Maximum climbing performance. A matter of head

Maximum performance situations consist on those moments where the climber puts everything, physical as mentally. When the climber isn´t 100% involved in the action, it is probable that that route or boulder don´t come out, mainly if it is at the limit of our possibilities.

According to some scientific works of the psychology of the sport, seven mental and physical conditions have been identified that the athletes describe as characteristic sensations that experience in the moments in that they are performing exceptional executions:

1- Mentally relaxed.

2- Physically relaxed

3- Optimist

4- centered in present

5- Full of energy

6- Extraordinary consciousness

7- Under control

All these conditions are psychological states that will make the difference when finishing a route, and not only in competition, but also when climbing at our maximum level.

We all will have felt anxiety at some time before giving our "last try" to a route or boulder. Our main task in those moments is to control the adverse sensations that can play us a bad passing impeding us success in our objective.

The presence of an appropriate emotional climate can help to mobilize the psychological reactions that are essential for a brilliant execution. A negative psychological climate generate the opposite, i.e., frustration feelings, fear, anger, concern.

High level athletes have identified their own level of individual execution and they have learned (intentional or unconsciously) to create and to maintain this state in a voluntary way.

This level of individual execution is in first measure represented by the denominated "arousal" or level of excitement of all resources of the body that influence in the activity.

The arousal is a mental state of excitement, which goes from the drowsiness to the maximum excitement level, therefore for each task will exist an optimum level. But in any moment the extremes will be ideal.

Let´s take 60 movements route for example where one should administer our energy throughout all the movements, if we begins with a too high excitement level, it is probable that we presses too much the holds and after some few movements the forearms gets pumped and don't get our objective.

The opposed would happen in a boulder problem where we need a high excitement level to give the best in each try, where we should grab each hold with our maximum force.

It is so for each activity we will find our right arousal level.

The following graphic illustrates this.