Beginner climbers often hear the advice, “climb more.” However, around V3-V4 on boulders or 5.10 on ropes, those climbers will likely hit their first plateau as the jump in difficulty becomes noticeable. Smaller holds appear on climbs, demanding stronger fingers. Movements become more physically challenging, requiring greater core and upper body strength. As climbers approach this plateau, they seek advice on how to train for rock climbing and browse training plans. They may end up reading this or a similar article. If you are that climber, welcome! It is exciting that you are ready to take the leap and start training for climbing. Know that you’ll face some discomfort as you push your limits but that the dedication will open new doors, and you may find a newfound love for the sport.
As you’ve clicked on this link for training advice, it’s crucial to grasp the different types of training before embarking on your rock climbing journey. Understanding the nuances of strength, power, power endurance, and endurance training will lay a solid foundation for your training plan. This knowledge will empower you to build or buy a training plan, conduct benchmark testing, and adapt your program as needed.
The 4 Steps to Starting to Train for Rock Climbing
1. Understanding the Different Areas of Training
There are four major areas to split your training between: strength, power, power endurance, and endurance. Strength training occurs in the weight room, while the others involve on-the-wall workouts. Building upper body and core strength are the primary objectives, emphasizing push workouts (e.g., pushups, dips, and bench presses) to balance out the repetitive pulling motion of climbing. Strength workouts will supplement your climbing program, typically after your main workout on the wall or a non-climbing day.
Power training focuses on maximizing the force you generate on each move. These workouts are best done on boulders and involve short, intense bursts of effort followed by long rest periods. The rest periods are critical during these sessions to regenerate ATP (your muscles’ energy), so power workouts can take longer than other workouts despite a low volume of climbing.
Power endurance increases your ability to climb at higher difficulties for an extended period. The effort level is 70-90% of your max effort, and the duration ranges from 30 to 45 minutes. During power endurance sessions, you’ll increase
your body’s tolerance to “the pump,” improving its efficiency to clear the built-up lactate.
The final system, endurance, targets your overall climbing fitness. Endurance workouts involve climbing at 50-75% of your maximum effort for an extended period with little to no rest. In sports like running, swimming, and biking, this is your aerobic endurance or Zone 2 fitness. Building fitness allows you to climb longer and recover faster. It is an excellent opportunity to refine your technique and learn to move efficiently.
2. Build Out a Training Plan or Buy a Program
With a clear understanding of the four training areas, you can confidently build your own plan or choose a pre-written one. Keeping it simple is key. A good split is having one power session, one power endurance, and one endurance session scheduled weekly. Depending on your climbing goals, you can adjust the frequency of these sessions. Also, add two sessions per week, with one focused on pushing exercises and the other on pulling exercises. The specific workouts for each session could fill a separate blog. Plenty of resources exist if you Google “[power, power endurance, endurance] climbing workout,” and you can select a workout from the options with confidence.
If you’d prefer to buy a program with a pre-determined schedule and pre-written workouts, plenty of well-developed options exist. Some options include:
● Paradigm Climbing
● Training for Climbing by Eric Horst
● ROAP Climbing
● Lattice Training
● Power Climbing Company
● Training Beta
3. Conduct Benchmark Testing to Measure Your Starting Point
You’ll want to conduct benchmark testing at the start of your training to track your progress as you progress through your plan. Most plans are 8-12 weeks, followed by rest or de-load weeks before starting a new training cycle.
Benchmark testing should occur across all systems: strength, power, power endurance, and endurance. You can create a benchmark protocol or find one online from companies such as Lattice Training or Power Climbing Company. If you choose to make one, see the list of suggested exercises below. Record your numbers in a journal, Notes app, or other format to refer to later.
● Strength: Max push-ups and pull-ups
● Power: Max pulls on a force gauge, max boulder grade
● Power Endurance: Max boulder grade for a 4×4 workout
● Endurance: Max 20mm hang
If there’s another benchmark test you’re keen on tracking, add it! Keep in mind these tests are for you. It’s good to have goals, but try not to compare your numbers to others online or at your gym.
4. Track Your Progress and Adapt
Begin training and start tracking your progress. Keep in mind that your training will not be perfect. There will be days when you’re tired from life, work, lack of sleep, or other factors in and out of your control. Be willing to adapt sessions because consistency beats perfection. If it’s your first time training for climbing, recognize you won’t nail the structure perfectly. Be open to learning and asking questions from more experienced climbers in the gym. Remember to retest your benchmarks at routine intervals (i.e., every 4-6 weeks, at the end of an 8-12 week training cycle, or a custom interval).
Training for climbing is fun and exciting with a good action plan. It also doesn’t need to be complicated. Understanding the four focus areas of a training plan and how to schedule your sessions is half the battle. All that’s left is to show up, work hard, and be proud of yourself for taking the next step toward becoming a better rock climber. Remember, the simplicity of the plan is designed to make your training journey straightforward and enjoyable.