Aerobic Training for climbing
Aerobic endurance training
Aerobic endurance is not something climbers deem to be important. Unless you spend all your time climbing massively long routes the reasons for training endurance will not seem obvious.
When climbing a average sport route you will be working all three energy systems. The PC system will be used for the crux, anaerobic system for the a section of linked harder moves and the aerobic system will be used to help recover from the harder sections and prepare your body for tricky moves later on. The aerobic system will remove all the waste products created by the anaerobic system.
Not only will be aerobic system allow your body to prepare for further hard climbing but it can also help produce energy during those hard sections. If your aerobic fitness is poor the anaerobic system will have to work harder and therefore you will burn out quickly due to a build up of waste products.
An aerobically fit climber will produce less waste products and be able to recover en-route.
Aerobic drills
Down Climbing
This is as simple as it sounds, lead a sport route and then down climb the route instead of lowering off.
Bouldering
Again a simple exercise, try bouldering continuously for around 15 to 20 min. at a time. Take a 10 minute break between each set. Aim for a minimum of 3 sets and increase this to 5 or 6 as your fitness improves.
Capacity training
Climb a route at your onsight limit, lower off then repeat the route. Climb the route 4 times in total. Aim for 3 routes climbed in this style.
Cascade training
- climb one route (25 moves) at onsight limit
- climb the next route (50 moves) at 3 sport grades below your limit
- Climb 100 moves at 5 sport grades below your onsight limit
- climb 200 moves at 6 grades below your onsight limit
Extra capacity training
- warm up with 25 moves (one sport route) at onsight limit
- 50 moves at 4 grades below onsight limit
- 50 moves at 4 grades below onsight limit
- 50 moves 6 grades below onsight limit
- Repeat this 2 more times (apart from warm up climb) with 20 min. rest between each repeat
Recovery control
Climb a circular bouldering problem with 10-20 moves. You should be able to do 2 laps. Now add a jug into the problem or a good rest point (not hands off). Now climb the route 4 to 5 times. Each time you train you should be able to reduce the size of the jug until it is not longer needed.
