While rock climbing is a powerful stress reliever, it can also be a source of stress when you want to get the most out of your rock climbing gym session. There is never enough time in a day. There are many things to do, places, and people to see. So how can you fit in a rock climbing gym session while your precious time is fleeting? Luckily it’s a simple fix – plan ahead. Plan when you’ll climb and what workouts you’ll do.
First: plan when you’ll climb. If you’re looking to maximize each gym session, make a plan for each day you climb. We’ll get to the specific details of that component in part two but know that you will only have time to train some of what you want each day.
Start by choosing what you want to focus on in your climbing and how much time you realistically have in your current schedule. Know that rope workouts will generally take longer because of switching off with a belay partner (unless using an Autobelay) and that boulder workouts are more time effective. Then choose an appropriate number of training days and times to write in a digital or physical agenda/calendar. Putting it into your schedule is consciously reminding yourself about the training session and ensuring you make it to the gym.
While the number of days you choose to rock climb varies by person, here’s a general guideline. Please note that these recommendations are not specific to any climber. If you want to learn more about how to train for climbing, ask your local gym about setting up a personal lesson with a pro. Train hard, train smart, train safe!
Guide to Choosing # Training Days per Week
- 1-2 days per week: Looking to add climbing in as a fun cross-training workout in addition to physical activity in other forms
- 2-3 days per week: Looking to improve in climbing but with no set timeline. You enjoy the sport but can only commit a little time weekly in the gym. You likely work out via other fitness outlets on different days.
- 3-5 days per week: Looking to seriously improve your climbing and make it your main physical focus. You likely have a goal you want to achieve within a set timeline.
- 5+ days per week: You have enough time in your schedule, and maximizing the most out of your rock climbing gym session isn’t a pressing issue. But keep reading to see a sample training breakdown to ensure maximum training progress!
With your training schedule established, you can now plan what the individual climbing gym sessions will entail. Assuming you are a climber who wants to improve all aspects of their climbing (technique, power, power endurance, etc.) when you train, your training breakdown will vary depending on how many days you will be at the climbing gym. For someone who can put in four one and half hour sessions per week, you will have greater flexibility to focus on one area at a time. However, if you only schedule two climbing days per week for 2 hours each, you’ll have to focus on combination drills and exercises that target multiple systems and muscles.
We’ve created a sample guideline to start you on your planning path. While we won’t dive into specific exercises (that is a whole blog in itself), we will delineate them into power, power endurance, endurance, and general fitness categories. Once you know which system you’re targeting daily, you can research the best exercises to train that area.
Quick Definition Break
It is vital to make sure you understand the difference between power, power endurance, endurance, and fitnessIf you are already familiar with these terms, skip ahead; if not, take a moment to familiarize yourself with them before continuing to read.
Power: Max effort at high intensity for a brief period. Focuses on utilizing your maximum strength.
Power Endurance: Anaerobic capacity training. Moderate volume but high intensity.
Endurance: Aerobic capacity; your ability to climb for an extended period without succumbing to the pump (lactic acid buildup).
General Fitness: Combining core work, strength training, and mobility to maintain an athletic base.
Training Breakdown for Maximizing Your Gym Session
- 2 Days Per Week Plan
- Day 1: Power workout followed by a short but intense power endurance workout
- Day 2: Fitness or Endurance session with high volume
- 3 Days Per Week Plan
- Day 1: Power and finish with endurance
- Day 2: Endurance Session and general fitness.
- Day 3: Power Endurance
- 4 Days Per Week Plan
- Day 1: Power and finish with endurance
- Day 2: Endurance Session and general fitness
- Day 3: Power Endurance
- Day 4: Depending on your level of fatigue, do a low-maintenance day, retrain your weakest area, or have a fun session projecting or climbing with friends.
- 5 Days Per Week Plan
- Same as 4 Day Plan, but add a second power endurance workout and a second general fitness session on Day 5.
With this simplistic two-part planning process, you are ready for success in the gym. You will need to research different workouts specific to the type of training you will do each session. However, the beauty of having a general outline is that you can customize and change the specifics as you, please. And, while we listed days one through four in our guide, note that they are just to delineate sessions, and you can, of course, rearrange them to fit your schedule and preference!
Ultimately, we hope this was helpful and you feel more confident joining the climbing gym and smashing a workout. Don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t stick perfectly to your plan; keep showing up! Let us know in the comments below about any training successes or trials you encounter! We’d love to hear from you!
