Welcome to the Training Center!
Welcome to the new Nicros Training Center, the web’s #1 resource on climbing performance! Only here will you find leading-edge sport science and over 30 years of experience dovetailed into a single free website that will help you train smarter and climb harder!
Regardless of your climbing preference—bouldering, cragging, or big walls—we will bring you fresh ideas and techniques to help improve your climbing. We welcome you to send us a training question and to subscribe to our monthly training e-newsletter, TC Beta.
Nicros is proud to produce some of the world’s best and most innovative climbing walls, holds, and training products. Whether you are building a home wall, climbing gym, or just buying a few holds, we look forward to hearing from you. You can place an order on this site or by calling 1-800-699-1975.
Featured Articles
How to Improve Climbing Efficiency (and Climb WAY Harder!) The technical paramount is to climb with perfect economy. Make those two words, perfect economy, your mantra every time you touch the rock. Perfect economy means discovering the way to do each move—an entire route, for that matter—with minimal energy expenditure.div>
Question & Answer – Round 96: Hello Eric, I have a hard time crimping–I open hand almost all holds. I’ve tried doing some specific fingerboard and campus training but crimping just doesn’t feel comfortable. Any insight into this would help alot. –Nathan (British Columbia)
3 Exercises for a Crushing Grip As a climbing coach of more than two decades, one of the most common questions I’m asked is “how to train for greater grip strength.” While gains in grip strength come quickly during your formative days, it’s not uncommon for grip strength to plateau after a few years of regular climbing.
Question & Answer – Round 95: Hello Eric, I built a woody in my garage 3 years ago and put up your HIT system. I weigh about 180lbs and am wondering what the maximum weight you recommend for each grip. Currently, I use 35lbs for Crimp, 10lbs for Pinch, 10lbs 3rd team two-finger pocket, 30lbs 2nd and 1st team two-finger pockets, 45lbs for open hand grip. I am getting significantly stronger this garage season, and am worried my strength will surpass my tendons and/or judgement. –Matt (Montana)
A Power Principle for Developing Excellent Technique and Movement Skills One of the key principles for effective skill development and motor learning is that you must strive to achieve near-perfection of specific skills and techniques, and not be satisfied to just “get by” at them. This is an immensely powerful concept…
Question & Answer – Round 94: I’ve recently develop elbow pain (tendinitis?) and I’m preparing for a climbing trip to Spain in a couple of weeks. What should I do?
VIDEO: Monthly hold featurette: Diff-Tex Dome Micros & Mixed Micros
One-Arm Traversing for Increased Grip Strength Here’s a simple, effective, and fun exercise that you can add to your winter gym workouts to increase your grip strength in the Spring!
VIDEO: Monthly hold featurette: Diff-Tex Crimps
Question & Answer – Round 93: How should I train to improve at bouldering…so I can enter comps?
Learn how to set powerful goals that really motivate you…and set the stage for an amazing 2012!
VIDEO: Hold overview of Ball Micros & Ball Slopers
Question: In trying to take it to the next level, should I lose weight, train harder, or just be patient with my currrent program? –Brandon
VIDEO: Take your climbing to the next level with the The Power of Proactive Positive Thinking
In its essence, climbing is a dance up a rock wall using your four points of contact as the dance steps. Improving at climbing, then, demands that you refine your vertical dance to be smooth, technically sound, and highly efficient.
Question: Can you suggest a good training hangboard and program for me? –Roger
VIDEO: Take your climbing to the next level with the The Power of Proactive Positive Thinking
Question: I just sent my seventh 5.13 route–all were 13a or 13b, so what’s the best way to train to achieve 5.13+? –Noel (Tennessee)
Breaking a Performance Plateau – Step #3
Learn how to elevate your mental game in order to break through to the next grade.
Learn how to elevate your mental game in order to break through to the next grade.
Question: I just bought your H.I.T stripes so that I can step-up my training. What HIT Training advice can you provide me to make the most of my training…and push into the higher grades. -–Matthew (Idaho)
Breaking a Performance Plateau – Step #2
Learn how to refine and expand your skill set in order to break through a performance plateau.
Learn how to refine and expand your skill set in order to break through a performance plateau.
Question & Answer – Round 88 Question: I’ve heard of newish climbers injuring themselves when they climb too hard too fast since their muscles are strong but their tendons are not. And I’m wondering how to avoid that while still progressing in my climbing ability. –Alyssa (Alberta, BC)
Breaking a Performance Plateau – Step #1
This is the first in a three-part series outlining strategies for breaking through a performance plateau.
This is the first in a three-part series outlining strategies for breaking through a performance plateau.
Video preview of Paul Robinson’s signature line of climbing holds.
Question & Answer – Round 87 Question: I have an HIT wall at my house and am going to start doing the anaerobic endurance training on it and am wondering how many off days should be taken when doing these workouts. –Brett (Oklahoma)
Top 5 Finger Strength Training Exercises I’m often asked to provide a list of the best exercises for training finger (grip) strength. While there are dozens of different exercises (and variations thereof) that I could describe, in this article I present a generalized list of training techniques.
Question & Answer – Round 86 Question: Can you give me some tips or drills to help my youth climber with her footwork and sequencing? Thanks, –Jim (California)
Climbing Hold Video – “30- and 45-degree Training Crimps” This is the next in a series of monthly videos featuring our the best NICROS training hand holds.
6 Pump Rocks Exercises You Can Do Almost Anywhere! NICROS’ Pump Rocks provide a unique alternative to training on a fingerboard or pull-up bar. Since the Pump Rocks are free floating, they allow your body to move more naturally through the range of motion when performing pull-ups or lock-offs.
Training for Youth Climbers – Part 2 This is the second in a two-part series on age-appropriate training for youth climbers. the focus here is on injury prevent during the pubescent growth spurt.
10 Do’s & Don’ts for Effective Redpointing Here are ten does and don’ts to working—and succeeding—on your projects!
Training for Youth Climbers – Part 1 This is the first in a two-part series on age-appropriate training for youth climbers.
Fingerboard Training – Part 4 of 4 Pyramid training simulates the way your forearm muscles might work in climbing a medium-length gym route.
Fingerboard Training – Part 3 of 4 “Moving hangs” involve working your hands around the board continuously for several minutes, much like climbing a long sustained sequence on the rock. This is a good forearm endurance training exercise for climbers without a home climbing wall.
Rotator Cuff Rehab & Training Video The shoulders are the most movable joints, and next to the fingers they are the most at-risk body part for climbers. In this video, climber & licensed physical therapist, Don Anderson, demonstrates exercises you should do to protected your shoulders.
Finding Your Path in the Climbing World There are as many different paths to take in climbing as there are climbers, so why proceed down a path already traveled?
Motivation & Performance: How to Elevate Both! There are actually myriad reasons why we do the things we do. Motivation can come from many places, and some sources generate a more powerful emotional vector than others.
Challenging Yourself for Long-term Improvement Climbing is an extraordinarily complex activity with motor and cognitive skills that take a decade or more to learn. The key to sustaining an upward trajectory over the long term is…
