Hi fellow PG climbers!

I recently published a book on training for climbing: The Minimalist Training Guide for Climbers that is available at a PG gear shop near you! I hope you check it out!

Full disclosure, I’m not a crusher. I don’t climb 5.13, I don’t levitate up V-double digits, I haven’t (yet) put up a first ascent on Annapurna or even in the Valley. So why would I write a book on climbing?

Because climbing is a fascinating and powerful sport. The mix of mental, physical, emotional, and technical expertise makes it both a phenomenal practice in itself and an incredible lever to learn about yourself. Discovering how to progress toward expertise in climbing offers invaluable lessons for all aspects of life and work.

Big stuff.

But the The Minimalist Training Guide for Climbers is the opposite of big. It’s small, dense and to the point.  It offers key advise, derived from my years of learning, researching, teaching, and training, on what makes for effective training.The book is a short, action-oriented guide that combines the latest knowledge about training, nutrition, injury prevention, periodization, and fitness. At its heart is a simple tenet that we train to climb and (especially in the early stages) we train simply by climbing with a specific focus and goal – that is with mindfulness and intent. The book contains eight training principles, that range from deliberate practice to minimalism and are applied in a sample training plan, thoroughly explained and ready for immediate use.
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Who are you? How long have you been part of the PG Family?

My name is Joshua Wise, and I’ve been climbing at PG for just coming up on seven years now. PG is kind of my home for a lot of things — it feels like a second home for climbing, and it feels like home for Yoga, and — we say “climbing, yoga, fitness” here at PG, right? And really, PG is my home for all of these. I started my practice of yoga here at PG, too. I think many members might see me as kind of a fixture here — I’m here most days of the week, except during ski season!

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Post by Danielle, a personal trainer and fitness instructor in SF

Climbing is a challenging sport. It requires a great deal of technique, strength, flexibility, endurance and power. I see a ton of climbers at our gym who have so much technique and skill – but sometimes, there’s one part of the puzzle that is holding them back from those bigger more challenging climbs.

First off, I want to clear the air about one misconception – just lifting weights will not cause you to get bulky or gain weight (though, if that is your goal, it is possible with the right diet and routine!). With the right choice of reps and weight, an athlete can get stronger, denser muscle but not put get bulky. In turn, having more dense muscle in the body will cause the metabolism to increase – allowing us to burn more calories throughout the day without any additional exercise – which translates to less body fat. So by adding denser muscle – we will get stronger AND we will lose weight! That’s a win-win for our sport!

Most climbers do a lot of upper body PULLING and usually have a good base of slow twitch muscle fibers; the muscle fibers that are necessary for endurance sports like long distance running or yoga. While climbers have exceptionally strong backs and biceps, there are a few exercises we can add to give them an extra edge on their abilities. The movements I’ve found that translate to better power and strength for climbing are those that build fast twitch muscle fibers, improve overhead mobility and increase stability through the core. So let’s get into it. Which exercises are the best compliments for climbers – and WHY should I add them into my training?Read More…

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