Monday 23 August 2010

Planning a Plyometric Session

The choice of exercises within a session and their order should be planned. A session could:

  • begin with exercises that are fast, explosive and designed for developing elastic strength
  • work through exercises that develop concentric strength
  • finish with training for eccentric strength

(When eccentric only training has been compared to concentric only training, several researchers have discovered that eccentric training yields greater increases in strength than concentric.)




The Vid quality isn't great...but it's not about the vid quality!

I was down at the track taking photos and saw Linford Christie racing at the The Kelvin Hall (around 1990) where I trained and I was frankly stunned at his sheer explosive power...amazing!

Wednesday 11 August 2010

Speed Training into Climbing

The general principles for improved explosive power are as follows:

  • Choose a reasonable goal for your project, and then work on climbing at a difficulty which is actually harder than your goal over short work sessions
  • Train at goal difficulty in order to enhance your neuromuscular coordination, confidence and stamina at your desired power
  • At first, utilise long recoveries, but as you get fitter and stronger shorten the recovery periods between work intervals to make your training more specific and realistic to climbing. Also move on to longer work sessions, as you are able
  • Work on your aerobic capacity and lactate threshold, conduct some easy routes to burn calories and permit recovery from the power sessions
  • Work on your mobility to develop a range of movement (range of motion at your hips will effect power) and assist in the prevention of injury
Speed Training into Climbing

Referrals from clients:



"...This training season I decided to get all the help I can to speed up my improvement. I needed guidance to work towards my goals in long term. I also needed more vision and opinions about my exercises and weak links. I am glad I can share my training with Mark..." (Ville Mustonen, Finland)


" I met Mark in Glen Nevis on his return to climbing to check out some lines he had in mind for me, I wasn't really training at this point but after a day or two talking and training with him I had a much more structured idea of what to do to improve and I did" (Kev Shields)