The Quest For The Silver Bullet

Every workout plan and diet these days claims to be "the one and only way to glory". They all give hope for guaranteed success with promises like "Lose 15 Pounds In A Week!" or "Get Abs In 10 Minutes!". Even Power Company's Climb 5.12 or 5.13 Plans insinuate that doing them will assure that you climb 5.12 or 5.13. While most climbing training protocols don't make outlandish statements like these, if you've dived as deep into the climbing training rabbit hole as I have you've heard people say EVERYTHING is the key to success. Many Mountain Project threads will argue that anything from intermediate fasting to just climbing more will make you the ideal athlete. Our age is plagued with misinformation, so how are we supposed to know what's right? 

Let's start with one of the most debated topics in improving at climbing: training. There are so many different protocols these days. I think that's what we're missing... they're all DIFFERENT. They all cause the body to get stronger in a slightly different way. Certain exercises improve certain aspects of performance. For example, max hangs are widely acclaimed to increase pure strength while repeaters increase anaerobic endurance. Not a single exercise will make you better at everything... so could the secret be doing all of them at the same time? I don't think so, you would get too tired... Nearly every coach or experienced trainer can tell you that quality over quantity brings true adaptation. Your body won't be able to keep up.

For our body to keep up, we need rest. It's often a good idea to draw a line and say "I'm too tired and sore to keep working out right now..." But, sometimes you need to push past that, to a certain extent. When that line is crossed though, you risk injury. In endurance training, you get better through pushing through that fatigue and pump, but if your fingers feel like they're on the verge of exploding you may be about to rupture a pulley... But, it's much harder to get pumped on safer, bigger holds. Maybe you can incorporate bigger moves? What effect will multiple consecutive dynamic moves have on your shoulders? 

How can you make rest better and faster so you can handle this training? I've heard tons of pro climbers say healthy eating can improve rest... But, what does "healthy eating" mean? People say that protein shakes help you recover faster... how about that? But registered dietician Marisa Michael, author of Nutrition For Climbers, suggests keeping protein intake down to 15 grams a few times throughout the day. Wait, that can't be right... Isn't one of the world's best all-around climbers, Dave Macleod, on a carnivorous diet? That's definitely not 15 grams a few times a day. I personally don't notice much of a difference when I eat lots of protein. Carbs however are another story... I crash hard if I don't get some before a workout. Yet so many athletes advocate for keto. Don't you need carbs to have energy? Having energy speeds recovery after all...

We all want to fast-track everything. Life is short, right? Why should we waste our time? Our modern age makes this realistic in some ways... Never in the history of the world have we been pissed because our microwave burrito takes 3 minutes to cook or that shipping will take 2 days. But, we often forget to prioritize quality. Some things just take time. Losing 10 pounds in a week usually leads to gaining it all back. Going from climbing 5.9 to doing max hangs with 50 added pounds leads to injury. The body is strong and designed to adapt IF the stimulus is consistent OVER TIME.

Hold on a second, aren't there people who've climbed 5.13 within a year though? Doesn't sound like patience to me. And weren't they running off of Mcnuggets? Not nutrition either. Rest? Nope, it was their 5th day on. Age? Well, a 50-year-old just free soloed a 5.14, so maybe not...

So, in our quest for the silver bullet, we found out that there really isn't one. Everyone is unique and improves in their own way. How do we know what's worth our time then? I have been training for a few years now, and have tried many protocols, diets, and even running. Some were really effective and some were almost detrimental at times. But I learned or gained something from all of them, some more than others. There's no better way to know what works than to try and see it through. If it doesn't work, try something else. You just need to keep trying. Wait... that's it!