How much time do you REALLY need to progress your climbing?
Last week on Instagram, I asked you all what you felt were barriers to your climbing progress. There are a few trends that came up. The first one I want to talk about is:
I work with a lot of climbers who have been caught up in the idea that they have to "train like the pros" to make progress. Needing two sessions a day, six days a week. Envying the climbers who seem to live in the gym.
Sound familiar?
It can be discouraging to feel held back by your schedule and thinking, "I don't have enough time to work towards my goals."
Let's reframe this. Here are 3 ways you can still make progress, even if you're short on time:
1. Have an intention for your session
We've all done it: you walk into the gym, set your bag down, and stare at the walls... unsure what to do with your session. You find yourself migrating to the new boulder set where everyone else is and get sucked into conversations. You try a climb every now and then until all of a sudden it's time to go.
Maybe you leave feeling like you didn't accomplish much and you don't know if that session really helped you work towards your goals.
Instead if you know what the goal of your session is before you step foot into the gym, you can get going as soon as you get there. You can warm up efficiently and appropriately for your workout, complete your workout with quality effort, and leave knowing that you effectively used your time.
2. Keep your priorities straight
Sometimes we really only have time for a quick in-and-out session. The amount of time that you wonder, "is it even worth going to the gym?". However, if you know what to prioritize and when, you can make informed decisions on which exercises to do and which to ditch.
Even with less than an hour for your workout, you can get a productive session in. When you hit the important items of your workouts, you can finish your session feeling satisfied even with the limited time.
3. Have a larger plan in place
Hitting your goals is an accumulation of the work you do over time. Consistency and structure is your best friend here and will help with the tips above. When you keep the big picture in mind, you will have a much better idea of your priorities AND can be confident setting intentions for your sessions.
So how much time do you really need to make progress? I recommend 2 structured training days that can range from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours during the week. Plus if you are able, 1 more day on the weekend that can be a little longer and "looser" with structure.
