Scalar Field

Objective: Climbing Power Endurance, Short Intervals

Training: (1) 18 rounds
One Adv problem on the 1:30

rest 10 minutes

(2) Rhythm Intervals
Level 1, lower right

(3) Prehab

I give props to Rob Shaul for always trying new stuff.

I think the most important element of core strength is the successful application of the strength you already posses. "It doesn’t matter how big your engine is if you don’t have traction on a surface." Once technique is rock solid, you can work on a bigger engine.

Even with core work, my primary focus is increasing maximal strength because any climbing worth doing is hard. I don't train core endurance, i.e. longer 5s, because I figure it is already being trained through functional movements.

Notes: End of the current Power Endurance cycle. Last training day before a roadtrip and the start of fall/performance season. I'm a little tired, but I'm strongest, fittest, and technically sound I have ever been. I hope this translates to the rock and sending. The best thing is I'm not injured.

During #1, I did every Advanced problem in the gym worth doing.

I'm abbreviating the Rhythm Interval workouts because I'm tired of writing them out. I mostly do Level 1. I have done one at Level 2 (it really sucked).

Dell Hell

Objective: Climbing Endurance

Training: Easy traversing, 45 minutes

Notes: A mellow day between two hard days.

Bonus: This article has been on my mind lately, link. "Maximal Oxygen Consumption" has little or no bearing on climbing. "Lactate Threshold" and "Efficiency" are of critical importance to sport climbing. The article makes the argument for focused training on "Efficiency" for less technical sports. Given that climbing is a very technical sport, I wonder what the last figure would look like for climbing. Today was another step on my continued quest for "Efficiency".

You're Never Really Asleep; You're Never Really Awake.

Objective: Climbing Strength, Climbing Power Endurance, Medium Intervals

Training: (1) Flash new problems, Adv & Int

(2) Threshold Bouldering, 45 minutes

rest 6 hours

(4) System Board, 1-4 moves
two finger pockets, middle, lower right
crimp, #2, #1

(3) 10 rounds
Up (Adv), Down (Rec), Up (Adv)
rest 1:30-2 between rounds

Advance Flash

Notes: I haven't been climbing lately, but I haven't been recovering either. I have friend visiting. His name is Insomnia. He sucks as guest. I wish he would go home, back to hell. I did the best I could, which was a notch above completely sucking. 5 days til the Oly Comp. At this point, it is potentially dangerous for me to go through with it.

I felt much better during second session, although a little weaker than normal. Up, Down, Up are another new addition to the program. It is a fun mind to crank hard when you are a little pumped. I started to fade during the later rounds.

Bonus: Tate on Steroids. He knows his stuff and is not afraid to tell it like it is. I strongly recommend becoming a CrossFit Journal subscriber and listen to the complete article.

At the end of the complete article, he states the most beneficial fitness attribute is maximal strength. I have always been a resident of that camp. Even though I train for sport climbing, I realize that if I become stronger I will climb higher grades. That is why the foundation of my training is hard bouldering/hangboard/campusboard/systemboard.

The Slow Clap

Objective: Climbing Strength (or Strugglin'), Climbing Power Endurance, Long Intervals, Technique

Training: (1) Technique, Roof, Dropknees, Bicycles, Hand/Foot Match

(2) Threshold Bouldering, 40 minutes

rest 6 hours

(3) Long Intervals, rest as needed, 45 minutes
climb Adv, recover on wall, repeat until failure

Technique, Roof, Hand/Foot Match

Threshold Bouldering, sorta

Notes: I feel so weak. I tried flashing the new problems and got shut down on all of them. All grades: Advanced, Advanced +, Open -, and Open. I couldn't pull off the ground on most of them. The session felt very unproductive because I couldn't link more than 3 moves together. Most of the time I couldn't even pull one move. I thought it was just a bad day, but I could run laps on problems I have already done (at similar grades). It makes no sense. I feel like my bouldering is a zero or one. I can run laps on a climb or can't climb it all. I hate bouldering.

I tried to redeem myself with some endurance training. I went really LONG with the intervals, linking 4-5 problems together. I stuck mostly to Advanced problems. I was focusing on resting/recovering on the wall. I do okay at recovering on vertical. Once it gets steep, it feels like resting takes more energy. I'm forcing myself to learn how to recover on steepness. When I throw something new in my training, I use an intuitive approach. I didn't keep track of the exact number of moves, work/rest ratio, and quit when I felt tired.

Critical Denisity

Objective: Climbing Power Endurance, Short Intervals

Training: (1) Technique, Roof, drop knees, bicycles, hand/foot matches

(2) 20 rounds
easy traverse into an Adv problem, 7-10 moves
on the minute

(3) Rhythm Intervals, system, lower right
2 rounds
30 on/30 off/ 30 on/ 30 off
30 on/30 off/ 30 on/ 30 ar
rest 4 minutes between rounds

(4) Prehab

Notes: Gym is getting too crowded for evening sessions. I watched this video before I the session. It always fires my ass up. I kept the same intensity as the last short interval session, but dropped the hammer on volume. 20 hard problems on the minute is no joke. Ran out of time to repeat technique work.

latfh

Objective: Climbing Power Endurance, Long Intervals

Training: (1) Technique, High Steps, 10 minutes

(2) 10 rounds
30+ moves
rest 1:1 (~2:30)



Notes: I increased volume, from 8 to 10, but kept intensity the same. Next time, I'll put some Adv problems in the mix. I rested less on the wall because I'm adapting to the long circuits. The gym closed before I could repeat the technique work. It was a small blessing because I was beat down at the end.

Resource War

Objective: Climbing Strength, Climbing Power Endurance, Medium Intervals

Warm-up: Long one, including working an Open Problem

Training: (1) System board, 4-6 moves
two finger, small pocket/lower right
crimp, #2/#1
sloper, lower left

rest 6 hours

(2) 12 rounds
Prefatigue into a Int+ problem, 15 moves
every 2 minutes

Open Problem

My first go after figuring out the moves for 5 minutes.
Big moves on a roof, not my thing.

Notes: The gym was oddly crowded for a Saturday morning, mostly families. It didn't matter, I got psyched and trained.