Training for Climbing, 2nd: The Definitive Guide to Improving Your Performance (How To Climb Series)

six to ten move problems with medium to large holds that are void of sharp, tweaky features. An appropriate training goal is to do five feet-off ascents with a three- to five-minute rest between ascents.

Endurance-Training Exercises
     
    Detailed in this section are five of the more grueling exercises in the book. Training anaerobic endurance requires repeated, sustained bouts of exercise of a length and intensity that will elicit a significant release of lactic acid. These exercises are designed to do just that, and the result of doing each will be a wicked muscular pump and the hallmark burn of lactic acid. Of course, the payoff is that your body will respond to this stimulus in ways that will gradually improve anaerobic endurance and, thus, your ability to climb at a high intensity for an extended period.
SLOW-MOTION PULL-UPS
     
    These are, as the name implies, regular pull-ups performed in slow motion. Take five seconds to go up, and come down to a slow count of ten. Your goal is to perform between four and eight pull-ups, which will take between one and two minutes. Terminate the exercise, however, before you reach failure. Attempt to do three sets with only a three-minute rest between sets.
PULL-UP INTERVALS
     
    This is a great exercise that trains the pull muscles to persevere during periods of elevated blood lactate. The goal here is to complete twenty Pull-Up Intervals that each comprise a set number of pull-ups and a rest period for a total of exactly one minute (aggregate). Use a stopwatch or clock with a second hand so that you can stay on an exact training schedule.
    Start the stopwatch, mount the pull-up bar or fingerboard (use the bucket holds), and immediately commence doing five pull-ups. Strive for a smooth, steady pace that takes about two seconds for each complete repetition. After five pull-ups, dismount and rest for the remainder of the one-minute interval.

     
    Feet-off bouldering is an advanced method for training power.
     

    Frenchies

     
    1. Lock off at top position.
     

     
    2. Lock off at ninety degrees.
     

     
    3. Lock off at 120 degrees.
     

    At the one-minute mark, begin your next set of five pull-ups. Upon completion of the fifth pull-up, dismount and rest for the remainder of the second one-minute-long pull-up interval. Continue performing these five-repetition, one-minute intervals for a total of ten to twenty minutes. If you make it to ten minutes, you will have completed fifty pull-ups in aggregate—a pretty good intermediate-level pull-up workout. If you make it the full twenty minutes, add one more pull-up per set next time. If you cannot make it to at least the ten-minute mark, however, reduce the number of pull-ups per set to just three or four.
FRENCHIES
     
    These babies may be the best anaerobic endurance pull-muscle exercise on the planet! Not only will they fry your muscles with a wicked lactic acid burn, but you will notice a marked improvement in your pull-up and lock-off ability after just a few weeks of training. The efficacy of this exercise results from the unique combination of isometric contractions superimposed over the pull-up motion.
    Begin with a single pull-up (palms away, hands shoulder width apart) and lock off in the top position for a five-second count. Now lower to the bottom and pull up to the top again, but this time immediately lower yourself halfway down to an arm angle of ninety degrees. Hold a solid lock-off here for a five-second count, then lower yourself to the bottom. Immediately crank another pull-up, but this time lower to a lock-off with an arm angle of about 120 degrees. Again hold for five seconds, then lower to the bottom position. This sequence of three lock-offs constitutes a single cycle, but you should continue on with another cycle (or more) until you can no longer pull up. Record the number of cycles (or partial cycles) in your training notebook as you take a five-minute rest. Do a total of two or three sets.
    Use bungee cords or a spotter to remove some body weight if you cannot do at least two full cycles per set. Conversely, you should add a ten- or twenty-pound weight belt once you are able to do five full cycles in any given set.
ENDURO STEEP-WALL LOCK-OFFS
     
    This exercise is identical to the Steep-Wall Lock-Offs described on page 161, except that you will alternate arms with each lock-off you make. This way the muscles on each side get a brief rest while the other side is performing a lock-off. This training