Training for bouldering competitions

Prof. Juan Martín Miranda

There are several scientific studies concerning physiologic characteristics of sport climbing, but almost exclusively on sport climbing routes. Recently there were published some articles that describe and analyze bouldering competition demands.

A bouldering competition consist on a series of problems during each stage (4 to 5) with a determined performance time for each problem (4 to 6 minutes), and a similar period of rest/recovery between them. The competitor during his realization time must administer their attempts and rest intervals to solve all the comp that lasts more than 50 minutes.

One of the scientific articles, published by White & Olsen (2010), analyzed the performance of several elite english bouldering climbers during a national competition. Next chart shows the data obtained.

These numbers give us some guidelines about the effort during this type of competitions. Climbers tried only 3 times each problem (mean), where they spent 30 s to solve each. The work/rest ratio (for 6 minutes period) was 1:4 in each problem. If we consider contact time and time to reach next hold (8 s / 0.6 s) the ratio is 13:1. During route climbing this ratio was 3 s : 1 s (Watts et. al., 2000).

Another interesting thing of this study is that static time is lower than route climbing (25% vs 38 %) founded by Billat et als (1995).

Another study by La Torre et al. (2009) analyzed elite Italian bouldering climbing during two national comps and on simulated comp. In the firsts two comps they analyzed working time and lactate concentration at the end, and in the simulated comp they analyzed times, lactate concentrations at the end of each problem and heart rate during all the competition.

The data presented here differs little from the other study (keep in mind that there is a climbing time of 5 minutes here). Mean of each movement time was lower: 5.3 ± 0.7 s for the national comp and 5.2± 0.6 s for the simulated comp. Mean climbing total time for each problem was 65 ± 20 s and 92 ± 24 s and mean total climbing time for all the comp was 391 ± 85 s and 551 ± 96 s respectively.

Mean heart rate during recovery period did not increase in the simulated comp in males, but slightly increased in females.

Lactate concentrations during simulation didn’t raise with the increase of competition time, but mainly depended on the time needed to climb the attempts of the previous problem. Using regression analysis they determined that changes in lactate concentrations depended on effort duration, with an apparent cut-off value of 20 s. Describing this way short attempts (<20>

In the third study (Michailov et al., 2009), anthropometric characteristics and strength of elite bouldering climbers that participated in a world bouldering cup were measured. Next chart shows their results

Elite bouldering athletes had very low body fat and muscle mass close to 50% in males and 40% in females , same as difficult (routes) climbers.

Male climbers had 20% more grip strength tan route climbers (Watts et al., 2000), this is due to the strength nature of the contest.

Conclusions

The intermittent character of the prove, shows some specific determinants in recovery time during each problem, and during all the event. During a competition (more than 50 minutes) some recovery times are stipulated by rules, and other depends on the climbers tactics and strategies and their recovery capacity. The higher the level of the climber and the more experience has, without doubts the climber will give less attempts, administer better the effort, and therefore his recovery times will be higher.

Using specific training means to increase recovery capacity is a must. Intermittent training (aka interbloque) is an excellent choice to increase it. And due to some problems duration (more than 20 s), lactate accumulation must be removed rapidly, so high intensity interval training can be used to increase lactate removal capacity.

With regard to the action time of the muscles (holds contact time), training should be specific to maintain very high intensity intermittent efforts of 5 to 8 seconds approximately with an excessively short rest (<1>

Strength levels for this type of efforts are very high (20 % plus than route climbing), therefore the strength capacity is also another training goal. The climbers must use specific exercises like hangboard training, system training, campus training and especially boulder climbing, which is the specific exercise.

A high percentage of mass muscular derived from the unspecific strength training can be counter-productive, since the climber will have to move his overweight. That’s why any increase of the muscular mass must be specific and necessary to the demands of the event. It is necessary to control it by periodic anthropometric tests. Therefore the muscular mass should be ideal and the hypertrophy should happen only in the determinant musculature of the performance.

References

1 – White, DJ and Olsen, PD. A time motion analysis of bouldering style competitive rock climbing. J Strength Cond Res 24: 1533-4287, 2010

2 – Billat, V, Palleja, P, Charlaix, T, Rizzardo, P and Janel, N. Energy specificity of rock climbing and aerobic capacity in competitive sport rock climbers. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 35: 20-24, 1995

3 - Watts, PB, Newburry, V and Sulentic, J. Acute changes in handgrip strength, endurance, and blood actate with sustained sport rock climbing. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 36: 255-260, 2000

4 - La Torre, A, Crespi, D, Serpiello, FR and Merati,G. Heart rate and blood lactate evaluation in bouldering elite athletes. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 49: 19-24, 2009

6 – Michailov, ML, Mladenov, LV and Schoffl, VR. Anthropometric and strength characteristics of world-class boulderers. Med Sport. 13(4): 213-238, 2009

SPEED CLIMBING TRAINING PART 3

This is the last post of the speed climbing series. I will show some methodology and exercises.

The speed in a climbing route will depend on two factors: length and frequency of individual moves.

Length depends on:

1- Morphologic characteristics

2 Strength

3- Holds

4- Flexibility

Frequency depends on:

1- Contact time

2- Flight time (COG in vertical direction)

Improving each of these aspects will improve in final climbing speed. Some aspects can’t be changed like anthropometric characteristics or where the holds are screwed. But strength, flexibility, contact time and flight time can be trained and there is where our efforts will be centered.

Methodological tasks

• - Increase speed possibilities by high frequency innervations using low resistance and a short period of time
• Increase special strength preparedness using dynamic moves
• Increase speed endurance using interval method
• Reach perfect coordination and maximum efficiency of the neuromuscular effort

The following videos shows some methodologies to work upper body strength

Frequency campus exercises

And for movement length

Assisted exercise will be helpful to frequency improvement when using campus board because sometimes (always!!) body weight is excessive to apply a correct speed training load. Using elastic bands attached to a harness will be enough.

Non assisted exercises need to be performed after assisted ones, so we can finish with the real motor path

Methodology

1. Normal – resisted – normal
2. Normal – resisted – normal – resisted – normal
3. Normal – assisted – normal
4. Normal – assisted – normal – assisted – normal
5. Normal – resisted – normal – assisted – normal
6. Normal – resisted – assisted – normal

7. assisted – resisted – assisted - normal

Some exercises to train lower body strength

For power nothing better than jumps

This chart resumes the tasks to train for speed climbing

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Some reflections concerning speed training

1. Technique and coordination are important do speed
2. Max strength and power have a positive effect; max strength, power and speed makes a dynamic unity
3. Muscular imbalances are counter-productive during speed development
4. Exercises performed at sub maximal speed generate sub maximal speed neural paths.
5. It is preferable quality than quantity. Maximum speed improvements is only possible by a complex and well developed process of load planning and control

Prof. Juan Martín Miranda

SPEED CLIMBING TRAINING PART 2

In this post I will show how are upper and lower body moves during a speed climbing comp, and the way this information help us to understand speed climbing training methods.

Upper body moves

Pay attention to this video, specially arms moves

Now let’s see the same video in slow motion and with contact time analysis.

If we analize in numbers what the video shows:

• Numbers of contacts 10 left / 9 right

• Total contact time 4,08s/3,6s

• Double moves 4

• Average contact time : 360ms

• Esplosive actions with stretch shortening cycle (SSC)

There is few cientific studies published concerning speed climbing. Konstantin Fuss and Gunther Niegl (2006) studied climbers forces during different situations, using piezoelectric sensors attached to holds to determine how forces is applied on them.

They concluded that during speed climbing as higher the reaction force over the hold, higher initial shock spikes , and shorter the contact time. So it is necessary to apply high forces in a short period of time, thus reduce the contact time. Keep in mind that if we reduce each of the contact times , we will have a less time until the top.

A

t this point, a striking difference becomes apparent: in lead climbers, the better a climber is, the smaller are the contact forces at the hold: in speed climbers, the opposite is true, i.e., the better the climber and thus the faster, the higher are the contact forces. In lead climbers, the magnitude of these forces depends on how economical the climbing style is; in speed climbers, the force is a function of speed (Fuss and Niegl. 20O6).

Next graphs shows forces and contact time / velocity

Number of moves shows that during comp format (15 meters tall) and with accurate technique, a climber do 19 moves, 4 of them are double dyno.

Average contact time is between 300-500ms, classifying some of the actions as Long Stretch Shortening Cycle actions (SSC-L), that means that there is some elastic energy stored and released during the contraction. This determines some parameters to consider when planing the training to maximize the efficacy of each move

Lower body moves

Next Image shows lower body moves.

• Number of contacts 9/9

• Both feet at the same time: 1

• Average contact time : 400ms

• Explosive isometric-concentric actions

• Knee: >90 grados

• Foot internal rotation, Hip abduction

Number of contacts is similar to upper body, but contact time is higher, maybe because great angular amplitude of the involved joints.

If we see the knee in each move, we will notice that they’re flexed more than 90 degrees at the beginning of the move. So they’re deep knee flexions.

At the same time each move is performed with feet external rotation and hip abduction, that determines an specific pattern to train lower body.

All this actions are considered explosive isometric-concentric actions, because the climber first fixes his feet, and then perform the explosive concentric action always with upper body support.

Next post I will describe methodologies to improve efficiency of upper and lower body contacts.Prof. Juan Marín Miranda

Speed climbing training

In this series of posts I will analyze a purely competitive climbing discipline: speed.

This discipline is growing in the competitive world, and is one of that is in the sight to be the representative in the Olympic Games.

According to speed climbing rules two formats are possible, record format and classic format. In the latter the athlete climbs two routes in each of the series of the same height and similar profile and difficulty, whereas in the record format (15 or 10 meters standard wall with standardized holds located in a precise position) the climber climbs once in each of the series. This videos are an example of both formats.

Record format

Classic Format

The speed implies the velocity with which a body does a displacement in the space. So the speed is the resultant the space crossed by the time used.

From a sports point of view the speed represents the capacity of a subject to realize motor actions in a minimum of time and with the maximum of efficiency. Therefore to demonstrate speed we must known which are the determining factors. The speed is a hybrid quality that is determined by all other qualities: strength, endurance, and especially by technique.

Speed must be learned and trained always by specific exercises, and these exercises must be realized at high speed, so by this way we will assure ourselves fast movement paths.

Speed training has two manifestations:

QUICKNESS: all the isolated actions that are constituted by one movement. 

SPEED: linking movements in a given sport action

This way we see that we can improve the quickness of each move, and then link them. If we use the record format, where all is standardized, the training would consist of maximizing the quickness of the individual movements of then link with speed.

The training objectives are:

· Treduce reaction time

· Maximize the acceleration of the displacements

· Increase the speed of each move

· Achieve major moves frequency

· Reduce the contact time on each hold

· Reduce the speed loss

Reaction time:

It is the time between the beginning of a stimulus and the beginning of the response. This stimulus in case of the speed climbing is a simple stimulus: the judge order.

Consist of 5 phases:

· t1: the interval of time that elapses while the climber detects the sensory input from the starting order

· t2: the length of time needed to acknowledge and correlate the array of sensations discovered in t1

· t3: the total time required to organize a response

· t4: time required to the stimulus to arrive to the muscle motor plate

· t5: time required to initiate and complete a specific movement

This area is one of the most difficult to train and obtain improvements since we are speaking of miliseconds. In the following table, I present the reaction times (RT) of the 100 meters flat races 5 best times.

It is well-known that less than 150 milliseconds it is the time of reaction to execute the first movement. If one delays it or gives an advantage from a slow start it can be the difference in the classification. There is not enough information on speed climbing reaction time, but this training area can offer to us valuable milliseconds in a speed competition.

The methodology to train the reaction time has some requirements

· Start from simple conditions of execution.

· Go on to changeable conditions.

· Low volume of work and exercises

· Exercise them in the first part of the training session

· Improve visual and propioceptive feedback mechanisms

We will always try to begin the reaction time training without previous fatigue, and with simple execution drills.

The idea is always to vary the stimuli to which the climber must react. The stimuli can be tactile, auditory, visual.

But looking for specificity, at the end of the reaction time session we will focus on specific starts, doing only the first one or two moves.

The work volume must be low, since it can generate sensorial or physical a fatigue that it will prevent to react quickly generating slow motor pattern.

Normally with 15 or 20 minutes of reaction time at the beginning of the training session we will have a suitable stimulus.

The following post will be dedicated to analyze the moves of the upper and lower body in the format record, and later we will see the training methods to improve the quickness and the speed..

Prof. Juan Martin Miranda

TRAINING FOR CLIMBING. IS REALLY NECCESARY?

Climbing is a multipurpouse activity, competition, hobby, way of life, etc., each climber might have their motivations, but one thing is clear, each one wants to climb more: harder routes, more routes in a day/trip, climb faster…

Even if we don’t link climbing with high performance sport, those targets denotes a similarity with sports activities where ones always want to perform better and exceed previous level and it is not necessary to compete with others!.

There are several ways to improve in our climbing: climbing itself in an anarchical way, just climb anything in an unplanned way each climbing session, or plan and organize our climbing sessions, following the advice that give us the theory of sport training.

By this way we can perform and success in our objectives in a precise time. Training is defined as a process, with a starting and an ending point. The starting point is the initial state at the beginning of a training plan, the ending point is where we are going to achieve the results, a trip, a comp, etc..

The initial state is the sports form where we are, analyzing the preceding performances in climbing and the training backgrounds that we have.

Objectives are the fundamental pillar of each training process, because they determine the ending point and with that the motivation to realize the training program during the different stages. Objectives must be defined previously in a clearly and concise manner. Some characteristics of the objectives are shown below:

Clearly formulated

Realistic and accessible

Measurable

Specific

Once objectives are defined, we have to see how will be completed trough a training plan. Basically we the training we want:

Increase the organism motor potential

Improve the ability to use effectively this motor potential

Increase the sports mastery firmness

Training is based on the administration of different loads to the organism that will produce an effect named supercompensation, in which the organism once stimulated, and during the recovery period, it is regenerated up to overcoming the initial state as measure of adjustment. All that happens if the period of rest among training stimuli is correct. If the period of rest is incomplete, the organism can’t adapt to training, and the state will be low. (FIGURE 1).

There are several possibilities to administer the training loads, looking for the ideal lapse of time to reach the maximum benefits, keeping in mind that these loads always must be of major magnitude as one progresses. (FIGURE 2)

But this supercompensation curve cannot demonstrate eternally in an ascending way. It is necessary to offer to the body every certain period of time a major rest, in order to avoid overtraining.

There are several ways to administer the loads: (FIGURE 3)

Standard: when always do the same thing independently of the session, in which we will come to a stagnation. For example, if every day at the end of the training sessions we do 10 laps on the same route to increase our endurance, we will stop in the progress rapidly, for it we will have to choose to change the organization of the training loads.

Progressive increase of the loads: consists of a constant increase of the training during the sessions. But we will come to a point where the organism will not be able to adapt any more to this constant increase of the load, and will come to a point of stagnation, and more even to a decrease of the performance due to overtraining. An example of this, instead of doing always the same 10 laps of the same route, increase session to session the number of routes (11, 12, 13, 14) or increase the difficulty of the laps.

Stepwise increase of loads: this methodology consists of doing periods of 2, 3 or 4 weeks of increase of the load for 1 or 2 weeks of decrease of the load or recovery to allow the supercompensation. On the same example of the endurance training at the end of the session, one might realize 10 laps the first week, 12 laps the second, 14 laps the third, but in the fourth we will lower the load to 10 laps. This way we will have a stepwise progression. The following period of training might begin again with 10 laps, but a more difficult route.

This recovery period is applied also before the performance period. It is called tapering, and is a period before the trip of climbing, competition, etc., in which we will give a rest to the body, especially across a decrease of the volume of what we are doing, in order to arrive to the supercompensation and perform with success.

This methodology is the modern strategy of training and is in use definitively in the training of the climbers of average and high level, since trained climbers organisms needs progressive and well planned loads, with periods of intermediate rests.

This division in weeks of increase of the load with weeks of decrease delimits specific periods of training, in which it is possible to emphasize in some aspect of the specific conditioning for climbing.

For example, and depending specifically on the goals, in this case 4 months (16 - 18 weeks) from the beginning of the training, one might organize three periods of training or mesocycles:

1er mesocycle: adaptation to the training loads where the first 4 weeks (three in ascent and one in decrease) will be dedicated to the increase of the work volume, a lot of time climbing on easy terrain, or to do routes of moderate/low difficulty, but many times. The aim here will be to create the basic conditions to support the training loads and to adapt all the body structures (muscles and tendons).

2nd mesocycle: improvement of the maximum strength and power, also a 4 weeks cycle, with three weeks of load increase and one of decrease. The general goal will be to improve the forearm muscles strength and all the back muscles. Here we will seek to have the aptitude to solve the isolated movements of the project.

3er mesocycle: period dedicated to the special endurance improvement, with this we will be seeking to acquire the aptitude to resist the quantity of movements that needs the type of climbing that we want to perform. During 3 weeks in ascent, then we will rest into the following period (tapering). Here we will centre on looking for the necessary endurance for the route/s. If our goal is 20 moves routes, we will focus on acquire this specific endurance, the same for 40 moves routes, or more, or if we are seeking to climb many routes in one day, we will focus a bit more on the work volume. We will achieve this last goal by doing sets and reps of routes of the desired length.

4to mesocycle: Adjustment or tapering, for 2 or 3 weeks, we will try to regenerate the organism to arrive to the performance period in the bests possible conditions, and all the adaptations arrives to their maximum level of efficiency. Here we will diminish the volume of work, with big rests and especially arrive progressively to maximum intensity (difficulty).

With this simple periodization it will be possible to coincide maximum point of performance with the date foreseen for the next trip of climbing or CHAIN. This is not a rigid structure, but will change depending on the goals, time to train, sport form, etc.

Juan Martín Miranda

CONTACT STRENGTH (PART 2)

In the previous article I demonstrated the importance of contact strength with the rise of climbing level. Due to the intensity of this kind of training it is not recommended to novice climbers

To increase this capacity we could use climbing itself or use the campus board as a fundamental tool.

Contact strength training via climbing

As we saw, contact strength is the capacity to apply the higher strength as possible in the minimum amount of time, so, using climbing as a mean to increase contact force there are some activities:

Speed climbing: climb as faster as possible, toproping or bouldering. It’s a funny exercise. Main idea is to think holds are super hot, so you have to leave them as soon as possible. Sets must be 8 to 10 sec max to develop powerful movements, and rests must be complete (3 minutes)

No foot climbing: no foot bouldering is ideal to increase your contact strength. Once your increase your ability you could reduce holds size. Always in a maximum of 6 movement problems and a complete rest (3 minutes)

Contact strength via campus board

Campus board is a training mean that has two different goals: to train finger flexors contact strength and to train back and arms strength and power. Wolfgang Gullich started using it in 90´s, and then this tool became popular among climbers.

Campus board is an excellent tool to increase contact strength. But several cautions must be taken. Definitely isn’t a tool for novice climbers, and it is not recommended for climbers younger than 17 years old that haven’t arrived to full bone maturity, because finger joint trauma generated by campus board can generate fractures, as been well documented in Audry Morrison and Volker Schoeffl studies (Physiological responses in young rock climbers).

There are two groups of campus exercises:

Reaches and pushes: consists in climb rung to rung with one hand while the other stays in the first rung. Main goal is to reach the highest rung as possible either by the pushing with the lower arm or pulling with the ascending arm, or both in a coordinated manner (better). This exercise and some variations (watch this video) don’t generate excessive impact in joints, because always body weight is supported by the lower hand which adds more control to the movement.

Even so, exercises can be classified by their impact. High impact exercises are exclusively for high level climbers, and low impact exercises are for medium level climbers.

Simple reaches: ascending rung to rung

Double or triple reaches: ascending skipping one or two rungs

Maximum reaches: ascending up to maximum extension as possible, here you have to pay attention to full extend lower arm.

Jumps or dynos: they consists on jumps with both hands at a time. These jumps can be ascending or descending (catching a lower rung).

As with pushes and reaches, an impact classification can be done with jumps

Simple dyno: jump from rung to rung (big rung) with both hands

Plyometric combinations: using simple dyno basis, jumping up and down , or jumping up skipping one rung and jump down one, and all simple combinations of simple dynos, but always respecting movement velocity and descending only one rung and ascending skipping one rung max.

Between 6 to 10 jumps for both exercises, or once movement velocity is lost. $ to 10 sets with full rest (3 minutes)

Doubles, triples, maximum dynos: skipping one, two, three, etc rungs, reaching the highest rung as possible. 4 to 6 jumps, 4 to 10 sets and full rest (3 minutes)

All of these exercises could be more intense by reducing rung size, but this strategy is only possible when all the variations are dominated and climber level is high.

Recomendations:

• Analyze if you really need to add volume to your training..
• Determine if you have enough capacity to tolerate a high intensity training.
• High strength levels are necessary, and without actual or recently injuries in fingers or elbows joints, muscles or tendons.
• It is not recommended to add any of the high impact exercises to low or intermediate level climber’s workout.
• Campus board is a tool to develop strength and power, so sets must be of low volume (4 to 6 reps) and rests between sets must be complete (3 minutes)

Each campus training session must start without previous fatigue. If this happens, it would be very difficult to maintain enough power , and the lack of coordination could be an injury factor due to the intensity of the exercise.

Prof. Juan Martín Miranda