Rock Climbing with Rob Pizem: February 2014

February 24, 2014

Treadwall Training with Piz: When and When Not to Drop Knee Video

Contact Piz at pizem@hotmail.com for Motivational/Instructional/Entertaining Speaking Engagements, Climbing Instruction, Training and Weekly/Monthly Training Programs

Until then... Get outside and have an adventure!

piz : )

Thanks to my amazing sponsors: www.arcteryx.com www.camp-usa.com www.scarpa.com www.sterlingrope.com www.americanalpineclub.org www.brewersledge.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wWLjG-0-jI

Watch this video to learn how to drop knee.

Dropknee: when you reach up with a hand and rotate on the toe of that same foot into the wall.
Purpose: It will keep you closer to the wall (your hips) and allow you to reach further up the wall, and it will be a more efficient use of your energy.

Straight on Reach: this is when you do not drop knee and keep your hips square to the the wall (meaning that they are not twisted from one side or to another)
Purpose: Sometimes its tough to drop knee due to the location of the feet and it makes more sense to use a little bit of power to pull straight on.

I use both as I complete this problem.
Think about how you can switch and use the appropriate one while you are on your climbs!

February 21, 2014

Zion Weekend Outtakes

Zion Fun... I think

We went out to new route and all we found was dead animals. Was it a good sign?

I was not really psyched with my first anchor. The rock was bad and it took lots of bad placements on soft rock to just get here! Sterling Ropes all ove the place!!

Ben joined me after I hauled the haul bag up the wall. He was nice enough to jug next to it and help it get unstuck!

It was a jungle out there!

A wall hauler and a new static line from Sterling Ropes!

The views can not be beat while on a wall in Zion!

Me and my impression of Gene Simmons!

On the way down we were able to get down just by rappeling off trees! What a day. We made it up about 800ft only to find the loosest, rock that I have ever climbed, so we rapped back down to the back packs and headed out in the dark.

Good thing my ropes were 70 meters cause we would not have reached the bottom of this chimney/offwidth.

Standing under the choss!

Just following the beta for the route!

Summit Grapevine (Dallas,Tx) Gym Review

Contact Piz at pizem@hotmail.com for Motivational/Instructional/Entertaining Speaking Engagements, Climbing Instruction, Training and Periodization Programs

Until then... Get outside and have an adventure!

piz : )

Thanks to my amazing sponsors: www.arcteryx.com www.camp-usa.com www.scarpa.com www.sterlingrope.com www.americanalpineclub.org www.brewersledge.com

So this is a great smaller gym with more top roping and leading than bouldering.
The routes that I climbed were well set and the grades seemed right on par with other gyms.
I really liked how the setters used the features in addition to the smooth paint vs textured features.
This made it challenging to grab them and to stand on them if it was the slick feature.

With respect to training there was a speed wall (where the kids excel at and often win national competitions. I had never seen one, it is set with just a few holds and the kids figure out how to move quickly up through the odd shaped holds.
Personally, I would have set real routes on it because it was just slightly overhung and very wide. Perfect to set any kind of route on.
The training area is a second thought. They have finger boards poorly placed in a corner, they have a weight bench with just a few weights, they have a pull up bar that is free standing that is not attached to the floor so it can fall over if you were to rock it to one side.

In all I like the gym but the training area is lackluster. No systems board, no campus board, no real equipment, no space and no instruction for what they do have.

The bouldering area was small as you can see below. Get a lot of people in there and you will be falling on top of each other. It had the right amount of angles and plenty of holds to make up your own problems if you wanted.

There was an arch in the lead area that was quite fun and again well set.

Slick feature

Textured feature

Classroom/yoga/party room

February 18, 2014

Rowan Playing

Training with Piz: Campus Board Lock Off Reach (Static Moves)

This is a straight power movement.
You can do one on each arm and rest or make it a power-endurance move by performing a few in a row.
The goal is to lock off after doing a pull up and then statically reach high with one hand.
Then lower (doing a negative) and pull up again and reach with the opposite hand.
Keep you core engaged and your chest to the board in addition to your arm and hand close to the wall.
It is not about grabbing a campus rung but reaching slowly as high as you can.
If this is too challenging then you can always add a foot to the wall and build up to the no feet version.

February 14, 2014

Training with Piz: How Much is Too Much?

Contact Piz at pizem@hotmail.com for Motivational/Instructional/Entertaining Speaking Engagements, Climbing Instruction, Training and Periodization Programs

Until then... Get outside and have an adventure!

piz : )

Thanks to my amazing sponsors: www.arcteryx.com www.camp-usa.com www.scarpa.com www.sterlingrope.com www.americanalpineclub.org www.brewersledge.com www.windx-treme.com

How much training is too much training?

This seems to be a big issue. As I talk with folks about how much they train, I get a lot a different answers.

Some people have been training/working out for years and have a high tolerance for pushing hard multiple days a week and some people are just entering into their new lifestyle and don't have the ability to go that hard or that much. Some have past injuries that they have to be aware of while some can become injured if pushed too hard one way or another.

So the answer lies within you. It is important to be honest with yourself about your current and past fitness level. In addition to any past or present injuries. Even when working with guidance, you can still over do it and work into negative gains. It is less likely to occur when working with someone everyday, but more possible when working remotely with someone. The day to day interaction and observations that a trained eye can make are immense, while following a script can be beneficial it also can lead to questions of whether or not you are doing things correctly.

The bottom line is that you have to listen to your body, no matter what you are doing and objectively identify how your training is going. Evaluate how you are feeling and go from there.

February 13, 2014

Training with Piz: Barbies

The Barbie is the NEW BURPEE

Just add a weighted bar to the mix and get after it.
What a great full body workout.
It focuses on your core, power in the legs with the jump,
oppositional muscles in your arms with the pushup,
cardio from the speed.

It's time to get down!

February 11, 2014

Dallas Weekend Wrap Up

I like to take photos of the planes for my son. This one is in Denver International in concourse B.

Who doesn't want cupcakes while on the road? mmm red velvet

Gary, he is in charge of the Texas Mountaineers Dallas chapter. Great guy, been climbing forever and really in touch with the climbing community. He wants people to create and be a part of a strong climbing community that keeps folks climbing for a long time!

A few of the clinic takers getting ready for a big trip to Queen Creek! Have fun fellas!

Bathroom decor at the gym!

Lots of peeps getting ready for my two slide shows on Sat night!! We had a pot luck too and it was great to meet and talk with everyone.

We were reminded how our efforts with the Access Fund and our local climbing areas help keep them open. Don't be afraid or think it is a waste to join up and participate in events like trail building or meetings with land owners or land regulators! It all helps and areas only stay open because of dedicated people like you!

February 7, 2014

Weekend Update: Summit Climbing Gym in Dallas, Slide Shows, Clinics and the Texas Mountaineers! Come on Down!

February 6, 2014

Treadwall Training with Piz: Power Endurance Training and Training your Eyes for Observing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnpQ8xe8Vu4&feature=youtu.be

There are a few ways in which you can train to get power endurance.
You can do pyramids or 4x4's while bouldering in the gym or you can have more fun (in my perspective) and use a Treadwall.

I can set a powerful problem on the Treadwall and then climb it an an appropriate pace.
Each move must be challenging/powerful.
Each move must require core tension.
Moves can be dynamic.
Holds can be good or bad.
Holds should work on your weaknesses.
You can incorporate side pulls, cross thru's, under clings, compression moves, matches etc.
No rest holds or positions should be set.

Once I can do the problem, I see how many laps that I can do without falling off in a row.
This video shows that I am just beginning to build my power-endurance since I fall off just a few moves from the start.
Once I can get 2-3 laps in a row, then I will add a shake on the fingerboard in between (typically for 1-2 minutes) between each lap. The hope would be that I would recover, but the reality is that I get more pumped because I am on tiny holds.
When I know that I am in good power endurance shape I can do hard problems in a row with the 1 minute shake on bad holds. I typically will shoot to be able to do 3 laps in a row with that method. (that is about a 70 ft route)

Get out there and have some fun being fit!

piz : )

February 5, 2014

Training with Piz: How Much Do I Train? AND 1 Arm Negatives

Many people ask me how often do I train. Here are the facts.

My situation.

I am married and have two young boys under the age of 3.
I have a full time job as a high school science teacher at an alternative high school.
I am sponsored by 4 great companies which require time and energy throughout the year at events, trade shows and whatever.
My second job is as the head trainer at the Grand Junction Climbing Center.
My third job consists of working with clients around the U.S. on remote climbing training programs.
My wife works and loves to run competitively.
My forth job consists of public speaking engagements around the U.S.
Most of my days start at 4:30 or 5am and end around 8pm before I have any "my" time.

My training.

I circuit train on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 5am for 45 minutes
I Treadwall once a week for about 1 hour.
I use a fingerboard, a systems board and a campus board once a week on Thursdays all together for about an hour.

Outdoor climbing.

If the weather permits I get one day a weekend.
Occasionally, I get both days a weekend.

Total Time Committed to My Training Per Week

3.5 hours a week

Total Time Committed to Actual Climbing Per Week

1 hour if no outdoor climbing
1 hour plus whatever can be done with 1 day of outdoor climbing.

So, my work out time is very specific and very specialized to meet my climbing and strength needs. I don't waste time just doing stuff for the sake of doing it. I look at where I am weak and what my current/future projects require and train to meet those needs. I write a plan and follow it and record my results. Training does not have to be all consuming but it does have to be focused and to the point.

With those few hours a week, I can maintain a high level of fitness and complete my projects in a reasonable amount of time. If I had more time to climb, I would complete them more quickly, but I really want to be the best husband and father that I can be, so it is all good!

Another great way to work your lock off strength.

Be sure to be on a jug and to try to center your self over your arm.

As you get even stronger you can try to not be centered over the middle of your body (off set).