[tomtom]

Powerclub 571: Week 47 of my lockdown(s) training diary...

Mon: Board day. Good.

Tues: 1 arm PU day. Warmed up on the TRX. moved down the assist weight, 5 reps at -12kg, 3 reps at -10kg. New record. Good.

Weds: rest

Thurs: Board day. Did OK - but felt like hard work. Shoulders still creaky from big 1arm Tuesday....

Fri: 1 arm sloper hangs. NEW RECORD - down to 10kg.. also reps on the 15mm BM edge at -13kg (new record). I then noticed something funny with my pulley set up - so if I used a foot loop nearly fully extended (as I was with these) I was effectively getting a few KG off. Back around... no PB's here..... Bugger :D

Sat: Board day. Only an hour but did really well - I didnt do a few things I do when I'm really going well, but just felt really solid and secure. Now moving smoothly between holds where I used to slap wildly... sometimes the progress is almost imperceptible - but its there.

Sun: 1 arm PU day again.... reps down to -12kg.....

Cabin fever at 9/10. Can't wait until I can travel again....

[shark]

11.7-9 Average 162.6lb (+0.9lb)

M.

T.

W. AM FB one set recruitment pulls and one set of speed pulls. PM Tor 8.5degrees! In a foul mood (don’t ask) Messed about on some of the individual moves. First go from start climbed all the way to the karate kick (vid below). Progress even if it was only half a move further - vid below. Mood improved immeasurably. Next go also got the crimp on the throw move but not well enough but managed the next move before coming off. Third try got the crimp again but fingers melted out of it. Busted after that.

T. Box jumps on patio 3 x pull-ups  @+30kg 2 sets of Fast pull ups then gave up due to lack of power. Quick dabble on Bachar ladder confirmed it. Felt listless. Canned everything else I had planned. Had a nap and went for a walk at Stanage instead. Suspected I’d come to the end of a cycle with burning out quickly yesterday too

F.

S.

S.

Agonised after Wednesday’s aborted session on whether I needed a few days off and to switch tack. Sooo tempting with the new high point on Bens to double down on it. However, looking back at diary I burnt out on Bens around this time last year and switched to other stuff for 2/3 weeks and went back on it stronger. Therefore took rest of the week off. (If in doubt sit it out.)

[Fiend]

Strong mid-summer look there Shark 

[Carl]

Getting a bit fed up of this heel injury, but at least it's getting noticeably better.  Hopefully able to get out climbing next weekend, although there will be some house-moving stuff to do too! Might try and stick to easier trad to try and avoid falling on it.


STG - 2-3 7B+ [4 complete!] in Q1 and some progress on a 7C. If weather cooperates. Stick to fingerboarding if it doesn't or if I get injured.... Regular hamstring stretches to see if I can make progress as I'm woeful at hamstring flexibility
MTG - get on a rope for some hardish (> F7b) things this year.
LTG - figure out an LTG.

Monday
Max hangs up to 91.4 kg. Felt really strong up to the last rep, which I failed at 3s, think I just set up wrong for that one. Generally felt strong throughout this session, much better than last Friday.

Tuesday
Weighted pullups, 3x4 @ 102.4 kg. Elbow a little niggly, will drop intensity on these if that still feels niggly/gets worse next session.

Wednesday
Max hangs up to (91.9?) kg. Felt a little off during warm-up, but then felt super strong throughout the main set, psyched! Will aim for ~92.5 kg next session.
Pushups, wall slides & hamstring stretches.

Thursday
Weighted pullups, 5,4,4 @ 103.1 kg. One more rep than last time, across the 3 sets! Still, progress is progress. No niggles in the elbow so will keep on at this weight.
Decent chunk of stretching, hamstrings particularly.

Friday
Little bit of stretching, nothing else.

Saturday
Max hangs up to 92.5 kg. Felt really strong throughout, felt hard at the end but all doable. Pretty psyched that progress is going well here! Planning on wrapping up max hangs at the end of Feb & re-testing for max hangs to check progress, so probably only a few more sessions to go here.
Hamstring stretches in bed.

Sunday
Weighted pullups @ 101.9 kg. Managed 3x5, will move up to 105 kg.

[shark]

Strong mid-summer look there Shark 

Few more degrees and I’ll be au naturel

[Fiend]

That could be the key weight saving 

[dunnyg]

Might be worth getting an all in one shark skin suit like Phelps to reduce air drag?

[Duma]

M - am 14 min fb session. Short cycle at lunch. Pm board, 90 min excellent session repeated a bunch of benchmarks, and did the project move that I set last week, including intro and outro moves. Sadly this means its too easy, onward! (Or perhaps my massive gainz have arrived early)
T - am 14 min fb session. Pm assisted OAPs, down to -5kg L, -7.5kg R. Happy with L, R shoulder started to feel a bit unstable so went back to -9kg for the rest of the session.
W - nothing, rest.
T - am 14 min fb session, struggled a bit on 4 finger hc, but otherwise ok. Eve assisted one arm hangs, rubbish as always, -11kg L, -10kg R.
F - am 14 min fb session, better than yesterday. Eve board 1hr, meant to take it easy as hoping to climb a couple of times over the weekend but got a bit enthusiastic so more of a mid to hard session.
S - am 10 min easy fb session, the original one as was just to get a bit of blood going. Pm 5k run, flat, pavement, 20:05! Well psyched, nearly died trying to cane it up the hill at the end when I realised I was close though... Eve 14 min fb session.
S - woke with a bit of a dodgy stomach, felt wiped out all day, mostly stayed in bed. Did attempt to get on the board in the afternoon as that had been the plan, but even taking it very easy was too much. Back to bed after. Also seem to have tweaked something in my left glute or top of left hamstring running yesterday which is annoying.

70kg.

[csl]

Relatively chilled week with a few fun board sessions, will start fingerboarding/training again next week

February Goals

- Have a rest week
- Keep the faith, climb on the board 3x a week: 3 sessions this week
- 16x mobility, mainly concentrate on hips: 8/16
- Mabley Green boulder x3, tick a 7B: will try and go one morning this week

Monday
Hour on the board, can't remember what I did but think it was mostly moderates.

Tuesday
Rings: Pressups, Rows, Rollouts, I's Y's T's. Probably overdid it as was quite sore for a couple of days.

Wednesday
A few new holds from Beastmaker arrived so made up a couple of new problems.

Evening hip mobility

Thursday

Evening hip mobility

Friday

Evening hip mobility

Saturday
Great weather, 2 hours pottering on the board and lying in the sun in between attempts. Repeated 2 of my previous hardest projects first go. Worked on a couple of new ones and could do a few of the moves. Good fun.

Sunday

nothing

[dunnyg]

Mon. Warm up. Repeaters, half crimp big 4 little 4 big 3 little 4 little 4. Failed on last set of hangs. A few half arsed weighted hangs

Tu,  Calf for about an hour. No new ticks, but did some new hard moves, and some new moves. Pleasant session! 50 press ups for pudding.

We. Nada
Thu. Nada
Fri. Nada
Sa. Nada
Sun. Quick calf in the noon. Did an extra move on the traverse, only one left to do! Couldn't repeat classic calf. Really enjoy the moves on the start of the traverse and all the hardest and high bits are pad able with 2 pads. 2nd half isn't but the landing is good. I've been starting from the LHS of the face (like the guy I saw do it) rather than the jams at the far left (which are usually wet when I am there!)

Poor week training wise, psyche was super low. Next week I need to get back on the stretching, try and get out as much as possible, and ideally get 2 fb sessions in (if the calf is unclimbable!). Enjoying the calf still

[RobK]

M - Rest. Low intensity 30/30 hangs.

T - AM, LI 10/50 hangs. Felt really low on energy all day but dragged myself out to the garage after work. Didn't bother with max hangs as planned though. About 45 minutes of volume stuff on the board before I decided to call it quits, just not feeling right. Went for a 20 minute run to blow out the cobwebs and then 10 x 10 press ups in front of the TV.

W - Rest. Not a planned rest day but again just feeling really low on energy so decided better just to take it easy. Still did some LI 30/30 hangs.

T - More like it, felt much better throughout the day and keen for training after work. Max hangs at a new highest weight of +25kg. Failed on reps 4 and 6 (out of 6), pretty pleased with that. Then projects on the board. Didn't think I could get make more progress with them without actually ticking them. I was wrong. Still, going well and feeling stronger on them than previously. Bar core to finish with. The past month or two of this has involved various types of lateral leg raises as I've noticed that when bouldering, swinging my heels onto things has always been a weakness. Feeling much stronger on these now so might change it up a bit.

F - Rest.

S - AM, max hangs at +25kg again. All complete this time! Albeit by the skin of my teeth so will stick at this weight for the next session. PM, broken quarters on the board, same session as last week but no failure this time. In fact it felt relatively steady, will have to up things next time. 10 x 10 press ups to finish with.

S - AM, Crimpd 80% repeaters +11kg, new high. All complete and didn't feel the living end. I've responded well to this session in the past and seem to be doing so again. Had planned some board endurance stuff for the evening but was pretty wasted after an afternoon of deck building in the garden. LI 30/30 hangs instead.

Faltered a bit at the start of the week feeling really low on energy for some reason. To be expected now and again though and bounced back nicely for two more fingerboard PBs at the weekend. Sport season can't come soon enough.

[gollum]

W/C 15/2/21

M - Abs, back and shoulders, Max Hangs, yoga and stretching
T - Abs, Density Hangs, OAP, wrists, yoga and stretching, pinches
W- Abs/core, compression and locks, velocity pulls, yoga, stretching
T - Abs, TRX, shoulders, repeaters, yoga and stretching
F - Abs/core, upper body, stretches and yoga.
S - Abs, walk, yoga and stretching
S - Abs, finger benchmarks, yoga and stretch

Looking like I may be able to get out again soonish and think I’m in better shape than when lockdown began, psyche is still high.

M - Start the day with abs work. 5 minute plank to begin, which feels rock solid. Move on to levers for three sets, just. Holding as long as I can. Next is 3x1 minute hollow body holds. Finish with 80 abs roll outs.
Warm up. Move on to upper body work, starting with pull ups and speed and then 90° lock offs. Do some exercises to strengthen small shoulder muscles and then front raises for bigger shoulder muscles.
Max Hangs in the afternoon.  Warm up again and then 10 sets on central hold of Beastmaker for 5-10 seconds, most sets were done at bodyweight or above.
Yoga is focused on hamstrings and do some additional upper body stretches to finish.

T - Start the morning with 5x2minute planks. The go through my floor exercises. Follow this with 100 roll outs with the abs roller.
Run through warm up and then Density Hangs. Objective is 6x45 seconds on 14mm edges with 5 minute rest between, manage first two but then start to fade, although manage to keep each set over 30 seconds. Then do some work on wrist strength with wrist curls and wrist extensors isometric hold.
Afternoon, start with 5 sets of OAP. Set 1-2 RH - 2, LH -1 (with poor negative) at bodyweight, set 3-5 RH 3, LH -1 (with a good negative). Progress. Move on to 5x5 supported OAP with better pulley and 8k  assistance on both arms, which is clearly way easier on the RH but probably don’t want to increase imbalances. Do a set of rising lock offs and then some shoulder control rotations.
Do yoga which is hip mobility based today and follow that with some box splits stretching.
Do some work with pinch blocks. 6x6 seconds with 24 on square block. 3x6 seconds with 16 on flared block and on Lattice block start at 16 and add 2k on each set until I fail. 20 on LH and 22 on RH.

W- Start with 5 minute plank. Move on to Bar work. Start with 5x15 second levers, which stayed pretty solid throughout. Move on to three sets of back levers with band support. Next is 3x10 leg raises bringing toes above the bar and careful control on the negatives. Isometric compression holds for 4x15 seconds wearing weight vest. 50 easy roll outs with abs roller.
Next is 3x20 bar dips. Finish with two arm locks for 3x45 seconds at full, 90° and 120°.
On to fingers in the afternoon and more experimentation with velocity pulls after warming shoulders up again. Ten sets in total. Then start playing with 6mm edges. Manage a couple of pull-ups and a very brief lever, then try 5 second hangs with weight and get to 12k, failing at 3 seconds with 16k. Finish with a lever off my middle fingers which feels okay, but can’t summon the nerve to lift my feet with any other fingers in the monos.
Today’s yoga is for shoulders and involves the brutal hangman pose. Easy upper body stretches and massage gun to finish.

T - Start with abs and 10x1 minute planks. Follow this with 60 paused reps with the abs roller and finish with floor routine.
Warm up with lots of scapular work including rotations. Move on to Reverse Y holds with bands for 3x8. Next is TRX T holds for three sets to failure, with vest on, feet raised and 6 inches from floor, manage just over 20 seconds on each set. Then, based on info on here last week, do some supine isometric holds in row position and it does indeed feel like a tough undercut. Finish upper body with a shoulder complex of lateral raises, front raises, overhead presses and band pull apart S for 3x10 each. Individually all very easy but as a combo feels pretty tough. Do some squats and calf raises for legs.
On to repeaters. Pretty standard on normal grips and feeling okay. Try a set on 6mm edges and at this stage there is no chance of being able to do it. Keep at it , I reckon, but accept it might take a while.
Today’s yoga is based on stretching the back and opening the shoulders, things that used to be much better when I was younger. Stretching for box splits which to be fair, was always pretty rubbish.  Bit of playing about with ankle and hip flexibility measures on here, do okay.  Wall taps and much more in control at the top than I was previously.

F - warm up and then start with repeaters on large holds. 7/3 for 5 minutes x3 sets. Second set certainly felt easier than first and unlike last week do feel like I could have gone on.
Do a plank for 5:30 to fire the core and then 80 very slow reps on the abs roller. Continue with levers for 3 sets with holds to failure. Then manage my first one arm toes to bar on both sides. Do hanging leg raises moving feet over a marker at 50inch height, which are a bit like hanging windscreen wipers but with greater control. Gotta be good for the obliques. Play about with multiple reps of band supported pistol squats.
Start on upper body work. Steady start with 5x10 bodyweight pull-ups, with chest raised slightly. Play about with a number of different accelerometer apps to see if I can make anything useful of them, but not sure I can. Next do 3x10 diamond press ups for the triceps, with a funky trick raising one hand at the top and doing the negative on one arm, a cracking exercise. Follow these with some reverse Ws and scapular movements with bands for 3x10 reps each. Move on to prone TRX Ys for 3x5 with long hold on each rep. Next is prone Ts with raised feet and wearing weight vest for 3x5 and hold. Do 3x5 prone Is to complete the set, gradually getting lower on each set. Some scapular strengthening exercises to finish, although do throw in a set of bicep curls while I’m packing stuff away, just to check I still can.
Upper body stretches for recovery and then yoga to finish which is again based on fingers, feet, shoulders and twists.

S - Very easy 50 reps with the abs roller. Nice long walk in the sticks. Yoga for climbers session and side splits stretching.

S - 20 Abs roll outs, resting as needed between sets.
Fingers benchmarking exercises. Making progress across the board.
Yoga for fingers and wrists and upper body stretches.

Been a little surprised how much harder 6mm edges are compared to 7mm, but can hold them, so I can improve on them.

[moose]

Sun. Quick calf in the noon. Did an extra move on the traverse, only one left to do!

The move to the big jug in the centre of the face? I've been trying to hit that, with LH in the sharp gaston and using the RH pinchy thing as an intermediate for ages.

[Will Hunt]

Tuesday -  6 sets of 6 hangs, feeling better in the shoulders at the end. Then a rest to eat, then 4 Pumpenhauses failing at 80, 70, 90, 90 moves respectively (spent quite a bit of time in rests on the last two).

Su - St Ives to try new things. Did one of them, though not as I'd have liked. The other needs connies. Then shifted to Baildon and did Armistice which was excellent (needs a good spot and a few pads). Difficult to put a number on but didn't feel 7C at my height. It might be 7B or maybe 7B+ in Font? Did a couple of other things before heading home with pretty beaten up skin.

[User deactivated.]

Continuing to brute force finger strength gains with high volume and intensity until it stops working.

M: am - max hangs, pm - board
T: am - 8 sets, 3-5 reps of 1s on 1s off repeaters, pm - board, floatier than ever before
W: traditional max hangs, last set was a drop set where I fail at 8s, strip 10kg and hang a few more seconds, strip another 10kg and so on until I cant hang bodyweight
T: mostly rest but do a couple 1 armers and handstand into planche attempts spread throughout the day
F: am - 8 sets, 3-5 reps of 1s on 1s off repeaters, pm - board, completed nearly all my problems in a single session, some that i've not been able to do previously.
S: am - traditional max hangs, pm - 8 sets, 3-5 reps of 1s on 1s off repeaters
S: am - board trying to do my problems twice in a row without rest, pm - 3-5 reps of 1s on 1s off repeaters

Quite amazed this is working. More finger strength gains in the last 3 weeks than the previous 18 months of hangboarding. Psyche is high.

[spidermonkey09]

Had a week off last week due to feeling generally a bit knackered and a tweaky finger. Watched season 1 of the Sopranos instead of training.

S - attempted some max hangs but felt weak and underfuelled. Sacked it halfway through.
S - Anston. Busier and damper than I'd have liked but thinned out in the afternoon. Did Colt which I thought was nails for the 7A in the topo and a load of crimpy vert stuff on wave wall. Played on Beretta at the end and inexplicably dropped it on the up section having pissed it to there. Should be steady next time.

Finger playing up which is a concern. Anston probably wasn't the ideal choice in hindsight. I have the symptoms of a flexor injury (pain only in drag position, not in half crimp) but it is localised on the A2 which would suggest a pulley. God knows. Going to keep moving it while training and climbing for the time being.

[Bradders]

Then shifted to Baildon and did Armistice which was excellent (needs a good spot and a few pads).

What's the method for this then, just fully dyno?

I did the version using the crack on the left ages ago which I though was a very worthwhile 7A or so, lovely monkey up a stick type movement, but keen for the eliminate too.

[SA Chris]

M - Some kettlebells
T - medium wall session, a lot more pleasant in the garage now it's warmed up a bit. 5k lunch run
W - Kettlebells, bench rows etc.
T - Seems I overdid the rows, massage machine on shoulderblade but not much else. 5km lunch run
F - Theraband and stretching (first in ages, based on conversations about heelhooking and flexibility on here)
S - walk in morning before weather crapped out.
S - 15 km run, first time over 10 km since April or so. Felt OK, could have cracked on to 21km if time allowed, but was being sensible about not overdoing it. Long walk in afternoon.

[duncan]

Quite amazed this is working. More finger strength gains in the last 3 weeks than the previous 18 months of hangboarding. Psyche is high.

That’s great. What are you doing differently?


M - 8km walk. Fingerboard max. hangs. Shoulder a bit tweaky after this.
T - 1.6km run + 5km walk. Squats.
W - Fingerboard micro session (2 second repeaters on 35mm holds).
T - 1.8km run + 10km walk.
F - Fingerboard micro session. Shoulder conditioning (side planks, handstands). 8km walk.
S - 8km walk. Fingerboard micro session.
S - 10km walk. Fingerboard micro session on 35 & 20mm holds.

Going stir-crazy at home: half term and very few outlets for man or boy! Gagging for a day of actual climbing, doesn’t have to be Font. or Cloggy, a grotty quarry would be marvellous right now. On the positive side, Spring is stirring, the days are getting longer, crocuses and antibodies are growing...

Shoulder has been increasingly tweaky despite a week off so have decided I need to rehab. this properly rather than continuing to look for strength gains. General fitness is improving: I’ll be crushing the walk-ins to Cloggy, Shelterstone and Carnmore Crag.

[User deactivated.]

Quite amazed this is working. More finger strength gains in the last 3 weeks than the previous 18 months of hangboarding. Psyche is high.

That’s great. What are you doing differently?

More volume, more intensity and prioritising finger strength above all else. This has meant some form of maximum strength fingerboarding at least every day and usually twice a day. I've generally decreased the duration of my hangs to 6s at most (with a corresponding increase in weight added), and over the last week have been doing 1s on 1s off repeaters for 3-5 reps, which seem very very good. I've also been doing more like 6-10 sets each session (not including warm up sets) rather than 4-5.

3 years ago I could hang 79kg + 4kg  on a lattice edge for 5 seconds - yes, that's with 2 hands!
3 weeks ago, 85kg + 27.5kg for 8 seconds
1 week ago, 85kg + 40kg for 5 seconds
On Saturday, 86kg + 47.5kg for 6 seconds

I'm aware that the injury potential is probably very high.

[Will Hunt]

Then shifted to Baildon and did Armistice which was excellent (needs a good spot and a few pads).

What's the method for this then, just fully dyno?

I did the version using the crack on the left ages ago which I though was a very worthwhile 7A or so, lovely monkey up a stick type movement, but keen for the eliminate too.

I normally don't have time for eliminates and I don't think Armistice feels eliminate. It's a fairly big span to get your hand into the crack and it feels very logical to climb it on the arete.

It's pretty straightforward. Start on the face crimp and pinching the arete. Step on and work your right hand up a little. Right toe goes on a good notch and left toe out left onto the top of the flat flake. This allows you to pull your weight left and move your hand up the arete (there's probably many places you could hold it so just select whatever works). Now squeeze and put your toe on the arete on its LHS. It doesn't look like a great smear to be pushing off - there isn't really much there, but it works. Then gird your loins and fly for the top ledge. You catch it with your left hand as your body flies rightwards - it's brilliant.

[Bradders]

Probably a span thing. I rocked up and just thought ah right there's a nice set of big holds I can easily reach and squeeze between. Can see how it works as just the arete though. Cheers 

[tommytwotone]

LTG: new (to me) Font 7a outdoors


Not much for me this week - half term (so everyone at home), crap weather, and a crazy work week


Sat: TRFauX circuit, c. 150 reps of stuff, mainly shoulder-centric
Sun: Trip to Shipley with kids. Speculative as forecast was looking iffy, but turned out dry, and warm towards mid-afternoon.


I got back on Lurcher Traverse Low (inc. my patented "proper start"), got the sequence, did it in overlapping halves but didn't actually put it all together. Next time.


Went down to the "toboggan" area where the kids' circuit is and my two had a great time, both did about 5 or 6 problems each.


Even escaped just as the rain started!

[Will Hunt]

Went down to the "toboggan" area where the kids' circuit is and my two had a great time, both did about 5 or 6 problems each.

Where's this, Tom?

[tommytwotone]

So just above Manson's Must, on the top - there's a flat plateau with a load of stuff about 1 metre-ish high. There's also a boulder with a plaque on it if it helps to find the area.

Will have to take some photos and do a topo for Unknown Stones next time I'm there Will!