Whether you like it or not, climbing is generally a social activity.  Someone’s gotta hold the other end of the rope for those redpoint attempts and my guess is you’d rather have a few extra pads and a spot when topping out that high boulder problem.

Training for performance climbing is far simpler than you think. Sure, there’s some important general principles that can’t be ignored, but most athletes don’t need anything fancy to get better. In fact, my experience is that motivated climbers underperform because they’ve either overcomplicated their program or because they’re missing an essential basic element that was simply not shiny enough to get their attention in the first place.

For most climbers, winter is for training. We batten down the hatches and go to work in the gym. Hopefully, there’s a specific objective we’re training towards and we’re following some sort of program that aims at said objective. It doesn’t have to be fancy, as long as it leads us down a path where we are steadily progressing in a relevant way.

“What is the difference between practicing and being a practitioner?’

Ido Portal poses this question in a recent blog posted to his youtube channel. Ido teaches a system of physical training that he calls “movement culture.” His methods pull from a variety of sources integrating the martial arts, yoga, dance, strength training, gymnastics and many other forms of physical training, play and psychology. His vision and approach has echoes of the philosophical foundations of hatha yoga - that we can find immense meaning, perhaps THE meaning we seek through experience of our body.

There are few absolute truths in athletic training, but this might be one of them. General qualities should be developed before seeking to create specific adaptations. Build the engine before you start fiddling with components. One might also point out that racing with an inferior or neglected engine is not really a winning strategy.

For better or worse, cool dry air tends to make rock a bit stickier. So most of us count on the Fall for creating conditions that support big goals. Yet, even though we spend all summer waiting for this moment, many fail to take full advantage of the time they’ve been dreaming about for months, perhaps even years.

Climbing culture tends to revere the road warrior life working from the assumption that the most important climbing to do is somewhere else - that our highest goals and dreams should live in a place far from here. However, many of us are not fully savoring the lowest hanging fruit that is our local crags.

Did I get your attention? Are you searching for the magic bullet that will instantly transform you into a stone crushing Crankenstein that eats hard rock climbs for breakfast?

It’s a mistake to think that the best climbers in the world can climb literally just about any route on the planet because they are so good. You’ve got it backwards. They are that good BECAUSE they’ve climbed so many routes all over the planet.

Momentum is at play across our entire experience of climbing. We feel it on the wall, throughout the day, and across the arch of seasons. It’s intoxicating regardless of its quality. When things are good, we eat it up and rub our bellies with a big satisfied smile. When things are bad, we wallow in it, covering ourselves in mud and getting it all over everything else in our lives. Finding and keeping positive momentum can be challenging despite our best efforts. However, there’s a number of things we can do to help stack the deck in our favor.

Long before my career coaching rock climbers, I worked as a private chef. My niche was healthy cooking and menu planning for those on restricted diets. I worked with all sorts of clients. From those battling cancer to the rich and famous, I developed and prepared menus that fit the specific wants, needs and tastes of the client.  

Route pyramids are arguably the most effective all purpose training tool in climbing. In fact, there’s not a single person I know who has had anything other than great results using a well designed route pyramid.

Hindsight may not always be 20/20, but it's far more precise than gazing into the future. I certainly didn't expect to get injured, but looking back I can see some clear warning signs.

The longer I climb, the more I am reminded that the basics are not just important, but perhaps the only things that really matter when it comes to training, performance, and fun. Sure, a fine-tuned fingerboard routine, surgically crafted route pyramid, or monster strength cycle might accelerate progress, but those are not the most important ingredients for success.

Those that are able to create coherent connections between their core emotions, personal missions, beliefs, and “whys” are able to work harder, smarter, and with more creativity by bringing their full self to bear. So if you want to leverage your full self and tap into your true potential as a climber, it’s essential that you get to the bottom of your motivations. You need to REALLY understand why you’re showing up.

Use a circuit like the Five Movement Complex to check in with your basic human movements.  Perfect your form and slowly build range of motion and strength.  Repetition is the path to mastery.  Your goal should be to master the basics.