Building a Power Endurance System: Fingers...

Stretching - warm up

setting some bloc moves for PE circuits

Metis (8b+) at Genat, Ariege
(Photo: Ian Storey)

After a month of reasonably intense route climbing in the Grotte de sabart, the sun has come out now and so some of the sessions have moved to the barn in the Farm house with Ruth. I have two major projects in the mix at the moment and both are completly different in style but share the same number (8b/8b+).

Jon Stoelker  of Base Calames sending a 7b at Genat

Genat project is a fingery power endurance climb above a tufa and the other is a huge 28m roof climb called Reine de Sabart.  I want them both, but it will take more time as they are better than me at the moment...but they will fall when I have done the work and paid these great routes their dues... so it is time to start the systems in the barn while the sun is out and work with these two very different routes in mind...fingers and core, fingers and core...

Learned my core and new mental tehniques from Stevie and am now applying my own  PE system for the fingers in between learning more about each route when the weather is cooler.

My PE for the fingers is this:

• Set 3 problems just above capability then work them until you can complete them with good rests between trys until they yield. 
• Then begin timed rests until you can eventually link them as sets, 
• Then weight vest circuits... Then start again!

Power Endurance

Climbers must produce powerful movements and repeat them several times with little or no rest. In order to maintain the same amount of power with each effort, a certain level of power endurance is required.

Power endurance is typically characterized by intense, repeated efforts for a relatively short period of time.

Once maximal strength has been developed (earlier on in the strength program) it can be converted into explosive power through various methods of power training (bouldering, campusing etc). Power endurance training can be used to train the fast twitch fibres to resist fatgiue allowing explosive power to be maintained for longer.

Power endurance training uses moderate loading of 50-70% of max for 15 to 30 moves. Because this can lead to a significant build up of lactic acid, rest periods between sets are long (7-10 minutes). Exercises are also completed in a circuit training format i.e. one set of one exercise is completed, then one set of the next exercise and so on (The Vertical Sequence): Alternating exercises allows maximum recovery and sufficient time for lactic acid to disperse.

This is a critical rule to follow. If rest intervals are too short and sets are completed while the climber is fatigued the result will be hypertrophy (increase muscle mass) rather than power endurance. Sets should not be completed to failure but should end when repetitions are no longer powerful and rhythmic.

A day at the Anvil - guys on Spitfire (8a+) & Fire Power (8b)

We headed off to the Anvil for a Power Endurance (PE) session on 8a+ and 8b project routes for the afternoon.... Great Day!

Nic on Spitfire 8a+ (Mike Lee)

Wilson on Spitfire (8a+) (M McGowan)

Mike Lee on Fire Power (8b) (M McGowan)

Anvil (M McGowan)

 

Mike lee on 7b send...(M McGowan)

Arrochar Chippy...



Climbing at the Anvil from Wilson Mackenzie on Vimeo.