NICROS - Questions & Answers

Can you provide a sample diet for optimal performance?
Q: Can you give me a breakdown of sample daily diet designed for performance and recovery? -- Lise (Banff, Alberta)

A: Great question, Lise. Diet is a vital area overlooked by many climbers--it plays a big role in endurance, concentration, body composition, and recovery ability. I've written a full chapter on the subject in my latest book, Training for Climbing. Check it out sometime. Meanwhile, here's a sample idea to give you a sense of direction.

Breakfast - whole grain cereal or oatmeal, piece of fruit, daily vitamin, and a whey protein shake mixed in skim milk. Good coffee. :-)

Lunch - Salad and bagel, or low glycemic index energy bar (such as Balance bar), piece of fruit or yogurt, whole grain bakery item, whey protein drink or glass of skim milk.

Dinner - serving of lean meat (chicken, fish, lean red), pasta dish, salad or veggies.

Bedtime - Whey Protein drink in skim milk.

Drink lots of water throughout the day and eat extra energy bars and fruit if out climbing. It's a fairly narrow diet, void of fast foods, fried foods, etc. Yes, an "open eating" day is good every now and then as a reward! But we strive to keep fat moderately low, and protein and carbo intake fairly high. (Thus, I don't advise fad diets like the "Zone" for serious athletes). You will find an entire chapter on the subject of performance nutrition in my book, Training For Climbing. I'm sure you'll find it helpful, Lise.

Suggestions for training while recovering from a leg injury.
Q: I recently hurt my leg and cant climb, but I want to maintain my fitness while recovering. What can I do besides play around on a pull-up bar? -- Travis (Bozeman, MT)

A: Travis, Sorry to hear about your injury. Some basic upper-body training would be a good idea, but I wouldn't stress out over having to do an awful lot during your layoff. Maybe spend one hour, three days per week doing basic upper-body exercises. (No need to go crazy on this training and risk a finger or arm injury.) I'd suggest something like 5 sets of pull-ups, 3 sets of dips or push-ups, and 2 sets of shoulder press (using 20 or 30-lb dumbbells). For the forearms/hands, you might do some fingerboard work and definitely perform 3 sets of reverse wrist curls (20-lb dumbbell) with each workout. Of course, you can also work abs with some crunches and hanging knee lifts. Again, all this should only take about an hour; I encourage you to use the down time to focus some energy on other areas, too.

Can you provide some guidelines for training with weight?
Q: Are there any dos or don'ts for training with weights attached to yourself? -- Grant (Plano, TX)

A: Yes, Grant, there are many don'ts and a few dos. First, climbing with weight (what I call "hypergravity training") is a powerful method to elevate strength if used properly. This type of training is obviously not appropriate for beginners; however, if you are solid at 5.10, in good shape, and have no recent history of arm/hand injuries, then you may be ready to begin some basic hypergravity training. Several different training strategies are described in our Training Center--check them out! In a nutshell, begin by using a 10-pound weight belt to do pull-ups as well as on some boulder problems (home wall or gym) with large holds and steep wall angle. At first, use these techniques just once per week, then gradually advanced to twice per week. You only need to do a few sets and problems (with weight) each session to get the desired training effect. Make sure you are well warmed up first, proceed with caution, and get plenty of rest between workouts.

How does age affect training patterns and performance?
Q: I think people would be interested if you wrote a short article on climbing and "getting older." How does age affect training patterns and performance? -- Justin (Seattle, WA)

A: Good question, Justin. The relationship between age and climbing performance is a deep topic and it would be an interesting subject for an entire book. Anyway, don't jump to hasty conclusions about the "limits" of getting older, since there are countless 60- and 70-year olds who climb HARD! Age and experience yields a more intelligent approach to training and climbing, although there are definitely limitations and risks for aging climbers. For example, dynamic movements may be more risky and recovery ability surely drops off. Fortunately, climbing is a skill sport and, thus, the skilled climber will be able to climb at a high level deep into their senior years. Believe!

What's the best way for me to train to avoid plateaus?
Q: I have trained hard in the past but I always seemed to plateau in climbing performance. I'm currently doing no training, and I'm climbing better than before. What's going on and how should I train? -- Dan (Newcastle NSW)

A: Hey Dan, Sounds like you may have been overtraining (not resting enough between workouts). Performance plateaus are common when people don't rest enough; in extreme cases overtraining results in worse performance and, possibly, injury. Anyway, cutting back or eliminating training activities often does yield a notable jump in performance.

Given your break, you're likely recovery, healthy, and ready to begin a modest training program. Do NOT revert to your old ways, however. Assuming you climb outside on the weekends, begin by adding just one day of training during the week (say, Wednesday). Everyone's recovery ability is different, so you'll need to experiment to discover what's best for you. If that goes well, you could experiment with adding a second training day per week. Keep the sessions modest in length, and make sure you always log three days of complete rest per week. Good luck!

Please give advice for increasing one-arm strength.
Q: I'm relatively new to climbing, and I often find myself unable to do a climb because of lack of strength. Can you suggest a training method for being able to do one arm pull-ups? -- Neil (Manchester, UK)

A: Hello Neil, The best way to train one-arm strength is with weighted pull-ups (wear a 10- or 20-pound weight belt) and uneven grip pull-ups (where one hand holds onto a sling about 18-inches below the pull-up bar). That being said, as a relative beginner I seriously doubt you are being held back by lack of maximum strength. Remember that lackluster technique and anxiety cause inefficient movement and poor use of strength (and rapid fuel burn). Thus, by improving in these vital areas you will climb and feel stronger! I suggest you make training technique, improving economy of movement, and mental control the focus of your training program. Consider hiring a climbing coach to assess your climbing and provide a targeted course of action.

When is one ready to begin H.I.T. Workouts?
Q: I've been thinking about getting your H.I.T. System, but the disclaimer states it's only for "advanced" climbers. How do you define advanced? Also, I had an elbow injury for most of last season; should I even be thinking about HIT? Congratulations on the great web site and books!
-- Rodrigo (New York, NY)

A: Thanks for the kind feedback, Rodrigo. I suggest you hold off on HIT for at least another season. I'd like to see you focus on technique and climbing strategy this season; assuming your elbow remains healthy, you might consider HIT next winter or spring. Staying uninjured is paramount--hopefully you are doing the exercises I describe in the elbow injury section of Training for Climbing. Reverse Wrist curls and the (forearm) warm-up stretches are key for preventing the injury from coming back. Anyway, I suggest you keep on a regular climbing schedule as well as do some of the targeted training described in my books: pull-ups or weighted pull-ups, overhanging bouldering on a gym wall, and occasional outdoor bouldering to push your technical abilities. No doubt, you have great potential to improve, so get out and have fun crankin'! Maybe see you at the Gunks sometime...

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