Training for the Crag: What Actually Transfers from the Gym
‘I climb V6 in the gym, this thing can’t be V3!!’ - every indoor climber ever. Say it aint so?!! I’m afraid it is guys. As we established in last week's post, indoor and outdoor climbing have some big differences which make the transition from plastic to rock somewhat difficult. So in this week's post, I want to touch on how we actually train for rock climbing using modern gyms. I’ll give you some broad ideas and principles to follow, to keep you on the straight and narrow, and out of the rabbit hole of modern gym climbing.
Your Needs
As an outdoor climber, your needs are very different to a competition climber or gym climber who loves competition style climbing. Where they require a triple jump, you require a static lock off. Where they want a balance slab, you want a precision based dead point move off a terrible foot. Where they’re trying to do laps on the run and jump, you’re trying to find the 6 move crimp boulder you can repeat for some capacity training. What outdoor climbers need is a good selection of holds on a piece of wall, to be able to create things that simulate rock. You’re looking for moves which force precision in terms of hitting the right part of a handhold. You need the ability to practice control and static strength on a poor handhold and foothold. You need physical body positions which don’t just revolve around pressing into a volume above your head. Having this understanding, allows you to assess what gym you’ll need.
Find the Right Gym
It’s important to recognise that not all gyms are created equal. Some are much more down the modern route of macros and fibreglass holds, others are more old school. Your first priority should be checking out the holds, and your second priority checking out the boards they have. If the gym has mostly macros, go elsewhere. If they don’t have a woody/Moon Board/Kilter Board/Tension Board, find somewhere that does. In this day and age in the UK, most people will have access to a suitable gym. Your next objective should be looking into the route setting. Who are the setters? Are they indoor climbers, or have they got a wealth of experience on rock and set in a style that mimics it? Many gyms prefer their setters to set in the modern dynamic style, so try and feel out the gyms for a flavour of what to expect on a weekly basis. If the gym has a bunch of crimps, but they’re always set in a comp style way, you may as well be on a board. But your focus should be finding a gym with a good spread of climbing, and ideally as many boards as possible. Yes a non commercial board requires thought and creativity from you to make boulders, but I would argue that’s half the point!
What Works
What is proven training for outdoor climbing are the trusted practices of board climbing, finger boarding and just general steep climbing on poor handholds and bad footholds. Find these tools and use them, you’ll find yourself upskilled and up-levelled in strength. Don’t choose them over a session on rock, but above almost everything else in the gym. Yes, the slabs are useful, as is any form of footwork training, and quite often it’s free gains in the sense of energy efficiency. But it should be a supplement, not a focal point.
What Doesn’t
Over specialised dynos, triple jumps, weird presses and volume spamming. The macros will not help you on Karma, and the sideways jump won’t help you climb Duel. Spend time questioning why you’re doing what you’re doing. Is it for fun? Then carry on. Are you doing it to achieve a goal outside? Then think again.
In general, being as circumspect as possible about your indoor climbing is important, and not getting derailed by ego or vanity can often be a challenge. But the more you focus on your own plan and goals, the less you’re bothered about what’s around you. If it means build a home board for the focus, then do it. If it means use the gym at the quietest time, then do that. But stick with what translates to rock, and avoid what doesn’t.
Wood is good,
Eliot.