![]() ![]() If you boulder a lot, you will adapt to the specific skill, strength, and power demands of bouldering. Your body adapts in a specific fashion to the central demands you place on it while climbing. Photo courtesy: Eric Match Training to Your Climbing Preference It’s important to note, however, that the adaptations from frequent long-distance running will transfer somewhat to stamina-climbing activities such as multi-pitch, big wall, and alpine climbing and may help accelerate recovery between sport climbs.Įast Buttress of El Cap. However, the muscles and systems not stressed show no adaptation so even heroic amounts of running will produce no favorable changes in the climbing muscles of the upper-body. The SAID Principle ( Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands) describes that a specific exercise or type of training will produce adaptations specific to the activity performed and only in the muscles (and energy systems) that are stressed by the activity.įor example, running produces favorable aerobic energy system adaptations in the leg muscles and the cardio-vascular system. Effective Training in Accordance to the “SAID Principle” No amount of Cross-Fit, yoga, trail running, and such, will advance your climbing as much as time invested in climbing specific activities. While I have no issue with non-specific training activities, a serious climber must resist frequent training tangents -and reduce time spent on “junk training” -and stay on the mission of becoming a stronger rock climber. But is this “cross-training” time well spent? Popular activities like Cross-Fit, trail running, cycling, weight lifting, yoga, Pilates, and mountain biking, can consume a tremendous amount of “training time” that ultimately leaves less opportunity to boulder, hangboard, system train, and do other forms of climbing-specific training. Biking is great exercise, but it won’t transfer much to high-altitude hikes.Ĭlimbing mountains is the best way to train for climbing mountains.In working with hundreds of climbers over the years, I’ve recognized a recent trend of climbers investing a significant amount of training time on activities and exercises that are not climbing specific. If your goal is to climb a mountain, biking around the neighborhood won’t prepare you for the trek. Specificity: Specific practice is crucial. In contrast, patient, progressive training produces amazing results. Doing “too much, too soon” after a long layoff is a recipe for injury. ![]() Genetics: As an average-height male, my odds of making the NBA are astronomically small, no matter how hard I practice basketball. King James has better basketball genetics than I do. The human body has an amazing capacity for adaptation! 3 SAID Limits Cross-country skiers build aerobic capacity through hours of grueling endurance training. Weightlifters build muscle mass and technical skill over thousands of repetitions. Snowboarders develop balance, coordination and confidence through years of practice. Olympians hone their abilities with the SAID principle. Stretching increases flexibility ( which isn’t always a good thing). Running long distances builds aerobic endurance to run farther next time. In short, the human body adapts to the specific demands and stresses placed on it.įor example, resistance training strengthens our bones and muscles, so we can lift more weight. SAID stands for Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands. And they use The SAID Principle to hone their crafts. Olympians make it to the games because of genetics, natural ability, hard work and luck. The Winter Olympics start this week! There’s nothing quite like the Olympics.Ĭan you imagine training your entire life for one event? Or decades of hard work culminating in a 20-second race? Talk about pressure!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |