The Self-Coached Climber: Learn from the Experts and Improve Your Performance with DVD
The Self-Coached Climber: How to Train Yourself for Rock Climbing Success
Rock climbing is a sport that requires physical strength, mental focus, technical skills, and creative problem-solving. It can also be a lot of fun, especially when you see yourself improving and reaching new heights. But how do you get better at climbing without hiring a professional coach or joining a formal training program? The answer is self-coaching.
The Self-Coached Climber
Self-coaching is the process of planning, executing, and evaluating your own training based on your personal goals, needs, and preferences. It allows you to take charge of your own development and progress at your own pace. It also helps you save money, time, and hassle by avoiding unnecessary expenses, schedules, and rules.
However, self-coaching is not easy. It requires discipline, motivation, knowledge, and feedback. It also involves some risks, such as injury, overtraining, or plateauing. That's why you need to know how to do it right.
In this article, we will explore the benefits, challenges, principles, tools, and best practices of self-coaching for climbers. By the end of this article, you will have a better understanding of how to train yourself for rock climbing success.
The Benefits of Self-Coaching for Climbers
Self-coaching has many advantages for climbers who want to improve their performance and enjoyment of the sport. Here are some of them:
Personalization: You can tailor your training to your specific goals, needs, and preferences. You can choose what to work on, how to work on it, when to work on it, where to work on it, and with whom to work on it. You can also adjust your training as you go along based on your feedback and results.
Autonomy: You can control your own learning and development. You can decide what is best for you and what works for you. You can also take responsibility for your own actions and outcomes. You don't have to rely on someone else's opinions or instructions.
Empowerment: You can boost your confidence and motivation by setting your own goals, making your own plans, following your own plans, and achieving your own results. You can also learn from your own mistakes and successes. You can become more self-aware and self-reliant.
Flexibility: You can adapt your training to your changing conditions and circumstances. You can modify your training according to your availability, energy, mood, weather, season, location, equipment, partners, etc. You can also change your training if you encounter any problems or opportunities.
Fun: You can enjoy your training more by doing what you like and what suits you. You can also experiment with different methods and techniques and discover new things. You can also make your training more challenging and rewarding by adding variety and creativity.
The Challenges of Self-Coaching for Climbers
Self-coaching also has some drawbacks for climbers who want to improve their performance and enjoyment of the sport. Here are some of them:
Discipline: You need to have the willpower and determination to stick to your training plan and commit to your training sessions. You also need to resist distractions and temptations that might interfere with your training. You don't have anyone to push you or hold you accountable.
Motivation: You need to have the drive and enthusiasm to keep pursuing your goals and overcoming your challenges. You also need to maintain a positive attitude and a growth mindset that help you cope with setbacks and failures. You don't have anyone to cheer you up or inspire you.
Knowledge: You need to have the information and understanding of how to train effectively and efficiently for climbing. You also need to keep up with the latest research and trends in climbing training and performance. You don't have anyone to teach you or guide you.
Feedback: You need to have the data and analysis of how well you are doing and what you need to improve. You also need to have the input and advice from other sources that can help you refine your training and correct your mistakes. You don't have anyone to observe you or evaluate you.
Risk: You need to be aware of the potential dangers and injuries that can result from improper or excessive training. You also need to be careful of the possible pitfalls and plateaus that can hinder your progress or cause regression. You don't have anyone to protect you or warn you.
The Principles of Self-Coaching for Climbers
To overcome the challenges of self-coaching and maximize the benefits of self-coaching, you need to follow some basic principles that will help you train yourself for rock climbing success. Here are some of them:
Know Yourself: Assess Your Strengths and Weaknesses
The first step in self-coaching is to know yourself as a climber. You need to assess your current level of performance, identify your strengths and weaknesses, and understand your style and preferences. This will help you set realistic and relevant goals, design a suitable and effective training program, and measure your progress and improvement.
To know yourself as a climber, you can use various methods, such as:
Self-observation: You can watch yourself climb on video or in a mirror and analyze your technique, movement, posture, balance, etc. You can also monitor your physiological indicators, such as heart rate, breathing rate, muscle tension, etc.
Self-testing: You can perform various tests and exercises that measure your physical attributes, such as strength, endurance, power, flexibility, coordination, etc. You can also evaluate your mental skills, such as concentration, confidence, motivation, etc.
Self-questioning: You can ask yourself questions that reflect on your climbing experience, such as what you enjoy most about climbing, what you find most challenging about climbing, what you want to achieve in climbing, etc. You can also solicit feedback from others who know you well or who have seen you climb.
Set Goals: Define Your Objectives and Measure Your Progress
The second step in self-coaching is to set goals for yourself as a climber. You need to define what you want to achieve in climbing, how you want to achieve it, when you want to achieve it, and why you want to achieve it. This will help you focus your attention, direct your efforts, motivate your actions, and evaluate your results.
To set goals for yourself as a climber, you can use the SMART criteria, which means that your goals should be:
a 5.12a route by the end of the year".
Measurable: Your goals should be quantifiable and verifiable, not subjective or ambiguous. For example, instead of saying "I want to climb faster", say "I want to reduce my time on a 5.10b route from 10 minutes to 8 minutes".
Achievable: Your goals should be realistic and attainable, not impossible or unrealistic. For example, instead of saying "I want to climb like Adam Ondra", say "I want to improve my onsight grade from 5.10c to 5.11a".
Relevant: Your goals should be meaningful and important, not trivial or irrelevant. For example, instead of saying "I want to climb more routes", say "I want to climb more routes that challenge my weaknesses and expand my comfort zone".
Time-bound: Your goals should have a deadline and a timeline, not be open-ended or indefinite. For example, instead of saying "I want to climb harder", say "I want to increase my redpoint grade from 5.11b to 5.11d in six months".
Plan Your Training: Design a Customized Program that Fits Your Needs
The third step in self-coaching is to plan your training as a climber. You need to design a customized program that fits your needs, goals, preferences, and availability. This will help you optimize your training efficiency and effectiveness, balance your training load and recovery, and prevent overtraining and injury.
To plan your training as a climber, you can use the following guidelines:
Identify your training components: You need to decide what aspects of climbing you want to train, such as technique, strength, endurance, power, flexibility, etc. You also need to prioritize them according to your goals and needs.
Select your training methods: You need to choose what exercises and activities you want to do to train each component, such as drills, circuits, bouldering, hangboarding, etc. You also need to vary them according to your preferences and availability.
Determine your training intensity: You need to decide how hard you want to train each component, such as the difficulty level, the number of repetitions or sets, the duration or distance, the rest time or interval, etc. You also need to adjust them according to your feedback and results.
Schedule your training frequency: You need to decide how often you want to train each component, such as the number of times per week or month, the days of the week or month, the time of the day or night, etc. You also need to align them with your schedule and energy.
Organize your training sequence: You need to decide how you want to order your training components within each session and across sessions, such as the warm-up, the main workout, the cool-down, the recovery day, etc. You also need to consider their interactions and effects.
Execute Your Training: Follow Your Plan and Adjust as Needed
The fourth step in self-coaching is to execute your training as a climber. You need to follow your plan and do what you planned to do. This will help you achieve your goals and improve your performance. However, you also need to adjust your plan as needed based on your feedback and results. This will help you avoid stagnation and regression.
To execute your training as a climber, you can use the following tips:
sleep well, and warm up properly. You also need to set your intention, review your plan, and visualize your success.
Focus yourself: During each training session, you need to make sure that you are attentive and engaged. You need to concentrate on your technique, movement, breathing, etc. You also need to monitor your intensity, pace, effort, etc.
Challenge yourself: Throughout each training session, you need to make sure that you are pushing yourself and testing your limits. You need to try hard, climb fast, rest short, etc. You also need to try new things, climb different routes, vary your style, etc.
Enjoy yourself: After each training session, you need to make sure that you are satisfied and happy. You need to cool down properly, stretch well, hydrate well, and eat well. You also need to celebrate your achievements, reward yourself, and have fun.
Adapt yourself: Between each training session, you need to make sure that you are learning and improving. You need to record your data, analyze your performance, identify your strengths and weaknesses, and evaluate your progress. You also need to modify your plan, change your methods, adjust your intensity, etc.
Evaluate Your Training: Review Your Results and Learn from Your Mistakes
The fifth step in self-coaching is to evaluate your training as a climber. You need to review your results and learn from your mistakes. This will help you understand what works for you and what doesn't work for you. It will also help you improve your future training and performance.
To evaluate your training as a climber, you can use the following questions:
Did I achieve my goals? You need to compare your actual results with your expected results. You need to see if you met or exceeded or fell short of your goals. You also need to see if your goals were realistic and relevant.
What did I do well? You need to identify your strengths and successes. You need to see what aspects of your training or performance were effective and efficient. You also need to see what factors contributed to your achievements.
What did I do poorly? You need to identify your weaknesses and failures. You need to see what aspects of your training or performance were ineffective or inefficient. You also need to see what factors caused your setbacks.
What can I do better? You need to find ways to improve and progress. You need to see what aspects of your training or performance can be enhanced or optimized. You also need to see what actions or strategies can be implemented or modified.
The Tools of Self-Coaching for Climbers
To facilitate the process of self-coaching and enhance the quality of self-coaching, you can use various tools that will help you train yourself for rock climbing success. Here are some of them:
Books and Websites: Learn from the Experts and Get Inspired
Books and websites are great sources of information and inspiration for climbers who want to learn more about climbing training and performance. They can provide you with valuable knowledge and insights from experts and professionals in the field. They can also provide you with useful tips and advice from experienced and successful climbers.
Some examples of books and websites that can help you with self-coaching are:
The Self-Coached Climber: The Guide to Movement Training Performance by Dan Hague and Douglas Hunter: This book is a comprehensive guide on how to train yourself for climbing using a systematic approach that covers all aspects of climbing performance.
and Mark L Anderson: This book is a detailed guide on how to train yourself for climbing using a periodized approach that covers all aspects of climbing performance.
Training for Climbing: The Definitive Guide to Improving Your Performance by Eric J Horst: This book is a comprehensive guide on how to train yourself for climbing using a holistic approach that covers all aspects of climbing performance.
Climbing.com: This website is a popular online magazine that features articles, videos, podcasts, and blogs on various topics related to climbing, including training, technique, gear, destinations, news, etc.
TrainingBeta.com: This website is a dedicated online resource that provides information, advice, and programs on climbing training, including articles, videos, podcasts, blogs, etc.
ClimbStrong.com: This website is a professional online service that offers coaching, consulting, and education on climbing training, including articles, videos, podcasts, blogs, etc.
Apps and Devices: Track Your Data and Analyze Your Performance
Apps and devices are useful tools that can help you track your data and analyze your performance as a climber. They can provide you with objective and accurate feedback and measurements on various aspects of your training and performance. They can also help you visualize your progress and improvement over time.
Some examples of apps and devices that can help you with self-coaching are:
Crimpd: This app is a comprehensive training app for climbers that allows you to plan your training sessions, log your workouts, track your progress, and analyze your performance. It also provides you with access to hundreds of exercises and workouts designed by professional coaches.
Lattice Training: This app is a personalized training app for climbers that allows you to assess your strengths and weaknesses, set your goals, follow your training plan, and measure your results. It also provides you with access to expert coaching and guidance from professional climbers.
MyClimb: This app is a social media app for climbers that allows you to record your climbs, share your achievements, compare your stats, and discover new routes. It also provides you with access to community challenges and events.
Gripster: This device is a portable hangboard for climbers that allows you to train your finger strength anywhere and anytime. It also provides you with access to various grip types and sizes.
Tension Board: This device is a symmetrical bouldering wall for climbers that allows you to train your power and technique on various angles and holds. It also provides you with access to thousands of problems created by other users.
Beastmaker: This device is a wooden hangboard for climbers that allows you to train your finger strength on various edges and pockets. It also provides you with access to various training programs designed by professional climbers.
Partners and Mentors: Get Feedback and Support from Others
Partners and mentors are essential tools that can help you get feedback and support from others as a climber. They can provide you with valuable input and advice on your training and performance. They can also provide you with emotional support and motivation for your training and performance.
Some examples of partners and mentors that can help you with self-coaching are:
and belaying, giving you beta and tips, observing and critiquing your technique and movement, cheering you up and encouraging you, etc.
Climbing friends: These are people who share your passion and interest in climbing. They can help you with finding and exploring new routes and areas, exchanging and discussing information and ideas about climbing, inspiring and challenging you, etc.
Climbing mentors: These are people who have more experience and knowledge than you in climbing. They can help you with teaching and guiding you on various aspects of climbing training and performance, providing you with feedback and suggestions, setting an example and role model for you, etc.
The Best Practices of Self-Coaching for Climbers
To optimize the process of self-coaching and maximize the results of self-coaching, you can follow some best practices that will help you train yourself for rock climbing success. Here are some of them:
Be Consistent: Stick to Your Schedule and Commit to Your Training
Consistency is the key to success in any endeavor, especially in climbing training. You need to stick to your schedule and commit to your training sessions. This will help you build a habit and a routine that will make your training easier and more effective. It will also help you avoid interruptions and distractions that might derail your training.
To be consistent in your training, you can use the following strategies:
Make a plan: You need to have a clear and detailed plan that outlines your goals, methods, intensity, frequency, sequence, etc. You also need to have a backup plan in case of any changes or emergencies.
Set a reminder: You need to have a reminder that alerts you when it's time to train. You can use an alarm, a calendar, a notification, etc. You also need to have a cue that triggers you to start your trainin