Foundation
The best thing about writing these articles is that it forces me to state what my plan is and why. I'm still searching for a better foundation phase structure. Ideally, it would involve campusing, hangboarding, core, pull-ups, climbing, and all the shoulder stabilization exercises on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Unfortunately usually something breakdowns before I can finish all components each day: skin, energy, psyche, etc.
I'm not too excited about this routine, and I will be changing it for my next cycle. The main problems are: campus ladders are boring, hangboarding after ~150 campus moves is very hard on the skin, insufficient core and pulling work, and lack of shoulder stabilization exercises. Finally, I think the Foundation phase should be at least as long as any other training phase. This cycle, I did 3 foundation weeks and 4 hypertrophy weeks; probably because foundation is the most boring and I wanted to move on.
I'm not too excited about this routine, and I will be changing it for my next cycle. The main problems are: campus ladders are boring, hangboarding after ~150 campus moves is very hard on the skin, insufficient core and pulling work, and lack of shoulder stabilization exercises. Finally, I think the Foundation phase should be at least as long as any other training phase. This cycle, I did 3 foundation weeks and 4 hypertrophy weeks; probably because foundation is the most boring and I wanted to move on.
- Saturday: Laps at the Owl Tor
- Sunday: Rest
- Monday: Bikram
- Tuesday:
- Campusing:
- 5 sets on the 3 min.: 5/8", 3 fingered, 1-2-3-4-5 up only. 25 moves
- 5 sets on the 3 min.: 5/8”, 4 fingered, 1-2-3-4-5 up only. 25 moves
- 5 sets on the 3 min.: 1", 3 fingered, 1-3-5-7-9 up only. 25 moves
- 5 sets on the 3 min.: 1”, 4 fingered, 1-3-6-8 up only. 20 moves
- 4 sets on the 3 min.: 1.75”, back 2 fingered, moves TBD, but should be ~20 moves
- 4 sets on the 3 min.: 1.75”, front 2 fingered, moves TBD, but should be ~20 moves
- 4 sets on the 3 min.: 1.75”, middle 2 fingered, moves TBD, but should be ~20 moves
- Hangboard: Easy Repeaters (font 7Aish routine, 30 seconds between sets, 21 sets, Green band @ knee)
- Press-Throughs: 3 sets at shoulder range then 3 sets to tricep press (Black band doubled over, then Red)
- Mono lifts: 3 sets of 30 seconds, Pinky & Index @ 25 lbs., Middle & Ring @ 35 lbs.
- Typewriters: 3 sets of 20 with TBD band
- ½ hour Set (3 pullups, 3 pushups, 3 AbRollers, 3 Hammer Curls, 5 rehabs)
- ½ hour wall set of easy, continuous climbing
- Grippers: 3 sets x 20 with Sport
- Power Forearms
- Wednesday:
- Hangboard: Easy Repeaters (font 7Aish routine, 30 seconds between sets, 21 sets, Green band @ knee)
- ½ hour Set (3 pullups, 3 pushups, 3 AbRollers, 3 Arnold Press, 5 rehabs)
- Shoulder Shrugs 3 sets @ 25 lbs.
- Straight Leg Deadlifts 3 sets @ 20 lbs.
- ½ hour wall set of easy, continuous climbing
- Grippers: 3 sets x 20 with Sport
- Power Forearms
- Thursday: same as Tuesday
- Friday: Rest
Hypertrophy
I tried putting campusing after hangboarding this phase. An obvious mistake in retrospect: I'm a firm believer in the principle of training in the most to least powerful exercises as well as most technical to least technical. I also tested out doing partial and/or training campus moves rather than trying standard Up moves.
Recruitment
Not much change in my recruitment training. I did manage to get mono hangs back into my routine; first pad mono strength disappears quickly, I find. Once you've built the requisite tendon strength, it's essential to maintain this type of power.
This was only a 2 week phase, so weighted campusing was my primary recruitment tool. The key to recruitment is maximizing intensity. Thus, the trick is learning what your body can handle without getting injured.
Peak
Due to Christmas plans and traveling, I only had a couple days to hit my campusing goals. I hit 1-4-7 on the 5/8" rungs fairly easily; but unfortunately, I tore my skin doing it, so I had to call it a day without trying 1-5-7 on the 5/8".
Facts & Stats
This cycle was probably too short to derive very much from the data, but it's good to track nonetheless.
Analysis
Again, the holidays are a challenging time for training. Still, I am convinced that long-term, I progressed more by still doing a cycle. My next cycle, in the spring, will involve another Lord of the Rungs campusing competition, as well as a significant climbing goal outside.
A comment on goals...
Goals are clearly important to me; but I must point out that goals are not merely something you "want" to do. Just saying, "I want to climb V7," or "I want to campus 1-5-8" does not make those things your goal. And if all you're doing to achieve this thing is exactly what you're doing anyway, then it's also not a goal. Goals take sacrifice, commitment, and pushing your limits. If I want a burger and I walk over to American Ale (my favorite burger in Santa Barbara) and then I eat the burger, then I haven't achieved any goal. Similarly, if all you do is go bouldering whenever it's fun and you eventually climb your target route or grade, that's not much of a goal. It might be fun, but I would say that person did little to learn about struggle and determination. Do you think CT Fletcher just sorta shows up at the gym, or do you think he sets massive, challenging goals?
Adam Ondra onsights 5.14d
If you follow climbing news at all, you've probably seen this video of Adam Ondra onsighting 5.14d. I've been climbing for about 30 years and when I started in 1984, the hardest route in the world was 5.13d. Few climbers, myself included, can even comprehend onsighting at Ondra's level.
- Saturday: Hard routes at the Owl Tor
- Sunday: Rest
- Monday: Rest
- Tuesday:
- Hangboard Repeaters/Encores (18 sets = ~75 minutes):
- 6 sets on campus board: 2/3f @ 5/8", 3f @ 5/8", 4f @ 5/8", 2/3f @ 1", 3f @ 1", 4f @ 1"
- 6 sets on campus board: 3f @ 5/8", 4f @ 5/8", 3f @ 1", 4f @ 1", front 2f @ 1.75", back 3f @ 1.75"
- 6 sets of Beastmaker font 6Cish program; start with red band, switch to Black band upon failure.
- Campusing (23 sets @ 2 minutes per set = 46 minutes):
- 5 sets of High Touches: 1 touch 4 on 1.75"
- 3 sets each side of Low Touches: 5 touch 1 on 1.75"
- 3 sets each side of High Bumps: 1-3 bump 4 on 1.75"
- 3 sets each side of Mid Touches: 3-5 touch 1 on 1.75"
- One-Arm Shrugs: 3 sets each arm
- Mono lifts: 3 sets of 12 seconds, Pinky & Index @ 45#, Middle & Ring @ 55#.
- Pullups: wide back, wide front, shoulder, narrow, offset-L, offset-R, under-wide, under-narrow
- Typewriters: 3 sets of 8 reps with Purple band
- Press-Throughs: 3 sets with Purple band + 3 sets of Tricep Press with Black band + 1 set with Red band.
- Shoulder Shrugs: 3 sets of 15 reps @ 30#.
- Straight Leg Deadlifts: 3 sets of 15 reps @ 30#.
- Godoffes: 3 sets of Max reps.
- Ab-Rollers: 3 sets of Max reps.
- Grippers: 3 sets x Max reps (should be 6-10) with #0.5
- Power Forearms
- Wednesday: Rest
- Thursday: same as Tuesday
- Friday: Rest
Recruitment
Not much change in my recruitment training. I did manage to get mono hangs back into my routine; first pad mono strength disappears quickly, I find. Once you've built the requisite tendon strength, it's essential to maintain this type of power.
This was only a 2 week phase, so weighted campusing was my primary recruitment tool. The key to recruitment is maximizing intensity. Thus, the trick is learning what your body can handle without getting injured.
- Saturday: Future projects at the Owl Tor
- Sunday: Rest
- Monday: Rest
- Tuesday:
- Campusing: 2+ hours. All weighted, max time 5/8" rungs
- Hangboard:
- 5 sets of Mono hangs on middle & ring fingers; 4-6 second hangs; 1-2 minutes between hangs; help TBD
- 5 sets of 2f hangs; 4-6 second hangs; 1-2 minutes between hangs; help/weight TBD.
- Off-Set Pullups on the campus board: 3 sets of 2-4 reps with TBD band.
- Pullups 3-5 reps @ 25#: wide back, wide front, shoulder, narrow, offset-L, offset-R, under-wide, under-narrow.
- Press-Throughs: 3 sets with Green band + 3 sets with Purple band + 1 set with Black band
- optional: Bouldering
- Grippers: 3 set x Max reps (should be 2-4) with #1
- Wednesday: Rest
- Thursday:
- Campusing: 1.5 hrs. max at bodyweight
- Bouldering
- ½ hour Set (3 pullups, 3 pushups, 3 AbRollers, 3 Hammer Curls, 5 rehabs)
- Friday: Rest
Peak
Due to Christmas plans and traveling, I only had a couple days to hit my campusing goals. I hit 1-4-7 on the 5/8" rungs fairly easily; but unfortunately, I tore my skin doing it, so I had to call it a day without trying 1-5-7 on the 5/8".
Facts & Stats
This cycle was probably too short to derive very much from the data, but it's good to track nonetheless.
- Goals:
- Campusing 1:5-8 on the 1" = Failed
- Campusing 1:4-7 on the 5/8" = Achieved
- Campusing 1:5-7 on the 5/8" = Failed; not attempted
- Campusing 1:5-7b9 on the 1" = Achieved
- Training Days in Cycle: 62
- Weight, Body Fat %, Body Fat pounds:
- Start: 168.2, 6.0%, 10.1 lbs.
- End: 173.3, 6.5%, 11.3 lbs.
- 1/2 hour sets: 2
- Pull-ups: 516
- Push-ups: 180
- Ab-Rollers: 485
- Climbing Outside: 10 days, 37 hours
- Climbing Gym: 9 days, 9 hours
- Campusing: 16 days, 21 hours
- Hangboard: 13 days, 16 hours
- Power Forearms: 7
- Gripper Workouts: 11
- Bikram: 5
- Rest Days: 30 (35 rest & Bikram days, or 56% of the cycle.)
Analysis
Again, the holidays are a challenging time for training. Still, I am convinced that long-term, I progressed more by still doing a cycle. My next cycle, in the spring, will involve another Lord of the Rungs campusing competition, as well as a significant climbing goal outside.
A comment on goals...
Goals are clearly important to me; but I must point out that goals are not merely something you "want" to do. Just saying, "I want to climb V7," or "I want to campus 1-5-8" does not make those things your goal. And if all you're doing to achieve this thing is exactly what you're doing anyway, then it's also not a goal. Goals take sacrifice, commitment, and pushing your limits. If I want a burger and I walk over to American Ale (my favorite burger in Santa Barbara) and then I eat the burger, then I haven't achieved any goal. Similarly, if all you do is go bouldering whenever it's fun and you eventually climb your target route or grade, that's not much of a goal. It might be fun, but I would say that person did little to learn about struggle and determination. Do you think CT Fletcher just sorta shows up at the gym, or do you think he sets massive, challenging goals?
Adam Ondra onsights 5.14d
If you follow climbing news at all, you've probably seen this video of Adam Ondra onsighting 5.14d. I've been climbing for about 30 years and when I started in 1984, the hardest route in the world was 5.13d. Few climbers, myself included, can even comprehend onsighting at Ondra's level.