The Best Way to Gain Endurance for Sport Climbing

This article is the final in a series of four. Read articles one, two, and three to get up to speed.

Over the course of this series I discussed all manners of training, from learning about our bodies’ three bioenergetic systems, to identifying weaknesses while projecting, to training the two factions of our anaerobic system (power endurance). Perhaps most important for sport climbers, however, is learning how not to get pumped silly while questing up sustained, overhanging pitches. Whether your project is four bolts or forty, you’ve got to be able to hang on for the ride.

The importance of aerobic training as a sport climber

Before I get into training for endurance, let me underline that aerobic training, in some climbing-specific form, must be done year-round. Our bodies’ are frustratingly slow to adapt to a higher aerobic threshold (think: years), but can lose those gains in a matter of weeks without training. Aerobic training should be seen as a career-long quest, that you can always improve upon, no matter how old—or how fit—you may be.

If you are serious about your aerobic growth as a climber, I recommend you perform at least one climbing-specific aerobic capacity workout per week throughout the year. (That is, unless you are injured, have a planned rest week, or have other extenuating circumstances.) Nonetheless, I cannot over emphasize the importance of building a wide aerobic base as a sport climber, regularly, throughout the course of your climbing career.

I recommend completing one of the following workouts below per week, year round, to effectively stress the climbing-specific aerobic (oxidative) energy pathway. Now, onto some training!

Aerobic capacity workouts

Spray wall endurance circuit: 2’ on, 4’ off, 4’ on, 6’ off, 6’ on, 4’’ off, 4’ on, 2’ off, 2’ on. (Keep pump underneath 6 or 7 out of 10 to focus on the aerobic system) Climbing intensity light-moderate.

This spray wall session is essentially a variation of an ARCing circuit that effectively targets the oxidative pathways in your climbing muscles. The climbing and rest periods are relatively short to begin, slowly grow, and subside over the course of the circuits. The key to this workout is to slowly build your pump to a moderate level, and maintain it. If at any point during the circuit you feel your pump reach a redline state, you should stop and rest on a jug or move to larger holds until you are back in that moderate zone.

 Sport climbing for volume: Complete about 12 sub maximal climbs on your gym’s lead wall (three grades below your limit). Focus on flowing like a route climber and climb on terrain that brings you to a moderate level of pump as you ascend higher over the course of each climb. This session is also not intended to provide a blistering pump. Move to an easier route if this becomes the case at any point during your session. Rest approximately 10-15 minutes between each route.

Climbing “Double Laps”: The name of the game for this workout is to climb many routes a few grades below your projecting level. This workout is a more complex version of the above exercise, and involves more “time under tension .” Complete each route in your session twice (or one route and then a slightly easier route next to it for your second lap). Sport climbing “doubles” should look like: climb a route, and as soon as you lower, have your belayer pull the rope and then proceed to repeat the route again. The second lap should be aimed at managing your existing pump, and potentially even resting in positions you may not have needed to on your first. Rest 15-20 minutes between each round of double laps and aim to complete at least 6 rounds.

Aerobic capacity training in a bouldering gym

8 boulder circuit: Choose 8 boulders in the gym that are at 30-40 percent of your limit. Do each boulder with 20’’ of rest in between. After all 8 are completed, rest 20 minutes and repeat. Do 2-3 rounds in total. This climbing workout workout is great if your local gym does not contain sport climbing or if you couldn’t find someone to belay you.

Closing Thoughts

After reading this series, you now have a heightened understanding  of your body’s three energy systems and how they pertain to different factions of your climbing game. Learning to effectively self assess your strengths and weaknesses as a climber (articles 1 & 2), and apply effective training to build upon these weaknesses (articles 3 & 4) should be a career-long endeavor if you want to maximize your potential for growth within your climbing. I hope to see you all during future training articles, but in the meantime please reach out to me with questions, comments, or concerns you may have when you take these concepts and apply them into your own training.

Until next time, stay psyched and climb on!

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