As one of the most successful climbing coaches in Arizona, I am asked the same question: What do I need to do in order to break out of my plateau?

The easy answer to this is to train harder than you have, but that is not always the answer. Training harder and smarter is one aspect of breaking out. To do this correctly, you need to break out of old routines and train in ways that push your weaknesses, and enhance your strengths. This is not done by one or two different exercises, but your entire approach to your workout and your commitment to climbing must increase.

Below is Step #1 for crushing your plateau–the next update will come in a few weeks.

Step 1 – Work on your weakness
The easiest way to start a massive undertaking is to take a small part of the big picture and focus on developing that attribute as much as you can. I will talk about three common weaknesses:

• Finger strength – I have found the best way to increase this is with dead hangs on a fingerboard. I like to focus on a 2:1 ratio of open hand grip-to-closed crimp hangs.  Hang for 7 seconds with MAX EFFORT, rest 10 seconds and repeat 5x. After 5 reps, rest for 10 minutes, and complete another 4 sets.

• Dynamic moves – Moving dynamically is not always about dynos, but momentum, contact strength, and hand-eye coordination. I like a drill where the climber picks a start hold(s), and finish hold(s). The rule is the climber cannot touch the finish hold(s) until BOTH hands have left the start hold(s). This way, the climber can execute a dyno between holds that he/she might be able to reach statically.

• Endurance – When you finish a boulder problem or route, down climb something easier for additional pump and mental focus. If your bouldering area is small, consider piecing together 3-4 problems with an easy downclimb (or rainbow climbing) into your next problem. Only active resting on the problem is allowed.

Check back next month for another installment on crushing your performance plateau!