As implied here, I’m inspired by the climbing career of the legendary Jerry Moffatt. During his prime, Moffatt was the best climber in the world, and he dominated on redpoints, onsights, boulders and competitions. What inspires me most though, was his commitment to hard work and his dedication to training. He was a phenom in his…
Campusing is one of the best training activities for climbers who are looking to improve explosive power and contact strength (detailed rundown on these terms here). However, campusing is one of the most difficult training activities to perform well. Many would-be campusers struggle during the initial stages of learning to use this tool, they become frustrated, and so…
Last year I discussed at length the benefits of Campus Training, how to perform a Campus workout, and how to fit such workouts into your training schedule. Next week I plan to describe how to get the most out of your campus sessions. Campusing “well”, will reduce the risk of injury, improve your performance on…
Power is an essential element of climbing performance. One could argue (and many have) it is the most critical physical aspect of climbing performance. As Tony Yaniro famously said, “if you have no power, there is nothing to endure”. If you cannot execute the hardest individual moves on your goal route, everything else is moot. …
by Mark Anderson I think if people realized how little I train (and climb) they would be shocked. I often joke with my wife that I should be quarranteened in a plastic bubble and studied by teams of cruel government scientists (ala E.T.). There is certainly a trend among top climbers to perform massive quantities…
We recently spent a few days in Wyoming to take advantage of the last week of Kate’s maternity leave. Sinks and Wild Iris are among our favorite crags. I can’t ever recall having a bad day at Wild Iris. Even when I get bouted by a project there (which happens often enough), the warmup climbs…
When I built my gym in the Lazy H, I never really put much thought into the angles of the walls. I mocked it up with the joists and basically just eye-balled it. Almost immediately it became clear that my campus board wasn’t quite as steep as it should be, and this has been an…
In late 2009, my friend Ben Schmitt bolted a typical-looking Shelf Road face climb at Cactus Cliff. The line climbs a beautiful white wall of limestone, featuring a brutally hard 5-or-so-move crux right in the middle of the wall. When Ben put the hardware in, I was just finishing off the last of Shelf’s (existing)…
This is part 3 in a three-part series on Campus Training. If you haven’t read Part 1 and Part 2, please do. This training is for the thoroughly healthy. If you have any nagging injuries, particularly finger, elbow or shoulder injuries, DO NOT DO THIS! There are many different ways to use a campus board;…
This is part 2 in a three-part series on Campus Training. If you haven’t read Part 1, please do. Frequency & Rest The next order of business is to discuss frequency. Of all training activities, this one has the highest Gab-to-Grab ratio of them all. That is, far more time is spent talking about Campusing than…
The Rock Climber's Training Manual 