Friday 20 January 2012

LIGHTWEIGHT, BABY!


In the pic, my dog Phoebe checking I respect the speed limit.

Yesterday I didn't work at the school, but at the roof.

The weather was quite bad, it was cloudy and a strange mixture of cold and warm, dry and humid, alternating.
I had a go at my project, but my skin start sweating from the second move on, so I immediately understood that it was time to bring the weightbelt out.
On my first session, climbing with 2 kilos on made me really struggle, as you see in this video; three days later, my second session went better and I started linking a few more moves; last Tuesday I put in a really good training session: first some front levers on the Beastmaker, as you see in this video, then some bouldering on my wall, setting a nice problem and trying it until climbing it in two halves, and finally I climbed four easier problems with 5 kilos on, trying to focus on precision, core tension and footwork; this all seemed to pay dividends yesterday, because I nearly did the classic line under the roof twice with 2 kilos on, and managed to repeat "La stanzina verde della follia" with the extra weight. This great session is featured in this other video for you all to enjoy.
These sessions with 2 and 5 kilos really worked my back and core: it's the way to go in my opinion; especially on the roof, all the move are dynamic and snatchy, and keeping the feet on despite the extra weight right at waist level, where it's most influential over body tension, is really important. The most important thing, then, is that it's fun as fuck; I mean, it's really really fun, interesting, challenging and physically exhausting.
I feel very tired today and am looking forward tomorrow's session; would be nice to go there again with my girlfriend and the dog: puts me in a good mood for pulling and always reminds me that my girlfriend has no clue about what's going on when I climb; last Saturday, while I was struggling under the roof, with poor holds in my sweaty hands, trying to stay on, she thought the best advice she could give me was "Relax, keep calm"...
I am eager to test my condition elsewhere, to see how much this kind of training applies to general skills and other problems: I will start discovering this from next month, hopefully; I want to climb tomorrow and train on my wall on Sunday, then for the next week the plan is still the same, Tuesday fingerboarding and bouldering, Thursday bouldering at the roof, then I want to go back to Varazze in the weekend.
I've been really surprised by the front levers session, because it's been a strong one, I front levered holds that I find very hard just to hang generally, like back2 in medium pockets and index monos, and I haven't done any fingerboarding in a long time.
I think it could be that a fingerboarding cycle really tears your fingers, it really works them to exhaustion, and progresses take a while to set in. Or maybe I don't know, or maybe it's climbing on the wall, or maybe the simple act of sleeping close to the Beastmaker.
It's nice to be on the move again, after stagnation. Makes me happy.

4 comments:

martin said...

sounds very interesting, was thinking about using weight as well. especially when your body starts to be fully adepted. like this you can push the body again and get stronger... let me know how this works and keep the f**** faith beast... ;) greez, martin

lore said...

hey Martin!!!
thanks for commenting!!!
so far I've only done three sessions on rock, yesterday should have been my fourth but finally I ended up climbing on my home wall... with 5 kilos!!!
I think it's very effective.
in the usual sessions, without weights, I could have three or even four good goes on my project and then also three goes on the "simple" direct line, then the following day I used to feel not too bad.
with just two kilos on I can have one lap on the project or an easier problem but of similar length (the last one in the third video), then three max four goes on the direct line, and the following day my back is WORKED!!!
I think this is also because the moves are dynamic, and you cannot lose your feet or you fall, so your whole body gets worked.
on my wall, I just climb two easy problems twice each, with 5 kilos, at the end of the session, and it's really hard!!!
next month I hope to see results!!!

martin said...

yeppa, you will walk it like for warm up ;)

and may try it once in a while also without weight (but just when you are fresh and conditions are great) to not forget about climbing without weight - the moves are not totally the same.

and as michele sent his project, now its your turn ;)

have fun, greez martin

filinofilini said...

Being PURE. That's THE point. The rest is piss. Keep the fucking faith