will go for a walk later.

Finally recovered from whatever bug was affecting me. Slightly overdid the PE (this is always what does for my elbows. I really must take two rest days between sessions) but this will hopefully settle quickly. Booked a trip to the Basque country on Friday, crossing everything to stay healthy over the next five days and travel arrangements don’t change.



Power-club round up for 2021:

Exercised for >30 minutes: 365 days.
Walked: 8.1 km per day,  just under 3000km in total.
Shoulder conditioning: 143 days.
Fingerboard: 92 days.
Climbing inside: 30 days (more than 2020, was 65 in 2019)
Climbing outside: 36 days. (slightly more than 2020, was 64 in 2019).

Not surprisingly, the big difference compared with BC is the number of days climbing, indoors or out. Sport numbers were slightly down this year but within between-cliff variation, I was well off the pace on trad. for which there is no substitute for time on rock. Stopping full-time paid work was balanced by being a single parent for 5 months at the start and finish of this year. The time finger-boarding and conditioning will hopefully lead to long-term strength increases but does not compensate for time not moving.

[Fultonius]

Thanks Duncan, HYN to you too! 

That's a fair bit of shouldering conditioning, how are they feeling now? I've been incorporating a lot of "face pulls" along with scap/lat pullups and trying to sort out my weak pushing (can only bench 70%BW @ 5rm). What's your routine?

Not sure I can really remember what I did this week....  I've recently created a training plan for the next 16 weeks, with target sessions per week. It was meant to start week1 2022, but I added a week zero in, so in that I did:

2 x AnCap session (once on FB, -7kg using crimpd 7:3 protocol, once by trying to re-do my lattice assessment, failing (see other thread) and then following on with some 45move lattice circuits (90s) with 4mins rest, then some 15 move boulder problems on the 50degree board with 3 mins rest).  Threw in a few rock ring weighted finger curls and some index finger half crimp mono conditioning pulls to try to redress my index weakness.

1 x strength (short warm up with recruitment pulls, then limit bouldering got a TCA white 7A+ first go that I'd nearly flashed last session, but dropped the last move and then never finished). Feeling progressively stronger on moves I'd found hard before, so really nice to see some actual progress. Tweaked my right shoulder a tiny bit though when pulling hard with a foot slip. Seems minor but resting a few days now.

2 x core (yoga)

1 x general conditioning (bench 55kg 3 x 5, face pulls, scap/lat, dips)


Managed to hang the 45s on the BM2k for the first time in about 10 years. 5s hold, so still a long ways to my previous best at 25s....

[shark]

Thanks Duncan

Happy New Year everyone

11.8-10 average 163.7 up 0.4lbs


M

T.

W. PM Started doing unassisted locks but strained my lats so stopped. Then a lengthy  Half Crimp fingerboard session through afternoon on ergo edge. Obviously doing it with tweaky lats wasn’t ideal and also edge and tips felt a bit greasy The rest had done me good so pleased to match Sunday’s session of +30kg x 8 secs half crimped then added 2x full crimp and drags at the same weight

T

F PM Home FB warmup then Tor. Bit of sun. Balmy 12.5 degrees. Holds on Bens damp but driable. Cross thru and kick at first attempt. Four goes from throw (took two or three attempts each time) getting to kick but not enough left to do cross through. Core felt a lot stronger setting up for kick. Decent session considering conditions.

S Drive to Devon

S AM FB A set of recruitment and speed pulls on a greasy metolius campus rung with no chalk next to a sheep carcass


Easyish week. Booked outbound flight to Santander and accommodation in Pamplona for a week. Still apprehensive that something will throw a spanner in the works.
Looking to mainly climb at Etxauri (thanks for guide WFT)and if weather craps out decamp to somewhere like Alquezar. Looking to stay out for three weeks!
My thoughts are to do lots of volume but also a bit of strength maintenance so I can come back to Bens at a similar level in February and bags more endurance.

[User deactivated.]

Missed a week and haven't really kept notes on what I did and when but here's the gist of it:

Max hangs every day came to an end. It was somewhat successful but less so than the last time I did it. I increased my hangs by 10kg over 2 weeks, ending a prolonged period of relative weakness and hitting my previous best, but no new PB's beyond this. I plateaud here for a couple of days and then began to decline as the overtraining was no doubt catching up, so began a 2 week taper/deload.

Now in week 2 of the deload I've had a few floaty board sessions and a visit to stoupe brow to try Requiem, which is definitely a project for this year and hopefully first of the grade. Unfortunately the mono was full of water, but upon discovering this puddle, I had a hail mary throw for the crimp anyway and it definitely felt plausible!

[Will Hunt]

Saturday. Drove to Heptonstall for trad. Raining. Called into Mytholm which was impressively condensed. Absolutely everything completely gopping. Drove to Earl and did a couple of 6s then went to investigate Barrans' problem The Outback which he'd logged at 7B/+. Turns out he's used a daft sequence and it went second go at 6C (soft). New year, new downgrade. Marvellous.

[Duma]

Happy new year all!

M - saw and lug logs around
T - drive back to Bristol. 2 x 1 min plank
W - work, 12 hrs. 2 x 1 min plank. Aeropow 7:3 x 12 x 6 @ 50kg. Just about completed.
T - work, 12 hrs. Run, 5k, flat, pavement, 24 min.
F - work, 12 hrs. 2 x 1 min plank. Ancap 7:3 x 6 x 6 @ BW.
S - Brean, 6c warm up, more work on MBK : got shown better beta for the PoC section, feels much more feasible now. Also did Bullworker crux despite a couple of wet holds. With improved sequence for the bottom section I'm feeling a bit more optimistic, will prob try and tick the cop out 7c+ Prisoner of Bullworker as something to aim for next session. Elyse did her long term project too, which was great to watch. 2 x 1:10 plank.
S - 2 x 1:10 plank. Hours walk in rain showers. Run, 5k, flat, pavement, 24 min.

73kg (av wed - sun) new record high on sat, but on the downslope today, hopefully to be maintained until I'm back under 71.

[Aussiegav]

Monday
45 min Peloton ride

Tuesday
Predawn session at the School
Mileage session. A selection of 15 problems from all the boards ranging from 5+ to 6b+.

Did 5x5 thrusters & 5x5 pull ups to finish.

Wednesday:
45min Peloton ride

Thursday.
Density hangs. 4x 30s hangs.

Friday:
Climbed at Awesome Walls.
Tried some 6c’s. Did 8 climbs in total for the day.


Saturday:
60min Peloton ride

Sunday
Route  pyramid session at Awesome Walls.
Managed my hardest Onsight indoors. Which is a nice start to the year.
I followed the ‘Up Your Level’ daily training plan on the Vertical Life app. Recommend this function on the app.

Officially started on my goals for 2022.
Wishing everyone a successful & rewarding year ahead.

[Nibile]

Power Club

Mon - light EMOM snatch 5x10 30 kg.
Tue - press, singles up to 53 kg PB. Clean 5x10 56 kg. Clean and press 56 kg x1.
Wed - loaded carries.
Thu - board climbing, totally brilliant session.
Fri - boxing bag and jog.
Sat - loaded carries, stairs and jog.
Sun - EMOM bar work x 15. 30" EMOM clean and press 1x 13.

[iain]

Happy New Year all!


Weight: no real idea, it's been all over the place

2 weeks worth:

Week 1:
One board session, spannered PIP joint again, well done me.

Week 2:

Wed -  Depot. Unsurprisingly stiff and underrecruited, just spent the session moving, gently stretching and climbing easier things.

Thurs - Shoulder and hip mobility

Fri - longer walk day, 1 hr board session pm, felt ok including PIP

Sat - Visit to hidden wall and realised I'd actually been before years ago. Poor session, no pull or fight.

Sun - Walk


Mood's plummeted over the last few days, no specific reason I can think of but lots of possibilities including poor sleep and food quality over the previous month.

Main goals this week is some quality sleep and diet, plus consistent sharkathon. No other training goals other than aiming for one quality board session to keep things going.

.

[duncan]

That's a fair bit of shouldering conditioning, how are they feeling now? I've been incorporating a lot of "face pulls" along with scap/lat pullups and trying to sort out my weak pushing (can only bench 70%BW @ 5rm). What's your routine?

Considering I have had shoulder problems from 1980 (right shoulder, operated on in 2000) and 2003 (left shoulder, which then dislocated in 2017), they are feeling very well. I’ve not had any time off because of my shoulders in the last couple of years, albeit I’ve not - for various non-physical reasons - been pushing really hard very often.

My routine is largely bodyweight exercises because they are convenient and fairly specific:

- Pull-ups and hangs in different elbow and shoulder positions and various degrees of asymmetry. Intermittently, not so many if I’m actively climbing.
- Press-ups, with various degrees of asymmetry.
- Handstands, usually supported, with some internal instability and asymmetry (eg wobbling from side to side - this comes pretty naturally!)
- Side-planks, making myself unstable as above.
- IsYsTs with gymnastic rings (leaning back version).

I don’t use free weights, therabands or unstable surfaces as I don’t think they are very specific to climbing. They're still much better than nothing at all so if people like them and find them helpful then carry on.

[JohnM]

Happy New Year all!

M - Fishing on Windermere + 5km of hiking with gear.

T - 10km road run. BoulderUK - decent sesh but my elbow flared up pretty quickly.

W - Travelling back to Austria.

T - MTBing 23.29km 412m.

F - MTBing 26.69km 602m.

S - Hiking near Arco (Monte Stivo 2054m) 9km 830m.

S - Climbing at Passo di Giovanni. Warmed up on the finger board and then did a bouldery 7b+ 1st RP. Then tried the first 8a in the region. Hard to imagine this is the first 8a on a gloomy looking boulder when you see how impressive the walls are around but it is actually a good climb. Had a couple of tries and whilst the elbow was a factor, I didn't really have the juice to link it after too many boozey evenings and not enough climbing over the Xmas period. The only positives were that my footwork was somehow good on terrible feet and my fingers felt solid.

Trying to do lots of rehab on the elbow and I seem to be able to grip harder and I am stronger on the negative wrist curls but the pain and inflammation is still there. Kind of frustrating as I cannot really train or plan any training in the near future. Goal setting for 2022 is not really an option at the moment.

[Coops_13]

Back after a long hiatus. injured L hand / wrist in Joe's then didn't help it touching grit in December. Suspected injury to ligaments in the hand (between metacarpal bones), confident it will heal soon-ish. Been following my usual progressive loading protocols while doing max hangs on the right arm.

M: Core. Hollow body holds 30s *3sets, Plank 1min *3sets, V-ups X10 *3sets. G1, Legs. Squats 165lb X5 *5sets. GHD machine *3sets. Split squats 45lb *5sets. Kevin at Climb Clinic. Suspected injury of a ligament (or two) between metacarpal bones. Got a plan of action to heal

T: Walk around park with Sophie. G1. Two arm hangs 25mm up to -5lb. OA R MH 25mm -25lb. Total load of 163lb, psyched! Vertical Kilter board climbing 30s on, 2mins off *5sets. Dumbbell Row 50lb X8 *3sets. Reverse Flys 10lb X8 *3sets. Kettlebell balance + shoulder press 13lb (40lb R) X5 *3sets. Bicep Curls 40lb X8 *3sets

W: Walk around park with Sophie. Core. Hollow body holds 30s *3sets, Plank 1min *3sets, V-ups X10 *3sets. G1, Legs. Squats 165lb X5 *3sets. GHD machine *3sets. Split squats 45lb *3sets. Trap bar deadlift 135lb X5 *3sets (first time doing these also using as rehab for hand)

T: Walk around park with Sophie. One hand fingerboard pickups up to 60lb 20s as didn't go to gym due to wildfires. Pre-emptively evacuated to friend's place for the night, thankfully house all OK. Very scary and sad indeed

S: G1. Two arm hangs up to 20mm BW. OA R MH 25mm -30lb. Kilter board climbing at 25 degrees (others had it set at this angle) 30s on, 2mins off *3sets. Dumbbell Row 50lb X8 *3sets. Reverse Flys 10lb X8 *3sets. Kettlebell balance + shoulder press 13lb X5 *3sets. Bicep Curls 40lb X8 *3sets

Seeing slow improvement in L Hand, effectively matched PB on the RH max hangs (2lb total load away). Productive week marred by the fires

[Duma]

Glad you're ok coops, the fires looked scarily quick on the news!

[mr chaz]

Happy new year folks.

M. Deadhangs 2 arms 18mm. Pull-up finisher (3 on each hold)
T.
W. TRX warmup. Foot on campussing. 30s on/off x5, x3 sets. First power endurance training in well over 6 months. Pumped!
T.
F.
S.
S. 20 mins of dead hanging on 18mm and micros.

[Bradders]

M - board doubles session. Humid and smeggy plus I was knackered from a pretty terrible few nights of sleep. Same 6 problems as last few weeks with harder footholds. Dropped the 2nd rep on 5, powering out which is good. After did conditioning, pull ups, Arnold press, front raise and external rotation. Then aerocap, 10 minutes of easy climbing and shaking at a low pump.

Tu - rest

W - fingerboard, 3x 10s 26mm, 2 min rests, +45kg. Maybe a little bit too maximal but didn't fail. Then 20mm pick ups, 6x middle 2 and 6x front 2. Upped weight to 30kg on middle 2 which is good, seem to be breaking out of a plateau on this now.

Th - board session. Late one. Tired still but did okay. Very nearly repeated my Ben's replica. Struggled on my gaston project, but then did a move on another that's taken 3 sessions. Then foot on campussing, 10x 60secs on 90secs off. Bit of a suffer fest but managed it.

F - rest

Sa - fingerboard, 6x 10s 26mm, 3 min rests. Did first 3 reps at 50kg but failed the 3rd so dropped to 45kg for the rest. Then 15x pinch pick ups.

Su - Ilkley. Lovely day at first. Arrived a bit later than I wanted though. Footwork turned up as I was finishing warming up. Did Car Park Wall in a few goes. Had two goes at Three More Reps and then the heavens opened. Stuck it out for a bit but it was so heavy there were puddles developing and water pouring down the sides of the boulder.

Felt far more broken than I'd have liked after Sunday's session given I hardly did any climbing. Lack of sleep maybe catching up with me. Thankfully much better today.

[Wellsy]

Monday - at a wedding. Avoided booze

Tuesday - great session at the works. Loads of S&C done. Did a muscle up on rings for the first time.

Wednesday - rested

Thursday - great session at the works, did one of the Red Circuit which felt like it came from a solid improvement in my technique rather than strength. Did a 1 RM max PB at weighted pullups with 38kgs added weight so 150% BW in total. 8kgs better than my last PB. Training seems to be working!

Friday - rested. NYE party with a load of goths. Brilliant.

Saturday - out at Stanage Far Left. Spent a couple of hours on a "project" which felt nails, did it, on cloud 9. Turns out; already done by Bonjoy (as a sitter) in the most obvious turn of events ever. Somewhat disappointed in elements of the response but pleased to have done the problem I set out to do that day. I cannot claim a FA or a repeat of an existing problem, without a puerile tick or a grade I am left only with the experience of a wonderful session trying hard and succeeding, and the joy of climbing something I wanted to climb. Sufficient enough for me. Also great gritstone illuminati meme material :D

Sunday: dossed around at Works a bit

[jamesturnbull97]

Been really enjoying reading everyones entries recently and having kept an up to date training diary since the summer I thought it would be a good aim for the new year to get back on the power club. I'll get some aims writen up too to help stay psyched for them and have some accountability.
Bit late on this weeks but here we go.

M. After work City Bloc session:
Warmed up in the main centre and then dabbled on a few of the new greens before heading for the Kilter Board. Started off with a few 7b and b+'s.
2x 7b flash, 2x 7b 2nd go, 1x 7b+ flash, 1x 7b+ 3rd go. All @ 55 degrees
Projected 4 blocs between 7c & 8a @ 55 and 60 degrees. Started to make a little headway on each. Grades seem all over the place on the app really but just choosing ones that are hard for me personally. I like climbing on the Kilter at steeper angles to focus on burly climbing and shouldery stuff which are definitely a big weakness.
Weighted Pull Up Pyramid.
10 @ BW, 8 @ 20%, 6 @ 40%, 4 @ 60%, 2 @ 80%, 1 @ 100%, and back down again with 2 minutes rest between.

T.

W. Fingerboard:
One armed 6/4 repeaters on BM1000 bottom outside edges, 3 sets of 6 in both half crimp and 4 finger open hand.
-12.5kg for Half Crimp & -11.75kg for Open Hand

T. Drove around the Moors all day looking for dry rock but the rise in temperature appeared to have ade everything condense and even stuff fully in the wind wouldn't dry.

F. AM
Fingerboard
Max Hangs on BM1000 bottom outside edges. 7 second Hangs with 3 Mins rest.
3x 21.25kg, 2x 31.25kg, 2x 36.25kg, 2x 42.5, 4x 43.25kg, 1x 46.25kg (Failed at 5 seconds on this one).
Weight Pull Up Pyramid, same weights as before.
PM.
Managed a couple of hours at the cliff. Far from ideal, car said 15 degrees at the parking! Was thinking of having a play on keelhaul but bumped into Sam and Arona who were headed up to DWR so ended up there. Played around on Exorcist for a while, have done most of the bits before so just had to learn a couple of the linking bits. Fell off going into the good DWR crimp a couple of times and did the end of DWR LH and couple of times. Would hope it'll go if I can't summond the motivation to go back on a half descent day but I'm not particularly psyched for the Cliff these days.

S. Fingerboard
2 Armed 6/4 repeaters on BM1000. Half crimp and Open handed on top small edges and 3 finger half crimp on bottom edges.
HC @ +6.25Kg, OH @ Bw, 3FHC @ -5kg (discovered messing around for couple of weeks back that I seemed to be incredibly weak in this grip compared to most others)
Project board session on home board.
4 problems, a mixture of new and old blocs. Finished off messing around making uo some new moves for future blocs.
Rings. 5 x 8reps of Flys to finished myself off.

S.
 

[User deactivated.]

Weighted Pull Up Pyramid.
10 @ BW, 8 @ 20%, 6 @ 40%, 4 @ 60%, 2 @ 80%, 1 @ 100%, and back down again with 2 minutes rest between.

I'm curious what the exchange rate is for 100% added weight in terms of one armers. I'd guess around 3 reps on each arm? (which is a silly unnecessary goal of mine)

[teestub]

Weighted Pull Up Pyramid.
10 @ BW, 8 @ 20%, 6 @ 40%, 4 @ 60%, 2 @ 80%, 1 @ 100%, and back down again with 2 minutes rest between.

This pull up performance is super impressive, especially with your long levers! I can do 1 arm with a few KG assistance but have never got to more than around 70% BW added for 2 arm.

[Duncan Disorderly]

Late late late...

M: Walk with dad then works... Good fun session blowing cobwebs out, did 40 odd problems up to around 6C...
T: Nowt
W: Nowt
T: Nowt
F: AW with GF - Mileage up to F6c... Played Dancehall and Jungle to a packed room for the first time in what feels like ages...
S: 
S: