By Mark Anderson On January 17th, the Boulder Rock Club hosted a panel discussion on training. The panel included myself, renowned climbing coach Justen Sjong, Chiropractor & Physio Dr. Brent Apgar, double-digit boulder and author Peter Beal and Physical Therapist Dr. Stacy Soapmann. It was a really fun and informative event. We fielded questions submitted online…
by Mark Anderson A few years ago Steve Bechtel gave me an article called “40 Years of Insight” by strength Coach Dan John. The article is a list of 40 lessons Dan learned in his 40 years of coaching strength athletes. I liked it so much, I keep it on my nightstand and re-read it…
Earlier this week Mike and I were invited on Nik Hawks’ podcast over at PaleoTreats. PaleoTreats is a web-based mail order company that makes delicious and nutritious desserts for active and health-conscious folks. In their own words, “…We’ve been making foodie-approved Paleo desserts since 2009. We are serious about flavor, texture, ingredients and Paleo. Yes, all…
Limit Bouldering is one of the best ways for rock climbers to train power. When done properly, Limit Bouldering trains max recruitment, contraction speed, core strength and inter-muscular coordination. If that weren’t enough, Limit Bouldering is also highly sport-specific, so the skills developed will translate directly to the rock. The crux of Limit Bouldering is…
by Mark Anderson A home climbing wall offers many advantages to the performance-oriented climber. Chief among them are: Convenience – with a wall literally in your backyard, commuting time and cost is eliminated along with most other excuses for skipping workouts. Those with families or pets can train with their loved ones without disturbing others, and…
by Mark Anderson This is part 2 in a two-part series. Part 1 can be viewed here. The most significant obstacle to climbing my looming Bunker project appeared to be a lack of specific core strength. My career for the most part has been spent standing on my feet, not swinging and stabbing them over…
A few days after my first free ascent of Double Stout I went out with Mike and Janelle to shoot some video. Here is what we came back with. Thanks again to Darren Mabe for envisioning and equipping the line. Thanks to Janelle for patiently belaying and to Mike for filming. Enjoy! UPDATE: Deadpoint Magazine wrote…
Focus is all about summoning maximum concentration and attention at the moment it is crucially needed. Most climbers think of this when its time to send, but the ability to summon and maintain sufficient focus is also vital during daily training. With training cycles that last for months, often involving several weeks of training on plastic,…
I’m currently reading The Sports Gene by Sports Illustrated writer David Epstein (Read a brief overview here). It’s a fascinating treatise on what sports science has uncovered so far about the components that contribute to elite athletic performance. The book elaborates on the fundamental “nature vs nurture” question as it applies to athletics; how much…
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…
The Rock Climber's Training Manual 