QUESTION
Hi Rob,
I’m 45 1/2 years old. In “OK” shape with the exception of climbing strength I use to have along with the endurance needed for longer climbing sessions. With the focus on opening my business my climbing and fitness took a definite backseat. I remember Mountain Athlete talking about Strength, Work Capacity and Stamina. Let’s just say those are not what they use to be.
Age: 45
Weight: 175 lbs – 165 is a better climbing weight for me (I’m 5’11”) Not as firm/toned as I need to be.
Climbing Goals: It feels like I’m starting all over. My bouldering is back down to V1 some V2 – I’d like to climb at a consistent V5 level and 5.12+ on rope. I struggle with sore shoulders and elbows due to age and poor technique I’m sure.
If you could help an “old” climber who still has some good years ahead of him I’d be grateful. Best wishes to you guys in 2014.
Climb ON!
– P
ANSWER
Our Rock Climbing Pre-Season Training Plan is pretty awesome. It's climbing focused, but also includes a good dose of general fitness: http://mountainathlete.com/page.php?page_ID=12&cart_category_ID=49&&cart_ID=67
Start there.
– Rob
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QUESTION
Hi,
I apologize for the length of this email. I recently discovered your site, and I'm interested in giving it an in-depth try. I just finished the bodyweight training plan, and found it challenging but not difficult (well, except for the end of that 5th leg blaster).
I live in Seattle and climb multipitch trad and mountains (eg Rainier), mostly in the WA Cascades. My usual annual training plan is to be ready for the alpine season (usually June-Sept) while doing a bit of back country skiing, winter climbing, and ice climbing (if/when the ice is in) in the winter. Also, I'm 40 with a wife, 2 kids, and a full-time desk job – I don't want to give you the impression that I'm outside all the time. I get out as often as possible, and want to be able to blast off when I get the chance. I'm in pretty good shape overall, but not where I'd like to be. FWIW, I do not meet your strength standards.
I think I understand your training philosophy is to train for general fitness, and then drop into a specific plan before an "event" or season. I think of my "event" as being summer. Weather in the Cascades is fickle, and plans and partners can change pretty quickly, so I attempt to be in shape for whatever comes up during the season. Since I rock climb as well as do mountain climbs, I was considering both your rock climbing pre-season and peak-bagger workouts next.
My question is: what sort of programming do you suggest (as I await your upcoming Alpine Climbing program 🙂 ) for an annual cycle? I'm just as likely to climb hard cracks as I am to climb Rainier in June, and I will probably do both, so focusing on one of the specific plans (rock or peak-bagger) doesn't quite fit the bill. In addition, what would you recommend for staying in shape during the season, while the weather sucks and/or I'm working, that will maintain fitness but not tap me for the random unscheduled climb.
(I was thinking, for a start now: 357 strength, rock pre-season, and then a modified peak-bagger that has some more rock training in it. That would put me into mid June. or should I work mountain professional into that somehow?)
Thanks,
– M
ANSWER
Your plan is solid, 357 to rock to peak bagger. Another option is to subscribe and follow the Mountain Guide sessions on the site, then cx and do the rock climbing or alpine plan mid April to June 1.
– Rob
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QUESTION
Hi Rob, I’m interested in using the bodyweight program to supplement some run/swim intervals (a la your Navy NSW/NSO PST prep plan) for added strength/volume. Roughly how long are the workouts in the bodyweight program? Would it be reasonable to stack these with 2x weekly swim intervals and 2x weekly run intervals?
v/r,
– R
ANSWER
Sessions are 45-60 min long. You could double up – depending upon your fitness. Beware of overtraining.
– Rob
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QUESTION
Rob,
I've suffered a shoulder injury and I wonder if the training plan for arm injury would work for me.
Thanks,
– T
ANSWER
The Arm Injury Plan isn't a rehab plan for your shoulder. It works the rest of your body around your injured limb. The exercises/plan do include hopping and other body movement – which may not be good for your injured shoulder – depending upon your injury and where you are in your recovery.
Here's a link to the plan: http://mtnathlete.com/page.php?page_ID=12&cart_category_ID=57&&cart_ID=37
– Rob
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QUESTION
How are stamina, endurance and work capacity different? I am doing the base fitness program and was wondering – thanks.
– R
ANSWER
Work Capacity = short (30 min or less), intense generally multi-modal training events.
Endurance = single mode, moderate intensity, longer efforts – 40+ minutes (a long run, or 1,000 step ups, etc). Significant goal is to train aerobic base.
Stamina – focus isn't on metabolism, but in packing volume into the legs and core. These are generally long, moderate intensity events, always loaded, and generally include a squatting movement. The goal isn't to train fitness, but to train recovery from a long event – like a 1 day peak bag of the Grand Teton.
– Rob
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QUESTION
Hi Rob,
I've been following your programs for about 6 months now leading into the ski season and have been very happy with fitness gains and the quality of the workouts. I have a question for you:
What are your thoughts on stair climbing w/ and w/o weight as training for mountaineering and BC skiing. I have a nice long set of about 400 stairs nearby my house and have been running them for 30-45 minutes once a week along with your preseason BC skiing program in order to prepare for ski mountaineering this winter. I have also recently experimented with wearing a ~20 lb pack while I'm doing them. Haven't had any problems yet but am a little concerned about my knees and back going up and down these stairs. Just wanted to get your thoughts as a conditioning coach. Do you think stairs are good training for mountaineering? If so, how much is too much and would you recommend continuing them in-season or just doing this out-of-season (granted even in-season I typically am only getting out in the mountains on the weekends so 1 or 2 days a week usually)? Do you think adding weight is a good idea to simulate what I'll be carrying in the BC or maybe too much added stress on joints?
I know there is not a right answer to these questions but would love to hear your thoughts as someone in the field.
Thanks again for your programs. I have been enjoying them.
Best,
– I
ANSWER
We use step ups – but if I had flights of stairs we would use them. Nothing trains like vertical! Hell yeah add weight – carry it up and down.
Joints? Yep – it's hard on the joints – but so is climbing up and down mountains.
– Rob
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QUESTION
Hey Rob,
I have done a number of your programs in the past (base fitness, big mountain, body weight) and got started a bit late this year with the Backcountry Ski Program and am only on week two. I am wondering what would be the best option for me as i will be skiing fairly regularly now and don't want to burn out. Should i go to the base fitness sessions? or since I don't belong to a gym right now, would the body weight program be better? Or is there something else that you would recommend (like 2-3 days of the ski or something similar?) i do for in season training? Thanks for your help and great programming!
– S
ANSWER
I just designed an In-Season Ski Maintenance Training Plan: http://mtnathlete.com/page.php?page_ID=12&cart_category_ID=53&&cart_ID=79
Which is what I'd recommend – however, you need access to a gym for this plan. If not, you could continue with the Bodyweight Plan sessions – but be smart about your skiing schedule. Yes – you don't want to burn out, and in general, its dumb to smoke yourself in the gym such that you impact negatively your on-mountain performance.
The new ski maintenance plan uses high load/low volume to maintain strength. You need loading to do this – which makes doing it with bodyweight difficult, if not impossible. You may want to rely on your skiing to train your legs, and pick and choose from the bodyweight plan sessions to focus on your upper body, core and lungs (sprints).
– Rob
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QUESTION
Hi rob, I've looked at you website, very impressive. I live in New Zealand and its summer time here, and I'm wondering which of your base fitness programs I could use without going to a gym.? I have Swiss balls, balance boards and dumb bells & medicine balls at home, I mountain bike 4 to 5 times a week, so getting to a gym is sometimes tough.
In the winter ( June to sept) I'll transition to a gym and would look at your freeski program with the view to spending 4months skiing in canada in 2014/15.
Thanks in advance, and have a good new year.
Regards
– J
ANSWER
The place to start would be our bodyweight plan: http://militaryathlete.com/page.php?page_ID=12&cart_category_ID=56&cart_ID=96
– Rob
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