Training Tips and Inspiration: Explore Our Blog
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If I want to get stronger, I should track load and perhaps volume of high intensity work. If I want more capacity, I should pursue more training duration. If I want to be better at commitment and execution, I should look at how well I do during moments of doubt and fatigue in my training. If I am measuring steps and heart rate and how many times I stood up during the day, I am probably missing some useful things in lieu of things that are simply easy to measure.
6
min read
You've tried ARC training and you've done your share of 4x4s, so why do you still come peeling off the wall just before you reach the anchors? What is it about your energy system development that isn't working? It might be that you aren't progressing your sessions, or it might be that you are increasing the difficulty in the wrong way.
4
min read
Along the same lines, I think we too often imagine ourselves making big changes if we commit money to the cause. As a person who makes his living from building climbing training plans, this might seem like strange advice, but I've found that there are some huge basic issues that climbers can and should cover before they start paying...for anything.
8
min read
The term "training" is over-used. People refer to any and everything they do in climbing as training, yet training is a very specific act. It is repeated efforts at improving specific parameters of your fitness. Imagine "training" a dog but just randomly giving it orders with no expectation of behaviors. Organized, progressive, repeated...these are how training must be defined.Yes, there is training for climbing. It is done in the weightroom, on the hangboard, against the clock. And although bouldering, climbing routes, and even System board work can be considered training, they are really practice. Training is how you get stronger. Practice is how you get better.The saying "practice makes perfect" is known to all of us, but the truth is that practice makes permanent. Simply doing something a lot doesn't make you good at that thing. What we really need to do is practice correctly, do it a lot, and then reap the rewards. This is where my 75/25 rule comes back into play: 75% of your "training" time should really be practice time. Don't go to the gym to get tired, go to get better.
4
min read
Bouldering is exactly the same as rock climbing, except that it's way harder. In an attempt to do this way harder sport, we often employ rock climbing training programs, yet they don't quite work. This article is intended to highlight these differences, provide an introduction to bouldering training, and suggest an alternative way of thinking.
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“I’m excited to announce the launch of my personal Substack, where I’ll be sharing deeper insights, stories, and reflections on the world of climbing. For a small fee, you can join me in this exclusive space for more in-depth content and personal musings. While free articles and content will continue to be available on Climb Strong, Substack will offer a closer look at my individual thoughts on climbing, training, and beyond. I’d be honored to have you join this growing community."

Steve Bechtel
