[Leo]

Hi Everyone,

I’m Leo from Switzerland and new to organized training. I hope this will help me get up some nice rock climbs in the Alps!

I am now in week three of the 8-week-rock alpinist plan and have a few questions on the workouts. Probably they are not as important but as a start into training with a plan I really want to follow the instructions to be able to track the results and move forward from there in May and June.

So here goes…

1. “Walk for Vertical Meters”:
In this workout I am carrying a huge water bladder from my home up a hill. After around 40 min I reach the crest of the hill and can no longer walk uphill. What should I do? I could go down and refill but won’t know the weight anymore. I could go down with the heavy pack but this will tire my legs a lot so Krater would not… I could continue flat for a while…
Also is the duration (60 min) uphill only or does it include getting back down, warm up and so? If I should work out in two splits: better do 40min + 20min or 30min + 30 min or 4x 15min? There of course would be a break to get down again…

2. Max Strength Workout:

The description is ver unclear to me… so I’ll quote a bit and then ask my question on the section.

“[…] Pick the 4 most difficult (for you) core exercises from the attached list. Do each of these for 10 seconds or to max reps of 4-6 (per side if applicable).
Go through that circuit twice.”

-> is there a break between circuits or not?

“You should be able to increase the weights by 5-10% over last week.”

-> Does this refer to the complete load including bodyweight? So like first week: 75kg bodyweight; Second week: 82.5kg = bodyweight + 7.5kg added load?

„3) Pull-ups/Box Step up couplet.
For the Pull-ups hang a weight off your climbing harness. For the Box Step Up, either use hand-held weights (the fastest) or put the weight in a backpack.
If you can’t complete this many sets/reps of any one exercise (most likely pull-ups) then complete what you can without going to muscular failure.
You want to move quickly between the two exercises, maximum of 30 seconds rest between your pull-ups and box step ups. This helps elicit a cardio-training effect. It won’t be easy.
2 x 4 reps.“

-> Does this mean 4 pull ups + 2 box step ups with right leg + 2 box step ups with left leg in total or 4 pull ups, 4 step ups leg A, 4 pull ups + 4 box step ups leg B or something else = 8 Pull ups + 8 Box steps? Or even 8 Pull ups +16 box steps in total?

Also: Is there a break between the warm up, block one with the core exercises and block three (first pair of exercises) and four (2nd pair)?

3. Stretching
There are quite a few „optional“ stretching workouts. I think I want to include them after some other workout so I am already warm because, like most climbers, I could use a bit more flexibility and range of motion. Do you have any advice on what stretches to do and how to do them?

Thanks for your help everyone!
Best
Leo

Topic

[AlwaysHigher]

AlwaysHigher on April 19, 2023 at 6:32 am #77323

Hey Leo! Here are my responses to your questions:

“Walk for Vertical Meters”: You can continue walking on flat ground for the remaining time if you can’t go uphill anymore. The duration of 60 minutes includes warm-up and cool-down time, but not the time it takes to get back down. You can split the workout in different ways.

Max Strength Workout: There should be a short break between circuits, and the increase in weight refers to any external weight you add, not including bodyweight.

Pull-ups/Box Step up couplet: The workout should consist of 4 pull-ups followed by 8 box step ups (4 with each leg), repeated for 2 circuits. There should be a short break between exercises, but no break between warm-up, block one (core exercises), and blocks three and four.

Stretching: Focus on stretches that target the hips, hamstrings, and shoulders, and hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds.

Good luck with your training!

[anram_87]

anram_87 on February 21, 2024 at 4:58 am #84954

Good morning;

I also have some doubts about the Zone 2: Steep Uphill Hike 1 Hour.

The description is: “Hike on as steep uphill as you can find locally keeping your Heart Rate below AeT as much as possible. You are going to add weight for this hike. Week 1: 10kg/22lb”

In the pre-activity comments: “If there are no continuous hills available then use laps on stairs in a building or a StairMaster type machine. This is an aerobic workout so keep the intensity down and add volume as you progress.”

In my case I do not have easy acces to a hill so I was thinking using the stairs of my building, I should go up and down with the weight for the 45′ of the workout or it is only the going up part (and take the lift down) what should be taken into account for the workout?

Regards!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous on March 26, 2024 at 4:22 am #85777

If you reach the crest of the hill and can no longer walk uphill with the water bladder, you have a few options:

1. You could continue walking on flat terrain for the remaining duration to complete the workout.
2. Alternatively, you could walk downhill, refill the water bladder, and then walk uphill again if you’re able to manage the weight. Even if you don’t know the exact weight, the purpose of this workout is to build endurance and strength, so the exact weight isn’t crucial.
3. Regarding the duration, it’s best to clarify with your trainer or the plan’s guidelines if the 60 minutes include warm-up and getting back down. If not specified, you could split the workout into uphill and downhill sections, ensuring to include warm-up and cool-down time.