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I noticed that in my later thirties I had to be happy with 2 workouts a week that involved high intensity/ high resistance. I needed three days off after one workout. High aerobic/anaerobic exercise is a really good recovery adjunct. I have to say, rowing on a concept 2 machine is magic.
An antioxidant regimen is also helpful to dampen muscle fatigue/ soreness/ ache. I started doing it when I heard Chris Carmichael of Lance fame had his athletes doing it. I did my own pubmed search and there is beef to it. Vit C E Selenium Alpha Lipoic Acid all will quell the thug-ish post pump ache.
I don't think these reduce the mandatory down time, though.
At the end of the day, another interest that takes you away from climbing for a few weeks at a time is best. Atrophy a bit.

you need to drop 40 pounds.

I would be a vegaterian and loose the weight except vegetarians can't take the cold. Theres not enough colories in tofu to power a body in cold like this.

It sounds like you're overtraining to me... 4 days a week is a shitload in my book. What do you think you're Patxi Usobiaga or something??

One-Fall,

I don't know anyone that is "training" 5 days a week. I do know tons of people that boulder almost every day, but none of them are flogging themselves. The guys that I know that boulder almost everyday aren't training for routes, comps or even Hueco. They are just climbing. It just so happens that their "just climbing" is a great way to train power.

So to your question "What am I missing?" I don't think you are missing anything big. You are just bumping up against your limit recovery wise. You seem to be playing the shell game with the hours of climbing you can handle.


You wrote you "think" you need to climb more than 4 days a week? Is this true? Or do you just "want" to climb everyday? This is not a criticism, I just am curious where you are coming from. Personally, I would love to climb everyday and consistently improve.

Great advice from all. Thank you.
JR, maybe it is a mental thing. I wake up most days wanting to be able to get better.

And Andrew, I'm trying!!!!! Maybe less climbing, more running!

Lee, I've read in a couple of training books to not exceed 4 days of climbing specific training. Supplement with cross training if you'd like but rest is probably better. Check out Jonathan's latest post on rest: http://www.jstarinorbit.com/2010/12/me-vs-rest.html

Nail in the coffin, I guess.

Its funny, Ray, but yours was one of the training regimes that I tried to add to my own. I just couldn't take all the "abuse" you could tolerate in one day, so I tried to spread the work out over a week, but again when I tried to get 5 days in a week, the power just wasn't there, so I had to cancel it for the day.

It might be stupid since I have been climbing for 17 years, but in the back of my head, I always wonder, "was the last season my best season?" Still have a few routes id like to do.

What is your supplementation regimen?

The key is to drop the "lab" and visit the "finger factory"

See you tonight?