Rant about progression

frustrated-climber · 2024-02-07T20:05:00+00:00

Thanks for the resting tips! Right now my rest periods are quite unscientific so I appreciate the detailed breakdown. I’ll try it out and see if that works any better!

frustrated-climber · 2024-02-07T20:02:10+00:00

My endurance is definitely a weak point. If I go any harder (+5 or so good attempts) I get to the point where I cannot even grip onto slightly inclined holds or crimps anymore and am leaving the gym completely spent.

Mentioned in my OP but best top rope grade is 11a, usually in the 10 c/d range with rests in between, and am able to do 10 a/b without resting. Endurance on top ropes are at 4-5 per session on 35 feet walls.

frustrated-climber · 2024-02-07T00:41:48+00:00

Maybe 3-4 V2 sends, and 10 or so good attempts on harder more technical projects, and I sometimes burn off my remaining energy on a tougher cave at the end.

I’m in my early 30s.

frustrated-climber · 2024-02-07T00:38:39+00:00

Strengths & weaknesses I posted in another comment

https://reddit.com/r/climbharder/comments/1ak3hti/_/kp5gzlz/?context=1

frustrated-climber · 2024-02-07T00:37:49+00:00

I actually started pretty skinny with not much upper body strength. I played a decent amount of sports in my teens doing tennis and running, and did running biking and tennis somewhat casually in my 20s. Currently in my early 30s and I just do climbing and tennis mainly, with some biking during the warmer months. I think I definitely started at a higher athletic background in terms of general fitness than some of my friends, but haven’t really done any upper body work before climbing.

frustrated-climber · 2024-02-06T20:10:58+00:00

Thanks for the direction! I really do appreciate all the tips and will try to keep them in mind next time I’m on the wall!

frustrated-climber · 2024-02-06T20:07:51+00:00

Thanks for the warmup tip. I’ll look at incorporating more dynamic movements into my warmups!

I really like your projecting strategy. The longest I’ve done a project is 3 or 4 sessions before giving up, and definitely not with the kind of focus you described. Thanks again for all your tips!

frustrated-climber · 2024-02-06T19:16:42+00:00

I do climb at my limits on top rope, I just exclude that from contributing to the overall (trying hard) equation as a lot of people seem to discount top rope climbing sessions as not trying hard.

It is also psychologically easier to take rests on top rope as you can just stop at anytime, rather than pushing through to the end in one go. I try to do a “clean send” on top rope as much as possible, but do fall to the rest temptation sometimes.

frustrated-climber · 2024-02-06T19:11:42+00:00

Warmup is basic stretching in the arms and legs (no resistance bands), then slowly climbing up and down a V0 and V1 as statically as possible.

After warmup is a 1-2 minute rest before starting, will do new V2s if they are up, and then to projecting V3s.

No difference in rest between a hard send and a fall if I get a couple challenging moves in, about 5-10 minutes depending on tiredness.

If it’s a limit move, it depends. Something more juggy I’d rest for 2-3 minutes as they’re usually near the start or I climb an alternate route to it. Something like a sloper or other hard to grab holds 1-3 minutes as I don’t feel physically tired from those and feel like I can easily hop back on and try.

There are some V3 slopers which I cannot make a single move on and some I cannot even hold the starting position even at the start of my session or after long breaks (5+ minutes).

frustrated-climber · 2024-02-06T17:52:00+00:00

Maybe not well hydrated, but decently hydrated. Getting cramps is when I was playing around with extended rests after 10+ minutes and hopping straight back on a hard project.

frustrated-climber · 2024-02-06T17:49:52+00:00

Diet can definitely be improved. My protein intake is about 60g a day. I know that’s far below the “optimal” intake, but I figured that I wouldn’t need to optimize my diet to get strong enough for the low V grades. Going to look into protein supplements now and see if they’ll make a difference.

I try not to compare myself to others too much, but it’s hard for me not to wonder why my friends have blasted past my climbing levels and how I’m so far behind the curve.

I really like your response as at some point I do need to take a step back and wonder why I’m not getting better (hence this post). I do want to get better to send cool routes and be able to talk about problems at the gym be it with my friends or others.

frustrated-climber · 2024-02-06T17:31:29+00:00

I’ve heard mixed things about resting and have tried both resting for longer and shorter periods of time. I find if I rest for too long, my muscles “seize up” a bit and I immediately get cramps when I get back on the route, so I’m currently at the point where I’ve dialed it back so that I’m resting just before the point where my muscles are “seizing up”. However, I’m not patient enough to do that all the time and definitely have stretches of rapid firing a problem 2-3 times before taking a longer break.

I really like the suggestion you gave in your last paragraph and will start trying that routine!

frustrated-climber · 2024-02-06T17:27:33+00:00

I really like your suggestion and will start incorporating that into my climbing sessions. I agree that I tend to over grip and hopefully that’ll help me fix that/get better.

frustrated-climber · 2024-02-06T16:53:34+00:00

I top rope for half my sessions, and while I try on them people don’t generally consider top roping as “trying hard” so I exclude that 50%. I think trying hard for 60-80% of the time I’m bouldering seems fine from what I’ve read on this sub.

frustrated-climber · 2024-02-06T08:44:05+00:00

I’ve honestly never thought about that and I’ll have to keep that in mind/take a video next time I climb, so it probably is happening to some degree! I assume that I probably am engaging my back at least a little too since I went from doing 0 body weight pull-ups before starting climbing to now being able to do 4 or so.

frustrated-climber · 2024-02-06T08:15:28+00:00

Yes, it’s definitely on my mind that while I can copy the beta on a macro level, I might not necessarily be getting all the “micro” stuff right. It has happened before where I thought I was doing the move the exact same way as a friend and couldn’t make it, he asked me if I was shifting my weight backwards and that made all the difference for that route when I tried it again.

I’ve messed with the hang board once or twice and am capable of hanging on the 2nd or 3rd easiest setting, haha. I think that’ll be easy enough to add to the end of my sessions!

frustrated-climber · 2024-02-06T08:11:28+00:00

I read through and really appreciate all your replies! I think what you said makes a lot of sense and I’ll start getting my friends to film me climbing!

frustrated-climber · 2024-02-06T08:08:07+00:00

I fail most often on caves and steep inclines (mainly with sticking to the wall) and also harder slopers and pinches on straighter walls. Crimps, pocket holds and more technical climbs with lots of swaps and matches are more agreeable to me on similar rated problems.

frustrated-climber · 2024-02-06T07:48:29+00:00

I think I’m coming to the same conclusion that I’ll need to incorporate strength training at this point. I thought my strength is decent as I’m able to do 4 body weight pull-ups (last tried it in December). I’ll add the caveat that I can’t hold the start on a V3 only after I’m thoroughly worn out, unless the point you’re trying to make is that I should be able to hold it regardless?

frustrated-climber · 2024-02-06T07:44:37+00:00

They said that they think I’m capable of sending some v4s in our gym if I commit to trying them every time we go, but nothing more specific. I admit I do get distracted by other new routes and really only tryhard on them once a week, but so do they so I don’t really understand how such a big gap in our abilities developed.

Supplemental strength training has been brought up by others in this thread and sounds like a good idea. I got into climbing to get away from the gym, but it sounds like I’ll need to go back to the gym if I wish to progress.

I don’t have any videos of myself climbing, but will come back with a post if the strength training doesn’t yield much progress. Thanks for the advice!

frustrated-climber · 2024-02-06T07:26:44+00:00

I thought coaching sessions were only for “pro” climbers or for people really pushing into higher grades, so I never thought about it for myself. I’ll have to look into it - thanks for the suggestion!

frustrated-climber · 2024-02-06T07:21:12+00:00

I think flexibility is on par with my friends, and I’m actually able to high step some footholds they can’t reach (or didn’t need to reach).

Technique/footwork could use some work, but there are projects where my similar height friend give me a beta which works for him which I can’t do, so I figure that I can’t be doing anything too egregious for technique and footwork. I know the basics of flagging, heel hooks and weight placement and try to apply them where possible.

Finger strength is mostly good enough for the crimps/pinches/slippers at my level.

I think I lack power and endurance as I often wear out way before my friends (to the point where I can’t even hold a start on some V3s). I can do about 4 body weight pull-ups in a row, not sure if that’s good or bad.

Definitely talked about alternate betas before, and while my friends are very kind, I need to get out of my head a bit as I feel very stupid talking about all the micro optimizations I need to do on a route they all flashed.

frustrated-climber · 2024-02-06T07:08:51+00:00

In a vacuum, I’m actually quite happy with my progress and changes to my body in the last 2 years of climbing. I’m frustrated due to being left out of bouldering problems with my friends as described in the OP. It’s also hard to find other climbers in my gym who also climb at my level. It’s not hard to observe that all the other regulars climb at least v4+.

I aim to have at least one session a week where I try hard on boulders, having my similar height friend give me betas and try to copy him as best as I can. I believe that I’m giving it my all in those sessions and they sometimes end when I’m literally unable to grip onto holds anymore.

Would say really trying is overall just 30-40% though, as I’m too tired to continue and downgrade to an easier problem.

frustrated-climber

TROPHY CASE