In this article I would like to give you some advice on how to train. I don‘t want to write a novel, I just wish to express what is the foundation of my performance.

What is the best and quickest way to improve individual parts of climbing (power, technique, ect.)?  What should I take care about and what should I avoid? How do I train and what does an average week in my  training period or performance period look like?

Training:

1. Mainly climb, climb, climb.  It is the most natural activity by which you can improve.  Do not waste time by doing useless things.

2. Train four times a week minimum; otherwise you will meet no results.

3. Do not train only what you prefer (e.g. rock, indoor, bouldering, routes); they all- in suitable combination- will prepare you for the most varied of situations, at a maximal level.

4. Priorities for self consciousness:
-Strength of fingers is the basis: what the fingers carry, the body climbs.
- Technique- do not forget it in training – every move is not able to be done with power alone.
- Body power (core strength) joins the strength of the fingers and the technique of legs togeather and creates the  harmony,  and even determines the whole climbing style which climber displays during the performance.
- The head- in most cases it is the largest hinderence, either in the form of fear, technique or tactics.  A small piece of advice: Don‘t think, just climb.

5. When I train or climb on rocks, it is always with full intensity, all élan, and determination on 100 %.
6. Always determine your aim. It is necessary, without aim there is niether motivation nor result.
7. You must love climbing so much,that you dream about it in night.


Briefly how to work on individual parts:


I prefer training power on a bouldering wall. The most effective boulder problems are 10 – 15 moves long. The wall should be about 40% overhanging. It is not necessary to be pumped in 10 minutes, but to endure for two hours. The fatigue will come by itself. Later, it is useful to do even harder problems for maximal power activation.

For endurance training I recommend timed climbing: 5-10 minutes climbing to rotate with10 minutes of rest, repeat six to ten times. On the rock,  climbs 30 meters long, at whatever level you may be. They are suitable even 7a or 7b, I prefer the difficulty slightly bellow my standard of onsights.

Power endurance is respective to routes/problems at maximum about 30 moves long. Training on an indoor wall is good, it is good to find circuits on a bouldering  wall 20-40 moves long repeated 10 times. Climbing of new routes/problems are better, you will reach better knowledge of moves. The other means is by climbing routes; the most useful is to try routes on the level of your RP maximum.

Technique is best trained- of course- on rock, but even in the gym you can find boulder problems or routes which can improve your technique. I work intensively on creating new boulder problems to practice some of the basic climbing techniques, e.g. toe and heel hooks.

What to be careful of- is it easy to answer? Obviously injury and thus long periods away from climbing. It is only through training for long periods without long breaks that one can achieve something.  I personally used to train several months without a single day of rest: it is the key.

And what about my week? I will try to prepare it for next time, and I will prepare yours for you.

PS: I am going to thrash myself on the wall, because I love to be overpowered by routes. And what about you?


The author of this article is the World Champion, the winner of the World Cup 2004, and the climber of the year according to the international climbing site 8a.nu. He has published a series of articles about training on his new site www.tomasmrazek.cz. He is also preparing the English version of it. We will have information here about it and we will cooperate to provide the other details of his training series here on CzechClimbing.com (Translated by Lezec.cz)