Quote:
Originally Posted by ActionJeff
Thanks for the input! Have you been climbing for long?
Pretty much retired. Started fat and at my best was bouldering questionable V8s at 185 or a bit less (I'm 6'3"). Btw, V9/V10 requires you be a vampire or a cyborg or some ****! After spinal fusion surgery I switched to strictly sport routes in gyms. Made it to 5.12 but it was just never as fun.
When I did climb, I used weights and assistance work a lot more than anyone else I knew; skinny ****ers who could just get high and fun climb their way to rapid improvement.
Quote:
I'm primarily interested in bouldering right now. I started less than 2 months ago and am still working my way up the routes.
I definitely cannot boulder pre-fatigued from pullups because the start is already very difficult for me. I weigh 190+ and only started climbing more than once a week this month. I probably wouldn't make the first reach on V1 if I maxed on pullups beforehand.
Ah, ok. That's more of a beginner than I thought. Definitely forget the pre-pullup thing! Have you checked out the climbing thread in OOT?
Quote:
I don't warmup for pullups, just do a couple singles and doubles and move onto my work sets. I do pullups Monday for my deadlift session and need 1-2 other days to fit in volume. Ideally I want a volume day and a max effort day. I'm also considering some 1-arm climber pullups and weighted pullups. I'm not sure I can fit the weighted pullups right now and maybe they aren't worth it yet, because I'm only doing 8-10 regular overhand pullups as of this moment.
My warmup for climbing has been a little work on the hang board but not enough to pre-fatigue. I guess I should do more.
Eh, that's a decent enough warmup for pullups, usually. I'll go 1-2-3 and then maybe another 3 depending on feel, but I guess I'll also do a few minutes of rowing on my way in and some hi-rep hammer curls to get some blood flowing. Not sure what "1-arm climber pullups" are. I'm sure BPA234's advice is sound (it's not what I've ever followed but that was 15 years ago and he knows up-to-date stuff) for weighted pullups, but I think you may be better served by doing frenchies or lockoffs for now (and while those will soon become endurance-builders, right now they will probably work that strength energy system).
The great thing about a climbing warmup is if you don't do enough you get a flash-pump so you know you need to warmup more!
Quote:
I'm doing a single max effort climb day per week right now and 1-2 light climbs during the week. I probably send 10-15 routes on my max effort day and 6-7 at lower grade on my light days.
I'm definitely just doing what my climbing partner does/says and don't have the strength to complete many of the moves. That's why its so important for me to dead hang and work pullups and lockoffs. When I first started he was telling me every move. At this point I get coached during the max effort day on harder climbs, and try to send the routes on my own during the week.
My favorite climbing partner was a chick less than 5 feet tall, precisely because we could pretty much never approach a problem the same way. Be careful about too much volume on problems with a true strength deficit once that deficit quickly goes away--campfire science used to say it took 6 months for your finger joints to strengthen up enough for climbing V3 or so.
Quote:
I'm doing some reaching work for PT already. How do you feel about dead hangs? I've only got a 2 mins in me at most right now. Another Q on this topic: do you full dead hang or keep the shoulders in neutral?
Hmm...I never really did much pure dead hang, other than fingerboard stuff where the focus was the grip and I'd be neutral. I just figured I was getting enough hanging from climbing (gym toproping and whatnot). Guess I would add some hang after pullups with shoulders in neutral, and always did pullups, lockoffs, and such on fingertips.
Quote:
I definitely NEED to start lockoffs as they are a huge weakness and I need a 1-arm lockoff eventually for sure, to be a better climber, progress to the 1 arm pullup, and generally be a stronger person.
Any recommendations for volume or intensity there? I'm thinking a lockoff at the top of a pullup, and at the point where my elbows form a right angle.
I'm actually targeting getting back to a 1-arm pullup this year, but at 244 and 41, it will be a challenge. Whelp, since I'm doing pullups anyway...
If you include a 3rd angle a bit more open than a right angle (like 120 or 135 degrees) then you'll be effectively working the entire ROM for isometric strength. Technically, though, you need the top lockoff the most for climbing. You can add time to the hold or weight the 2-handed lockoff, but to better simulate climbing you'll favor one side if not outright one-handed with weight assist (which does let you measure progress).
In general I'd say, "As much and as often as you can." but within that first 6 month window probably be willing to skip whenever in doubt. While you're climbing, you are probably *not* going to lose isometric arm strength so you should basically always be able to pick up from your last workout even after a couple of weeks. At one point I decided I had to stop all pullup and lockoff work when I was getting in 6-hour long grueling overhanging bouldering and power sessions, assuming it meant putting off getting to a 1-arm pullup, then after a month or so...I could just do a 1-arm pullup.
Quote:
My goal is to be as good at climbing as possible which means perfect technique and max strength. I'm not willing to cut a lot of weight.
Finally, I'm having no problems whatsoever with soreness or joint pain, thank god. The skin on my hands is a commodity right now and is what stops me from climbing most days. I'm limited by finger strength, core strength, and my CNS not being able to handle all the strength work. I'm making progress all the same but the volume for pullups and assistance has to increase significantly to make the gains I want. I'm really weak on the hang board right now.
There's nothing as immediately addictive and obsessive as climbing, and you'll have plenty of ability to improve before strength to weight ratio becomes a limiting factor (if ever) but recovery is important and learning to gauge the hole your workload puts you in is something you'll have to feel out for yourself. Like it's possible that the climbing you are doing is actually plenty on its own for core strength, for now. For pure finger strength, I never could beat standing barbell finger curls, starting at about half bodyweight and progressing rapidly. You just pick up the bar with a closed grip and open as far as you can without dropping it before curling it back up.