How To Avoid The "Intermediate Climber" Plateau

[@fawncashew]

My strategy is to plateau at v2/3 so I don't have to worry about the v5 plateau, working great so far

[@Wazzo31]

LMAO

[@HourRomanticist]

That's my plan as well. So far so good. Have yet to break into v3 lol.

[@stephenfidler1005]

I plateaued at v2 but have lost 10 kilos so upped a grade plateau. 10 kilos more to V4?

[@jonaskarlsson5901]

ur a genius xD

[@ulysses2592]

V3 is kicking my ass right now lol. Big jump from V2. To be fair V3 = 6c+ / 7a which is pretty effin hard lol

[@jc_tellez]

1. Begin with a RAMP protocol to warm up effectively (elevate heart rate, activate muscles, mobilise joints, and potentiate - specific dynamic exercise) 2. Utilize a hangboard with +35% body weight (male mean?) for grip training: 20mm edge, grip as preferred, and perform six 5-second hangs with a 2-minute rest between each. 3. Practice board climbing for people in V8 to V11 difficulty: Choose three challenging boulders and spend 10 minutes on each with a 5-minute rest in between. 4. Ensure to use of quality equipment such as good chalk (bias?) and climbing shoes for better performance. 5. Engage in volume climbing: Complete five climbing routes three times each, taking 2.5 minutes for each climb and a 5-minute rest between different routes. 6. Work on skill development by recording your climbs to analyze and improve difficult moves, and try creating your own routes for additional practice. 7. Incorporate strength training with +35% additional weight (male mean?) on pull-up bars to prevent injuries, and include supplementary and isolation exercises to target joint stabilizers and address specific weaknesses. 8. Improve flexibility through tempo stretching exercises that include eccentric movements, pauses, and concentric movements with pauses. Also, static stretching.

[@mezmerya5130]

i've never seen better shoes helping anyone. I use finales for 10 years, because they are my preferred shoes for trad, and i train for trad, so i just use them for everything, and they never held me back. I've seen alot of folks having 10 pairs and stuck though.

[@Keefeology]

@@mezmerya5130 Hmm, interestingly enough, grabbing softer shoes forced me to improve my footwork, which eventually led me to climb efficient; so I have a very different climbing journey.

[@Dexter_Morgan.]

​@@mezmerya5130Better shoes can only help as much as you can make them help. I've seen people beat La Sportiva Solutions to shit on a V1, and in that case, they might as well be climbing in rentals. But I've also seen people squeeze all the potential out of relatively "bad" bouldering shoes. So while it would probably feel worse at first a pair of better shoes would definitely befit them in the long run. Since it usually takes a bit to get used to different shoes.

[@cedric7049]

Sorry to be that guy, but it's the first time I hear that the type of chalk is such an important tool that it warrants being mentioned in this kind of video and it happens to also be a sponsor, so I have a real problem deciphering if it's a true advice or not.

[@el_kammeroni]

Totally agree, but there is "good" and "bad" chalk. Some brands I tried had a very smeary feel, others seemed to not dry my skin that much. There is a point to be made for the right brand you like or don't...

[@tomsan91]

I once picked up some cheap chalk from decathlon, the only massive difference I found was having to use so much more of it compared to the friction labs stuff I usually get from the gym.

[@requiemz22]

Rungne is very good chalk, I noticed it lasts a lot longer on my hands than other chalk I've tried(friction labs, mantle, gymnast block chalk). It feels very similar to other high quality chalk but a little stickier. Comparing this to no chalk or lower quality chalk, I definitely think it makes a difference. Maybe it helps you push past a plateau a little faster than others, maybe not, but it's very good either way.

[@eliasfellner1898]

i agree with @el_kammeroni, it‘s not a HUGE difference, but i did feel better when trying magdust and it felt like i needed less (could be placebo tho) friends also preferred magdust to their usual chalk :) probably won‘t be the reason for a plateau tho :)

[@mats1365]

Using high quality chalk will improve your climbing, but in no way does that mean magdust is the only one you should buy

[@Mylada]

The top thing for me was systematically doing finger strength training, pull ups, shoulders and flexibility stuff 2-3 times a week for years. You just have to progressively hit the same exercises from week to week, maybe changing something every 2-3 months. Sometimes there is no progress for months and then you suddenly go up 5kg after 3 months or hit a flexibility PR. It all adds up.

[@Шедуле]

How long have you been in climbing? What you red point?

[@Mylada]

@@Шедуле 5 years, pretty close to my first V11. Done it in 2 links within 3 sessions. Been really consistent with training for the last 1.5 years after I got stuck around V7.

[@1Joren]

For me the biggest tip I would give for breaking past plateaus that applies to a lot of people who feel stuck is, try hard on problems that are on and above your limit. Have patience and persevere, actually spend the time to project something that you can't climb and focus on progressing on isolated moves. Some people say they are at a plateau but also aren't trying problems that go beyond that plateau, usually due to lack of confidence, patience, getting frustrated with failing. If you want to improve, you'll have to fail a ton. If you don't invite that abundance of failure into your sessions, you'll limit your progression. Example, my second/third 7A, it took me two sessions, one of which I spent 1.5 hour on the same problem, reaching a point where people will probably think it's borderline obsessive. Remaining focused and being disciplined, spending 4-5 minutes between attempts collecting my strength and my mental, and trying to reflect what I did wrong/suboptimal and how to improve it on the next go. Encourage myself that the tiny improvements will eventually amount up to sending it, and if it doesn't, that's still a ton of learning for the next project.

[@bladesofglory100]

if spending 1.5 hours on your project is obsessive then we're all obsessed :D

[@Dexter_Morgan.]

​@bladesofglory100 fr I feel like that's the minimum for me to even consider it a project, any less than that, and I just think of it as something that gave me a bit of trouble but wasn't on the limit

[@ograin8045]

​@@Dexter_Morgan.Same. Like my first V3/4 took me literally one month of projecting. I think I spent ~8 hours total on it. Absolutely mental.

[@DougBeardsley]

This is some seriously fantastic content. Early this year I added structured weekly hangboarding to my climbing. This summer I sent my first V8 on the Kilter board. Hangboarding *definitely* played a huge role for me.

[@sakkiebasson2052]

For me the issue was as soon as I hit this grade, my strength was not up to bar to any of these boulders. Most of the boulders were pretty binary, either I could hold on to the holds or I couldnt. There was no technique adaptions with body or movement , either I could hold the hold and I could send or I wasnt strong enough in fingers / mobility / strength to hold and needed to train more

[@andrewwebber421]

Yes I think this is where the finger board training comes in to get that extra finger strength to hold the sort of holds you see in v6 +. I am very much the same. Although it’s also then the slopers as well, which is another game again!

[@diiana_aiupova]

So true. 100%, no secret ingredient for that :(

[@TheQuicksilver115]

I think this is at most only partially true. No shade but honestly there is almost no chance that anyone maxing out at v5 has PERFECT technique. You can always get better at weighting your feet! Personally I saw this in my own progression when I realized I could send v6 if it wasn't overhung but was still struggling with some v4s if they were. I think something like that would be a better indicator that strength is truly the limiting factor. But even then, since I dislike overhangs I avoided them which means I also had awful technique on them soo

[@andrewwebber421]

@@TheQuicksilver115 yes I think it’s reasonable to say that a combination of better body position/balance can then require less strength with hands given more weight is on feet. There can be limiting factors getting this, such as flexibility - where you can get closer to the wall if you can properly get those hips open etc

[@BIG_G_512]

The chalk ad... what the hell lol. Chalk brand isnt what is holding you back.

[@alexgalays910]

It's not even rank 50 of the things to optimize yeah lol.

[@Gnilesington]

Relax! Dont be such winging keyboard warriors.

[@viktoriiaolifirenko1425]

Warm-up recommendations would be really useful 🥺

[@jordanbroadhead7388]

I found I hit a hard plateau around this range and adding some structure into my sessions made a huge difference. This was as hard as I was going to climb with just trying hard and doing random training when the psche was there. Now I love the structure and I've broke through to V8 this season. Looking forward to another good training season

[@jordanbroadhead7388]

Also did find the stretching was way more important than I thought it would be. As a taller guy there was a lot of climbs I felt like we're just too bunched up for me. Although I find that's the limiting factor less and less now

[@quentinmartiny1615]

Hey mate, care to share what kind of streching routine you're doing?@@jordanbroadhead7388

[@Bocman1]

What type of structuring did you add to your sessions?

[@jordanbroadhead7388]

@@Bocman1 climbing the same days every week. Stick with the same warm up and same exercises every week for at least a couple months and progressively make some of the exercises harder. This way it was easy to find when I need to dial back or up based on how my body was recovering. Also managing how many sort of limiting bouldering days I would do and not going for the hardest thing every session

[@AutonomousPlayground]

The fact you'd actually pose like that for the thumbnail is pretty low 😂 are you mr.Beast now or something?

[@zacharylaschober]

Native advertising is a disservice to your audience. Chalk will not overcome a plateau, and the vast majority of climbing chalk brands produce an excellent product. The build up to needing Magdust to use the holds on the Moonboard is ridiculous. Frankly, I think the majority of this video was rather haphazard and poorly constructed for the intended audience, and this is a particular failing.

[@dtctraveler]

Giving feedback in a friendly manner... ME: Amigos, I was wondering if you could watch me climb and tell me how I can improve Friends after I fail on the first move: Good attempt, you should probably work on getting to the top.

[@dark-o]

16:22 8 reps is the max reps at 80% if we take one rep max calculator. Meaning that 8 reps will be going to failure on each set. Not much left in reserve. I would prefer 5-6 reps.

[@OliverBatchelor]

Maybe the grading systems are just poor and for whatever reason didn't include enough granularity around the V5 V6 range.

[@stephantom8237]

I feel like for a lot of people maybe it’s a mistake to even have “breaking past the plateau” as a goal. It’s not necessary. Just maintaining V5-V6 can be a goal if you enjoy climbing at that level. Personally I started climbing in my 30s and after the quick progression in the first few months, it’s just been a cycle more than a line. Every time I try to ramp it up, I get injured.

[@M3Lucky]

Well it's up to the person.

[@Шедуле]

Year in climbing im 42 no injuries still feel progression.

[@Jon-ko1qg]

@@Шедуле how long have u been climbing? just curious

[@Isariu11]

Finger strength is usually the culprit when people plateau at v5-v6 almost 80 percent of the time

[@sethturner9759]

Now a video like this for v7-8 would be sick. I assume there’s a lot of carry over but some unique things too.

[@lawsong6663]

Honestly max hangs and board climbing are pretty much gonna be it for v7-8 as well.

[@Tsudkyk]

Eventually every climber will need to start focusing on things like diet, hydration, flexibility, balance and strength training in order to push into v6 and above. I plateaued in the V5 range for about a year, I was projecting a highball V5 and decided to focus on the previously mentioned skillsets. During the winter I created a daily strength and flexibility routine and cleaned up my diet. Spring rolled around and one cold morning I went out and sent the V5 second try, then moved onto working out a V7 and nearly sent it the same morning. (I called it quits because of skin damage from a sharp crimp). I ended up climbing a few V8s that summer and it was all because I created a daily routine of body maintenance and strength building. Small habits can make huge changes

[@ryanharrington2890]

What level of difficulty for the volume training post-moonboard? Or dont care on difficulty too much, just not crimpy? Thanks

[@stefslyfe]

I think that there is so much variation in grade difficulty at this level (V5) that it’s hard to ever really tell where you’re at skill wise. I know that this is meant to be taken as a generalization but it’s possible that some people plateau because the area that they climb in is simply hella sandbagged and if they were to climb in areas that aren’t as much, they could theoretically be climbing a grade or two harder. As well as the fact that some people are climbing in areas that are really soft and aren’t actually climbing at the level that they think they are.

[@digitalhillz]

Sandbagging doesnt create a plateau, it creates a skewed perspective on grading. You still progress, your perceived progress is slower balanced against other gyms grading but that doesn’t mean you aren’t getting better.

[@stefslyfe]

@@digitalhillz thankyou for that, I really needed that😏

[@smallmen4939]

lol ive been climbing for a month ive done 3 v5s sounds like unathletic people not training enough you want to get better at climbing climb more? if you "intimidated by a climb" stop being a weirdo and get climbing you cant progress because you not trying hard enough, i really thought that was simple clearly not lol

[@TheMegaMrMe]

I did the mistake of thinking my fingers are weak but they were just cold. Cycling to the gym in winter,. especially, I need a lot of low weight hangs to get things going. If I do that, I then have a productive session. Just get over your ego and start really low with the warm ups

[@flowrida1138]

I know at some point progression doesn't come without putting in the effort but after all this video sounds like I'll have to sell my 3 kids and hit the gym 5 days a week. It'd be interesting to see a couple of different variants of training plans as a second step to this video. Anyways... Thanks for the brilliant free content ❤

[@christopherwells4768]

I hear you my dude. But don't worry, once the kiddos leave the house we'll have all the time and money in the world to get those gains. Hopefully you started young tho!😅

[@LatticeTraining]

As I mentioned in a previous comment, climbing is ultimately for your enjoyment. We put out content to help you climb at your best, but we always want you to put your life and happiness first, as climbing should be fun, not a place of pressure and stress

[@arilevin5514]

Also climb with people better than you

[@andytalbot6965]

My daughter is only 10, nearly 11. she’s doing great and can climb v5. I presume the advice is different for kids as she’s been told not to fingerboard?

[@Amatsuichi]

whenever I tried to push harder, I ended up with some injury, so yes, I am at around V5+ for years, best I did was 7b+ on rope but got injured shortly after that and fell down to my standard 6c+/7a

[@jordanbroadhead7388]

I've ran into this a bit as well. Although I found if you do more strength and conditioning than you think you need through your indoor season and really make your body durable it does help. An injury still might come up but less often

[@mikedaknight8854]

I got stuck at v6 years ago. Took a break to parent and am now stuck at v4… probably because I only get to climb once a week 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@precursor4263]

Been on V6/7 for like 4 years now if not more. I can practically flash most climbs but V8 is still out of reach. I've done maybe 3 lol

[@chicken29843]

I refuse to buy into the chalk brand nonsense until someone proved to me why the same chemical from different companies is supposedly having different effects. From my understanding all the chalk on the market is just magnesium carbonate I don't really see how what brand makes a difference

[@oliviaiggstranddarvill9102]

Any tips for training as a short person, im just under 5"3(160cm) and find this holding me back from the majority of climbs. Like the moonboard always requires huge leaps between holds.

[@Chris-de2qc]

From what I observed us short people need to do more lock offs.

[@sarahpemberton4089]

This. Most of the boards I have tried felt like they were full of big big moves. Personally I've learned the hard way that hyperextending my shoulders to get more reach means I then have to stop climbing and spend a long time rehabbing the resulting injury. I'm wondering if the answer for me might be working on hand foot matches.

[@IAMDIMITRI]

I just did 9c Strength Test and it revealed that my weakness are finger strength and pull ups. And I climb 6b+ ish (almost V5). I think my progress is consistent with the video and weaknesses too. Good job.

[@LatticeTraining]

Thank you for such good feedback!!

[@jasrajsingh9674]

Rungne sponsored => Magnus approved

[@rolandkampa2448]

What is the intensity of 5 by 3 Strength Intervals? Given the rest-time I assume Flash Level? A bit harder than Ancap boulders?

[@stephenmcdonald7385]

Any chance of a follow along weighted tempo stretching session? 10/20 min

[@Vqrdict]

Im climbing V4/V4 but I can't add any weight to a 20mm edge, I know my fingers are weak compared to my other areas, so hopefully if it train these hard for the next few months, should be able to fly through V5

[@ella_wild3856]

Great video! On the app is the max hang workout 10s per rep! Does it matter if I do it 5 or 10 s? 😅

[@fabiopalma4429]

Wow, what an excellent video! I'm a passionate beginner with 9 months of climbing and reached gym's V5 very recently. Did some hangboard (and also some overhang kilterboard) and noticed amazing results. For sure with start doing it more seriously, and in a smarter way! Thank you so much for all the determining tips! Hugs from Portugal 👊🏼

[@Kaygu_]

I have no idea what grade I climb since my gym doesnt have grades sadly. I just know I can climb the color 4 out of 7 (not all of them obviously). But I think this advice can still apply to me, great video !

[@fgbae8220]

Ask one of the setters :) don't be scared, they usually love to talk about setting. They can tell which range the colors are.

[@ianmaclure5902]

Following what someone else with a confusing name said: ask other climbers what they reckon a grade is, especially if they climb at other gyms or climb about 1 level above you. Wisdom of the crowds is how grades are defined anyway!

[@Phade91]

My gym has 7 colour circuits too and colour 4 is typically around V3.

[@jakobkugel1108]

6 max hangs with 2min rest seems pretty intense, especially prior to climbing

[@danielcgn]

You'll get used to it. And you shouldnt expect to have the best climbing Session of your Life

[@MultiXCrunner]

Climber here who is stuck around V5. I'm almost positive finger strength is a weakness for me, I'd like to see where I fit within the chart. How long do you have climbers hang for a "max hang"?

[@ironmooss1946]

Anywhere in the 5-10 seconds range is ideal, also make sure you’re getting plenty of rest in the middle because you’re training MUSCLES in your fingers. Magnus Mitdbo recommends about 4 minutes between sets, conveniently this is also what worlds strongest men do between their weight lifting sets. It seems like a long time so usually I do my stretching during my rest period. Also since you’re not doing max hangs every day I recommend “Emil’s submaximal routine” to do literally every single day. It has helped me a ton. Best of luck to you and if you have more questions please reach out!

[@LatticeTraining]

ironmoss is on it! Yeah 5-10s is a good range.

[@roowf4685]

i'm sure this is good advice, but weirdly enough your fingers don't have any muscles in them @@ironmooss1946

[@TheTonVeron]

Not sure 100% but I think it's fair to say they probably determine it using the finger assessment tests on the crimpd app. I believe it's 7s, 2 arm hang on a 20mm edge. Use that to determine what the max weight you can last 7s while maintaining a strict half crimp. Then for your working sets you can do the max weight for 5s, 2min rest between sets, and 6 sets. Another option is 90% of your max weight (bodyweight plus added weight), 10s, 2min rest, 6 sets. Your muscles use 3 energy systems, Alactic, Lactic, which are both Anaerobic, and Aerobic. Max hang training targets the Alactic energy system which is used for around 1-10 seconds, so to be optimal your reps should stay at or below 10 seconds. Adjust the weight to achieve this. Also the chart they show only shows one standard deviation. Typically 3 standard deviations is what is considered an outlier.

[@LatticeTraining]

Sorry I read your question wrong. For the hangboard test we do a 7 second hang. A "max hang" is just a term for training hangs with a single rep, that can range in duration and number of sets, hence to confusion.

[@DaneFerolin]

magdust is actually AMAZING. non biased opinion. you will absolutely notice the difference

[@rileybyers4674]

If I want to do max hangs right before a climbing session, how would I efficiently warm up for them?

[@LatticeTraining]

Hi Riley, we have a KZbin video on Fingerboard warm-up routines. Here is the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hWrMZqGNrZykp7s 😀😀

[@evanschneider47]

How do you fit strength training into your climbing routine? Daily? Weekly? On off days/at the end of the session etc?

[@LatticeTraining]

It depends of course. But in general, 2x/wk is a good frequency. Either at the end of the session (after climbing) or on different days. Home workouts can be easier to fit into a tight schedule.

[@max9940]

Is there any advice for someone who has plateaued at v8-I’ve been here for like 2 years and I’m losing my damn mind

[@LatticeTraining]

I think the harder someone is climbing, the harder it will be to give generic advice. Best thing to do is book a session with a coach and/or if you are interested in looking at your physical profile we have a remote assessment available on our website for just £20.

[@FanningIn-dh2od]

my gym just doesnt re ally have v6's

[@chicken29843]

Bro I'm V5 and I can't hang on 20mm edges at all what the hell

[@PompousPicard1]

I’m 45 years old, started climbing at 43, and am climbing hard V7s in the gym. I always start each workout with multiple V0s, 1s, 2s, and 3s. I even set a timer to make sure I’m doing submaximal/warmup-level climbing for a minimum of 30 minutes, preferably 45, before I try anything really hard.

[@nomad_manhattan]

I am the prime audience for this episode :) 2 years in, I am hovering from V4-V6 depending on the type of problems at hand, especially slab vs. overhang. My finger strength and flexibility is good. I am looking for way to improve with overhang and dyno. Any advice?

[@LatticeTraining]

Overhang and dyno's have their own distinct style and techniques so it's always worth spending more time on this style. But the physical attributes change too. So you may also benefit from more upper body strength and lower body power. Things like pull-ups, low rows, back squats, plyo jumps. How do you measure up to the V5 standard for 2RM pull-up?

[@rotamrofsnart]

I can do V5, but not hang on 20 mm with 100% bodyweight or more. About 95%.

[@LatticeTraining]

This is quite unusual but not unheard of! Everyone is different. Keep at it! Maybe consider introducing some hangboarding into your training or warm-up.

[@thetrickster42]

This data is really helpful. I wasn’t sure whether movement or strength was holding me back, and I thought my fingers were ok for the level, but I’m more than 1s.d. below the mean! Time to hang!

[@balalaika852]

But, according to the video, women don't need this amount of strength to climb v5s (even though women also have all the other disadvantages like smaller lungs, less red blood cells, less fast twitch muscles, etc.), so is it really the issue of weak fingers or is it bad technique?

[@Eyelidyoinker]

@@balalaika852I’m also in this group been climbing for 4 months and v5 is where I’m stuck. Granted im definitely progressing still, just within the grade. should I not add finger training?

[@deathsoulger1]

i prefer dynamic stretches for tendon strength

[@timonix2]

I just tested my SO on the 20mm edge. They went up to 160%. Insane. But only 110% for a pullup and climbs at a V3 level. While I can barely do a single pullup and hang 110% on a 20mm ledge climb at V4. Neither of us has Plateaued yet though. But I don't think finger strength is going to be the limiting factor for my SO at V5

[@marcosbarcala6249]

Thanks for the video, really interesting. Just one comment on strength training. I believe progressive calisthenics is most likely the best way for climbers to work on their stength - extremely tranferrable to climbing and bouldering, can be done with no equipment etc. I must say form should be paramount and I honestly don't understand how can you recommend doing weighted pull ups with a weight which forces you into kipping and basically compromise the whole form of the exercise. You will never need to pull 130% of your bodywheight when climbing. Being able to hit sets of higher reps is most likely best for transference to climbing, where strength endurance comes into play. For bouldering I see a benefit to using weighted calisthenics, but never if it compromises your form so much. You are much better off if you start training progressions like uneven pull ups (as we will find many situations on the wall where one hand is higher thand the other in a vertical plane) and perhaps to one arm pull ups if you would like to being able to lift more than your body weight.

[@DavidArndt]

I may be wrong here, but I think there's a huge bias in the max hang data for V5 climbers. I pose that people who go to lattice to get tested are people who want to improve and the majority probably already do some finger strength training. People who don't do finger strength training don'tgo to get tested and are not part of the dataset. I know plenty of V5 climbers (inlcuding myself at the moment) who cannot hang +15% bodyweight. Yes, that means that some V5s are out of bounds, but good technique makes up for a lot.

[@rnedisc]

I know you said don't get too hung up on pull up max weight etc. But I'm really curious. Do you guys keep any data or have enough data at all specifically for tall climbers? I'm 202cms at 92kg. I do v5s but my pullup max is about 117-120% bodywight. But that's already 107kg pull ups. And I doubt it scales linearly.

[@moonlight00001]

The stats for max hangs vs pull ups are blowing my mind, are V5 people on average really pulling as much or more weight than they can hang with ?? (I understand that the stats don't say that this is true for individuals, as we're not looking at individuals' results but population ones, so we have no way of knowing for one individual how related the two measures are), but looking at the population of women for example, women at -1 standard deviation can hang 105%BW and pull 115%BW ? That's sooo surprising to me. That plus the standard deviation is bigger for max hangs, so it's not even a case of some people being monsters at pullups and dragging the distribution up. Also I would love to know if you have you done stats correlating the two measures on an individual basis.

[@La0bouchere]

It's probably accurate. It's extremely common for people to train pulling strength due to other reasons before getting into climbing, whereas training for crimping pretty much only happens if you climb. Pullups are also a natural movement so our bodies are naturally better at it than crimping.

[@SherpaAdventures]

I believe hanging was on 20m edge while pulling is on the bar...

[@Teraku1503]

This is such high quality content, but I have to wait after surgery for a couple of months before I'm allowed to climb or train again :( Need to bookmark this for when the time comes!

[@DavidKoleckar]

Intermediate is v5 - v6 which should be ~8a in french climbing grade. I think I have plateaud climbing like v3 :D

[@balalaika852]

What's the reasoning behind attributing max grade max hang difference between men and women to flexibility? Could it be because women prefer verts and slabs, and men prefer overhangs and roofs? Or that men overtrain strength on fingerboards, and women climb more? Or that women have better technique? There could be so many reasons why the difference exists.

[@craigbritton1089]

I would just add that I have seen a lot of climbers get stuck because they need better lock off strength; and besides using weights in a gym; they need to do lock offs in different body positions.

[@LatticeTraining]

This is a very good point, has different exercises can be helpful for the same gains you're aiming to obtain!

[@craigbritton1089]

@@LatticeTraining thanks

[@jasper7072]

I find the board climbing so incredibly boring. Especially the lower difficulties. All seem to be very similar. Due to the difficulty of the holds only a few patterns seem possible or something like that

[@robertobreve8623]

I'm on my 3rd year plateau, I even did a lattice training no changes, just maintained my level. Don't even know what to do anymore. If I train a lot I get tired or injured, if I train moderately I don't improve. Hangboarding hurts my fingers.

[@Asijantuntia]

This sounds like a very interesting topic, but the thumbnail is so awful I'm not going to watch it and thumbs down just out of principle.

[@emilkazik-ui2lu]

In this material you showed finger strength statistics for level V5. Do you provide statistics results for the entire range somewhere?

[@el_Pablo_Uno]

I am already stuck around V3 for a long time now. I can do some 6a but not all of them, 6b and higher are almost always beyond my reach. I train 2 times a week for 15 months now (plus 2 gym sessions a week) and I am past 30yo. Honestly, is it possible that some people are doomed to being stuck below intermediate due to genes or age maybe?

[@RossPotts]

I’ve been working hangboard (Beastmaker) for about a year now, and lately, even though I’ve been working on my rotator cuff a long time before that, I can feel my left shoulder start to “slip out”. Annoying as hell, because it only happens when I engage shoulders correctly (arms not touching ears)

[@CaldDesheft]

Would love a dedicated v5 climber warm up video

[@wicowan]

Does anyone know when it's better to stretch ? I climb 3-4 times a week, and I've been stretching on pause days, is it a good thing ? Or should I stretch at the end of each session ? I've heard it can be bad to stretch if your muscle is too much fatigued

[@martinungermand851]

if you are above the general finger strength for V5, and about the general 2 rep max pull up strength, should you completely remove these exercises from your training routine, and focus more on isolation exercises?

[@TheRockinPunk]

I've never got seriously into hangboarding, my impression was that it was mainly useful for people who can't get to a climbing gym and that moonboard training could be used instead. Not sure if this is outdated info or not though...

[@JippaJ]

I wish that I'd plateau at v5/v6

[@daviddomingos3875]

Thanks a lot for this video and making this content freely available for the community. I feel I’m a bit in a v4-V5 plateau for a while, I kept training but I feel a bit lost in what to change to overcome the plateau. This video gave me some inspiration.

[@isakkrogstad723]

Helpful video! Could @Lattice create a similar video for plateau on V8-V9?

[@chrispowell9300]

Great video! Wondering how many sets / reps you’d recommend for the tempo stretching routine, to begin?

[@evanschneider47]

Omg who has the time to do that hangboard routine AND climb while working a full time job? Jesus

[@LatticeTraining]

The majority of climbers we work with have full time jobs and families to spent time with. If time is really tight we recommend hangboarding at home on a different day/s. It can take as little as 20 minutes for a decent session. If you don't own a hangboard, its a great investment for your climbing.

[@evanschneider47]

@@LatticeTraining thanks, my problem isn’t owning a hangboard, it’s that I don’t own any weights

[@GeorgeDutchHam]

A video on the warmups would be geat! I have been getting aches in my elbow and shoulders, and believe a great warm-up/down would solve both that and my climbing endurance :) Great video also!

[@arnaudjouanin7561]

I'm having trouble understanding the correlation between finger strength and climbing ability, some people say it's the most important aspect of it, some say it's way more about technique, i add 56% bw on the 20mm 5" test and i can only climb 6c, does that mean i have shit technique ?😅 Or is the 20mm too easy at a certain point? The holds on the 6c+ boulders i try definitely feel so much worse than a 20mm edge.. what do you think?:)

[@satnav0961]

With the standard of climbing walls around all over the place these days you really have no excuse

[@pnwb]

Just here to dislike due to clickbait thumbnail and title.

[@LatticeTraining]

Thanks for your support.

[@biomorphic]

My finger strength is on pair, if not superior to climbers that do V7/V8. I can hang and pull up from 8mm. The problem is the raw power, core, shoulders, and flexibility, all things that are easier to improve. I am progressing fast, the key is being consistent, even if you are old like me.

[@chuckz28]

I know how to prevent plateaus. Dont get injured like I keep doing so you can continue to train

[@ryanstadheim4011]

What if I just buy new shoes? Are you SURE it's not the shoes??

[@Cheifio]

Can’t find any reference to The revolver stretch. Need some guidance as I am nowhere near getting into that position

[@marctcholkayan]

Thanks for the video. A « rope »version of this would be cool

[@308tony]

I've been stuck around this level for like 1 year now. I've only improved after putting effort into climbing with half-crimp which really helped me start to make progress in climbing again. The only other changed was diet.

[@Gastago101]

Also dont be fat

[@davidbielsa5188]

I am in the beginner plateau. I cant even dream of being in the intermediate plateau.

[@OrionDuCros]

bro talking about good form while kipping pullups lmfao

[@LatticeTraining]

Haha a harsh critic! IMO if your form is "perfect" in the final reps when going heavy, you ain't trying hard enough 😉

[@OrionDuCros]

@@LatticeTraining yes of course but I think it was a little more than the final reps, you're right to try hard though!

[@tcr781]

for the pull up sets, when you say 80% of your maximum is that your one rep maximum or your 2 rep maximum?

[@strawhat8070]

Weights definitely make a difference, I don’t climb but when I went for 3 sessions over 3 months, I was hitting soft v4s without too much trouble once I worked out the technique. I workout 4-5 times a week with weights, I also have quite a low BMI (20). Compared to a few years ago when I was overweight, I could barely do v1s

[@lookherelooklisten7850]

When I was 70kg I could barely do v4, once I gained weight ( currently 82kg ) in terms of muscle mostly and some fat I was able to go climb v4 easily and now I climb v6-v7, sometimes gaining some weight will actually make you stronger on the wall.

[@voidallyn1538]

I'm currently chilling in the 6-8 plateau lol

[@xNajda]

1:50 is that a 132% hang for a certain amount of time? Or just getting off the ground with it?

[@fizzelmydizzel]

How much hangboarding befor the Boulder session? 6 hangs (6 reps) or 6 sets of hanging 6x6 (6 sets of 6 reps) Greetings

[@LatticeTraining]

We refer to each hang as a 'set'. So 6 hangs in total.

[@corbindallas3220]

I climb V6 and a 45 is hard for me lol. I should add that there are some V6 I am physically unable to complete.

[@DSClimb]

Did you track how your fingerboard assessment numbers evolved over the last couple of years? If I remember correctly, in my assessment 4 years ago those numbers were lower...I'd be curious to see a plot over time

[@joel6376]

How long before a session can you "warm up"? My gym has no gear but I have plenty at home. The gym is about a 15 minute drive. Is it acceptable to warm up that far in advance?

[@keithl3789]

Think that's fine but I'd hurry to the gym after the warm up. Probably time yourself between finishing the warm up to actually climbing to see how long you actually took. Trial and error always works anyway.

[@someguyumet2469]

Please please please, a good warm up routine video would be great

[@jimvano]

Thanks for the helpful video. I will be incorporating a number of your suggestions. However, I remember reading a research study 10 or so years ago that showed passive stretching like you talked about actually weakens the muscle for a period of hours afterwards. Active stretching was better. It involves using one muscle group's strength to stretch the muscle group on the other side. This results in greater strength and flexibility with less risk of muscle strain or injury. Now, I just need to add stretching back into my routine...

[@MartinDlabaja]

nobody said you should do it before exercise, what you say seems to be true, but only if done BEFORE exercise

[@leines49]

The "negative" effect of Static Stretching (loss of Power) is only there if you try your maximal right after stretching. Even activating the stretched muscles a bit by doing a easy route or running a bit negates those effects. Plus for climbing you don't need your whole Hip muscle strength. you need to get into positions and then be able to produce some force in it but nowhere near enough that it would be the same stress as sprinting for example. The type of stretching is less important than actually doing some thing.

[@jan7097]

I am working on a 7a atm and I dont think i can do 100% of bodyweight on 20mm. Been working on my fingers for a year an its definitely driving my improvement atm. The 7A only has a few crimps where i can use the start of my second joint in my fingers and i have a lot more strenght there. What is a good way to improve finger strength with hyperflexible fingers? I dont dare to trust my bone to hold my weight when the last joint in the finger is in a hyperextended angle

[@dalivanwyngarden3204]

I can hang (only half crimp, not full) with 120% of my body weight (I'm 80kg) and struggle even with 6a+ on the moon board. Also I'm super bad on crimps in my grade. You must have sick foot placement then.