Comp training

rangerdanger

rangerdanger

TreeHouser
Joined
Apr 25, 2008
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Location
Lexington, KY
Alright, summer is here and I'm going to get serious in training for the comp. I want to build core strength(foot lock) and overall strength, and I really want to work on endurance.

Endurance is a big one for me. During my Walnut climb yesterday I was sucking air by the time I was 20ft up or so. Endurance, I'm hoping I can build some at work. Dad is trying to guarantee me at least a tree a day, more when the trees are there. We also have the total gym, which I'm going to use for endurance and strength.

For strength we have dumb bells, and a bench/chest press, along with leg machine. Besides the weights, and some pushups/situps/pullups(still working on those), what can I do to work on strength and endurance.
 
#1. Climb
2. Climb some more.
3. Climb again.
4. repeat steps 1-3 with the odd rest period thrown in.
 
Join a solid aerobics class, or it that's not possible get a video. This can really help your endurance/aerobic conditioning.

Another really valuable training tool for footlocking is to have someone video you. Watch yourself CLOSELY. Look for wasted motion, effort expended out of line with straight up. Use it as a tool to refine your technique.
 
Run every morning. It can only help you to get up a half hour early and pound out a few miles before school/work.

Hang a line in a tree at work or home and FL ten times everyday, same with body thrust.

You are at the age where you could hurt yourself lifting weights. I'd stick to some conditioning excercises and leave the weights for later.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5
Sounds good. I'm going to get an experienced climber to help me with my FL this summer during rec climbs. He's a great guy and has agreed to coach me on my FL and other aspects of climbing.

That running every morning is something I will definitely have to work on. I'm used to sleeping in most days, but if I'm going to get serious about this comp, I guess those days are over.:whine:
 
Ranger, Burham hit on a important aspect of comp climbing and thats refining what you have to do. Technique is very important and the reason I say that is, I'm only 5'5" and used to do very well in one of the most competive chapters out there (Western).

You can run till your blue in the face, lift weights till you look like Arnold but, theres nothing that will prepare you for what you actually have to do under competitive mode.Yes, lifting and running cant hurt and will help although, I never did those for training.

for each event that you practice you must take it further than what the regs say. If speed belay in your chapter is 50' you take it to 70' if you can or whatever the tree will allow.Use a tree that will allow you to be on the trunk and not in mid air.Do the belay hand over hand. this creates upper body, ballance, arm and heeeeew! much indurance.Another, technique for belay is pulling up a bag or bucket into a tree on a pulley.40 to 50 Lbs @ 40 to 50' is what I used to do however, choose your own weights and height.This a killer but will definatly increase your strength in a hurry.Remember, rotation of the shoulders is key to belay speed climb.

If footlocking is 50' take it higher 60'. Technique, endurance and upper body is everything in this event.Without going into detail, hopefully the guy helping you has good technique. practice with slow fluid motion until you get it down.
(slow is smooth, smooth is fast).When you think your tired and cant do anymore, do another.Do as many as you can and do it on belay for safety reasons and to prevent hockling of your rope if you descend on a fig.8.
This will also prevent twirling when you ascend.

Without going into detail of the other events, I'm sure you get the idea of taking this above and beyond what is required. 65' can make or break you if you only been pacticing 50' especially in competetion when your heart is already racing and your going for time.

One of the most important things I found is, no matter how good you think your are, is to practice with someone better than you or at least equal to your ability and always time yourselves. This creats a sence of ugency to beat your times or his. If he is better than you, study and learn. What is he doing that makes him faster than me. Trust me, one small detail can shave seconds off your time.

Anyway, enough rambling. I competed for almost ten years and it can be very addictive. Good luck

Greg
 
I never practiced, just climbed every day. I never scored in belayed speed climb and would get just a couple points in secured footlock. Even with that handicap I would score low teens in the western chapter. Mostly due to competing with my workmates to set a good tie in and scoring well in the throwline. And by learning to prune with my handsaw which allowed me to rock in the work climb. I was average in rescue. If I had gotton into practicing like Greg suggested I would have been a contender. I think the most important thing is to have fun at the comps:)
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #9
Thanks everyone!! For the most part, this first comp I'm just looking to have fun and try my hardest to complete the events. Right now I'm lucky if I can complete a 20' FL, but by October I'm looking to do 50' +.

The good point with my buddy who is going to coach me is that he has competed before, and we also have access to some great trees.

His FL is great, and from what I can tell, he's a very firm believer in the "slow is smooth. smooth is fast" idea. Takes his time, gets his lock down, and makes a smooth stand on the lock.
 
Pull ups and push ups a couple of days a week.Work on your core and run ride your bike swim whatever.Climb everyday if possible.I would look at your diet also eat lean meat and plenty of fruits and veggies and lay off sugar and fats.
 
The event you really need to concentrate on is the work climb because it scores the most points. The aerial rescue is the next event you need to score high in. The other events like the throwline, footlock and speed climb are minor. If you do good in the top two events and score low in the minor events it won't hurt you too bad.

You need to have speed in the work climb to complete the different work stations. If you can't make the climb in 5 minutes or less it won't make any difference what you do in the other events as the cumulative total won't be enough to get you into the Master's.

Practice your limb walking to get out on the ends of those limbs to ring the bells. Especially practice the last two stations. Walking with most of your weight on your line so you don't trip the buzzer. Practice that last jump into the bulls eye on the ground and land standing up and then getting unhooked from your harness as fast as possible. Don't forget that one.

Hope this helps you out.

Good luck.
 
And don't skip the weighted station. A good working climber should have no trouble with that
 
Well, as Willie said, just have fun. You'll met a great bunch of people.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #15
Pullups, none right now. I suspect around 50 situps, probably more, and around 30 to 50 pushups.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #19
Not quite sure. It's been awhile since I've done anything serious and really tried to go and see how many I could do one set. I'll have to try tomorrow and see how many I can pound out.
 
Get a 2-3" manilla rope and hang it from a tree. Climb that sucker with your arms alone. It was one of the things we did in my gymnast days. Also, sets of 25 pull ups in each grip--regular, wide, behind the neck wide, mixed grip x2. That's 125 pull ups.

Just rambling.
 
Have someone fab you up a pull-up bar too. I made one for my kids when they were younger. They were doing pullups in no time.
 
See if you really can't do any pullups. I'd be surprised if you can't do a few at least.

But hey, you'd be the guy to know, not us :).
 
brendonv said:
Get a 2-3" manilla rope and hang it from a tree. Climb that sucker with your arms alone. It was one of the things we did in my gymnast days.
Click to expand...

Here's some guys that I train with....probably 95 degrees and high humidity last summer...they were just learning to footlock, no great height.

Brendon is right...ropework is great stuff...it will work your arms and core strength. This rope is about 1-1.5 inches.

<embed id="VideoPlayback" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=1606763838984486854&hl=en&fs=true" style="width:400px;height:326px" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"> </embed>
 
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