There are a lot of ways to make yourself stronger, and part of the path of an athlete is to explore these. Most of us start out weight training in a class or with a trainer, and we spend most of our time doing basic movements to the point where the muscles can no longer sustain the load. Some push even further into a failure point. There's a lot to be said for going this deep into fatigue, but optimizing strength is not one of the results.
The issue is that fatigue creates more of a muscular endurance stimulus, an hypertrophy stimulus, and a workout where you go this deep in many sets can also cause you to need lots of days to recover. In the world of the high-skill athlete, this is not acceptable. The days that we are truly prepared for hard training are few enough-when we get to training, we want to make the most of it.
How do we measure Velocity-Based Training?
When you read the research and browse through the velocity-measuring products online, it can get overwhelming in a hurry. Not only are you tracking your sleep with a wearable, logging your calories on an app, trying to stay in a heart rate zone based on what your chest strap is telling you, and timing your edge hangs…you now need to buy another tool just to track the speed of reps?!?
Well, maybe it's not so hard.
Velocity-Based Training (VBT) has gained momentum in the strength training world as a way to bring objectivity to programming and ensure athletes are making consistent progress. At its core, VBT tracks the speed of a lift, providing a direct measure of force production and fatigue. This method is invaluable for athletes who need precision in their training, allowing for adjustments based on real-time velocity feedback rather than relying solely on subjective measures like effort or estimated 1RM. For climbers, whose strength-to-weight ratio is critical, VBT offers an efficient way to dial in training intensity without feeling like they have to go to the death in the weightroom.
One of the most attractive aspects of VBT is its adaptability. Traditional percentage-based training assumes consistent performance, but in reality, factors like stress, sleep, and nutrition can all impact an athlete's capacity on a given day. VBT lets you train within a target velocity range, ensuring the effort is appropriately matched to our current readiness to train. If the lifts are slower than the target speed, we know it's time to adjust the load or prioritize recovery. Conversely, if my speeds are above target, I might push harder or progress the training sooner in the training cycle. This flexibility makes VBT especially relevant for athletes who juggle technical skills with strength work, as climbers often do.
What does the research say?
Current research highlights several key benefits of VBT. Studies have shown that training with velocity zones helps athletes optimize power production and improve neuromuscular efficiency. It's particularly effective for developing explosive strength, which translates directly to dynamic movements in our sport. Moreover, VBT can reduce the risk of overtraining by identifying fatigue earlier. Tools like linear position transducers or wearable accelerometers make it easier than ever to implement VBT in everyday training, though the cost and accessibility of these tools remain barriers for almost all of us.
If you follow much of my writing, you'll understand that although I love metrics, I love getting people to actually train even more. It drives me nuts to see someone pulling on a strain gauge tied to something on the floor once every 10 minutes (between assessing the data and posting about it, I assume), and thinking they're getting a better workout somehow than if they did some actual work.
A great recent study reinforces this idea. The researchers found that the most effective VBT was accomplished somewhere in the realm of a 25-35% velocity loss, which is fairly easy to feel in practice. I know it's not nearly as precise, but knowing the principle is so much more important than getting bogged down in metrics. It's such a useful thing to be aware of, that just understanding that you should stop a set when speed slows noticeably, you might not have to do anything else.
If we stop a set out of boredom or because we got to ten or because the clock said so, we might be under-shooting the zone we're looking for. If we grind down until we have to stop the set because of failure, we're leaving the zone of strength most useful for climbing.
Implementing Velocity Based Training
In practice, this might look like this:
You program pull-ups in your workout, and your goal is strength and explosiveness. We're going to cap the reps at five, since going for many more lead to endurance adaptations we aren't currently seeking.
First workout at bodyweight- 5 sets of 5 with no loss.
Second workout 5 sets, +10# load. 5-5-4-4-3. Since we are seeing a drop in volume, we could add one or two more sets to maintain capacity. If pure strength is the goal, the volume is still enough.
Third workout, 6 sets, +12.5#. 5-4-3-3-3-3.
And so on. Over time, you'll see yourself able to maintain velocity for more reps (power endurance) or increase the load you can do at a fixed number of reps (power).
A key here is to not try to do everything with VBT principles in mind! Pick one or two key exercises, and focus on doing them carefully and with the intent of maintaining a high speed. The loads still need to be heavy enough to get you stronger, and it's fairly easy to tell when you're going too light. Climbing isn't all about speed, so it's still ok to do some slow training, some static training, and some of your normal speed.
For climbers, the application of VBT might mean prioritizing certain strength qualities-like peak power or endurance under load-depending on your goal during that phase. You could use VBT to refine weighted pull-ups or hangboard protocols, ensuring you're working in the most effective intensity zones. The key is keeping it simple and consistent. While the science behind VBT is robust, its real value comes when paired with a thoughtful training plan and a clear understanding of your goals. By focusing on speed and "intent," you'll not only gain strength but also build a stronger connection between your training and performance on the wall.
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ABOUT STEVE BECHTEL
Steve is the founder of Climb Strong, and is proud to be the worst coach on the Climb Strong team. A climber for nearly 40 years, he has traveled the globe bouldering, sport climbing, and doing first ascents of some of the world's biggest walls.
He lives in Lander, Wyoming, with his wife Ellen, and children Sam and Anabel.