Saturday 3 March 2012

Chaining 8b : the training journey so far...


Since making my mind up to train hard again towards chaining my 8b ambition this year, I have been focusing the priority on my elbow rehab first in combination with basic weight and fitness conditioning to get me fit enough to take a training pounding over the next 30 weeks or so.

Flexibility and lack of core fitness and strength are my obvious weaknesses as a climber and so I am focusing on these in particluar with stretching every day and working a little harder on core. I am more concerned right now with creating a flexiblity across my body first then i will build a stronger core through both training and climbing on approriately steep rock in coming weeks.  

Most weeks are filled with easy route climbing to keep the head and fingers ticking over while I prepare the other areas and each day is filled with as much inspiration as i can un earth to drive me forward to ocho b...

I took a trip into Spain to visit a great friend and coach for a day in the Spanish Pirineos on a great canyon crag housing an awesome 7b. We used my red point strategies to help provide my friend with more structure in improving her approach to projecting and so we shaped the whole day around that single process of working for a red point instead of just trying something at your limit to see how you get on...

Prepare your day, your mind and your body then you will produce a better performance and ultimately succeed in red pointing the project at your true limit instead of some miss informed percieved limit.





Mi amiga  Sonia using ReAch red point strategy on her 7b proyecto

sonia feliz en su paraĆ­so Pirineos!

Then it was down into Barcelona to meet the cool guys from JM Climbing to discuss the Eva Lopez Transgression and Progression systems to help me train to 8b. Having studied the training strategy I have worked out my plan with the system and it looks like I will opt for the following:

  • A first phase of a  5 week block on Maximal Strength Development
  • 2 week rest
  • second phase of 8 week Strength Endurance phase
  • 2 week rest
  • 8 week Advanced Maximal Strength phase
  • 2 week rest
  • 8 week Advanced Strength Endurance phase



Back over into the Pirineos de Francia


Midnight runs when it's cool in the Pyrenees near Foix

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)