I’m new to bouldering, I started 3.5 months ago and love it. I was wondering what kind of training routines you all recommend for advancing? When do you decide to move on to more difficult problems? Any personal words of wisdom?
Mostly posting for content.
This might sound like throw away advice, but really it’s simple: find people who are better at it than you are, hang out with them, and practice as often as you can. Then practice more. And when you feel like you have practiced enough, do it again.
Not bouldering, but on my bike I went from “yeah, I can sort of do jumps” to sending the biggest shit I can find in just under 2 years and all I did was exactly what I just said. The people I know who keep levelling up are the ones who do three times as many reps as anyone else.
At the trails, there are the people who sit around, chit chat, and occasionally send a lap, and then there are the people who just go non stop. For every lap everyone else is doing, they knock out 3. It’s true for every sport. There is no shortcut to greatness. It’s a grind. A rewarding grind, but a grind nonetheless.
observe movements of “people who are better at it” when you find them. The way they place their feet, knees relative to feet, pelvis …
This I do as much as possible. I try to emulate those smooth climbers who send impossible routes like butter.
Not at all. I spoke with the head route setter at my gym about getting better with small crimpy hold and his advice was basically “climb”, go to the highest problem you can send in that style and run laps on it. Now I just need to find some partners who kick my ass to push me further.
About that: Sometimes it is hard to break into those groups. The #1 way to earn respect in those circles is dedication. And not just to climbing. But helping out at the gym you are a regular at. Volunteer your time, put in the work.