[carefultorque]

There's something I don't understand and would like some help with please.

I want to put more load through the parts that count when I'm bouldering on plastic.  But I'm having problems working out what is stopping me.

I have reasonable arm-strength (can hold footless one-arm 90 degree lock for a second each side), and can crimp okay, hang and dyamically latch small holds.

But still I find:

1) difficulty doing problems longer than 2-4 moves on the 50 degree wall

2) difficulty finding suitable 'threshold' boulder problems.  V2 is a grade I can easily do 4 x 4's on.  V3+ is a grade I can onsight with good control indoors. So I ought to be able to benefit from threshold bouldering on the odd V6s.   Here I'm often blown by limitations in my movement repertoire but can latch holds and move between them somehow or other.

Any other ideas?

I'm never going to be the best boulderer but we all like to release our maximum potential, right?

[Duma]

Sounds like you need to do some core work if you're not having trouble with the holds. Assisted front levers? Sure there are others with more SCIENCE to quote at you.

[Paul B]

Volume is probably the answer (and i'm not talking about those akward traingles that try to remove your nipple on a regular basis) so this might not be applicable but maybe undertake the patented unclesomebody strength based assessment, post up the results and go from there?

How many one armers per arm?
How many pull ups on jugs?
How many pulls ups on a small rung?
What is the smallest hold you can hang one arm open or 3 fingers?
What can you campus at the moment?
Can you do front levers at the moment? if so, for how long?
What weight can you load onto yourself and still do a pull up on a small rung?

I'm guessing from your lock strength theres going to be a whole lot of things you can work on, whether or not they're the best use of your time is another question.
What's making you fall off on those steep problems? wildly bicycling feet?

[carefultorque]

I'm guessing from your lock strength theres going to be a whole lot of things you can work on, whether or not they're the best use of your time is another question.
What's making you fall off on those steep problems? wildly bicycling feet?

Well, I just don't know what's making me fall off. It's not the foot thing.  I've got reasonable core stability and my feet don't tend to pop.  That could always be better, but it's not the key thing here.  I can remove one and place it back where I want it. 

It's just that I  tend to end up in an position where I'm locked-off between moves without being able to make the move.  Then I'll cheat, latch the hold and see what's stopping me.   That's where I go round in circles.  I can hold myself on the target hold. I can latch the hold.  Just can't move off the previous one, often enough.

I will take the Uncle strength assessment.  But I can tell ya now, be prepared to be underwhelmed.

[Jim]

How many pull-ups can you do?

Also as paul suggested, go climbing a lot more, its going to be more benaficial than speciafic training when climbing at this level. Remember to have the odd rest day here and there (Zod's beard take note).

[carefultorque]

How many pull-ups can you do?

I don't do pull ups.  When I last tried, I could do 2 with 50% bodyweight attached, or 14 without.

[Jim]

I don't do pull ups.

There in lies the problem. Do some sets of pull ups every day for a week and you will see a massive improvement

[carefultorque]

I don't do pull ups.

There in lies the problem. Do some sets of pull ups every day for a week and you will see a massive improvement

Jim, thank you.  But before I go off and follow this advice, is there SCIENCE behind this claim?

[GCW]

is there SCIENCE behind this claim?

Possibly not, but there's LOGIC.

[carefultorque]

is there SCIENCE behind this claim?

Possibly not, but there's LOGIC.

Oh, all right then.  I'll go with that.  Weighted ones, presumably?

[Jim]

no because your trying to get some power endurance

[GCW]

Ever tried assisted one arm hangs/lowers/pulls?  Could be worth a go, eh?

[account_inactive]

It's hard to say what your weakness is without seeing you climb, but consider..........

What is letting you down on steeper angles?  Holding on, moving between the holds, keeping your feet on, PE or technique to get to the top?

Then consider..........

Fingerboard exercises, locking exercises (bar/campus), core or PE training (4x4,Tabata, volume etc), technique drills

Hope this helps you figure it out

[abarro81]

Sounds like you might be struggling to initiate the movements? (That's my interpretation of what you said, correct me if I'm wrong)
Two thoughts:
-technique shizzle, initiating with legs/anything else good climbers do
- lack of power (rather than static strength) - do some campussing or summat instead of lock work?
{Disclaimer: most people on here know more than me about training/being strong than me, so probably best to take their word for it if they contradict me.}
Other question: How long have you been climbing for?

[Paul B]

Fingerboard exercises, locking exercises (bar/campus), core or PE training (4x4,Tabata, volume etc), technique drills

Hope this helps you figure it out

Does tabata relate to climbing well, personally I just can't see it? What do you do in the high intensity sections: climb like a madman as per the squat variation that they tested...

[account_inactive]

Tabata didn't test squats AFAIK

http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0145.htm

[carefultorque]

It's hard to say what your weakness is without seeing you climb, but consider..........

What is letting you down on steeper angles?  Holding on, moving between the holds, keeping your feet on, PE or technique to get to the top?


Hope this helps you figure it out

Thanks Dylan.  I just don't know what's stopping me.  But some ideas:

 1)I think I need to get my movement repertoire to the next level for starters.  There are movement subtleties, especially 'whole body climbing' awareness that I can see in action but fail to apply under pressure. Basics like inside and outside flagging at various angles of steepness are okay.

2) Not strong enough, but not clear where.  I'm beginning to think it's shoulder girdle.  Also can latch holds open handed but don't convert to a crimp quickly enough, because I can't.
I'd definitely choose 'moving between holds' from your list. 

What is Tabata?


Cheers

[carefultorque]

Sounds like you might be struggling to initiate the movements? (That's my interpretation of what you said, correct me if I'm wrong)
Two thoughts:
-technique shizzle, initiating with legs/anything else good climbers do
- lack of power (rather than static strength) - do some campussing or summat instead of lock work?
{Disclaimer: most people on here know more than me about training/being strong than me, so probably best to take their word for it if they contradict me.}
Other question: How long have you been climbing for?

Yup, that's definitely part of it.  I probably still move like an E3/E4 climber V3-4 punter and that's the extent of my movement repertoire,.  Sure I can pull moves harder than this but however strong I'm capable of getting, applying that is going to be the tricky thing.   When I watch climbers I know well who're in the V9 to Font 8A range, they do things that I simply can't envisage doing, like very powerful rockovers on the 50 degree wall. Okay so not realistic to emulate that at the same hold size, but you get what I'm saying.

[SA Chris]

You still don't say how long you have been at it for? I think getting on outdoor rock as much as possible and doing mileage across all rock types / styles / grades is required to build a decent base repertoire of technique/s.

[carefultorque]

Sounds like you might be struggling to initiate the movements? (That's my interpretation of what you said, correct me if I'm wrong)

I think that's right.

Oh, I should add I have a slight lardage problem.  That's to say, my lean mass was calculated last week as 74 kilgrammes.  I weigh 89, so lean weight plus 10% should be achievable= around 81 Kg.  That should make  a difference.  I know because I've worn a 10Kg weight belt before. 

Not easy to get down this athletic body composition in one's mid forties, but possible with dedication.  I think that'll push me two V grades without doing anything differently.

[Falling Down]

I probably still move like an E3/E4 climber

Nowt wrong with that. Most steady E3/E4 climbers I know have a great technique and movement. More so than some strong boys and girls...

[Paul B]

Tabata didn't test squats AFAIK

http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0145.htm

you're correct its some chat waterbury variation that I read on figureathlete or something I think...I still can't see how you can relate it to climbing, you can't exactly spring on a board, so do you go from doing a fr5 circuit to doing your max boulder problem then back or something? still not quite seeing how it would work anyway thats an aside.

[carefultorque]

You still don't say how long you have been at it for? I think getting on outdoor rock as much as possible and doing mileage across all rock types / styles / grades is required to build a decent base repertoire of technique/s.

Absolutely right there.  Did five years, mostly routes on vertical limestone.  Onsight 6c, working 7a+ level.  Started a bit of bouldering to font 6a+.  Couple of trips to font, couple to grit. Not a huge amount of experience outside, all in all.
 
Then I hit an 8 year patch of injuries and serious health problems and did practically nothing - perhaps 10 days over that period.  One of the consequences was that I maxxed out at nearly 16 stone on a middleweight frame and 181 centimetres height.  So I've dealt with the worst part of that now - back to 90 Kg. 

I've been climbing again regularly since mid feb for the first time in 8 years.   So overall, I'm really a climber with 5 years experience, nothing like 13.

[webbo]

how many times a week do you climb.i would suggest you just cilmb more and it will start to fall in to place.at the level your at i doubt getting all scientific with supplementry training is gonna help that much.

[carefultorque]

how many times a week do you climb.i would suggest you just cilmb more and it will start to fall in to place.at the level your at i doubt getting all scientific with supplementry training is gonna help that much.

3 times a week.   

Agree that volume's the way forward, but plainly a touch of hypertrophy would come in handy, too.

If I can do 4 x 4s at V2 and 8/10 V3+ onsight, my theoretical worked level is say V6.  It simply isn't possible that my onsight level is the same as my max level, so another way of asking what I'm saying is, what's stopping me from putting these harder problems together, especially when I can easily deal with the holds involved?