Training Tips and Inspiration: Explore Our Blog

A useful skill all of us can develop is the ability to filter out things that are probably not going to work. It’s also important to sort out best practices that are going to pay out big time in the long run. There is an important version of the triangle of constraints that applies here. In this triangle, there are three values, fast, easy, and effective. For any given training intervention, you can only benefit from two of these values at a time. An intervention might be fast and easy, but probably won’t be that effective. It might be fast and effective, but it sure won’t be easy. It could also be easy and effective, but it will take a long time. 

The holidays are just around the corner, and we’ve run across a bunch of cool stuff that might make great gifts for the climber, athlete, or friend on your list. We polled our coaching team and asked them for their favorite things. There were no constraints, but we ended up with a fun list of items from very inexpensive and tiny to big purchases. These range from training tools, to gear, to clothes, and more. We hope you enjoy this wide-ranging list and remember that special climbing coach when you’re shopping :).

I feel like there is nothing more satisfying in work than completing a job well. Nothing that feels better in training than holding the correct intensity and duration for the intended result. Nothing better in climbing than knowing you did the route in good style, without trying to make it easier on yourself than others before you did.

Remember that feedback is always happening, and every time we move, some level of feedback comes to us. The most challenging part is to find actionable, useful feedback, and then to listen to it. If you’re not ative in gathering it, you sure won’t get all you can from it.

The gym is the forge. We go there to build ourselves into athletes who can perform at the highest levels. We don't have to go to the death or follow secret formulas to do that. Most of the time, it ends up being about showing up and doing what we know we need to do. No expensive tool, no supplement, and no secret workout will get you anywhere near where you want to go if you miss out on that.

We are taught to believe that we are special. And yes, every single one of us has unique skills, perspectives, and gifts to offer to the world. Yet, our unique experience can also stifle our growth when we are unable to step outside of it or accept reasonable support. This is why teachers, therapists, and coaches exist.

One of the biggest mistakes I see climbers make is confusing consistency with repetition. Being consistent doesn't necessarily mean doing the same thing over and over again and expecting your performance to change, although this may have worked in the past.

Don't just do exercises because you have the tools for them. Don't do exercises because somebody else is doing them and they look cool. Human beings are physically pretty weak, but mentally incredibly adept. If you're going to get the most out of your body, start by using your head.

I believe there are clear progressions and cycles to all of these facets of the game. I think there's way more to it than the (relatively simple) advice of just doing more climbing…there has to be. Most of us simply can't throw more hours into the gym. Instead, we need to level up our attention and discipline, and really look at what is holding us back.

The main skill we are trying to develop is switching our brains from training mode into performance mode and back, but on large cycles rather than on an “as-desired” basis. There is so much possibility out there for the climber that can’t differentiate between these two modes: it might change the game completely.

If you’re doing a good job of maintaining fitness, you can go boulder with friends any time of year and not feel like you’ve got no power. You can say “yes” to an alpine climb next weekend. Importantly, you are ready to help a friend cut firewood or move a couch or plant a garden, and still be able to climb the next day. 

It’s difficult to improve flexibility as an adult, but maintaining your current flexibility is much more manageable. The tough part of mobility training is that improvement takes a long time and is hard to measure.