Build your training plan
How many days per week should you climb?
When do you lift weights?
What if you want to run?
Maybe add a yoga class?
And what about playing ultimate frisbee every other Thursday with your friends?
When do you rest?
How do you fit it all in?
If you’re not a professional climber and you have work and family obligations, but you still have climbing goals that you want to pursue, building a training week can feel overwhelming.
The good news is there isn't one "perfect" schedule.
The key is creating a balanced plan that supports your goals while still fitting into your life.
A balanced training plan should provide:
Enough climbing-specific practice to improve your movement and skills.
Enough strength training to build a stronger, more resilient body.
Enough recovery to actually adapt and get stronger.
Enough flexibility to include the activities that make you happy outside of climbing.
Because climbing isn't your whole life, it should fit into your life.
1. START WITH YOUR GOAL
If your goal is to have fun, stay active, and enjoy climbing socially...
You probably don’t need a dedicated training plan.
Stay generally active with whatever movement you enjoy.
If your goal is to climb harder grades and continue progressing...
Plan your climbing intentionally.
Include strength training and structured recovery.
Train your weaknesses instead of just climbing more.
If your goal is to maximize your climbing potential...
Follow a more structured plan with intentional strength, power, endurance, and recovery.
Consider periodizing your training throughout the year.
The more ambitious your goals become, the more intentional your training should be.
2. BUILD YOUR WEEK
Determine how many days, and realistically, how many hours, you can commit to training each week.
For most recreational climbers (yes that’s you if you’re not a pro), who still want to pursue bigger goals, a typically week will likely include:
2-4 climbing sessions (indoors or outdoors)
2 strength sessions, often paired with climbing days
1-2 recovery or easy aerobic days (yoga, stretching, walk, easy cycling)
1-2 days of rest (could also include stretching, yoga, walking, etc)
If there are other activities you love, (running, 14ers, swimming, team sports, skiiing, etc) you can layer them in, even if they aren't directly helping your climbing. They contribute to your happiness and a well-rounded life and that’s important! Just remember that they still create training stress and thus they also require recovery.
Finally, identify your biggest climbing weaknesses and make time to address them with intention. Whether that's dynamic movement, lock-offs, finger strength, endurance, or footwork, purposeful training beats simply climbing more every time.
SAMPLE PLAN
SUNDAY: REST / YOGA
MONDAY: CLIMB - LIMIT BOULDERING + STRENGTH TRAIN
TUESDAY: LIGHT RUN OR WALK
WEDNESDAY: CLIMB - ENDURANCE FOCUS
THURSDAY: STRENGTH TRAIN + CASUAL BIKE RIDE WITH FRIENDS
FRIDAY: REST
SATURDAY: OUTDOOR CLIMBING
Your schedule doesn’t have to look exactly like this; this is just an example of how it can all fit together. If you’re a busy new parent with a job and big goals like myself, it can be challenging to feel like there’s enough time. Some weeks won’t be perfect, and THAT’S OKAY!
There is a plan for you and if you need help finding it, that’s exactly what I’m here for.
3. DON’T SKIP RECOVERY
I’ll admit, I’m guilty of this sometimes too. I just get so excited and want to go, go, go!
But over training almost always under-delivers. Rest is where your body repairs and adapts to your training and skipping it is a direct route to burnout or injury.
Rest does NOT mean lying on the couch all day. You might take a walk with your family, do some gentle yoga or mobility work, or go for an easy bike ride. The goal is to reduce stress and physical load (sometimes mental load too) so that your body can repair, rebuild, and adapt.
Remember that recovery isn't just about “taking a day off.” It's about getting sleep, staying hydrated, and eating high quality, whole foods (check out my nutrition E-book) to support your training.
If every workout is hard and every day is full, eventually your progress will slow.
One of the biggest mistakes I see climbers make is trying to do everything:
More climbing.
More hangboarding.
More lifting.
More cardio.
More training.
Instead of asking, "How much can I fit into my week?" try asking, “What are the things that will move the needle most for my climbing right now?”
The best training plan for you, isn't the one that looks the most impressive on paper, or the one your friend Joe is doing.
It's the one you can stick with, recover from, and still enjoy.
Progress doesn't come from just doing the most.
It comes from consistently doing what matters most.
