| Do you wish you could stay on the wall longer, red | | | | 5-10 minutes, repeat Whether climbing or bouldering, |
| pointing ever more difficult and longer routes and | | | | perform each super-set with no rest in between |
| bouldering problems? Here are nine fantastic methods | | | | routes or problems, except for the few seconds it |
| to improve your rock climbing endurance. | | | | take to walk over to the next problem and begin. If |
| - Buy a climbing book or video and relentlessly | | | | you're climbing, consider finding a group of routes |
| practice technique. Better technique results in more | | | | clumped together (in order to avoid having to tie in |
| efficiency on the wall, which, in turn, means you last | | | | somewhere else), or else simply climb and re-climb |
| longer before getting tired. | | | | the same route over and over until you can't. |
| - Lift weights, focusing on your core, back, shoulders, | | | | - Traverse laps around the gym, staying on the wall |
| and arms (girls, this means you too). Weight training | | | | for 10-30 minutes, rest, repeat This variation need |
| can be done after you climb or as a stand-alone | | | | not be technically difficult. The point is to stay on the |
| workout. | | | | wall for as long as possible, 10-30 minutes or more, |
| - 4x4s: Climb/boulder 4 problems in a row, rest 5 | | | | for at least two or three sets. Find a corner or some |
| minutes, repeat for 3 more sets. Select four different | | | | jugs to rest on, but whatever you do, don't come |
| bouldering problems (or use the same one if you | | | | off the wall until you simply cannot stay up any |
| want). Climb all four in a row without rest. Then rest | | | | longer. |
| five minutes, and repeat three more times on new | | | | - Play Add On with a friend until exhaustion Add On |
| problems. You can make this workout more difficult | | | | is a really fun bouldering game to play with one or |
| by reducing your rest period, choosing harder or | | | | more friends. Start by bouldering three moves, then |
| longer problems, doing more sets (i.e. 5x4s), doing | | | | coming down. Each successive climber must repeat |
| more supersets (4x5s), down climbing each problem, | | | | the entire progression identically, then adding three |
| or by wearing light weights on your ankles, wrists, or | | | | more. The winner is the last climber to complete all |
| harness. | | | | the moves without falling off. Once someone wins, |
| - Do 30-50 bouldering problems, with 1-2 minutes rest | | | | rest a few minutes and play again. |
| between each. Do all the problems within 60 to 90 | | | | - Do any of the above variations while wearing a |
| minutes. You can do a similar workout by climbing | | | | SCUBA weight belt/vest Weighted arm and ankle |
| 15-25 top rope routes, made much more do-able if | | | | bands work too. Or you could simply wear lots of |
| you have an auto-belay that you can monopolize. | | | | protection on your harness, mimicking multi-pitch trad |
| - Down climb every problem or route. This will | | | | climbing, ice climbing, big walls, and other real life |
| drastically reduce the total number of problems you'll | | | | climbing scenarios. Just don't add so much weight |
| be able to climb, so wait until the end of your day if | | | | that you can't climb enough to truly exhaust yourself |
| you prefer. | | | | at a deep level. |
| - Climb, down climb, climb, etc. until you can't, rest | | | | |