Can you?
One of the most
difficult processes in sport is the catch-22 situation of creating a training
routine when new, or relatively new, to training. Most climbers either lack the
benefit of financial resources to work with a professional coach or coaches
might not be available at all. Without such resources at grasp, climbers face
the predicament of gathering information and attempt coaching themselves. Experience
is obviously a determining factor for success in creating own training routines,
but here’s the catch-22 moment. How to start if you haven’t that much
experience?
Imagine you
want to explore the depths of digital photography, but you are new to the
field. There are too many options regarding cameras, optics and software, and
all of them imply previous knowledge on optics and function of these
components. How to do in such situation? Here you might opt for some or all the
options below
a) Search
and read literature dedicated in the field of photography and optics.
b) Take a photography
course
c) Ask a
friend or a photographer with knowledge and disposition to teach you.
d) Search
the internet for information (not the same as option “a” actually.
e) Make a
great deal own guessing and experiments
All these
options present both advantages and limitations. Indistinctively from which
ones selected, the photographer/climber-to-be will be presented with portions
of information, and decisions need to be made. In respect to photography, to be
able to guide yourself in the task of buying a camera, you’ll need to be
already a bit of an expert in order to buy the hardware and software needed to take
these first steps into photography. Alternatively, some people will simply buy
any “beginners’ photography-pack” affordable, and hope that things will come
together by trial-and error.
Ultimately,
in the climbing case, the athlete will need to decide which exercises to choose
in a very similar manner to the photography aficionado. As “beginner-packs “in training climbing only
exist in shape of relatively short courses available in relatively few gyms,
the likelihood of satisfactory results in a long-time perspective is a
complicated affair.
Even if,
truth spoken, a few blog posts can’t be an acceptable substitute for a solid
theoretic background, along with experience only time can provide, I’ll try to offer
a few suggestions that can help in the arduous endeavour of selection of
training methods for as long as the athlete is active.
- All training and climbing shall be safe and
healthy.
- Never
abandon critical thinking. Things don’t happen without causes or by magic or
miracles.
- Training
and climbing should provide enjoyment and motivation.
- Do not
chose training methods or even individual exercises (tries , moves, etc.) without
careful consideration of goals.
- Training always
need to bring about positive results. Regardless of positive or negative
outcomes, analysis and implementation shall be part of the training process.
- Be aware
of argumentation fallacies in information you might receive. Stereotyped
reasoning and acting in climbing are commonplace and it produces many training
myths. I hope I’ll be able to address some of the most common in the future. Here are but a few
-Always training to
exhaustion.
-Do only what you
feel Is best for the moment
-Choose exercises
because they “burn good”
-Training like the “pros”
-“If many do it,
then it must be good”
-Grades don’t
matter or don’t exist
- The best way to progression is to construct a pyramide of results, with many easy at the bottom and a few hard at the end.
-“Experts say…”
Don’t be
afraid to enquire and ask for evidence. The closer to truth, spoken on the
basis of effective training methods, you should only want what works for you.
It is your training philosophy that is in the line, and a way to guide you through
many years of climbing and training is the best effort you can make in the
initial steps of your training. It comes only to the price of always being true
to yourself and willing to put that extra motivation in knowing what might work for you in as many situations as
possible. This is equally applicable for anybody who wants to start training,
regardless if the climber is a beginner or a professional one. Don’t let chance
guide your endeavours in this important matter.
I’ll finish
this text by letting the reader have their own exercise of Socratic questioning
on what you do think climbing and training is and what it means for you. Metaphysics
is also part of climbing.
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