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Specific Endurance Training Plan 3

 Route Climbing (/training-plans/?
 fwp_training_plan_subcategory=route-climbing)
alactic power
(https://www.climbstrong.com/education-
center/tag/alactic-power/), Endurance
(https://www.climbstrong.com/education-
center/tag/endurance/), energy systems
(https://www.climbstrong.com/education-
center/tag/energy-systems/), High Low
(https://www.climbstrong.com/education-
 center/tag/high-low/), Intervals
(https://www.climbstrong.com/education-
center/tag/intervals/), Power Endurance
(https://www.climbstrong.com/education-
center/tag/power-endurance/), specific
endurance
(https://www.climbstrong.com/education-
center/tag/specific-endurance/)

This is a third option in our specific endurance plans, after, Specific Endurance 1 and 2. This is the highest-volume plan and is somewhat of a
progression over 1 and 2.

To review from SE1:

The alactic energy system is primarily responsible for extremely high-power, short duration activities. Because it relies on energy stored locally
in the muscle, supplies dwindle immediately, and then are replenished via the aerobic system. This system is the one you use to do most
strength and power training, and it is the one that kicks in when you really have to go big on a move or two.

Although this is the least-trainable of the energy systems, developing an ability to do very high power activity and then recover quickly is a
much more effective way of enduring hard climbing than relying on the less-powerful lactic energy system. Although the common conception
is that this energy system is used for the first 8-10 seconds of activity, this is a bit simplistic – in fact, we are never really going “full tilt” in one
system alone, so the true working range of this system is closer to 12-15 seconds per interval.

Because of the short duration alactic metabolism is at work, it also creates little fatigue. The aerobic system works constantly in the
background to replenish the energy spent here, and is partially responsible for the fatigue felt when training hard in this system. On a climb
with short cruxes separated by rests, alactic metabolism fuels your highest power movement, and how well you get recovered depends on
your aerobic system.

Overall, climbing is most efficient if it is an alactic-aerobic sport, with as little lactic metabolism as possible. Too much lactic work, and the
days get very short indeed. 

Through training, we can increase the enzymes responsible for ATP production, such as creatine kinase. More of this means more alactic
power. We can also increase the alactic capacity of the muscles, though that is not the focus of this training cycle. 

The interval program lined out below must be done at maximum effort levels, with passive rest between. Don’t cheat the rests or go longer on
sets in order to feel a pump. If you’re doing this kind of training right, you won’t be pumped – you’ll just notice a gradual decline in power over
the session. 

There is a time and place for training into extreme fatigue, but this would be during a short and targeted power endurance phase, most usefully
done after developing a high level of both specific and general endurance. 

MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN

Week Interval Boulder 75 Low-Load Density 45 Boulder – Performance, 120+

Rest Rest Rest
1 1 min min min.

Week Interval Boulder 75 Low-Load Density 45 Boulder – Performance, 120+

Rest Rest Rest
2 2 min min min.

Week Interval Boulder 75 Low-Load Density 45 Boulder – Performance, 120+ Easy Open
Rest Rest
3 3 min min min. Climbing

Week Interval Boulder 75 Low-Load Density 45 Boulder – Performance, 120+ Easy Open
Rest Rest
4 4 min min min. Climbing

Training Detail:
 

Week 1, Monday: Interval 1. 3 rounds on a 30 second clock: Weighted Pull-Up x2, Jump Lunge 5+5x, Edge Hang 10sec, Front Squat 3x, rest.
Finish with 20 minutes easy climbing at conversational intensity – no pump.

Week 1, Tuesday: Bouldering, hard problems 75 minutes.

Week 1, Wednesday: Rest

Week 1, Thursday: Low-Load Density 45 minutes

Density training is a staple of muscular endurance training. Instead of trying to increase the duration of your session or to add difficulty to the
work sets, you instead try to fit more work at the same difficulty into a fixed amount of time. The first step is to figure out how much work you
have time to do.

Most climbers are capable of doing 45-60 minutes of climbing in the work sets of these sessions. The set up is simple: warm-up for 10
minutes or so (I like a combination of cardiac output work and climbing), then set a timer for the planned duration, and start climbing boulders.
The problems should be 2-3 grades below your onsight level. Set firm boundaries here, so you don’t get sloppy toward the end of the workout
and start adding in problems that are too easy just to get more mileage. Remember, quality counts.

Track the V grades of the boulders you do. At the end of your 45 minutes, stop the clock and add up all your numbers. Divide this number by
the number of minutes in your session. This will give you a session density number. The goal of these workouts is to push that number higher. 

Week 1, Friday: Rest

Week 1, Saturday: Performance Boulder, i.e. comp style or outdoor session, 2+ hours. Also can be a hard crag day.

 
Week 1, Sunday: Rest

Week 2, Monday:  Interval 2. 4 rounds on a 30 second clock: Weighted Pull-Up x2, Jump Lunge 5+5x, Edge Hang 10sec, Front Squat 3x, rest.
Finish with 25 minutes easy climbing at conversational intensity – no pump.

Week 2, Tuesday: Bouldering, hard problems 75 minutes.

Week 2, Wednesday: Rest

Week 2, Thursday: Low-Load Density 45 minutes, increase density over last session.

Week 2, Friday: Rest

Week 2, Saturday: Performance Boulder, i.e. comp style or outdoor session, 2+ hours. Also can be a hard crag day.

Week 2, Sunday: Rest

Week 3, Monday: Interval 3. On a 30 second clock, alternate between Power Pull-Up (10 sec max time) and a set of Box Jump 6x. 5 rounds.
Rest 10 minutes. Then, 15 minutes, hard boulder moves on-the-minute. Stop at 12 seconds’ work, even if you don’t top out. Rest 10 minutes.
On a 30 second clock, alternate between a small edge hang (10 sec) and a set of 6 Push Press. 5 rounds.

Week 3, Tuesday: Bouldering, hard problems 75 minutes. Rest a lot between problems.

Week 3, Wednesday: Rest.

Week 3, Thursday: Low-Load Density 45 minutes, increase density over last session.

Week 3, Friday: Rest.

Week 3, Saturday: Performance Boulder, i.e. comp style or outdoor session, 2+ hours. Also can be a hard crag day.

Week 3, Sunday: Easy open climbing (Extensive Endurance), 4 intervals of 10 minutes each, with 5 min rest between. Also, can be a crag
volume day.

Week 4, Monday: Interval 4. On a 30 second clock, alternate between Power Pull-Up (10 sec max time) and a set of Box Jump 6x. 6 rounds.
Rest 10 minutes. Then, 18 minutes, hard boulder moves on-the-minute. Stop at 12 seconds’ work, even if you don’t top out. Rest 10 minutes.
On a 30 second clock, alternate between a small edge hang (10 sec) and a set of 6 Push Press. 6 rounds.

Week 4, Tuesday: Bouldering, hard problems 75 minutes. Rest a lot between problems.

Week 4, Wednesday: Rest.

Week 4, Thursday: Low-Load Density 45 minutes, increase density over last session.

Week 4, Friday: Rest.

Week 4, Saturday: Performance Boulder, i.e. comp style or outdoor session, 2+ hours. Also can be a hard crag day.
 

Week 4, Sunday Easy open climbing (Extensive Endurance), 4 intervals of 10 minutes each, with 5 min rest between. Also, can be a crag
volume day.

There should be very little pump. You might not even think it’s working, but it is slowly changing the way you access energy for hard moves.
Most climbers just lose that searing pump, and start sending more, and doing it with less pain. Not bad for a few intervals’ investment.

Posted in:

Tags: alactic power (https://www.climbstrong.com/education-center/tag/alactic-power/), Endurance

(https://www.climbstrong.com/education-center/tag/endurance/), energy systems (https://www.climbstrong.com/education-
center/tag/energy-systems/), High Low (https://www.climbstrong.com/education-center/tag/high-low/), Intervals
(https://www.climbstrong.com/education-center/tag/intervals/), Power Endurance (https://www.climbstrong.com/education-
center/tag/power-endurance/), specific endurance (https://www.climbstrong.com/education-center/tag/specific-endurance/)

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