This article is the second in a series of four. Read article one here—and check back next Monday for #3!
As a professional climber and coach, I see all sorts of projecting woes at the crag. Folks are too weak, too tired, too scared to fall, too scared to succeed. While each of these issues requires patience and keen introspection to overcome, weakness is generally the simplest to address.
If you are struggling to make links on your project, you have a weakness in one of your energy systems. (Check out this article for a debrief on the differences between Anaerobic Alactic, Anaerobic Lactic, and Aerobic.) Generally speaking, sport climbing demands that you optimize all three of your energy systems, since you must be able to power through severe crux moves while simultaneously resisting the fatigue of a sustained effort.
Any given sport climb, however, might have very specific demands that stress one energy system more than the other two. For example, an eight-meter “bolted boulder problem,” that you must redpoint in just 90 seconds, will call most heavily on the two anaerobic systems (alactic and lactic). Conversely, a 30-meter “resistance” route will be far more demanding on the aerobic energy system. Sure, your limited anaerobic reserves will be tapped for individual hard moves and sequences, but persevering for 10 or 20 minutes (or more) on a long, steep route is more of a test of your climbing-specific aerobic fitness.
Many climbers have a “weakest energy system.” Do you know which one is yours?
A weak system is the result of potentially favoring your most practiced form of climbing, your past and present ways of training, your sports history, and your genetics (i.e. are you fast-twitch or slow-twitch?). Let’s examine common signs and symptoms of a weak energy system. Reflect on your climbing struggles and see which sounds most familiar.
If you often feel underpowered on crux moves—or you can’t execute the single hardest move on a route—a weak anaerobic alactic system may be part of the problem. Of course, poor beta-recognition skills (or movement skills) might be preventing you from efficiently navigating those limit moves. But mental and technical skills aside, crux moves often have a high energy cost that you can only meet with a robust alactic energy system.
The solution: invest a few sessions per week into performing brief, high-power exercises such as 3- to 10-move limit boulders, max-weight hangboarding and pull-ups, near-limit campus boarding, and leveling up your core strength and stiffness. We will take a deeper dive into what this looks like in next week’s article.
If you frequently struggle to link long crux sections, then a weak anaerobic lactic system may be to blame. (Although, as I’ve said before, perhaps you’re powering out due to irrational fear, anxiety, overgripping, or improper pacing.) Assuming you’ve got smooth movement and a focused mind, the feeling of a rapid “power out” (i.e. the inability to climb hard, sustained movements for up to 60 seconds) is a sign of a relatively weak anaerobic lactic (glycolytic) system.
In absolute terms, the anaerobic lactic system is the least trainable of the three bioenergetic systems. However, over the short term (2 to 4 weeks) you can make meaningful relative gains in power-endurance through proper training. Therefore, a short block of focused lactic-system training might bump your anaerobic capacity enough to send your project sooner rather than later.
Climbing-specific interval training is the gold standard for leveling up your anaerobic lactic energy system. Intensity must be high (Rating of Perceived Exertion [RPE] of 8-9 out of 10) and the exercise duration should be 20 to 90 seconds, with a work-to-rest ratio of between 1:2 and 1:4. Commonly used exercises include bouldering 4x4s, Treadwall or spray wall intervals, hangboard repeaters, and pull-up intervals, to name just a few. I’ll provide a much deeper drill down on power-endurance training protocols next week.
It’s important to note that the above-mentioned lactic system training will not provide long-term gains by itself. Elevating your absolute anaerobic-lactic power output year over year demands simultaneously increasing your alactic (max strength) and aerobic power. Keep that in mind while you build your annual training program.
If either of these scenarios sound familiar, then your limiting physical constraints likely revolve around a weak climbing-specific aerobic base. No matter if your route is 15 meters or 30 meters tall, the majority of the energy powering you up the climb comes from the aerobic energy system. While you can rely on the anaerobic systems to get you through a short crux section or two, successfully climbing to the chains—and recovering at mid-route rests—is all about aerobic power.
A strong aerobic system demands a consistent, almost year-round commitment to high-volume climbing at least twice weekly. Like a runner training in their Zone 2, your goal of “Zone 2 climbing” is to climb many routes at or just below your flash level. Whether you do this at a sport crag, gym or home spray wall, the goal is to accumulate 30 to 60 minutes of actual climbing time on sub-maximal terrain.
Getting the intensity right is critical. Shoot for an RPE of 6-8 out of 10. Importantly, avoid climbs so hard that you get massively pumped or fall—these routes are too lactic and miss the target for effective aerobic-system training. Likewise, don’t waste your time on super easy routes that are mindless and effortless—there are no aerobic system gains from such low-intensity exercise. For experienced climbers, the aerobic training sweet spot is one to three letter grades below your current redpoint limit. Strive for a work-rest ratio of 1:1 or 1:2. Taking turns climbing and belaying with a partner is a perfect way to do this workout in the gym.
Now that you have a conceptual understanding of your body’s three energy systems, you are empowered to accurately self-assess the root of your physical weaknesses as a route climber. Above I have outlined some basic training techniques for spinning up each energy system, and I will expand on each in future articles. Until then, happy climbing!
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