CrossFit and Climbing

I've been asked a number of times about the value of CrossFit style training for climbers. For those unaware, this is one of the latest fads to emerge in the fitness world (every few years, there is always something "new and improved" to entice the public and media). I address this subject in the second edition of my book Climbing: Training for Peak Performance, which is now off to the printer. Here is the excerpt:

Training Cults
A recent trend in the past few years has been the emergence of training cults, with adherents that gush on and on about how their method is the “best” and anything else is garbage training. The best known of these is CrossFit, which is essentially a business franchise masquerading as new fitness program.

That is not to say CrossFit is all bad. Indeed, there are some very good aspects that the individual trainers, gyms and the web sites offer. Perhaps the most valuable part of the CrossFit program is motivation that comes from the camaraderie. The underlying principle of high-intensity cross training is also reasonably sound, though hardly new or innovative, and can lead to solid fitness gains if used wisely.

However, there is also a high risk of acute injury from many of the exercises, some of which are completely unnecessary. Due to the frequent high intensity of the workouts, there is a potential for chronic fatigue without a good athletic base. And no generic program will ever produce the results of a well-structured training program tailored to the needs and goals of the individual.

The forums, newsletters, and certification materials contain good information scattered with unscientific nonsense about physiology and nutrition. This misinformation may not cause harm but it certainly doesn’t help. The trainers only take a 2-day class with no written exam for certification, which is very weak comparatively (see “Trainers” in Chapter 6 for more details).

If you educate yourself about the pros and cons of CrossFit, or similar concepts, and need the motivation of that style of training, the workouts and gyms can be helpful. For those adopting a periodized training program, high-intensity cross training during the power endurance phase could lead to serious strength gains. However, drinking the Kool-Aid and joining a training cult on a year-round basis may not be in your best interests in the long run.

Note that although I mention CrossFit, I'm really talking about all of the heavily hyped training programs (kettlebells, Indian clubs, whatever comes out next year) that get discussed on the Net and in the general media. Elsewhere in my book I discuss how they all work, to some degree, if you keep with them. But the bigger question is what is the most time efficient training for you.

And before you point at Mark Twight and his Gym Jones program, notice that he has pulled the videos from his site and has come nearly full circle in his thinking on endurance training. Gym Jones was always more sophisticated than generic CrossFit and Mark is refining the programs even more. Also notice that Rob Shaul at Mountain Athlete goes far beyond basic CrossFit by addressing the needs of climbers, though I believe he is under-rating the value of endurance training. Both Mark and Rob realize that general physical preparedness can only get you part way to your goals.

Study: Rock climb for aerobic fitness

When they hear the term "aerobic conditioning," most people think of things like running and cycling. Indeed, rock climbing probably doesn't occur to many as a way to improve heart and lung function. But researchers in Italy put climbing to the test and found that it's actually very aerobic according to a report just published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research.

The scientists enlisted 13 recreational rock climbers (8 men and 5 women) and tested their aerobic fitness (VO2max, etc) in a lab. Then the subjects strapped on a portable system for measuring oxygen uptake and climbed easy routes on an 80-foot high wall. After the climb, blood lactate samples were taken.

What they discovered was that climbers of both genders naturally choose a speed that puts us near our performance/anaerobic threshold (I don't use the term lactate threshold because it's obsolete) and maintain this level of exertion. Of course, this makes sense because we generally want to get up a route quickly without going so hard that we flame out.

This level of exertion (about 73% of VO2max) is what the ACSM considers a good level for maintaining cardio fitness. Not surprisingly, they also found that rock climbers tend to have superior aerobic fitness (VO2 max around 40), roughly in the 85th percentile of the normal population.

As many of us know, climbing in an indoor gym is a form of moderate- to high-intensity interval training (something that gets a lot of buzz in the fitness world these days). The typical length of each bout, including recovery, is 9 minutes and this is repeated 10 to 15 times per session, with two to three sessions per week. In this study, they found that climbing burned 1000 - 1500 calories per week.

The bottom line is rock climbing is both good resistance training, which we already knew, and also decent aerobic training. Of course, if you have higher goals such as mountaineering, you still have to do endurance aerobic workouts and serious resistance training (read: lifting weights).

Galley Time

Just shipped the galleys for my training book so getting that ready was I haven't posted lately. For those of you who haven't published books, there are several stages of editing after a manuscript is turned in. 

First an editor goes through and fixes all the grammar mistakes you made (out of 100,000 words, you can bet there are a few) and they ask questions and make suggestions. All of this comes back to you as a hard copy printout and you get a week or two approve changes and add new content.

Then next step is called the galley. This is the first rough layout of the book, sans the photos. It is the authors last chance to make substantial changes. So when you ship the galleys back, your book is pretty much a done deal.

I'll get to look at it one more time in the form of proofs, which is my last chance to correct mistakes. But the catch is that no changes can affect layout. So if you add 5 words, you have to take out 5 from somewhere on the same page (usually). It's pretty much impossible to add a sentence or paragraph. 

Then it's off to the printer. And I should see a new book around July.

This really is a new book, even though it's a second edition. It went from six chapters to nine. I don't know the final page count but I'm guessing it will go from 240 pages to near 300. I've added a lot of content, took out some exercises and included new ones, and recommended roughly 40 products for training or recovery. Hopefully it will help some people have more fun!

So now that the galley has shipped, I begin collecting information for the third edition that may appear in five years. That's part of the reason I started this blog.

Review: PAST Balance Trainer

A good sense of balance is vitally important for most outdoor activities but especially things like climbing and hiking through boulder fields. One of the major focuses of functional training is combining multi-plane resistance exercises with balance challenges. These routines require the use of less resistance but offset this decrease by invoking more stabilizing muscles, including those of the core, and integrating the whole body.

There are numerous training aids for balance such as wobble boards, BOSU trainers, and slacklines. While working on the new edition of my training book, I've tried a wide assortment of these products. Among the best that I've found are the PAST balance boards.

Sold as a pair, these are unique compared to standard wobble boards and bongo boards because there is one for each foot. While a wobble board uses one half of a sphere attached to the bottom, the PASTs have a central rubber column. The difference is that you can't really balance on a wobble board but you can with the PAST, with practice. Also you start out of balance with a wobble or bongo board and must try to bring it to balance while you step onto the PASTs in a position of balance and work to maintain that position. Since the feet are independent and the platforms can rotate, you can perform a number of twisting motions not possible on other balance products.

The other unique aspect of the PAST system is that you can flip the platforms upside down and attach two handles for pushups. If you've seen the obnoxious commercials for the Perfect Pushup gizmo, this is basically the same thing only better. The wide, padded handles rotate as you perform the pushups to allow a natural hand position at all times. What is better is that you can make the grips unstable to increase the challenge or you can turn a collar to make them stable like with the Perfect Pushup. The unstable PAST pushups are nearly as good as performing pushups with Elite Rings and you don't have to worry about installation.

The PAST system also comes with elastic cords that attach to the platform for doing easy resistance exercises. This sounds good in theory but I found them to be essentially useless for any sort of workout. Also included is a cheap nylon gym bag and two rug adaptors. And you can view a selection of training videos on the web site (no DVD included).

All in all, I find the PAST system to be a superior balance training product to most of the alternatives. However, I have two major gripes: comfort and price. The platforms are very uncomfortable in bare feet, which discourages use around the house (pain is never a good enticement for training of any type). A smooth deck would be a huge improvement. The system sells for $120 (plus shipping), which seems pretty steep; if they sold for $80 (or $60 without handles) a lot more people would be interested.

Cramps and Myths

The plague of many a runner, cyclist, climber, boater, and just about any other outdoor athlete, muscle cramps suck. But despite all the suffering, the cause of cramps remains poorly understood. Much of the early research, which was largely funded by Gatorade, has been debunked. Yet this weak science was the basis for a massive marketing campaign that resulted in myths that persist to this day.

It's quite likely that many of you believe that cramps are caused by dehydration. Or perhaps you've heard that they result from a shortage of electrolytes, specifically potassium. Maybe it's a lack of minerals (zinc and magnesium). Not enough stretching and massage is another theory.

Alas, all of these have been ruled out as primary causes by the limited independent research that we do have. That's right folks: None of those expensive sport drinks and electrolyte replacement potions will prevent cramps.

Perhaps the most pervasive myth is that if your muscles cramp you weren't drinking enough (insert bottled brand of over-priced salty water). But as Ross at the Science of Sport blog points out, if dehydration and electrolyte depletion were the cause of cramps, more than one or two muscles would seize up. 

In their excellent five-part series on cramps, Ross and Jonathan explain that when we sweat from heavy exercise the concentration of electrolytes in the blood actually increases. In part 4, they present examples of what happens to an athlete under different conditions of exercise and hydration. The short story is that low levels of electrolytes are the result of drinking too much water and there is no need for salt tablets or any similar product as long as you drink when you are thirsty.

As an article in the New York Times sums all this up, the leading working theory for the cause of cramps is muscle fatigue combined with an imbalance of the nerve signals. These faulty signals can result from numerous causes including too little vitamin D (needed to control excess calcium, see my post on fatigue), inadequate carbohydrates (which you can get without fancy energy bars and drinks), and a host of other factors including genetics, age, menstrual cycles, and even psychology.

The bottom line is that the sport scientists know what doesn't work, and that includes bananas (Super Bowl notwithstanding), but they don't have clear answers yet on how to prevent cramps. The best advice is build up to an event with proper training (don't run a marathon if you've only been doing 10 Ks), stretch regularly especially if you have muscles that tend to cramp (helps relax the muscle cells), and ensure adequate carbs. Of course, if you like spending money on placebos, feel free to support your favorite snake oil purveyor too.

Study: Exercise and moderate drinking can be healthy

After a fun day of climbing, skiing, biking, or whatever, one of life's great pleasures is to relax with a good beer in hand. And there can be no denying that a great dinner is enhanced by a fine wine.

Yet practically every book on sports nutrition admonishes athletes against drinking alcohol, labeling it as empty calories. The mass media tells us booze is good one day and evil the next, pitching one doctor against another to stir the pot without taking a good look at the research. It is certainly confusing but new research is showing that moderate drinking plus exercise is indeed healthier than exercise without drinking or drinking without exercise.

Last month, a study was published in the European Heart Journal that looked at 20-years of data for nearly 12,000 people in Denmark. They found that those with the lowest risk of heart disease and the lowest risk of death from any cause were those who both worked out and drank a bit of alcohol (1 to 14 drinks per week). The people with the highest risks of an early demise were the non-drinkers who never exercise.

Of course, in Denmark they drink real beer instead of the mass-produced swill that is heavily consumed in the US. If you choose to imbibe, selecting a microbrew with lots of hops will give you the highest dose of antioxidants, vitamins, and flavonoids. Similarly, rich red wines are higher in the good stuff than whites.

On the other hand, drinking to excess is one of the surest ways to get fat and lose muscle. The extra calories don't help and the alcohol is converted in the liver to acetate which reduces fat burning. Heavy alcohol consumption also reduces testosterone and raises cortisol levels which lead to muscle wasting.

Review: Elite Rings

Climbers can certainly learn a thing or two from gymnasts when it comes to training. After all, theirs is also a sport where a high strength-to-weight ratio is important. One of the best additions that any outdoor athlete can make for their home gym is a pair of gymnastic rings. These simple tools are remarkably effective for developing muscles of the upper body and core.

While gymnastic rings may conjure up images of uber-athletes in the Olympics doing super-human feats like the Iron Cross, they are also valuable for us mere mortals. Because they can move freely, rings are excellent for performing push-ups to work the chest and triceps as well as the small stabilizer muscles of the shoulder. Similarly, they work better for pull-ups than a fixed bar or hangboard; you can even stagger them in height for extra challenge. Instead of crunches and ab rollers, you can use rings to work the abdominals and obliques by doing curl-ups and planks.

The rings used by gymnasts, however, are expensive ($350 per pair) because of the high stresses they must endure. Fortunately, Elite Rings are an affordable alternative ($80 shipped) that are designed for fitness training. The rings are constructed of molded plastic, reinforced with ribs so they don't flex. They have just enough texture to offer a good grip without chewing your hands up. One-inch flat webbing easily adjusts in length with heavy-duty Ancra cam buckles. Unlike the knock-off Xtreme Rings (which already lose points for the name), the Elites have a slot that the webbing threads through to stabilize the rings; you don't have to use it but I found it helpful.

These rings are essentially perfect right out of the box--all you need is two sturdy anchor points in the ceiling about 18-inches apart. To hang them, I drilled two holes through a ceiling beam and installed eye bolts. Rather than threading the webbing through the bolts, I just use two carabiners so I can quickly take the rings down.

The Elite Rings come with printed training guide that shows the basic exercises. But you might consider getting the DVD ($20 extra), which shows a progression of exercises with proper technique and gives tips on how to change resistance. It also includes some extra footage of a professional gymnast making us all feel like weaklings. Good stuff.

Review: Adjustable kettlebells

Anyone in the fitness world can attest to the rise of the kettlebell craze in the past decade. If you believe the acolytes, these round chunks of iron with a handle can cure the common cold, fix the deficit, and stop global warming. Before kettlebells were reintroduced, after a century of ignominy in Western gyms, trainers supposedly had their clients working for twice as long and getting half the results.

In truth, for many exercises, kettlebells are no better than dumbbells -- those other old-fashioned chunks of iron that never lost their popularity. For most pushes, presses, and lifts, you are better off with the evenly distributed weight of dumbbells which place less stress on the wrists. Some of the kb fans argue that the off-balance mass of kettlebells provide greater resistance for a given weight. Perhaps, but you can always just heft a heavier dumbbell.

Although the hype doesn't live up to the reality, kettlebells can be a good addition to a home gym. Where they particularly excel are the swings and rotational lifts that integrate many muscles and planes of motion. Used properly in a thoughtful program, these exercises can offer excellent training benefit for outdoor athletes.

Unfortunately, as simple as they are, kettlebells are astonishingly expensive (worse if you add shipping). Deciding on a size is tough for beginners unless they have access to a kettlebell trainer. Since the basic concept of progressive overload still applies, you can't effectively train with just one or two sizes (at least for long). The cheapest kettlebells have small handles that are poor for two-handed exercises and some have rough grips that are hard on the hands when they twist. The nicer ones solve those issues but it can cost several hundred dollars to purchase a set, which also takes up a fair amount of floor space.

A good solution for the home user is a pair of Kettlestack Kettlebell handles ($60 each, delivered). These have large, smooth grips that are shaped properly for working out. They are relatively cheap because you supply the weights. If you don't happen to have some old weight plates lying around, they can be bought at any sporting good store for around 40? per pound. Adding it all up, for around $150 you get around a dozen different kettlebells and a great addition to your gym.

Adjusting the weight of a Kettlestack takes less than a minute just using a hex wrench. Once tightened down, the stack is solid without the slightest hint of rattle, even when dropped. Compared to a traditional kettlebell, a Kettlestack of the same weight is slightly larger and not quite as round but the feel is very similar. You can do all the same exercises as with the much more expensive cast iron versions. The only nit is the bottoms are not flat like on a kb so they don't sit on the floor quite as nicely

If you are putting a home gym together, I'd still recommend starting with quality selectorized dumbbells because they are the most versatile freeweights and take up little space. But Kettlestacks are the next best thing and a great complement for training. Of course, if space and money are no problem, then get a full set of nice kettlebells and have at it.
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