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How to start strength and power training for bouldering

“Just climb boulders to get better at bouldering?” Umm, yes and no. If you feel like you’ve reached a deadlock when it comes to hard bouldering moves and you’re past improving footwork and route reading, then it may be time for a new approach to climbing instead.

Stick with us and find out how to start your strength and power training to become more confident with your bouldering skills.

Why power and strength are important in bouldering?

Having margin in bouldering is definitely a confidence booster. Be it strenuous bouldering moves, scary top-outs, or making on-the-edge clips on sports climbs, strength, and power training is something that will help you to keep calm and fail from all of the above. 😂

What is the difference between power training and strength training?

I bet it’s not just me who’s noticed that strength and power are often used interchangeably in the climbing gym community and not only.

Let’s choose clarity over confusion. 😀

Strength: What is it and how to train it?

Strength is the ability to hold on and keep climbing in a slow and controlled way. Unlike power, it requires no quick moves.

The point of training strength is to help the climber maintain his ability to keep his clarity to keep on climbing efficiently while executing hard moves on the wall. Unless you live 1000 years, by simply climbing such a high-level climbing can’t be achieved by only bouldering!

​​Building strength implies progressive overload and requires taking longer rest between sets. Otherwise, if you tire yourself the session is compromised and you risk injury in the long term.

Power: What is it and how to train it?

In bouldering, power is when your muscles are able to produce force fast and, therefore climb fast. Think explosiveness in bouldering.

As a beginner, you can increase power by strength training alone. However, when you move to a higher level, power training becomes key to progression.

When is time to start training for bouldering?

  • You feel motivated to grow your bouldering level
  • You’ve been constantly climbing for around a year and you already worked on your footwork and flexibility and you feel like the reason why you can’t hold certain holds is linked to not having enough juice
  • You have a bouldering goal

What does one month of strength and power training look like?

Week 1 training

  • 2 to 3 bouldering sessions
  • 1 hangboarding finger strength session + pull-ups
  • One strength endurance session on the spray wall

Week 2 training

  • 2 to 3 bouldering sessions
  • 1 hangboarding finger strength session + pull-ups
  • Skill training on the spray wall or bouldering wall
  • 3 to 4 challenging and different boulders. Climb each 2 times in a row x 3. Rest 3-5 minutes between.

Week 3 training

  • 2 to 3 bouldering sessions
  • 1 hangboarding finger strength session + pull-ups
  • One Pan Gullich session

Week 4 training

  • 2 to 3 bouldering sessions
  • 1 to 2 x HIIT sessions or 5-6 k run
  • Pull-ups

Training beta

How to start strength and power training for bouldering

How should a strength endurance session on the spray wall look like?

Start with an easy circuit, one that you can climb 3 times in a row. Take a 5 to 10-minute break, and then start again. Repeat 3 times.

Adjust both your rest and the holds according to your level and your body’s feeling. If climbing it 3 times in a row is too hard at first, stay at 2. Remember you want to push hard, not break.

Here’s a good example of it.

YouTube video

An alternative with boulder problems

Choose 5 different boulder problems that are 1 or 2 grades easier than what you can normally do. Try the boulders beforehand so you know what you’ll have to do during training.

Perform 5 sets x 3 reps and rest for 3 minutes between each rep and set. The idea is to be able to climb fast.

Skill training on the spray wall or bouldering wall

Choose 3 to 4 challenging boulders and then try climbing each 2 to 3 times in a row. 1 set = 1 boulder problem x 3 reps. Rest for 3 minutes between each set. The idea here is quality not quantity. As soon as you notice you start regressing, stop.

Here’s a video of Adam Ondra explaining what a spray wall is and what are the benefits of training bouldering on one.

YouTube video

What does a pull-up set look like?

Your max number of pull-ups that you can do five times in a row x 3 repetitions. If you need more support, you can always use an elastic resistance band such as this one by YY Vertical.

What does a hangboarding finger strength session look like?

One set = 5 seconds hang, 5 seconds rest, 5 seconds hang, 5 seconds rest. Take 3 to 5 minutes in between and repeat 5 times. Change mm as you evolve into your training and according to how comfortable your fingers feel while hanging.

For starters, you can use an elastic band such as the green or yellow from YY Vertical.

You don’t have a hangboard yet? Check out our range in the Boulderflash shop and choose your training weapon.

Why should you consider integrating HIIT or running?

Cardio (HIIT or running) will not only improve your breathing while climbing and general body shape but also your overall health. Amongst the benefits, we found it burns fat, improves cardiometabolic and cardiovascular health, and reduces blood sugar levels.

I personally like Huberman’s Lab video below on explaining “the sugar kane”.

Here, running is explained but really it teaches you how to be independent in choosing your cardio activity and what your approach should be.

YouTube video

Have you been wondering about what Pan Güllich is?

Pan Güllich or the campus board was first invented by the German climber Wolfgang Güllich. It is basically a training tool developed for growing finger strength and dramatically changing one’s approach to climbing.

The basic movement is ascending and descending on the campus board while using only your hands. Moves can vary with time, practice, and climbing level.

A Pan Gullich session should start by using your feet against the wall if it’s your first session and you are a beginner.

This will give you a better idea of the body sensation.

Here’s Mani the Monkey explaining why campussing is important + tips and tricks for beginners.

YouTube video

Example with feet:

  • First set: Pyramid x 3 with one min rest in between sets; One set: Ladder 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 x 1-minute rest x 3 times
  • Second set: Ladder 1, 3, 5, 3, 1 x 1-minute rest x 3 times

Example without feet:

  • Climb up on ladder 1, 2, 3, 2, 1 x 1 min rest x 3 times

Bouldering weight training

I would personally not recommend weight training for beginners. If you are interested in this subject I highly advise you to watch Hooper’s Beta’s video below on weight training for climbers.

YouTube video

Quality over quantity

Contrary to what most climbers believe especially those who are beginners at training, more training time doesn’t mean more performance.

Lighter loads extended to a longer period of time or easier boulders problems/exercises are actually detrimental to a climber’s training gains – strength or power.

Therefore, here are two main indicators for making sure your training is going the right path:

Strength training

Choose a goal for every session and aim for progress every session. If you notice prolonged fatigue and no progress it’s best to take an active rest week at the minimum. Continuing despite that will only affect your mood and training and you’ll risk getting injured.

Do you want a more advanced example of a full training video for strength training, step by step? Here’s one.

YouTube video

Power training

An efficient session should focus on executing difficult exercises and challenging boulder moves. Keep in mind that a power training session is very intense and affects directly the central nervous system which first fatigues you mentally and not physically. Therefore once the climber is unable to complete the plan or they’re experiencing a decline in performance, the training session should end because the goal is achieved.

Do you want a more advanced example of a full training video for power training, step by step? Here’s one.

YouTube video

Best advice for beginners in training

Whenever you start training you should keep in mind your climbing level, training history if any, goals, and other aspects:

Start easy

From time to time I take a break from training and I like to use an elastic band to support my effort whenever I come back.

You could try it when you start your strength and power training for bouldering.

It will help you in the long run, support your muscle workout, and not to mention substantially decrease the risk of injury.

Take the time to rest

Expect some extra fatigue when starting a new training routine. However if after a while it stil persists it means you might not be recovering enough. If that’s the case you need to slow down.

Add weight gradually

When hangboarding, doing pull-ups, etc, always start light and increase loading gradually, and use elastic bands if you need extra support.

Alternate your training cycle

The idea is for you to grow your strength and power so basically get stronger, not tired.

Work on your weaknesses

Focus on choosing boulders that aren’t exactly your style. Some people prefer doing strength sessions at the end of their climbing sessions, others at the beginning.

I prefer doing them at the beginning because I can give 100% and it improves my climbing in the long term.

Better short and intense than long and exhausting

Keep in mind power sessions have to be short, intense, and fast. Preferably, before climbing sessions, when you are fresh and able to focus on movement…and quality.

I personally prefer not bouldering after or if I do, I focus more on volume than intensity.

To finish off…

Training or no training, having a purpose in your climbing is important because it keeps you motivated. You know why you show up. In the case of training, it helps you adapt your training to what you want to achieve.

Stronger fingers? Keeping it tight for longer and powering up? Or is this about a bouldering project?

Let us know how your climbing strength workout goes and share your progress. Remember some things take time and climbing is no exception to that.

In fact, is a pretty good teacher of patience.

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