7 Steps in Creating Your First Training Plan for Climbing

Introduction

You have decided that just climbing is not enough anymore. You have made some progress. It was quite fast at first, you got better at climbing every time you went to the gym or climbed at the crag. But you can feel the curve of progress getting flatter, you have not climbed a higher grade for some time. And you don’t like it. Good. At this point, training enters the game. What is training?

Training is a deliberate and structured process aimed at acquiring knowledge, developing skills, or instilling specific behaviors through instruction and practice. It enhances proficiency, competence, and overall performance in a targeted domain.

So I guess that at this point you have several options:

1. Find a good climbing coach at your local gym and enroll in a climbing training program with them. Their experience and skills will help you get better at climbing.
2. Buy a generic climbing training program online. There are tons of them. Some are even decent and will make you climb harder.
3. Get in touch with a personal online coach – there are several sites with great reputations. They will create a personalized training plan based on your initial assessment and climbing level. Some of the most well-known are found at Power Company Climbing, Lattice Training, Training Beta, Climb Strong, or even Mr. Adam Ondra himself.
4. Create your training plan and become not just a climber but a self-coached climber. An InnerCimber. Why? This way you will not only get better at climbing but also reap the benefits of embarking on this rewarding self-learning experience. 

Here are some tips to help get you started on your first self-created climbing training plan. 

Step 1: Set Clear Climbing Goals

The goal of every training is to get better. But to create a specific training plan that will bring tangible results we have to make our goals more specific. It can be a very aesthetically pleasing line that you saw at the crag butt and deemed too hard for you. Or it is a certain grade that you think will represent progress. It is best that we make this goal as specific as we can. A route or boulder with a name and grade will have much more motivational power. It will also serve as a guideline for structuring our training. 

Step 2: Assess Your Current Climibing Fitness Level

To get to the goal we have to know where we are. This is true in hiking and navigation as it is in structuring a training plan. You have your goal and now we have to asses your baseline. There are several options for this. One is to go and try your goal route or boulder. Can you do the moves but get pumped – your strength and power are good but you are lacking endurance. You can’t do the hardest moves – we will emphasize strength or power. Can’t even hold the holds? We will train finger strength. 

I also recommend doing regular physical testing. What is physical testing? It’s a more or less simple battery of tests to assess different sport-specific physical traits of a climber. If done regularly you can track your climbing fitness progress for years. This test can include many different aspects, that we discuss in this article but here is an example:

1: max HB dead hang in % of BW on 20 mm edge (finger strength test)

2: max pull up in % of BW (pulling strength test)

3: HB dead hang for reps @ 60% BW on 20 mm edge (lactate curve test)

4: splits in cm/inches (lower body mobility)…

After completing this test write down your numbers and repeat the test after a few weeks. There will be progress, but not only in the test results. There will be progress in your climbing. 

Step 3: Keep a training journal

Many climbers have in the past stumbled upon great climbing days, trips, and even seasons. But were unable to repeat this success because they trained randomly and in the end, didn’t have the data about what got them to their success. It is very important to keep a climbing training journal. It can be as simple as a notebook and a pen. Or you can use spreadsheets, Google Docs, or a simple wall calendar. What to track? Log training days, outdoor climbing days, and cardio workouts. You can be very meticulous and track food intake, sleep quality, and training session duration…  Start tracking your training with a simple log and then add information as needed. 

Step 4: Asses your climbing skills

Tom Randall (Lattice Climbing) made a great suggestion in one of the episodes of The Nugget Climbing Podcast that has stuck with me since. People are inherently biased about our performance. It is no different in climbing. Give your climbing friends or partners s dimple task. Ask them to write down three things that are your biggest weaknesses or areas of improvement. Try to get more than one, because they are also people with biases. The strong dude will say you lack strength because this is how he gets to the top of his climbs. The weaker climber with great technique will point out your skill deficiencies and trad dad will tell you about your fear of heights and falls. Threat this information as gold, because these are the people that watch you climb daily. They can tell what is stopping you from reaching your potential better than yourself. You can also try this simple climbing skills assessment.

Step 5: Resist the shiny new thing

Social media, climbing training books, and the internet are full of new climbing training methods. You could change your training plan daily if you wanted to incorporate every new fad that the pros are showing in their Instagram feed. But don’t. Based on your initial physical and skill assessment, create a simple and thoughtful plan. Then stick to it. Consistency is the most important thing in your training. Much more important than a specific hang board routine and the type of climbing board you use. But if you change your plan every time you see a new exercise on Instagram there is no consistency. Make your training plan simple but effective. 

Step 6: Keep it simple 

With all the resources and knowledge available online you could no doubt make a great training plan. A plan that has detailed structured exercises for every possible physical trait (strength, power, finger strength, power endurance, aerobic capacity, anaerobic capacity,…). You could also include dozens of skill drills, visualization training, and psychological traits. But that kind of plan would command a 24/7 commitment of an Olympic athlete and two personal assistants to keep track of. And most of us don’t have the time or resources to do it. And even if we did life happens. A spouse expects an anniversary romantic retreat in a town with no climbing gym. Kids have to go to a birthday party on a day you should be doing laps on auto belay for endurance. People invite you to a barbeque party on a nice Saturday afternoon when your project is in perfect conditions. And the detailed perfect plan crumbles. And what people do when we perceive that our nice and shiny complex training plan is not being followed to a T. We abandon it. 

That is why to me a simple, easy, and even easier-to-adjust climbing plan is superior. training gets done. 

Step 7: Create your training plan

Just do it. Choose 3 traits out of your physical tests and written peer reviews of your climbing skills. Choose those 3 that correspond with your climbing goal. And for these 3 traits choose simple training interventions (methods) that address them. Write them down, and spread them through your week of climbing. Stay with them for 8 weeks and see what happens. What happens? You get to be a better climber. Test again. Rinse and repeat.  

Conclusion

Congratulations on taking the crucial step towards becoming an InnerClimber . The journey to create your first training plan for climbing might seem scary, but many have done it.

As you embark on this adventure, consider the various paths available for your climbing evolution. Whether it’s enrolling in a local climbing training program, purchasing a reputable online training package, or seeking guidance from renowned coaches, there are many options. But the most rewarding of them all – creating your own training plan.

By following the seven steps outlined, you’re not simply creating a training routine. You’re sculpting yourself into a better climber. The process begins with setting clear, specific goals. It continues with assessing your current fitness level and recording your progress through a training journal. Key principles: Seeking outside perspectives, resisting distractions, and embracing simplicity.

Remember, the climb to improvement is not just about the destination but the journey itself. Maintain consistency, resist the allure of constant change, and relish the simplicity of your plan. With dedication and persistence, your personalized training plan will lead you to progress. And also a deep sense of accomplishment.

Now, armed with your goals and a simple, effective plan, it’s time to take the last step – write it down. Choose three key traits based on your assessments and peer reviews, put in place straightforward training interventions, and commit to the journey for eight weeks. Track your progress, adjust as needed, and witness the transformation unfold.

As you venture into the realm of self-coaching, you’re not just becoming a better climber. You’re becoming the architect of your success. Embrace the challenge, celebrate the victories, and enjoy the ascent.