4 Workout Rules
How do you build sets to target the goals you want to achieve in your climbing workout? We start with the simplest sets first and then we’ll move into more complicated areas.
Here are the four general rules of a climbing workout.
First, all climbing sets have a similar structure. They consist of repetitions of a given problem or route, with a fixed total of reps and a recommended rest in between.
Second, we measure the length of sets and reps in number of moves. We keep track of how many moves are done for each training goal as well as each set, and the total for the session.
Third, sets should focus on one training goal rather than multiple. Combining a strength set with a power set can reduce, or even nullify the gains from each. In addition, combining training goals in a single set can make measurement much more difficult.
Fourth, all workouts follow a similar pattern: warm-up, training sets, and warm down.
The Standard Warm-Up
A standard warm-up is the starting point for nearly all our workouts. It is designed to be simple flexible and effective with the least amount of time commitment. While intensity plays a role in crafting warm up sets, the most relevant aspect is volume. Or, more specifically, the total time it takes to complete. Warm-ups should take between 10-20 minutes to finish and should average 20-40% of the total workout volume.
For example, use “4 up, 4 down” as our standard warm-up. Climb four different problems (up and then downclimb) twice each, ideally only resting as you move from one problem to the next. The difficulty of these problems can be anywhere from VB to “easy”, and should span a variety of angles terrain and hold types.
Due to the fact that most of these problems will be at the lower end of the grade range (i.e., VB-V2) they tend to be on the shorter side, so even when taking downclimbing into account the problems will tend to average about 10 moves. When we add it all up then, 4 Up 4 Down will result in about 40 moves. As we do it twice the total number of mores for this warm-up is 80.
Why We Warm-Up
The primary objective of the standard warm-up is to gradually loosen the muscles to reduce the risk of injury and flash pump for relatively low difficulty workouts such as hypertrophy and stamina. The reason is that the lower difficulty of these sets allows for higher volume. This translates to more time on the wall – great for getting larger muscles warm and more limber.
However, this lower difficulty will poorly activate the muscles and connective tissue which enable more stressful moves (such as deadpoints, dynamic moves or hard lock offs). So, when we move to strength or power-oriented workouts the standard warm-up may not be sufficient. In order to engage these systems (and warm them up) we need to gradually increase the difficulty and reduce the accompanying volume. That’s where the extended warm-up comes in.
The Extended Warm-up
When we are preparing for sets that target higher difficulties with substantial volume (such as strength sets or longer power sets) we add a second “level” to our warm-ups, which we refer to as an extended warm-up.
The purpose of the extension is to warm-up the muscles and connective tissue involved in more stressful movements. Most particularly those in the hand (pulleys and other tendons) and the forearms necessary for high levels of contact strength and “explosive” power. An extended warm-up targets the systems we need to climb moderate volume sets at higher difficulties.
The archetype of this set is the 3-2-1 pyramid. The idea is to start and a higher volume with lower difficulty and then increase the difficulty while reducing the volume.
Using this gives us the same averages as before; 6 more problems at about 10 moves each. Even though we are not downclimbing, the increased difficulty will increase the height and therefore the number of moves per problem. This brings the total to 60 moves. When combined, the standard and extended warm-ups give us a total volume of approximately 130-150 moves.
Final Notes
Now that we have a basis for building warm-ups, we have the tools necessary to modify the standard and the extended to fit particular needs of individual climbers and specific workouts.
In general, any set of 80-100 moves at low difficulty can stand as a standard warm-up. This also includes simply traversing the wall for the specified volume.
The extended warm-up requires a gradual step up in difficulty. This is so not to “shock load” cold muscles and connective tissue – and so also requires a more particular structure.
Even so, any set of 60-100 moves that gradually increases difficulty (between +/- to a full V-grade) will accomplish this goal.
In addition, it is generally wise to target the particular hold-types that will predominate in the training sets that will follow. For instance, if you are planning to repeat a hard redpoint that focuses on crimps it is a good idea to have crimp problems in your extended warm-up.
All material is reprinted with the permission of the author. Copyright 2022 David H. Rowland. All rights reserved.
