[tomtom]

Mon: V quick (20 min) sloper beastmaker session. 5x5 IYT TRX eve

Tues: Board session - not especially good - bit flat

Weds: 1 arm Pull Up session. First time I've tried these in 23 days - to give my Golfers Elbow a break. Bashed out 10 reps at 12kg assist from a completely relaxed arm. Best I've ever managed at this weight from completely straight. Felt gooooood - stopped strong. Psyche.

Thurs: Rest. Elbow DOMs... shoulders really worked by Thurs.

Fri: Board. Still feeling it from weds. Took ages to warm up - did alright in the end but a bit disappointing after a rest day and all... 20 min TRX later, including doing something that felt like doing undercuts (enjoyed that..).

Sat: Slopers. 3 x 3 x 6 x 7 secs on the BM. Did 3 sets for the first time... dug deep - did it. Had half a bottle of wine in the evening. Most I've drunk in about 3 years....

Sun: Board day. excellent - climbing well - great contact strength, reeling lots of stuff in. Hips close climbing well. Maybe not the best board day ever - but getting there.

[csl]

Still managing to keep the psyche for training, booked an optimistic week in Skye in May which I hope will keep me going through the rest of lockdown.

January Goals
- Climb a 7B on one of the boulders in Hackney, my only local "outdoor" climbing - Didn't do this. I attempted to go on a Sunday a few weeks ago to find ~30 people all over each other, so I can only realistically visit in the morning on weekdays, which the weather didn't really play ball with.
- 10 mobility sessions. 11/10. Actually enjoying this. Going to up this to 4x weekly.
- Lose 2kg of Christmas weight - not actively trying to lose anything now, but have dropped down to an OK weight.
- Try hard on the board and stick to my training plan - never missed a session, but did skip a few exercises I had planned. Not a bad month. Never consistently climbed on a board before so happy to do a few things which took more than a session to finish.

Monday
Hangs - 4x5 seconds 2 arm hangs @ 115kg
Board - Limit Moves. Did a project I've been trying for ~5 sessions. Made up a new one.
Lock offs + Assisted 1 armers

Tuesday
Rest

Wednesday
Board - Limit Moves.
Meant to do assisted 1 armers but didn't get round to it.

Mobility - 15 minutes hip flexibility

Thursday
Rings - pushups, rows, pike pushups, I's Y's T's.

Friday
Hangs - 4x5 seconds 1 arm hangs @ 72kg. Felt fine so did last rep @ 73kg
Board - Ok session. Made up a few things which really don't suit me and worked on them.
5x Weighted pullups followed by 5x explosive pullups - 3 sets

Saturday
Rest

Sunday

Mobility - 30 minutes hip flexibility

February Goals

- Have a rest week, 1 final hard week to go then will have a low volume week to reset.
- Keep the faith, climb on the board 3x a week
- 16x mobility, mainly concentrate on hips
- Mabley Green boulder x3, tick a 7B

[Will Hunt]

Don't think I did anything this week.

Saturday: Ilkley with Dunstar In Orbit. Quick warm up on fingerboard at home then off to Polar Haze. Sussed the heel position and did.
Then a quick tickle of Sweet Dreams sit just to check that it's definitely not for me. It's not. Feels bunched and awkward.
Then we went to the Doris Buttress and had a look at Doris Direct. I managed the first slap to the crimp but didn't have the power to lock it while getting the foot up onto the lip. Feels like an old skool, basic 7B+. You know, the type that's actually hard and requires lots of crimp strength.
Then onto Bald Pate Direct which we couldn't figure out at all. Would love to know how it's done. There just didn't seem to be any footholds! Another old skool thing from the days where you had to pull quite hard for your grade (7B in this case).
Then down to Superset. Had some abortive goes trying to hold the crack with my foot in the wrong bit of the W. As soon as I used the right bit it started to come together. Dropped the top jump 2 or 3 times going for the wrong bit so went round and tick marked it. Did it next go. Overall felt very steady - easier than First Arete? The grades at Ilkley seem to be all over the place.
Felt on the edge of hypothermia at this point. Sat in the car shivering and drinking coffee before driving home.

[RobK]

M - 30 minute run.

T - Max hangs. F3 drag because of pinky joint split. The usual 6 x 10 secs with 3 minutes rest on the Lattice Edge. Not done these before so first session all complete at +5kg. Finished with Crimpd AeroCap repeaters @-14kg. Seemed like a good intensity level.

W - An hour on the board. Trying the current project and finished with a few repeats of old ones which was nice.

T - Crimpd AnCap 80% repeaters @+6kg. All complete with a taped up pinky. Then some bar core before 4 x 1.20 on/1.10 off on the board. Was meant to do a full set of 8 but just felt really worked. Find trying to do anything, even low end endurance, so tough after any power/strength endurance work.

F - Rest.

S - F3 max hangs again. All complete @+7kg. Not bad considering in September I couldn't even hang F3 at bodyweight on the Lattice edge, an obvious weakness. Then an hour on the board. Managed to finish off the current project (even caught it on video https://www.instagram.com/p/CKrj13ZDnda/). Nice, although not has hard as I thought it was going to be with a change in foot beta. Annoyingly split a cuticle on the edge of my nail so I just know that's going to be sore for a few days. Finished with offset pull ups.

S - AM, Crimpd AnCap 80% repeaters @+7kg. All complete with no tape on the pinky this time (healing nicely). Some levers on the bar afterwards. PM, 8 x 1.20 on/1.10 off on the board jugs. I don't know how relevant/beneficial these sessions are to my UK projects, but if I turn the heater up enough and close my eyes, it's almost like I'm hauling on Euro tufas. Almost. Some pull ups to finish with.

A decent week, relatively pleased with motivation levels given it's been over a month since I touched rock and could very well be that amount of time before I do again. Just keep grinding.

[shark]

11.5-7 Average 160.6 (down 1.7lbs)

M.

T. AM FB set of recruitment pulls and speed pulls
Lunch 2 degrees Headed to Burbage but drizzly so diverted to Tor. Better than last week but still mainly wet and drippy and drizzly and claggy throughout the day with temp rising to 6.5 degrees by time I left. THFML once then fell off second time. Rest. Cross thru in isolation first go then pocket and crimp to stab first go. Rest. 3 goes at throw move. Rest. Throw to failing on cross thru. Rest. Pinch and edge to failing on cross thru. Rest. 2 attempts from edge and small pocket but struggled to get enough purchase on pinch. Rest. Attempted from same point - got further but left foot came off whilst crossing foot thru and no energy for throw. Rest. Tried from pinch and edge and nearly held crimp. Rest Tried again but feet came off then a couple of failed goes trying the throw but still felt fresher at the end with more snap than last week despite having done a bit more so marginal progress of sorts.

W. Lunch 5 sets of 4 Fast pull-ups. Upped added weight from 12lb to 16lb. Chest to bar 13x.
Eve. Max hangs on ergo edge. Upped weight by 2.5kgs. Good session. 2 x 7sec HC hangs @ +32.5kg. I’ll call it a PB when I get a 10 sec hang. 

T.

F. PM FB set of recruitment pulls and speed pulls for the sake of Sharkathon

S. AM Home FB warmup. Snowy/Rainy. Tor. 2 degrees. Crag still wet and dripping. Focussed from the outset this time on starting section rather than getting tired first on other links of midsection. Played around with pinch working out optimal grip position. Then tried from small pocket and edge. First go enough power for throw but off target. Second go briefly held it. Third go got and climbed to falling getting foot on the pinch (first vid below). Progress. Ambitiously tried from the very start and held the crimp briefly (second vid) . More progress. Another go from the start and had the power and reach for the throw but off target. Fucked after that - couldn’t pull a single hard move. Seminal sess (I hope) Buzzing

S. PM Systems board. Warm up then gastons sequence which felt easy compared to normal. Surprised as thought I’d be knackered from previous day’s exertion. Decided to have a go at the AnCap circuit which finishes up the gastons sequence and got the final hold for the first time ever...then fired off it! Did a set of 20/10s timing 2 secs per move for first 60 moves. Low volume session to leave enough in the tank for tomorrow


Great week. Sharkathon complete. Didn’t lose as much weight as last year but at least average weight now back to where it was in November.

The links yesterday on Bens are significant because I was always in doubt about acquiring sufficient power/snap to execute the throw move after being sapped by starting moves ( 4 hand and 6 foot moves). Now I can shift into redpoint mode and hopefully get the endurance needed to do the whole thing - endurance is something that I’ve neglected to gain the strength to get to this point. Another issue is that the road closure means that daylight midweek sessions will require schlepping pads in from the station car park along the Monsal Trail and I won’t have the warmth of the car to retreat to.

From two moves in



From the start

[teestub]

Overall felt very steady - easier than First Arete? The grades at Ilkley seem to be all over the place.

Is this an official Hunt downgrade of Superset, or a fleetingly rare Hunt upgrade is First Arête, or maybe both?

[dunnyg]

weight 74-75

Mon- Attempted calf session, tried carp park wall, and half hearted on front of calf. Too cold for me, what I wanted to try wasn't dry and I felt knackered. Decided to have a big rest.

tu - nowt
we - nowt
thu - nowt
fri - nowt

sat - Ilkley. Fell off polar haze a lot. Ticked sweet dreams stand in a few goes (beta worked out last time). Psyched! Proceeded to freeze my tits off, but will ticked superset which redeemed my suffering (soz for the lack of pad shuffling) and was impressive given I can't get off the ground on it.

sun - Stead crag for some pottering, did a really good 6B arete, which is worth a do for anyone nearby. Returned to First arete and dropped the top 3 times before calling it a day. Bradders cruised it, which was impressive to see.


Really psyched to make progress on first arete, ticking sweet dreams felt like an anti climax. I found polar haze frustrating as I worked out moves I couldn't do previously, but then couldn't do moves I previously could. Keen to get back on the calf eliminates, stretch, and do some finger boarding this week. Slowly losing weight still, which is good. Still shit at crimping!

[Will Hunt]

Overall felt very steady - easier than First Arete? The grades at Ilkley seem to be all over the place.

Is this an official Hunt downgrade of Superset, or a fleetingly rare Hunt upgrade is First Arête, or maybe both?

Probably both? I don't think either is wildly out, but if I was to draw up a graded list of the 7th grade problems I've done at Ilkley it probably wouldn't be in the order that the guidebook grades would put it in.

[Bradders]

Returned to First arete and dropped the top 3 times before calling it a day. Bradders cruised it, which was impressive to see.

Next time mate! Thanks for the beta.

Overall felt very steady - easier than First Arete? The grades at Ilkley seem to be all over the place.

Is this an official Hunt downgrade of Superset, or a fleetingly rare Hunt upgrade is First Arête, or maybe both?

Probably both? I don't think either is wildly out, but if I was to draw up a graded list of the 7th grade problems I've done at Ilkley it probably wouldn't be in the order that the guidebook grades would put it in.

Thought First Arete felt about the same as Sweet Dreams, but obviously more conditions dependent / knacky. Whatever that means grade wise. Cool problem. Never tried Superset. Or Doris Direct for that matter.

[Carl]

STG - 2-3 7B+ [2 complete] in Q1 and some progress on a 7C. If weather cooperates. Stick to fingerboarding if it doesn't.
MTG - get on a rope for some hardish (> F7b) things this year.
LTG - figure out an LTG.

Monday
Weighted pull-ups. 97 kg total load, 3x5 completed. Felt miles better than when I was trying for 8-10 reps on lower weights... Might be the cause of my general distaste for anything longer than about 5 moves!

Tuesday
Max hangs. 90.2 kg load, although takeaway interrupted between reps 3-4 and may have interfered with the consistent loading! Succeeded again, which I'm happy with. Feeling strong on the hangs.

Wednesday
Just pushups, around 100 in lots of 25.

Thursday
Max hangs, up to 90.6 kg. Another success, although I think slightly botched the warm-up and had some discomfort on the working sets. Nothing too significant, but will keep an eye out to see if it returns. Will probably maintain at this weight for the next go rather than increase to 91.

Friday
Nothing except maybe some wall slides for the shoulder! Happy enough to take it as a rest day given the discomfort, and prospect of getting outside on the weekend.

Saturday
Wrote off the grit due to active snowing. Checked out Stoney but the 3 dry holds didn't inspire. Went to Raven Tor, and found a few more dry holds but at least these ones strung together into a reasonable boulder, so played around on THFML. Saw who could only have been Shark on his last couple of attempts at Ben's for the day as well. Had a cursory pull on the holds but reckon that limestone 7C+ may have to wait a while! Most importantly, spent long enough trying that I felt like I didn't have to do any consolation weekend fingerboarding.
Drove back via Secret Garden, Higgar Tor and Burbage to check out the conditions. Most stuff was mint - lesson learned, never bother with the limestone, just have a longer lie-in 
Left Hand Man looked doable, so hopefully can get that Monday evening.

Sunday
Lovely walk from the Gardom's parking to the Eagle Stone, then back up to Gardom's around Suavito. Would have continued around to Birchen and back but girlfriend's knee preferred the shorter return. Really nice to cover some fresh ground in the Eastern Peak!
Quick evening lamp session at Froggatt to try Stottie. Really nice problem, went quickly from standing, then first go from sitting after that! Think I probably had more attempts trying to get warm on the 6B to the left. Either way, good to add another 7B+ to this year's pyramid.

[moose]

Ticked sweet dreams stand in a few goes (beta worked out last time).

Good work! I tried this today - annoyingly, I couldn't do the first move but could do the rest.  Did you heel-hook the sit start flake for the first move, or use a lower smear? I could not make that heel work - possibly leg length / inadequate hip flexibility, or maybe just a complete lack of "bounce" in the freezing cold. 

Also, tried First Arete on Saturday - no cigar but I got a proper hold of the scoop at the end of the session - and promptly dropped it in surprise!  It basically took almost 3 hours to learn how to make that right heel merely crap, rather than utterly cosmetic!  So, another day of failure but better than the last few years of efforts on it.  Thank you Will for the beta.

[shark]

Saw who could only have been Shark on his last couple of attempts at Ben's for the day as well.

 

[Duma]

M - Climbing! Lovely weather, and Gf very sweetly took afternoon off from wfh to come down to the gorge and belay me on The Prince. One go up to try a couple of beta tweaks suggested by my cat sitter, which got me through the first move, though not without a struggle, it's still far and away the crux for me. Redid the top including the clip, but was trying to minimise time on it to preserve skin for a few lead goes. Tactics worked out spot on as sun went behind the hill just before I tied back in, and lead went smoothly until one move before the arete - this is probably the easiest of the moves on the face but still on tinies, and my left tips had numbed out so was a bit heart in mouth going for the arete unsure if I had the hold right. Really happy to get this done, always fancied it as I do love a bit of vert crimping, but you've got to be keen to get down there when it's cold enough to use those crimps! Very gentle 5k run with gf after.
T - Board, 1hr. Some good pocket cross through action but cut short as shoulder feeling tweaky. Shoulder rehab.
W - Run, 5k, flat, pavement. 20:45. Was fairly well rested in the legs, but it was dark, wet, and after work, so a few more easy wins to be had. Think there's about 30s that'll need to come from hard work though. Light shoulder rehab stuff after. Also first booze of 2021.
T - Board, 1hr. Bit lacking psyche to begin with but did my first problem using the 7mm tinies, and a really powerful new one on pinches. Knee feeling tweaky after yesterday so going to give it a few days off running. Bit worrying as this is the knee that went crunch in the summer.
F - tried for an after work session at Avon but thwarted by runoff.
S - pootled round Bristol on the singlespeed. Evening, board, 1hr. Very cold and dry fired off a few times but still a decent little session.
S - plan was Avon this afternoon but thwarted by sleet (and shitty met office forecasts), so nothing but a walk in the mud to get me off the sofa.

70kg.

[Carl]

My hangs not maximal enough for Ben's!

[shark]

My hangs not maximal enough for Ben's!

I just think your heart isn’t in the limestone

[duncan]

- 10 mobility sessions. 11/10. Actually enjoying this. Going to up this to 4x weekly.

What are you doing for this?

M - Weighted pull-ups. 6km walk.
T - ‘Pickups’: 18mm edge x 40kg x7s.  Shoulder conditioning.  6km walk.
W -  8km walk
T - Shoulder conditioning (side planks, YsTs). 12km walk exploring the buildering possibilities around the fringes of Hampstead Heath. I didn’t find any previously unknown gems but I did end up walking further than I’ve done in the last two months.
F - ‘Pickups’: 18mm edge x 40kg x10s. 7km walk.
S - Shoulder, hips conditioning (side planks, YsTs, squats). 5km walk.
S - Shoulder, hips conditioning. 6km walk.

Decent week. Feels like my capacity to do physical stuff is slowly increasing. Left shoulder is a bit sore in an elevated position so taking a short break from pull-ups and hangs and doing pick-ups ('no hangs') instead.

Plan: continue 2-3x fingerboard per week. Gradually build up the general exercise tolerance. Further investigate local outdoor bouldering. Start stretching!?

[Will Hunt]

Ticked sweet dreams stand in a few goes (beta worked out last time).

Did you heel-hook the sit start flake for the first move

Exactement. Pull on and hell straight up. This makes the first hand movement steady and you keep the heel in for moving the left hand up also. If it's not working then it is possible to just use low smears, but obviously that first move becomes a tricky deadpoint. Perhaps with your ultimate Moose finger strength you can just lock it static? You could start cross handed to keep your left hand on the better crimp while you lock the first move?

[BeardWill]

I did the sweet dreams stand today. Started crossed (left hand on the good hold). Left heel on the very top of the ramp. Go RH to the seepy pocket thing then RH again to the good pocket (cut loose). Easy from there. I imagine you could do the same beta sans heel but I didn't try. *shrug*

[dunnyg]

Yeah, heel on flake at the start. I did stick the first move without the heel, but the next move up is then nails, or you end up putting your heel on anyway.

For me the intermediate 45 degree left hand was bad beta, in case that tempts you.

[User deactivated.]

Average weight: 84kg. 0.5-1hr yoga most nights

M - Ilkley. Arrived with poor skin, it was Baltic, I was un-psyched, and left with terrible skin. Had a go at superset but couldn't get my right foot weighted properly when doing the throw to the crack. Got too cold in the wind and my mats kept trying to take-off, so headed off to look for first arete armed with last week's beta discussion. Found that I couldn't get my left foot weighted properly on the edge (is there a theme here?) so I swapped it for a toe hook in the big hole, got to the pinch, I like pinches so didn't crimp and just pulled through to the pebbly hold, about to go for the top and feet slipped splitting 3 tips. Bailed, pretty disappointed with the session.

Re: Ilkley grade discussion above. Despite not finishing first arete, the top move doesn't seem like it will be too hard when my skin heals and it felt upper end 7A+ to me. Superset feels hard. It's not my style but it feels much harder than first arete for the move to the crack alone. The only grade I've encountered at Ilkley that seemed way off was Ringpiece as it felt about 7A tops but then I am good at squeezing and crap at actually climbing.

T - Skateboard. Mostly working nollie and fakie stuff.

W - Max hangs. Pistol squats and Nordic curls (AKA glute ham raise I think) during rest periods.

20 mins rest then rings. I previously had a goal to do a legit iron cross but had to stop training it when my elbows inevitably capitulated. However, the compression climbing gains were absolutely ridiculous, so I've decided to bring it back, carefully. Slowish negatives at bodyweight to test where i'm at then static holds with band assistance. Tuck planche pressups on paralettes and advanced tuck front lever pulls to finish.

T - Ribcage area, lats and shoulders obliterated from iron cross training. Nothing

F - Board session. Regular problems felt the living end after blocking the top of holds taking full crimps off the menu. Having 3 tips taped up didn't help either. Felt like a good training stimulus though.

S - Late night skateboard session. Enjoyable.

S - Brimham. The main objectives were ripple effect and trying not to further wreck my skin. Unfortunately ripple effect was wet, but I taped my tips from the start and succeeded on the latter. Started on red roof (7A+?) and did this 3rd go. A very good problem. Next did happy days. I have no idea why everyone uses the same beta on every video because it felt much easier to get the arete as a pinch. Then wandered around finding everything wet or at least mildly damp and got a bit fed up. Had a speculative look at Jim's problem, which essentially is just a 7C+ hilarious Brimham top out. Predictably this was also damp, but i'm quite keen to go back for this as it plays to my strengths.

PM strength work. 1 armers, ring turn out dips, lever rows, handstand presses, Max floor L-sits squeezing weight plates between feet.

[Will Hunt]

Had a go at superset but couldn't get my right foot weighted properly when doing the throw to the crack.

Where are you putting the right foot? When I tried it previously, and at first on Saturday, I put my toe in the bottom-right horizontal of the W. The move to the crack is then quite dynamic and I found even as I touched the crack my foot was coming off and I was swinging away. If you put your toe in the left-hand diagonal of the W then you really toe into it and it locks you into position - making the hand move to the crack fairly static. You then shift your hips rightwards which allows you to take your left hand off and get it matched in the crack.

[gollum]

I always found Superset desperate and just couldn’t hold the crack for some reason. Ended up doing it using a static contorted and blood vessel bursting method with my foot and hand in the starting hold. I’d tried it for years. Ten minutes after I did it, I walked up Curious Yellow, twice, which I’d maybe tried once before. Grades are funny things.

W/C 25/1/21

M - Walk, abs/core, biceps/triceps, yoga, small edges
T - Walk, pinches and monos, push, yoga
W - Walk, abs/core, pull-ups, yoga, repeaters
T - Walk,abs, pinches and monos, push, yoga
F - Walk, abs/core, pull-ups, yoga, repeaters.
S - Walk, abs, yoga, messing about with finger holds
S - Walk, abs, yoga

Bit of a change of plan this week, doing more with bigger muscle groups and less with smaller ones. Definitely starting to feel stir crazy and keen to get out again.

M - Standard 5k walk first thing in the morning.
Hard abs day. Start with 5 minutes plank, again stopping whilst strong. Next is 4x20 seconds L-sit. Move on to lever raises until feet  vertical, then a slow negative to full lever and 3 second hold for 4 sets. Then do 4x15 seconds levers with one legged tucked, so I can get a bit more durations or my holds. Feels pretty comfortable. After last week’s effort, start back levers with one single unsupported rep which is still shaken but definitely there, then move on to band supported back levers, to get some longer holds in position, do three sets simply until o give in, which feels around 8-10 seconds on each attempt. For obliques do 3x40 windscreen wipers. Finish with 80 paused abs roller reps.
Plan to train biceps and triceps today. Begin with superset of 3x8 bar dips to chest and 3x8 slow strict chins. Next is a superset of goblet tricep presses for 3x10 and 3x8 strict single arm curls. Close grip dumbbell presses and dumbbell spider curls for 3x12 each. Hammer curls and dumbbell skull crushers for 3x10 each. Finish with Zottman curls for 3x6 and overhead bilateral extensions for 3x10 to finish. This is 5 exercises a piece, which feels about right at the moment.
Today’s yoga is focused on psoas for both strength and mobility, although seems to do a fair job hitting quads and hamstrings too.
Go on for small edge work on 7mm. Do 9 sets adding weight each time, each for 5 seconds. Manage 22for the full 5, but despite effort fail at 4 seconds with 24k added. Bodyweight this week is around 68.5k so total for 5 is just over 90k, that’ll do.

T - Standard walk.
Pinches and monos in the morning. Square block is six sets of 5 seconds with the 24k and realise it is much easier if grip directly over attachment point, so do an extra set and hold 26 for over 5 on each hand. Use 18k for sets on flared block and try extra set with 20k at end, but too much at the moment. Move onto mono tool, start with full set of 5seconds with 36k which feels very easy so step up to 38k and 40k on last set. On first joint do 3x5 seconds on middle finger with 32k, 3x5 with 20k on first and pinkies and on ring finger do first set with 20, second with 22 and third with 24. Also dig out my CoC grippers and still find them bloody hard.
Easier abs session again. 3x3 minute planks followed by 3x50 Russian twists. 3x12 Superman holds with 60 paused abs roller reps to finish.
Push exercises today. Start with HSPU against the wall for single reps, do 5 sets and much more comfortable on each set than last week, on last set grind out 2 reps. Move on to same exercise but to a block, so not as deep, for 3x5. Next move on to TRX prone Ts for 5x5 with feet raised. Next is prone Ys for 3x8 and then Is for the same. 3x5 single arm scap raises to follow.  Then it’s supine IYTs as a combo for 3x8, which feels like a lot of moves on each set. 4x12 very slow very strict press-ups, which is much harder at this pace. Finish with IYTs on belly with 1k in each hand for 4x5. Aim is to do this sort of workout twice a week
Today’s yoga is based around shoulder and then hip flexibility. Good session.

W - 5k walk around the block early on.
Straight into abs when I get home. Start with plank for 5 minutes. Next move on to L-sit pull-ups for 4x8. Into full levers for four sets manage 10 seconds on each of first three and go to failure on last set, losing form at 15seconds. Do four sets of back lever, just going into position, holding momentarily and the rolling out of it. Video middle set, form is marginally better than last week. Next is 3x60 seconds each of side planks on either side and hollow bodies. Finish with 100 reps on abs roller.
Start pull-ups with OAP for five singles on each arm. Set 1; RH bodyweight LH -4K, set 2; RH +2k, LH, Set 3; RH +4 LH -2, Set 4; RH +4, LH -1.5k, Set 5; same as 4 as feels like my limits at the moment. Locks on the bar next. 90°, 120° for 3x5 seconds each and on full lock to failure which is around 5 seconds on RH and about 3 on LH, so take 5k off and do a further 3 sets with LH, at which I manage around 8 seconds on each rep and have the added bonus of a slow negative at the end of each rep. To help improve power I try a new exercise whereby I pull up on the door frame (which is substantial) and try to touch the wall as high as possible (it’s about 80cm to the architrave and 95 to the ceiling). Just do three sets on each arm of these wall taps and am about 5-10cm off the bottom of the architrave. Fun!! Next do 3x5 speed pullls, going chest above the bar. Weighted pull-ups for 5x5 with 24k. Move on to 4x10 superset of chins and wide grip pull-ups. 3x10 close grip pull ups is next and finish with some scap raises.
Today’s yoga focuses on hip flexibility. Do some additional shoulder flexibility work, as they are just nowhere near as bendy as they used to be.
Repeaters session and add weight on all grip types except back 2, back 3 and small edges, manage to complete each set apart from last rep of mid 2, so broadly happy that I hadn’t overcooked it. To finish do some single arm hangs testing out my thin cord/pulley system. Manage 5 second hangs at 8,4,2 and bodyweight but only 3 seconds at plus 2k.

T - Walk in the pouring rain.
Easy abs. Start with 3x3 minute planks, follow with 100 Russian twists, 3x12 superman holds and finish with 50 paused abs roller reps.
Monos and pinches. Square block 6x5 seconds, starting at 24 and working up to 2sets at 26. Flared block 6 sets of minimum 5seconds but up to 7 on lighter weights, work up to a solid 19k. Next do some 7 second sets on Lattice pinch and work up to limit of 20k. On mono trainer do  3x5 seconds on each finger with 40k. On first joint do 3x5 seconds with 32 on middle finger, 24 on ring finger abs 20 on first finger and pinky (which feels easy on some fingers but not others, will move on when all feels easy on both hands). Again finish with some CoC work.
Push again. Start with HSPU against the wall. Go for five singles to the floor, then do 3x5 to a block. Do a single rep deficit negative and then discover my head and the carpet must be like two sides of Velcro as there is absolutely no way I am moving upwards at the moment. TRX work starts with 5x6 prone Is, next is prone Ys for 3x8 and prone Ts with raised feet for 4x8. Single arm shoulder shrugs for 3x5 before I dismantle bar. For a change do press-ups for time, keeping them slow and holding a pause at the bottom, at 90 seconds I’m blown out. Do IYTs in a supine position as a triset for 3x8 again, which feels much easier than doing it as a combo. Do some band work. For shoulders 3x8 of lateral raises and 3x8 front raises. For chest, some band flys, band to front and back. Finish with some leg stuff, working on single leg squats and calf raises and stretches.
A good old stretch of the back and shoulders for yoga today.
Good session with massage gun on legs as calf and hamstring felt tight.

F - Walk, which felt a bit non-descript today.
Home for abs and core. Start with 5 minutes plank, do need to fight the tedium and try to go a bit further. 50 very slow and paused reps on the abs roller. Do L-sits for 3x20 seconds with two sets in full lock, two at 90° and two at 120°, multitasking. Next is 4 attempts at back lever, which do feel like they are improving. Then do three sets with a band so I get a longer hold in position, around 5 seconds. Front levers 4x10 seconds. Finish this section with 3x12 bicycles in lever position which start to work obliques and 4 sets of angled flags to work them more. These are pretty poor at the moment, to be fair.
Move on to pulls. OAP singles for 5 sets. Set 1; RH bodyweight, LH -2, Set 2-5,RH +4, LH -1.5. Move on to single arm lock offs. Three sets at each angle. At full lock use -5k on each time so I get a decent duration hold and can probate the wrist more. Move on to weighted pull-ups for 4x6 with 24k. Next is speed pulls to chest for 4c6. Superset of 3x10 each of chins and wide pulls. Again finish with close grip pulls for 3x10.
Yoga for flexibility session today. Nice and steady.
Do repeaters session. Don’t add weight today, but do complete every set, so that’s good enough. Then go on to try a thing I’ve seen on Instagram, using edge on a Lattice pinch block for a mono for 7 seconds, can manage 18,  but fail at 5 seconds on both hands at 20.

S- Around the block standard 5k walk.
50 steady abs roller reps.
Yoga is purportedly for climbers today, a mix of upper body, spine and lower body stretches and some balance work.
Have another play with the mono game on the Lattice edge and when fresher manage 22 for 7 on both fingers, although fingers just fire straight off 24. Also have a go at 7 second hangs on the block itself, failing at 20k. Finally, try edge, getting up to 51, when I tun out of weights I can add, but also think I’d about reached my limit.

S - Walk around the block, conditions would be awesome on the grit today. Missing it.
3x12 abs roll outs from the feet.
Yoga for abs.
Steady day.

Keeping the mojo going and keen to get on stuff when I think it’s right for me. Things feel like they are coming along nicely at the moment and I’m having a lot of fun.

[User deactivated.]

Had a go at superset but couldn't get my right foot weighted properly when doing the throw to the crack.

Where are you putting the right foot? When I tried it previously, and at first on Saturday, I put my toe in the bottom-right horizontal of the W. The move to the crack is then quite dynamic and I found even as I touched the crack my foot was coming off and I was swinging away. If you put your toe in the left-hand diagonal of the W then you really toe into it and it locks you into position - making the hand move to the crack fairly static. You then shift your hips rightwards which allows you to take your left hand off and get it matched in the crack.

I think I tried a few places but mostly at the bottom-right of the W so this could be promising. Gollum's high foot beta sounds ok too. Is that starting with a high-foot in the hole straight off the mat?

[Will Hunt]

Gollum's high foot beta sounds ok too. Is that starting with a high-foot in the hole straight off the mat?

Yep, there's a video here.

[gollum]

I think I got into position that way, but think I went with my left backhanded into the crack with my right sort of side pulling/undercutting on a ripple on the square. It’s not absolutely impossible it was my left foot in the square. I remember it being very contorted and powerful.

I apologise for not being able to remember the beta, generally I can’t remember 15 seconds later, never mind 15 years and I struggle with the whole left and right thing, much to my climbing partners’ hilarity. “ move your left hand, no your other left hand”. It’s like everything I feels on sight for me.