Hold Fast: Advances in Strength Training for Rock Climbers

This is a companion book to Unstoppable Force, the landmark 2019 book on strength training for climbers. It was born out of questions, comments, and testing by a number of the athletes we train through Climb Strong.I am slow to adapt. I am skeptical. I tend to run all new training ideas through the filter of “is this idea promising huge results for little work,” and if so who benefits? Often, when something promises incredible results, there is someone benefiting financially when we hop on board. This is the case in the supplement industry, where someone is selling a probably ineffective product, hiring influencers, and even financing research to push the product. There is a list as long as your arm of groundbreaking supplements that have been introduced, sold widely, eventually rigorously tested, and then fallen to the wayside…or have been banned.The same is true in exercise protocols, training tools, and even technology. We’re constantly sold on things that will make fitness easier, rather than things that will make us better. I often joke that my six-week strength and conditioning program will find you barely stronger than when you started, if at all…yet my one-year program might change your life. It’s boring, but effective.This is a long way of saying don’t read this book for flashy new ideas and gadgets. There are no supplements, no proprietary training tools, no exciting new secrets. What there will be are descriptions of some important ideas and principles, such as:The value of training one limb at a time.Training at multiple velocities in a training phase, or even a single session.A framework for moving from general to specific training, and why we do it.Marrying strength and power training, and why I feel foolish for separating them before.The wide target of intensity in finger strength training, and why a focus on max hangs is probably counterproductive.What core training should be about and how it should look.How we build longer performance phases into our athletes’ programs.What the last set of a strength exercise should look like.What “velocity based training” means to climbers.And more.We’ll also go back and look at how simple a strength training program can be, and when in our busy lives we are supposed to do all of this stuff! This text is not a program. It is a collection of ideas and examples. If you want a step-by-step guide, the best place to start is with Unstoppable Force, or any basic strength training book. And remember that this is only a piece of the puzzle that is performance climbing. It just happens to be a piece that I understand pretty well. Read more