[SA Chris]

To go from zero (one indoor and one outdoor session this year) to top form for 7 day Font trip. Got to get psyche on for training, but not injure myself. And lost 6lbs. Where do I start?????

I think i am going to do no climbing for at least 5 days before we go to give skin an chance to recover, as that's what I normally run out of first.

Need to dig out anti-hydral too.

[Houdini]

Start running.

Then start skipping when you're good at running.  It's awesome for triceps (way better than dips/push ups) should help sort your Font' mantle skills.

[slackline]

Houdini, do you ever take your skipping rope out when you go for a run?

With your recent running/skipping posts I now have lucid visions of someone skipping their way round Hamburg daily 

[Houdini]

Nah...   That would be a bit too St. Trinian's for me.

I might go for a run w/ one of the frau's 1Kg dumbells in each hand though.  Recommended.

[SA Chris]

Fuck, I hate running. Lost the joy of running when it was used as a form of punishment. Walking at least an hour a day (unless raining, then 20 mins).

[Houdini]

Then fuck it off it you can't get into running again.

I know it sounds horrid but skipping really is a ridiculous full-body exercise.  Upto 1300 cals an hour burnt. But if you want to lose weight you've got to sweat.  Drink lots and lots of water - fill your guts up w/ it so you suppress your appetite; eat super low GI and less than you normally would in general.  That'll take care of the weight. 

tips:  Do it to music, use the tunes like a metronome.  Wear good trainers.  When adjusting the rope:  choose your shoes - stand on the rope (or rather the metal cable) - hold each handle w/ your arms @ 90° to your body - and adjust to here. 

If you spin the rope from the shoulders - you work the shoulders.  From the wrist - you work the forearms.  A combo of both should be good for the musculature.

I guess go climbing as much as you can is the deal too, and top up your stretching skills.  I don't think being ultra-strong is what Font's about.

[SA Chris]

Might try skipping, nice space in back garden for it. Have got nightlights for MTB too, need to hit forest tracks. Getting down wall once a week (to start) and outside on weekends if its dry. Also signed up for Yoga again. One lunchtime a week (starting tomorrow).

[Paul B]

I know it sounds horrid but skipping really is a ridiculous full-body exercise.  Upto 1300 cals an hour burnt. But if you want to lose weight you've got to sweat.  Drink lots and lots of water - fill your guts up w/ it so you suppress your appetite; eat super low GI and less than you normally would in general.  That'll take care of the weight. 

To me it sounds like your aiming for too much at once, if you eat less than your required calories you are likely to loose lean muscle and not fat which won't help your climbing goals. If you want to loose some weight (do you need to?) then do some aerobic stuff before breakfast in the morning.

If you intend to do a cutting phase to loose the weight then i'd knock it on the head a few weeks before your trip.

Listen to your body whilst training, warm up and down and you should avoid injury. Keep sessions short and focused on your goals. Work your weaknesses (What are they specifically?) and maybe think about working your body in different parts so you can increase the total volume of training without still being fatigued from your previous session.

Good luck.

[Johnny Brown]

Fuck all that. Go bouldering, get moving on rock, go to font with low expectations, enjoy yourself. Anything hard can be a bonus. Some crazy last ditch training scheme sounds like a recipe for high hopes, burnout, and disappointment.

[dave]

you forgot injury.

[SA Chris]

Is 9 1/2 weeks last ditch? Intend getting out on rock as much as possible, but limited by 9-5 lack of daylight and weather. I have no real aims of big numbers in font, just want to get in as good a shape as i can be before I go.

[Houdini]

If you're looking to avoid injuring your ankles, knees and hips then I would recommend skipping over running.  I got the impression you must be pretty fit cardio-wise already Chris.  All the non-pothead surfers I know (and even some of the pothead ones) are very fit with the swimming, duck diving, and the surfing itself.  I don't think there's much substitute for climbing though, especially on Font-esque rock.  Rock aquaintance counts for a lot.

As for injury, I think a lot of that comes from keenly pushing too hard or being plain heavy, or both.

[erm, sam]

The other thing you can do is begin conditioning yourself to to not going nuts on your first couple of days and trying loads of hard stuff.
If you spend the first couple of days climbing loads of easyer stuff then you will dial up your rock aquaintence a lot and get more out of trying harder stuff later. I love to do circuits yellow-blue and eg climb a given easyer prob 4 times in a row differently each time to expand your move repatoir and get into the groove.

[Monolith]

If you want to loose some weight then do some aerobic stuff before breakfast in the morning.

Remember hearing something about it not being ideal to train in the morning. Apparently jogs before breakfast are OK but more intense training can be damaging to the immune system. BBC news article.

[SA Chris]

If you want to loose some weight (do you need to?) then do some aerobic stuff before breakfast in the morning.

well I was 12st 11 just before Xmas and am now 13st 6. I am happy being around about the psychological 13st level, so could do with shedding a few pounds. Will probably start having breakfast after the walk to work?

Houdini, I am ok CV wise, but have been in the water once since end of November. Agree with rock acquaintance though, I think a couple of weekends in Northumberland are in order.

Sam, will definitely take it easy and not go mad like we usually do on long weekend visits, plan on mixing up circuits with spending time on some probs.

[Eddies]

I like the skipping idea, sounds like a winner to me. 
If you get to Font and cant do a thing you can sack off the bouldering and put all the school girls to shame down the park!

[SA Chris]

Ok, so still two lbs astray of target weight (still eating OK, but been boozing very little), managed to remain pretty injury free (apart from sore back). Been down the wall at least once or twice a week like a good little freak working on weaknesses (steep stuff and open hand / slopey stuff). Not been out on rock as much as I should (snow has been too good!), but surprisingly managed a 6c+ at Ruthven the other day without too much effort.

Hoping for a week of good mileage, ticking some quality high sixes, and stretch goal of a 7a maybe (anyone recommend one to suit a 6 footer with strong fingers, good feet, but weak arms?).

Yay.

Thanks

[Jaspersharpe]

Hoping for a week of good mileage, ticking some quality high sixes, and stretch goal of a 7a maybe (anyone recommend one to suit a 6 footer with strong fingers, good feet, but weak arms?).
 

That was me last August. It's still me now actually but last August I too was hoping to climb 7A in Font. Do La Coeur at Elephant. It's all about finger strength and getting your feet right, is easier for those 6ft plus and is really good.

[erm, sam]

sphincter toniques? at sabot, if you are tall you can use good feet the whole time, but stumpies suffer.

[SA Chris]

Cool, will check them both out. La Coeur has always appealed to me.

There was a thread a while back about easy 7as, but I can't for the life of me find it.

[Jaspersharpe]

http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,4415.0.html

 

[dave]

personally I found La Coeur to be a really nasty problem, looks amazing but the climbing is pretty boring and painfull, basically crimp the heart and bone it out to chest level. having done it once i'm never going back on it.

better approachable 7as for the lanky gent with strong fingers but no guns:

medaille en chocolate at apremont
dog's arse roof
jet set at sabots
escaflowne at recon, if you fancy a dyno.
although its only 6c/+ surplomb de la coquille at the back of isatis is worth a look, but the sitter is 7a+ if you can get the top bit wired.

[Johnny Brown]

I thought La Coeur was great, I seem to remember the key was getting weight on your feet and not just boning the heart... frustrating last move the the normal of stature though.

[Jaspersharpe]

JB is right. Get your feet right and La Coeur is a great problem. Otherwise it could seem nasty on the skin / fingers.

Jet Set is steady for the tall but I felt ok about taking the grade unlike Toit De Dogs Arse which is really too generous at 7A. The hardest part now is avoiding that chipped foothold but it's still a great problem.

[dave]

i don't want to labour this point but there's obvious pockets for feet on la coeur, not much you can do wrong. i just thought it was painful and overrated and not particularly interesting climbing, none of that fontainebleau je ne sai quoi. If it didn't have the heart feature (which in reality amounts to just a sharp crimp) no-one would get excited about it. if i thought this was one of the better 7as in the forest i'd give up climbing.