Climbing & Timing
Climb, boulder, ascend, mount, scale, scramble, scrabble…whichever word we use, the same result occurs, our body moves vertically.
For our beginners and intermediates out there, time on the wall simply moving vertically is essential in the early months and years of your bouldering life.
Mastery & Adaptation
They say mastery in any field is achieved after 10,000 hours practice. This saying appears to hold across a variety of fields from scientists to rock bands to olympic-level climbers.
So many physiological changes occur in our brain & body in response to 10,000 hours of consistent stimulation that entire textbooks are necessary to explain the physiology of it all.
But a simplified version for the climber is this:
Muscular system
Tremendous efficiencies and positive adaptations at a cellular level regarding muscle structure, vascular supply & waste removal, endurance, strength and power.
E.g. Endurance – the amount of time one can stay on the wall compared to their first day climbing.
Nervous system
Establishment of new and/or more efficient neural pathways for the recruitment of the many muscle groups needed to climb.
E.g. From how hard it was to do everything necessary to climb – maintain grip, keep hips close to the wall, use your legs/feet and find the next hold – compared to climbing with this happening effortlessly.
Genetically
Mechanotransduction – the process where repetitive or consistent mechanical stimulation leads to several physiological changes, including transcription.
E.g. A tennis player’s forearm – the bones in the forearm are exposed to so much torsional and shear stress that the body upregulates the deposition of bone in the stressed arm.
Of course, most of us don’t have the intention or the time available to give 10,000 hours to our beloved bouldering, nor do we intend on becoming professionals.
But if we do plan on being a badass at our local bouldering centre or taking out the next in-house Bould Move competition, then we’d better spend some time on the wall or in training.
How?
1. Decide whether or not you want to commit to improving your bouldering.
Please note that you are allowed to simply enjoy your bouldering and improving is not essential for enjoyment.
2. Dedicate an achievable amount of time each week to your bouldering practice and stick to it.
3. Appreciate you’ll have good and bad days bouldering.
On good days, go for difficult problems.
On bad days, focus on technique and weaknesses.
4. Stick to this for 3 consecutive weeks to develop healthy bouldering habits.
5. Enjoy the inevitable improvements that come from consistent stimulation.
Note:
If you are unable to stick to the above plan, understand why you didn’t and be nice to yourself for not sticking to it.
If you did not finish the plan but feel like you’d like to try again, have a break, find enjoyment in your bouldering and try again when you know you will be successful.
There was no rhyming in this article.
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We can’t wait to spend time on the wall with you all at Bould Move Sunshine Coast.
