How to Climb Harder Grades Faster

The draw to achieve a harder grade in climbing is undeniable. Be it at your local gym or outside, we all want to send the next hardest thing. Now there is no one size fits all solution, but after climbing for a decade I have found some ways to greatly improve the chances of moving onto the next climbing level.

Consistency - Tendon strengthening takes more time than muscle growth. This means that climbing consistently on both a weekly and monthly basis is needed in order to see long term gains. I recommend climbing twice a week for six months to allow your body to develop further.

Proper warm up - Dynamic stretching coupled with starting on easier climbs has been proven to increase performance and decrease the chances of injury.

Skill training - When warming up with easier climbs, try to incorporate some skill training drills. The Youtube channel The Power Company Climbing has a bunch of really good skill drills that will help to build your fundamentals without cutting into your projecting time.

Just Climb More - Instead of solely trying to focus on strength training on a hangboard, get on the climbing wall and try to project or limit boulder. This will help to build strength as well as give you experience on harder climbing movements. 80% of your training should be climbing related, and the other 20% can be put to supplementary off-the-wall training exercises.

Don’t get injured - When you are injured it is delaying you from getting stronger, so by taking preventative measures it will help to negate injury. Antagonistic workouts for your lower back, shoulders, elbows, wrists, and fingers, should be done on a regular basis to help keep you climbing on a regular basis.

Take Rest - When pushing yourself to the max it is good to let your body rest up between climbs. Take the time when you are resting to review movements and reflect on what can be done next time to finish the climbs.

Documentation - Take lots of videos of yourself climbing. These videos will allow you to see the progress that you are making as well as provide a good reference to have when trying to improve beta. If you fall on a climb, you can review the video and pinpoint what you can improve to finish the climb.

If you follow these tips getting to that next level will not feel as daunting as it once did.