Back to the Iron Jungle

Hey Fam, and welcome back to the Iron Jungle! In this sacred space, we use science and intentionality to create the very specific outcomes we desire to improve our climbing performance and help reduce our risk of injury.  Last month we introduced the principle of intention and how three different climbers were using varying degrees of intention in their preparation off of the wall. This month we are getting specific by looking at the use of intentionality in our resistance training and how we can create powerful outcomes. We’ll examine one of our sponsored athletes Brandon Gay (IG: @Brandonboulders ). Let’s see what this dude is up to!

Now before we start, we need to address the elephant in the room. Elite Performance Climbing athletes don't stretch. You read that right, and the reason is intentionality. We coach our athletes based upon the tenets of a modality that addresses the root cause of muscle tightness, so instead of treating muscle tightness as a cause, we follow the science and look at it as a symptom of something deeper which is actually the root of the problem. It’s just science, and if you want to learn more, check out our website or instagram ( ElitePerformanceClimbing.com , @ElitePerformanceClimbing ). Alright, into the jungle we go!

First, a little about Brandon to give you an idea of where he's coming from. Brandon is the Head Setter and Head Coach of the Elite Performance Climbing Team, just north of Cincinnati, Ohio. He’s been climbing for over a decade, and does most of his projecting outdoors in the Obed, New River Gorge, Stone Fort. When he's not slaying outdoor classics, he’s pouring into the athletes he coaches. His athletes are never the most athletic kids at the comp, yet they consistently place in the top ten and podium regionally and compete well at divisionals. Some of his athletes have competed in USAC Nationals.  He’s a great climber and great coach, and he understands very well what it takes to make meaningful progress in both comp and outdoor climbing. 

Brandon doesn't just train hard, he trains very intelligently as well. The foundation of Brandon’s performance training takes place before and after his exercise and climbing. Before he can get any benefit from the work he’s about to do, he must first make sure his muscles are active, allowing his joints to be stable. Instead of stretching or foam rolling, Brandon has a personalized mobility routine created just for his anatomy. It ensures he activates muscles causing the muscle tightness that’s restricting his range of motion and preventing the biological response to resistance training from occurring. Without stretching, he’s now more mobile AND stable, which reduces his risk of injury and ensures greater results from increased muscle recruitment.

Brandon’s resistance training program was created specifically for him to address his areas of weakness preventing his continued progress. Exercise selection, sets, reps, tempo, range of motion, alternate vector loading and rest period are all chosen for him by his Performance Coach intentionally to get the greatest return on his investment of time. When he exercises, Brandon performs each motion in a slow and controlled manner throughout the range of motion dictated for that movement (Unless he’s in a power training phase). The increased time under tension his muscles have to work under increases muscle recruitment and muscle growth, all while reducing his risk of injury.

If Brandon feels his range of motion diminish during his training session, instead of “powering through it”,  he knows he’s exceeded the stress tolerance of the muscle group he's working and those muscles have stopped talking with the brain. So, he reactivates those muscles, restoring neuromuscular communication, ensuring he continues to get benefit from  the rest of his resistance training session. The alternative would be to push through the pain of joint dysfunction without getting any benefit from the rest of the workout. Nobody wants that, especially when there is a more excellent and intentional path to continued growth and progress.

How intentional are you being with the resistance training you do when you’re not climbing? Would your performance improve if you were able to be more intentional? This month, I encourage you to do an honest self assessment and see where you can improve your intentionality based on your goals. Cowabunga, Fam!