Two weeks ago we launched the first-of-its-kind survey to collect data on the effectiveness of the Rock Prodigy Training Method and the Rock Prodigy Training Center.

You can click here to take the survey.

The initial response was awesome, with many more responses than I expected. We’ve received over 75 responses, with people contributing from 8 different countries! As you might guess, participation has tapered off since then:

Responses to the Rock Prodigy Survey Since Feb. 11th.

I’m sure many of you are eager to see the results, as are we! Crunching all the data to get a complete picture of the RPTM’s effectiveness will be a pretty big job (a job I am and am not looking forward to…kind of like taxes 🙂 ). However, I’ll share some preliminary results from a couple of the questions that are easy to analyze.

Preliminary Results of Question 17.

Question 17 asked how well we are adhering to the program, which I found very interesting. I was surprised and pleased to see that most of you are following it pretty strictly. When we wrote the book, we feared that most folks would “cherry pick” exercises out of the book rather than executing the program as a whole. We were worried that such an approach would not be very effective, and these climbers would draw the wrong conclusions about the effectiveness of the program. We’re glad to see that people are giving the program a fair shot by taking a “whole-system” approach.

This is what we are most psyched about:

Survey respondents’ impressions of the effectiveness of the RPTM. Psyched!

Question 21 asked how you think the RPTM has changed your climbing, and over 94% of respondents believe they have improved, with over half improving “significantly”. This is tremendous! It is something we as a training community should be very proud of because this program is an ongoing collaboration, and we developed it with lots of input and feedback from the community. As we go about our training, it is extremely motivating to know that what we are doing is effective, and it will bring us results in the long run!

We have received some awesome comments as well, here are a few anonymous excerpts:

“This really has reinvigorated my climbing. I thought I was on the downward end of my climbing but now have hope (and a plan) to send my first V10…”

“RPTM works! I am a believer.”

Finally, the last question asked users to rate how each element of the program contributed to their improvement. This is pretty interesting as well:

Comparing the importance of each element of the RPTM. The highest score possible would be a “3.0”.

Here is the full text for each of the questions (sorry the image cuts them off…we need to be less wordy 🙂 ):

1. The synergy of the RPTM periodization creates a performance peak
2. A defined training schedule made it easier to follow the training protocol
3. Goal setting helped me identify weaknesses, focus my training, and/or adhere to the program
4. The controlled exercises allow for better control over training frequency, intensity, and rest
5. A framework for documenting my training results (quantifiable evidence of improvement was motivating)
6. The RPTM provided a practical framework for skill development
7. Improved weight management
8. Performance concepts of the RPTM improved my effectiveness at the crag
9. Weight addition and subtraction with pulleys while hangboarding allows me to fine-tune the intensity for improved training effect
10. The RPTC provides more effective grips to train on than other devices
11. The RPTC’s improved ergonomics allow me to push myself harder
12. The RPTC provides a progression of grips of increasing difficulty

Thanks again to all of who have taken the survey, and if you haven’t had a chance yet, please contribute by taking the survey!