Welcome to the Rock and Ice year-long training plan. If you stuck with the first two training plans in this ongoing series, you should be feeling fit and ready to start strength training. Don’t worry if you’ve only just joined in; simply start with two weeks of the low-intensity endurance phase given last issue, then commence the strength phase outlined below....

Welcome to the Rock and Ice year-long training plan. If you followed part one, outlined in No. 208, then you’ll be feeling fit and ready to move on to the next phase. You have laid down a base of general strength and fitness, and the next stage will move on to sport-specific endurance....

Welcome to the Rock and Ice yearlong training plan. This seven-part series will present specific workouts based on the principles of periodization, a proven approach to training that results in peak performance. Each six-week segment will build upon the previous with the end result being a better, stronger climbing machine—you....

You can’t reach your potential in climbing if you are terrified of falling, and the key to confidence is for you and your partner to master dynamic-belaying technique. If you are still using the belay method that you learned as a beginner—standing still at the base and locking the rope off—then there is no guarantee that your leader will have a safe, comfortable fall. The “catch” may be too static and the climber may hit the wall too hard. ...

One of the most important performance skills is the ability to maintain good technique in high-pressure situations....

Anyone can hit the campus board and get strong, but a truly skilled climber is someone who can keep it together even when he is drowning in lactic acid, miles above the runner. ...

If your forearms inflate like balloons and your fingers always seem to uncurl just before the anchors, then this two-part series on endurance training is just what you’re looking for. ...

The answers are really simple when it comes to training, and I’m afraid that both concepts have merit and can be used to achieve different effects. ...

I have a recurring elbow injury. I know how to fix it, but how can I stay strong while it’s healing?...

How long has it been since you noticed a real improvement in your climbing? If it has been a year or two, then you are probably still reaping the benefits of your previous breakthrough....

I know that mental-preparation routines can be hugely beneficial for climbers, but the books never tell you how to fit these in when you're hanging out with your buddies. What routines do you recommend and how can you do these before a climb without looking like a geek?...

I'm looking for a new method for structuring my power-training sets on the hangboard. I've used the pyramid structure many times, but surely some different combinations are equally effective?...

Eccentric training can be used to build strength for climbing in three main ways. ...

I'm going to Ceuse for three weeks this summer and aim to push my onsight / flash grade as hard as I can. I know that you've gone into detail in past articles about how to onsight on a route-by-route basis but it would be really useful if you could cover a broader range of tactics that could be employed over several weeks on a trip....

Crash dieting is not the answer. Not only do hardcore diets take all the joy away from climbing (and life) but they make weight control more difficult by disrupting your metabolism. ...

Specificity is the number-one training principle for climbing, and laps on routes will always produce more specific endurance gains for climbing than hitting the pavement....

When it comes to gaining muscle bulk, the type of training you do will always have far more influence than what you eat......

I slacked all winter and didn't train a lick, and still want to dominate on the rock this spring/summer. How can I whip myself into shape in short notice?...

I am tired of reading the same old stuff about sports nutrition. Has anything new been discovered this century and do you think that minor tweaks to a nutritional regime can help give climbers an edge? ...

Last winter I followed a basic periodized program. Now I want to take things further. I'm clear on the idea of breaking your training up into microcycles and prioritizing them toward either strength or endurance....