Plateauing in climbing is a universal frustration. It can be disheartening, especially when it follows a period of continuous improvement. Your internal dialogue might resonate with these common frustrations:
I was crushing my goals, feeling so strong, and ticking off all my projects. Now I’m falling off climbs I could do a month ago.
Or,
I went from climbing 5.9 to 5.11 in three months, so why am I not progressing on 12s? It’s been four months.
No matter the cause of plateau or internal dialogue, the bottom line is the same across climbers. You want to know how you overcome it and resume checking off your goals. While the journey through and out of a plateau will look different for everyone, here are:
10 Tips to Overcome a Climbing Plateau
1-Be consistent.
Keep showing up. Even when you don’t want to, know that the work you continue to put in will pay off in the long run. Whether this entails making a specific schedule, booking time in your calendar to head to the gym, or making the time to climb
2-Be patient.
Patience is a virtue in climbing. As you progress in difficulty and skill, the increments of progress become smaller. But rest assured, progress will come if you keep showing up and doing the work.
3-Add in a new workout.
Change up your training regime. Add workouts that challenge and push you outside your comfort zone. Growth comes from challenging yourself and becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable.
4-Reach out to a climbing coach.
Contact a climbing coach if you feel stuck, unmotivated, or need help determining where to focus your training efforts. Many options are available in different formats. Some programs offer pre-paid training plans; others provide virtual coaching with custom, weekly plans. Your local climbing gym may even have a private coaching option.
5-Focus on quality over quantity.
At one point or another, someone has likely told you that climbing more is the best way to improve. While this is true in some instances, ramping up the climbing quantity without focusing on the quality can hinder you further and prolong a plateau. Only concentrating on quantity can lead to overtraining and injury, while basing your training on quality allows for a focus on high effort and performance sessions.
6-Set mini-goals.
When you feel stuck, your big goals can seem impossible or like fantasies. Break the big goal into smaller, attainable targets to avoid the trap of defeat. For example, if your big goal is to place in a citizens’ competition, zoom in on one training session. Set the goal for that day to give 100% effort on five climbs you’ve never tried. Visualize the accomplishment of each little goal as a step toward breaking through the plateau and checking off that big goal.
7-Climb with others.
When you’re deep in a climbing plateau, one of the best ways to feel better about climbing is to climb with others. Their energy and encouragement can be a powerful motivator, pushing you to try harder and cheering you on when you succeed.
8-Take rest days.
Progress happens only when you allow your body time to recover. When you’ve reached a climbing plateau, adding more training or increasing the intensity of climbing sessions is tempting. While these are great options, taking rest days is equally important. Sometimes, up to a week away from climbing is necessary to feel recharged, remotivated, and strong in your climbing.
9-Focus on strength training.
Introducing more off-the-wall strength training into your routine can be a game-changer. Core, push, and pull exercises contribute to on-the-wall strength, as do unilateral leg exercises and explosiveness. Not only does this type of training help increase muscular strength and endurance, but it also provides a much-needed mental break from climbing. It’s a win-win situation.
10-Climb somewhere new.
If you have the opportunity, consider changing up your training location. Whether it’s a different climbing gym or an outdoor climbing spot, a change of scenery can work wonders. Climbing the same sets and setting style can lead to frustration when you’re stuck on a plateau. But climbing in a new location can reignite your passion for the sport, reminding you of the fun and excitement that climbing can bring.
Plateauing is inevitable for every climber, but it’s also 100% possible to overcome. Some easy-to-implement solutions are climbing with others, breaking down goals, adding strength training, and changing where you climb. Overcoming a plateau will take consistency and patience, but you’ll become a more mentally resilient climber.