Short-Term Project Bouldering to Get Strong

This is a great time of year to stay focused on building strength at the gym, as the outdoor climbing season isn’t too far away. One of the best ways to continue to make gains this winter is short-term project bouldering.

In a short-term project bouldering session, you climb a set of four problems in the gym with the aim of sending each one in 15 minutes or less. Choose problems on your gym’s bouldering wall, Kilter Board, MoonBoard, or spray wall. Select problem types of a style, length, and angle that you want to improve on. If you have a trip coming up soon, focus your sessions on problems similar to the ones you’ll experience on rock. These problems should be one or so grades harder than your typical onsighting level.

Before starting the session, ensure that you’re fully warmed-up and ready to climb at your max effort. Here are the steps of the workout, starting with the first problem of the session:

1. Spend a few minutes analyzing and memorizing the problem.
2. Start the timer and give a proper flash attempt. Try your hardest to send.
3. If you fail to send, take a short rest and then work parts of the problem that gave you trouble, refining your beta.
4. After settling on your new beta, take another rest, and then go for the redpoint.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 as necessary. Refine beta as needed and be sure to take appropriate rest lengths.
6. Once the timer hits 15 minutes, stop climbing the problem.
7. Rest five minutes before starting the flash attempt of your next problem. Use the rest period to analyze the new problem.
8. If you send a problem before the 15 minutes are up, rest for five minutes and then go for the flash of your next problem.
9. If you end up sending multiple problems well before the 15-minute limit throughout the session, consider adding another one or two problems to the workout. The goal is to reach around 60 minutes of climbing.

It’s a great idea to write down the details of your workout in a training logbook. Record the problem grade, angle, number of moves, and style (e.g. crimpy, powerful, etc.). Write down the time and number of attempts it took you send. If you failed to complete the problem, record which hold you reached and why you think you were unable to complete the move or sequence.

Perform this workout up to two times per week on your strength and/or power training days. It’s a great workout for boulderers and sport climbers alike, and after time, you’ll find yourself figuring out crux sequences faster than ever before.