STRENGTH TRAINING METHODS FOR ELITE CLIMBERS

The increment of the sport mastery (M) depends mainly on two factors: the increase of the athlete's motor potential (P) and their ability to take advantage in an effective way from that potential in trainings and competitions (H). The greater the athlete his specific motor potential and make use of it effectively, the more his performance will improve.

Now, the increase of the sportsman's motor potential (P) and, therefore, the progress of the sport mastery (M) demands a constant increase of the training stimulus (C) in the organism, since they are necessary higher training loads of to get improvements.

This is the fundamental law of the process of formation of the sport mastery . The complete content and the organization of a long term training should be focused toward the creation of the reasonable conditions for the execution of that law.

1- the mechanism under the development of the process to reach the sports mastery during many years of training consists on the steady raise in the motor potential of the body and the improvement of the sportsman's ability to use it effectively in training and competitions.
2- The increase in the key motor functions in the process to reach the mastery slows, and its stagnation in the high level athlete requires that the intensity of the training increases
3- The increase in the sportsman's motor potential throughout many years of training is based on a very concrete morpho-functional specialization of the organism.

The functional specialization of the organism throughout several years of training it is manifested in two ways.

- First, explicit adaptations / alterations are achieved in those muscular groups and physiologic systems that mainly assure the capacity of the sportsman's work

- Second, the functional improvement of the body is expressed by the development of those specific motor abilities which are indispensable for the success in a given sport activity.

Thus, the key item is the specialization of the organism or the organs on one hand, and the motor ability on the other.

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Restoring the work capacity after a climbing session

The training of a climber will be effective if he use correctly the means and methods of training and a complete restoring of the work capacity is achieved.

It is so important the work load as the recovery after it. When executing physical exercises, some processes starts in the organism: rupture and reestablishment of chemical substances, rich in energy, with the particularity that the first ones prevail over the seconds. Once concluded the exercise, inverse changes occurs in the functional systems activity. All changes in that period are denominated work capacity restoration. The metabolism byproducts are eliminated and the energy stores, the plastic or structural substances and the enzymes consumed during the activity are completed.

The means that are used in the reestablishment of the functions are classified in three groups: pedagogic, psychological and physiologic.

The pedagogic means of reestablishment are the selection, variation and combination of means and methods in the elaboration of the training program , the loads diversity and the combinations in different periods of time.

The psychological means of recovery diminish the psychic tension and the state of psychic depression and accelerate the energy recovery. Some common psychological means are the autogenic training, the, selfconfidence, etc.

The psycoregulation training is based on the regulation of the psychic state, using the conscious relaxation of the muscular system and the sportsman's influence on his organism functions.

Lastly, the physiologic means contribute to increase the organism resistance to training loads, to treat general and local fatigue, to replenish the energy resources and the acceleration of the adaptativos processes. This methods includes: feeding, supplementations and pharmacological treatment and the physical means.

The post of today has to do with the physical means that commonly are used in the recovery of climbing sessions. In successive post I will treat the other means.

Several options exist to accelerate the recovery and to reestablish the work capacity. Inside these methods we can find useful the massage, the cold water baths of and electrostimulation

The massage has the following functions:

- Analgesic effect

- It helps to prevent of soft tissues injuries (muscles, tendons, fascias and bursas)

- It stimulates the blood flow

- It eliminates toxins and substances of metabolic waste

- It retards the appearance of muscular fatigue

Cold water baths has been used in the sport from very long time. Cold baths analgesic and healing effect is beneficial for the repetitive microinjuries taken place by climbing. It diminishes the local muscular metabolism and the oxygen demand.

A minimum of five minutes it is required, after which the temperature in the depth of the muscle ant tendons descends about 2-3º. The time should not overcome10 minutes. The application of this technique is very uncomfortable and it requires a great motivation and willpower to carry out it.

This therapeutic measure is highly advisable also to reduce the articulations inflammatory response (especially of the hand) after intense sessions of training in the campus, hangboard and/or boulder.

Ice and water should be placed in a recipient and to there the hands for 30s x 30s period up to 5 to 10 minutes.

The electroestimulator ussage, in the active recovery program that uses some frequencies that go from 10 to 1 Hz, will produce different beneficial effects: first we will obtain an effect of elimination of lactic acid and other toxins; second an oxygenation will contribute to a quick recovery of the muscular tissues, followed by an endorphinic effect that will contribute to calm the pain associated with training, and finally to a general relaxation. Also, this recovery will allow us to confront the following training under good conditions.

It should be used no more than 3 hours after an intensive training or a competition.

The active recovery programs have a duration of 25 to 40 minutes, and with a 4 channels electrostimulator we will be able to stimulate two muscular groups at the same time.