You want to progress, but you don’t necessarily want to plan mesocycles and microcycles of training? It’s doable. Here are some tips that will allow you to make significant gains without necessarily training like Alex Megos to achieve them.

1- Work on Mobility

How many times have you said that you couldn’t do a heel hook or reach for a hold? Mobility is often a neglected element of training – even by those who train regularly – yet it can help you reach holds more easily or keep your hips close to the wall. You’ll benefit more from doing it more regularly, even if they’re small sessions, than from one long session once in a while. You’ll find a thousand of videos on the internet, but I’m a fan of Tom Merrick. Also, if you need the best tools for this, our online shop has it all!

2- Learn to Read

Of course, you know how to read if you’re here… but learning to “read” routes or boulders will save you time, energy, and help you better understand the problems proposed by route setters – at least for indoor climbing. Two simple ways to improve: carefully look at all the holds of a problem or route and try to understand the movements you’ll need to make, even before touching the wall. Or: watch someone else do the problem.

3- Drills You Shall Do

This is an element I recently added to my training and I’m surprised at how much these drills pay off. In short, you climb according to certain rules. Ideally, you do these exercises as warm-ups. A quick internet search will yield several, but among the most common, you’ll find the “sloth and monkey” exercise, where you climb the same problem very slowly and then repeat it very quickly – to learn static and dynamic techniques. Or climb while always keeping your hips against the wall. Each of these simulations will allow you to discover some of your strengths or weaknesses. My favorite exercise? Let’s call it the “glued movement”: with each move you make, the goal is not to move (at all!) the hand or foot you just moved. At first, it will be very difficult, but with practice, it will become more natural. Two advantages: you’ll be more aware of all those movements that drain your energy and you’ll learn to move even if your hands or feet aren’t exactly where you want them to be.

4- Learn from Your Mistakes

No, this isn’t pop psychology. Climbing is essentially a sport where you make a lot of mistakes, so it’s better to learn from them. Be vigilant in trying to figure out what caused you to fall or why you didn’t succeed in a certain move. After that, you can adjust certain body positions to see if it helps. Are you the type to have friends (not me, nobody likes me…): ask them for feedback. Are you antisocial? Film yourself with your phone. The video playback will inform you about what works and what doesn’t. Bonus points if you send your project, you can post it on social media…

5- Some Weightlifting

No need to imitate Arnold and the “bros” on IG. A single strength training session could allow you to make gains, especially if you’re a beginner. It’s not me saying this, it’s science! Don’t know where to start? Very simple: consult one of the coaches at Bloc Shop, who can help you determine which exercises might be interesting for you.