Two-Day Training Principles 4 Climbers

*The course will be presented in English, not French.

This two-day clinic, designed for therapists, coaches, and interested athletes, teaches strength and conditioning principles explicitly tailored for rock climbers.

The focus is on actionable knowledge—you’ll learn how to immediately apply these concepts, not just memorize and forget them. With countless training methods available, this course aims to help you understand why some approaches are more effective based on an individual needs analysis.

What You'll Learn
Through hands-on activities and practical application, participants will:

• Understand the principles of maximum strength, rate of force development, movement velocity (power), anaerobic power/capacity, and aerobic capacity vialocal oxygen utilization.

• Learn and perform testing protocols to evaluate an athlete's needs on and off the wall.

• Gain the skills to make informed training decisions and create customized programs for yourself or your athletes.

Clinic Schedule

Day 1: (9:00 am - 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm)

1. Understand climbing demands and how to test an athlete’s needs through testing (didactic)

• Learn how to use a strain gauge (force, rate of force, anaerobic and aerobic capacity), linear position transducer (power meter), and SmO2 (O2 utilization) monitor to understand athlete physiology.

• Understand energy system utilization through testing (anaerobic-alactic, anaerobic-lactic, aerobic).

• Supplementary videos accompany this section to improve the depth of learning.

2. Hands-On Application

• Apply testing techniques on each other and run through protocols with guidance (finger/upper body specific testing).

  • Peak force

  • Rate of force/power

  • Impulse

  • Anaerobic power/capacity

  • Aerobic capacity & SmO2 evaluation

Day 2: (9:00 am - 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm)

1. Specific adaptations to strength, power, and endurance training

• Understand specific adaptations to training.

• Coordination, recruitment, antagonist coactivation, hypertrophy, tendon stiffness.

• Understand fatigue with different types of training.

• Understand the basics of periodization.

2. Evaluate/understand climbing training and periodization

• Standard climbing training practices for strength/power/anaerobic & aerobic capacity.

• Evaluate the effectiveness and critique the methodology of each.

• Apply learned principles to understand how, when, and why we’d program each.

• Discuss and walkthrough periodization examples for climbers (bouldering, rope).

3. Youth Athlete Strength Training (optional based on time)

• Discuss strength training for youth, including:

  • International recommendations for training and dietary interventions.

  • Understanding and reducing sports injury risk in youth climbers.

5. Review and Wrap-Up

• Summarize material and answer remaining questions.

Course Format

• Spots Available: Limited to 20 participants to ensure personalized attention.

• Ticket sales will be available until May 27th.

• Breakfast and lunch will be provided on both days

• Hands-On Focus: at least 50% of the course is dedicated to testing and training.

This course equips you with the tools to analyze individual athlete needs, apply evidence-based training principles, and optimize program design.

If you have a strain gauge (Tindeq, Pitch Six, Exsurgo, Entralpe, etc.) or power meter, bringing your unit will be helpful. I will bring four Progressors, two LPT’s to measure power, and five SmO2 monitors for use.

I’d also suggest you bring your testing setup, which could include (chains, carabiners, no-hang tools (edges to pull on), etc.) so everyone can test and be tested to optimize learning.

For any questions about the course, equipment, or space available, email Tyler at camp4performance@Gmail.com