Training with Piz: 1 Arm Negative Release

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piz : )

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Don't do these more than once a week.
They can be destructive.
Use a towel for the other hand (adjust the height of the hand (not on a hold)to change the difficulty of the hand on the hold)
Also, begin on  a pull up bar to develop the ability then to move to a finger board and smaller holds!

Training with Piz: Elevated Push Up wtih Hand Raise

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piz : )

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             Do them and maintain a level/flat back!
Ah yeah!!

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

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piz : )

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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.

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.

Training with Piz: The High/Low Crimp Foot Cut

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piz : )

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This is another way to work core tension and compression.

Grab the same crimp close to full span on a steep wall. (this is at 45 degrees)
Then cut feet and place then exactly where you were once standing. Choose awkward foot placements in order to increase the difficulty.

Repeat 3-5 moves in a row and then repeat with the opposite hand placement.

This is powerful and explosive and requires engaging your whole body from finger tips thru your forearms and core down thru your legs and finally ending at your toes.

A great move to learn how to engage every part of your body.             

Training with Piz: Big Moves

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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

So, if you are not yet able to work on the campus board due to the holds being too small or a hand/finger injury, you can still work on making powerful moves and developing your power/explosiveness and contact strength.

Get on the adjustable systems board or just a steep overhanging bouldering zone and choose two good holds and feet to start from.
Make an explosive (fast) move up to the highest hold that you can reach.
Try to hold on.
Tips for sticking that move:

1. Lock off with the low hand (that will keep you in tighter to the wall).
2. Grip like mad with the high hand, hold on like you are about to fall off a building top!
3. Engage your core to prevent sagging. Once you sag, you are off the hold and wall.
4. Push hard with your feet,by not doing this it is difficult to engage your core.
5. Visualize sticking the hold and how you will look doing it. That way you just have to make it look like it should and you will be in the proper body position.
6. No feet cutting. Once they are off, you are off.

Be sure to rest between attempts and to rest before switching lead hands.
When you first start try to stick a good hold, no crimps at the start unless you consider yourself an advanced level climber.

Have fun!!



 

 



Training with Piz: Pinch Repeater

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  

The Pinch Repeater is a great way to work hand strength, core/body tension, footwork, and power if you are doing it without using your feet.

Set the wall at an angle where you can place your feet on good holds (keep them in place for the whole rep) and move your hands back and forth between the pinches. Attempt a certain number of movements of your hands or give an effort based on time. Either way you can monitor your progress.

The more that your body looses tension the more likely you will fall off sooner than you would with good technique.

Work on keeping your core tight and pushing hard with your legs. Also work on finding the body position that allows you to barely hold on to the pinches.

If you are campusing the pinches, work on the core tension to keep from swinging and the kip (leg pump) that helps you reach the holds above or below you.

You can do this with any hold on a systems board and if the board adjusts then you are psyched because you can increase the difficulty with the same holds.             

Training with Piz: Weighted Shoulder Circles

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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

Weighted Shoulder Circles
You can perform this exercise with or without weights.
It works on strengthening your rotator cuff region in your shoulder.

It is best to grab a comfortable weight (less weight is better) that you can hold out fully extended and make small forward and backward circular motions. It is not a race and each circle should be completed at the same pace.
Be sure to compliment the forward numbers with the reverse to get a balanced workout.

If you are looking for more of these types of movements because you have had or are currently working through shoulder issues, look at the bottom of the page for some more ideas. There are tons of ways to strengthen your rotator cuff and it is good to do a variety of exercises to evenly develop the weakness and or for preventative means. Regular maintenence will keep you climbing injury free for a long time so don't wait until you are injured. Start doing these at least once a week!

 

 

              

Training with Piz: Twerking

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

Twerking:
Twerking is the name of a style of dance that I have seen in high school gyms with my students.
One student bends over while the other does mini squats very close to the other that is bending over. Sometimes they are so close that they are touching and its disgusting.

Here is a great way to work all of your legs, joints, and back.

Squat with dumb bells or a bench of an appropriate weight resting on your shoulders.
Move quickly up and down with your back straight. Since you are only doing a partial squat, you don't have to worry about not having your knees pass over your toes when going down. This is a concern when you are doing a real squat.

Get after it and have some fun!

Training with Piz: Bridging

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piz : )

Thanks to my amazing sponsors: Arcteryx, CAMP-USA, SCARPA, Sterling Ropes, the AAC and WIndX-treme

First of all, a bridge is when you lie on your back, place your feet on the ground and raise your hips as high as you can to the ceiling.
You can bridge on many objects, the floor, a chair, a weight bench, a yoga ball, a medicine ball, or pretty much anything.

You can make the bridge more difficult by using only one leg and by placing that one foot on a yoga ball.
You can make it even more difficult and extend the ball out with one or two legs while keeping your hips as high as possible.
Finally, you can even do the one leg extension and hold dumb bells and do a press at the same time.

Here is a bridge that is in the middle of the difficulty levels.
It works your low back and legs and core.
I will tell you that every second that you think that your hips are high enough, raise them a little more because they just slipped back down a bit.

Get out there and have a good time!

piz : )

Training with Piz: Random Photos

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piz : )

Thanks to my amazing sponsors: Arcteryx, CAMP-USA, SCARPA, Sterling Ropes, the AAC and WIndX-treme

 Who likes the plank?

 Ben trying to hold on for one of the many ways you can use a fingerboard.

 Caden testing his undercling skills.

 Cody doing some raised feet push ups.

 Justin wall sitting with the hand squishers

 Daniel doing one leg squats with the weighted balls.

Cody doing the sling pulls.

Training with Piz: Weighted Straight Arm Sit-Ups with Tension Leg Extensions

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piz : )

Thanks to my amazing sponsors: Arcteryx, CAMP-USA, SCARPA, Sterling Ropes, the AAC and WIndX-treme

The is a great way to work on your core. The sit up can be modified in many ways and here is one that involves being coordinated!

Instructions:

1. Grab a weight or dumb bell that you can perform a normal sit-up with (less weight for higher reps and building strength and more weight to work power and explosiveness).
2. Place a appropriately thick rubber band around your feet or ankle and perform leg extensions while doing the sit-up.
3. The goal is to extend your legs at the bottom of the move (as in when they are nearest the floor) while also being flat on your back and just keeping your hands off the floor behind your head.
4. Things to keep in mind, keep breathing regularly, keep tension in your legs the entire time and be sure to keep it fun. If you prefer a shake weight that mists your face that is an acceptable modification to the exercise.
5. As usual, I do four reps of this for 40 seconds as it fits into my circuit training program.