For this drill, you will make up your own circuit on a spray wall or training board. Your plan should specify a wall angle, number of moves, and rough difficulty to aim for.
How to make the circuit:
1. Select a series of handholds. Work with 3-5 moves at a time. Climb these moves in sequence and pick holds you like. Use any feet at the start, until you learn the handholds.
2. Ideally, make these holds/sequences fit your goals: similar to holds on your projects, types of holds you need to work on using, etc. Your circuits can be cruxy, pumpy, or some of each.
3. Connect each sequence to the adjacent sequence by climbing the overlapping sections.
4. Once you have the number of moves suggested by your plan, you can start trying the circuit from the beginning.
5. Record yourself on your phone, take a photo of the wall, or write down the holds you used, so you can make sure you climb the same circuit every time. This is crucial!
Remember: it doesn’t have to be fancy, or creative.
Climbing:
Climb/attempt the circuit as specified by your plan. You can take “mulligans” if you slip in the first few moves. Climb with economy; the circuits will continually get harder, so it’s important to always be dialing them in. See Progressions, below.
Rest 5-8 minutes between attempts or more if specified by your plan. Use this rest time to plan more circuits or rehearse your sequences.
I strongly suggest filming your efforts on the circuits. Think of this session like redpointing – you want to analyze your pacing, sequence and overall performance, and improve it session to session.
Progressions:
- Switch from any feet to specific colors/sets of footholds.
- Use pre-set feet. This can be very challenging for the memory.
- Find the easiest part of the circuit, and replace one or two holds at a time. This is the best way to slowly progress your circuit week after week. Try to climb the new sequence separate from your attempts to make sure it works.
- Add moves to the start or end of the circuit (your plan will tell you when to do this.)
Combination:
This is an endurance session and can be combined with any session. Perform after warming up, after strength-oriented climbing sessions, and before any conditioning.