[Luke Owens]

I'm looking for some advice on making the most out of 20 minutes...

I climb 3 times a week usually 2 eve sessions and one day at the weekend. I've spent the whole of this year pumped on everything even if the moves in isolation I find easy (Even on my hardest redpoints).
 
As well as planning to do all sorts of Aero-Cap, 4x4's etc on my climbing days this winter I'd like to make use of my 30 Minute lunch in work. I currently sit around and do nothing.

Given the fact it'll probably take me 5 minutes to get changed, get out of the building and faff a bit either side of the 30 minutes it leaves me with approx. 20 minutes to do some exercise. I planned to just do some running put after reading this thread:

http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,20435.0.html

I've got the feeling this might be completely pointless...

We have a gym onsite but it costs £10 a month, worth investing and doing something slightly more climbing related in there for 20 minutes?

Any idea's on how to best use this time would be great. It adds up to a lot of time over the year (87 hours).

Cheers

[T_B]

Focus on antagonistic muscles?  So do some plank, shoulder stability exercises with a theraband and some push ups. Light core exercises on another day. Better than nothing, not much time required. It could be a 20 minute 'injury prevention' routine?

[SA Chris]

yoga

T_B's advice sounds good.

I used have limited lunch and used to go for a brisk walk, not enough to get sweaty and need to change clothes, enough to get the pulse rate up and hopefully clear out some lactic acid. Goodif you have easy access to somewhere steep to walk up.

[rginns]

I'm in a pretty similar situation, except that where I work there is no Gym...
I've found that if weather is ok,  I can get changed, and be in the quarry in about 6 minutes if I'm on it quick (as I'm 4 or 5 minutes away from Brownstones). I either spend time traversing (as many moves as possible) or otherwise get on a project un-warmed up which is not to be recommended too much...

The only thing is this is totally weather and psyche dependent. Oftentimes I'll be stuck into something that I need to finish and don't have the enthusiasm for it. Other times I'm out three times a wk.
It also depends on if you're close enough to somewhere outside to make it feasible...

general conditioning should be possible in the gym with very regular sessions, and this will help with energy levels in the afternoon if your job is sedentary (endorphins etc)

[chris j]

Get them to add a fingerboard in the gym and do a couple of 5 minute sets of foot-on fingerboarding to get a forearm burn??

[Luke Owens]

Get them to add a fingerboard in the gym and do a couple of 5 minute sets of foot-on fingerboarding to get a forearm burn??

This would be great but they would never do it!

Focus on antagonistic muscles?  So do some plank, shoulder stability exercises with a theraband and some push ups. Light core exercises on another day. Better than nothing, not much time required. It could be a 20 minute 'injury prevention' routine?

This is a great idea, cheers! Shame i've not got my theraband in the car today though!

I'm in a pretty similar situation, except that where I work there is no Gym...
I've found that if weather is ok,  I can get changed, and be in the quarry in about 6 minutes if I'm on it quick (as I'm 4 or 5 minutes away from Brownstones). I either spend time traversing (as many moves as possible) or otherwise get on a project un-warmed up which is not to be recommended too much...

The only thing is this is totally weather and psyche dependent. Oftentimes I'll be stuck into something that I need to finish and don't have the enthusiasm for it. Other times I'm out three times a wk.
It also depends on if you're close enough to somewhere outside to make it feasible...

general conditioning should be possible in the gym with very regular sessions, and this will help with energy levels in the afternoon if your job is sedentary (endorphins etc)

I'm too far away from any climbing unfortunately, I might consider joining the gym. The pull up bar could help with a few things and also some antagonistic training.

Ideally it would be great to do something that would help with endurance but I think 20 mins just isn't long enough...

[the_dom]

Get them to add a fingerboard in the gym and do a couple of 5 minute sets of foot-on fingerboarding to get a forearm burn??

This would be great but they would never do it!

...

I'm too far away from any climbing unfortunately, I might consider joining the gym. The pull up bar could help with a few things and also some antagonistic training.

Ideally it would be great to do something that would help with endurance but I think 20 mins just isn't long enough...

Get a set of Rock Rings and use them to do a 20 minute power endurance hangboard session on the pullup bar at the gym.

[Luke Owens]

Get them to add a fingerboard in the gym and do a couple of 5 minute sets of foot-on fingerboarding to get a forearm burn??

This would be great but they would never do it!

...

I'm too far away from any climbing unfortunately, I might consider joining the gym. The pull up bar could help with a few things and also some antagonistic training.

Ideally it would be great to do something that would help with endurance but I think 20 mins just isn't long enough...

Get a set of Rock Rings and use them to do a 20 minute power endurance hangboard session on the pullup bar at the gym.

I like the sound of this! Cheers!

[cheque]

I find stretching is a good lunchtime activity- nice to get back to your desk with the relaxed feeling it gives you. You just need somewhere private (and warm) to do it. It's not going to help you get less pumped though!

[nai]

Get a set of Rock Rings and use them to do a 20 minute power endurance hangboard session on the pullup bar at the gym.

I like the sound of this! Cheers!

About to stick some on ebay, let me know if you're interested in them and I'll hold off.

[gme]

speak to your boss and extend your lunch to an hour, thereby making it worth while, and start work half an hour early.

I think 20 mins is just to short to have a worthwhile session, you will have hardly warmed up. Even doing planks etc needs a warm up of some sort.

[tim palmer]

I find running the most useful thing to do, I can't see what benefit doing twenty minutes of finger boarding will do if you are already climbing/training 4 times a week.

[tommytwotone]

I used to have a gym at work, albeit a slightly longer break but I used to do what T_B suggested - think a couple of antagonist sessions helped stave off the hunch a lot.

Other than that, if you can get an hour try the "gymathlon" - 1k row(on top level), 5k run (1 degree incline) and 10k bike (on hardish setting, it used to be level 4 on our bikes) in any order you like, time is total for the lot, including any transitions or rest. Anything in the 45 min ballpark and you'll know you've had a workout!

[Luke Owens]

Thanks everyone! Plenty of suggestions. To test out my time today I went for a 3km jog.

It took 3 minutes to get out of the building and changed. 15 minute run then 3 minutes changing back and back in the building. 21 minutes in total, 9 mins to spare. It feels great training midday as I work in an office so I'm sitting down all day. Loving the midday boost!

speak to your boss and extend your lunch to an hour, thereby making it worth while, and start work half an hour early.

I think 20 mins is just to short to have a worthwhile session, you will have hardly warmed up. Even doing planks etc needs a warm up of some sort.

Great idea! I would definitely prefer a longer so I'm going to request 45 mins and invest in the £10 a month gym. I've asked a mate and it's quiet in there and no one uses the pull up bar!

About to stick some on ebay, let me know if you're interested in them and I'll hold off.

Awesome! how much?

[Nibile]

In 20 mins you could also do some max hangs. I mean, real max. You can probably warm up with a ball while working, then another 10 minutes to get into it, then five max hangs with 2 minutes rests and you're golden. Or even 2 max hangs with 5 minutes if you want to go really big (one arm).
Seems little, but think about spending 87 hours dangling on your digits and...
 
Assuming you can hang some Rock Rings or the likes.

[tim palmer]

In 20 mins you could also do some max hangs. I mean, real max.

That sounds like an excellent way of getting injured no?

[Nibile]

I don't think so.
Of course you have to forget all the general warm-up, raising heart beat, semi specific warm-up, specific warm-up thing and get straight into specific warm-up.
Ten minutes of progressively harder dead hangs and easy pull ups should get you ready for another five minutes of semi max hangs and then five minutes of max hangs. One or two max hangs and that's all.
This is what I've been doing when I had little time. Of course you have to get progressively used to it. The first sessions will be easier, then the body will adapt.

[abarro81]

I wouldn't be able to get anywhere near a max hang in 20 minutes, even on the friendliest of grips, and would think it would be dangerous for me to try on anything other than 4 finger slopers - warming up a crimp, half crimp or pocket hang would take much longer. You must be able to warm up much quicker than me....

[Sasquatch]

In 20 mins you could also do some max hangs. I mean, real max. You can probably warm up with a ball while working, then another 10 minutes to get into it, then five max hangs with 2 minutes rests and you're golden. Or even 2 max hangs with 5 minutes if you want to go really big (one arm).
Seems little, but think about spending 87 hours dangling on your digits and...
 
Assuming you can hang some Rock Rings or the likes.

My Max Hang workouts are 34 minutes total including warmup, 3 progressive hangs, 5 max hangs.  If you cut it back to 3 max hangs I'd be under 30 minutes.... 

[Dexter]

my suggestion would be to incorporate all of the above suggestions into a routine
e.g.
1 or 2 days a week
max hangs plus core/antagonistic between sets
2 days a week
stretches
1 day a week
run

all depends what you want out of it I guess as you might be able to mix strectes with core/antagonistic stuff like

mon-max hangs + stretch in between sets
tue-antagonistic + stretch
wed-run
thurs-max hangs+ antagonistic
fri - antagonistic + stretch

[Luke Owens]

Guys this is great, thank you!

Just waiting to hear back about my 45 minute lunch request.

Think I'll have a longer lunch on Monday and Wednesday.

Lunch Sessions:
M: 45mins - Max hangs or Repeaters?
T: 30mins - Antagonistic and stretching
W: 45mins - Max hangs or Repeaters?
T: 30mins - Antagonistic and stretching
F: 30 mins - Run

That mixed with evening sessions should give me plenty of volume.

Evening Sessions:
M: Feet-on fingerboarding/Aero-Cap
T: Climbing
W: Rest
T: Climbing
F: Feet-on fingerboarding/Aero-Cap

Weekends:
S: Rest or climb
S: Rest or climb

Anyone noticed any advantages/disadvantages of doing split sessions of Strength and Endurance in the same day?

Going to invest in The Wedge or Rock Rings, The Wedge is looking more likely at the moment!

[Ti_pin_man]

this time period is asking for trouble to do much climbing..

in 20 mins though you could do core work, do an set of abs101 and back101, 3 mins rest and repeat.  you should get in 3 or 4 sets.  you could do some pull ups i the rest, as its completely different muscles.  then change and back to the desk.

[the_dom]

Guys this is great, thank you!

Just waiting to hear back about my 45 minute lunch request.

Think I'll have a longer lunch on Monday and Wednesday.

Lunch Sessions:
M: 45mins - Max hangs or Repeaters?
T: 30mins - Antagonistic and stretching
W: 45mins - Max hangs or Repeaters?
T: 30mins - Antagonistic and stretching
F: 30 mins - Run

That mixed with evening sessions should give me plenty of volume.

Evening Sessions:
M: Feet-on fingerboarding/Aero-Cap
T: Climbing
W: Rest
T: Climbing
F: Feet-on fingerboarding/Aero-Cap

Weekends:
S: Rest or climb
S: Rest or climb

Anyone noticed any advantages/disadvantages of doing split sessions of Strength and Endurance in the same day?

Going to invest in The Wedge or Rock Rings, The Wedge is looking more likely at the moment!

Instead of max hangs / repeaters, I'd try to find Ethan Pringle's 20 minute power endurance workout on the 'net. It's not so arduous as to discount climbing later in the day (in fact, I used to do it twice with a 10 minute break inbetween), but it gets you properly pumped.

[Sasquatch]

It's all going to be relative to what/why you're training. 

Repeaters may take too long and will have a greater impact on the evening session.  I haven't found max hangs to impact an endurance or pwr endurance session much. 

Not sure what Ethan's 20 min workout is, so can't comment.

Based off of this:

Lunch Sessions:
M: 45mins - Max hangs or Repeaters?
T: 30mins - Antagonistic and stretching
W: 45mins - Max hangs or Repeaters?
T: 30mins - Antagonistic and stretching
F: 30 mins - Run

Evening Sessions:
M: Feet-on fingerboarding/Aero-Cap
T: Climbing
W: Rest
T: Climbing
F: Feet-on fingerboarding/Aero-Cap
S: Rest or climb
S: Rest or climb

You'll won't have any rest days except the weekend.  Remember that improvemnt comes from two basic things:
Hard enough work that your body tries to compensate.
The right amount of rest that allows your body to compensate. 

[Dexter]

It's all going to be relative to what/why you're training. 

Repeaters may take too long and will have a greater impact on the evening session.  I haven't found max hangs to impact an endurance or pwr endurance session much. 

Not sure what Ethan's 20 min workout is, so can't comment.

Based off of this:

Lunch Sessions:
M: 45mins - Max hangs or Repeaters?
T: 30mins - Antagonistic and stretching
W: 45mins - Max hangs or Repeaters?
T: 30mins - Antagonistic and stretching
F: 30 mins - Run

Evening Sessions:
M: Feet-on fingerboarding/Aero-Cap
T: Climbing
W: Rest
T: Climbing
F: Feet-on fingerboarding/Aero-Cap
S: Rest or climb
S: Rest or climb

You'll won't have any rest days except the weekend.  Remember that improvemnt comes from two basic things:
Hard enough work that your body tries to compensate.
The right amount of rest that allows your body to compensate.

surely the antagonistic days are essentially rest though? Also endurance stuff as active rest?