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The Rock Climber's Training Manual | A Guide to Continuous Improvement
Whether you climb 5.9 or 5.15, this book shows you how to immediately and continuously improve your climbing, providing a step-by-step, easy to follow action plan used by elite climbers. The Rock Climber's Training Manual updates and expands on the renowned "Rock Prodigy" training method that has helped climbers around the globe advance through the grades. Whether new to climbing or a seasoned veteran, this book describes how to get stronger NOW and climb your dream routes. -Detailed schedules prescribe daily training activities for beginner, intermediate and advanced climbers -Training programs are tailored for bouldering, sport and traditional climbing -Eleven exercise protocols clearly describe each training activity in detail -Over 200 full color illustrations demonstrate proper techniques -Meticulously researched, incorporating the latest advancements in sport science -Presents exercises that are proven to be effective for climbers of all abilities -Includes ground-breaking coaching for Big Wall Free Climbing including training, strategy and tactics
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
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419 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 11, 2020
Pros: Really comprehensive guide that covers fitness and strength, diet and nutrition, injuries, performance, etc. It can be adapted for any level. Extra online resources here: https://rockclimberstrainingmanual.com
Cons: This book is incredibly sexist. Not only does it completely ignore the female body and experience, it exclusively uses the male pronoun throughout the text. I can’t even remember the last time I saw that...the 90s? (this was published in 2015). You also get great bonus quotes from famous climbers, like this gem:
“As a teenager I spent my evenings training in grungy garages and basements with older smelly men...and the occasional misplaced cute girl (who never stuck around that long)...” -Tommy Caldwell
Can’t imagine why this sport is so male dominated. We must just not have your perseverance and mental fortitude.
Cons: This book is incredibly sexist. Not only does it completely ignore the female body and experience, it exclusively uses the male pronoun throughout the text. I can’t even remember the last time I saw that...the 90s? (this was published in 2015). You also get great bonus quotes from famous climbers, like this gem:
“As a teenager I spent my evenings training in grungy garages and basements with older smelly men...and the occasional misplaced cute girl (who never stuck around that long)...” -Tommy Caldwell
Can’t imagine why this sport is so male dominated. We must just not have your perseverance and mental fortitude.
March 9, 2023
some outdated wisdom but still cool
September 29, 2017
I read an article recently, I think it was in Climbing magazine, that joked about this book being a part of every climber's training routine. Not reading it, but ordering it on Amazon.
This book is DENSE. There is good stuff in here, but good luck finding it. You know how some people use a small font, tight spacing, and tiny margins to fit as many words as possible on their resume? That's what this book is like. There are pictures, and there are anecdotal insets, but they're almost sort of arbitrarily placed. This book, for all of it's information, still leaves it to you to figure out what to do, when, and how much. I understand every climber is different, and people are going to come to this book with a variety of experience and abilities, but... I really wanted them to prescribe a plan of what to do. With this amount of pages, there's no reason you couldn't include a sample training plan for a month for a 5.9 climber, a 5.10 climber, etc. Or maybe a beginner's sample plan, and an intermediate sample plan, and leave the reader to draw their own path between the two. They do come close to doing that in a couple of places, but the charts are small and full of abbreviations I would need to decipher.
Living about 75 minutes each way from the climbing gym as I do, I was really hoping this book would include more exercises I could do at home or at the regular gym. There is some of that, but not more than what I could have found in a single article or two online or in a magazine.
All this said, I'm sure I'll use this book in the future as a resource. I learned more about hangboards here than I have anywhere else, and I'm more convinced I need to buy one. But I'm back to the internet, looking for a training manual that doesn't expect me to do all the planning work, because ain't nobody got time for that. Besides, this book makes that seem really complicated and daunting.
For now, this book is going to collect some dust on my bookshelf. So touché, Climbing magazine. At least I cracked the spine a handful of times. *wink*
This book is DENSE. There is good stuff in here, but good luck finding it. You know how some people use a small font, tight spacing, and tiny margins to fit as many words as possible on their resume? That's what this book is like. There are pictures, and there are anecdotal insets, but they're almost sort of arbitrarily placed. This book, for all of it's information, still leaves it to you to figure out what to do, when, and how much. I understand every climber is different, and people are going to come to this book with a variety of experience and abilities, but... I really wanted them to prescribe a plan of what to do. With this amount of pages, there's no reason you couldn't include a sample training plan for a month for a 5.9 climber, a 5.10 climber, etc. Or maybe a beginner's sample plan, and an intermediate sample plan, and leave the reader to draw their own path between the two. They do come close to doing that in a couple of places, but the charts are small and full of abbreviations I would need to decipher.
Living about 75 minutes each way from the climbing gym as I do, I was really hoping this book would include more exercises I could do at home or at the regular gym. There is some of that, but not more than what I could have found in a single article or two online or in a magazine.
All this said, I'm sure I'll use this book in the future as a resource. I learned more about hangboards here than I have anywhere else, and I'm more convinced I need to buy one. But I'm back to the internet, looking for a training manual that doesn't expect me to do all the planning work, because ain't nobody got time for that. Besides, this book makes that seem really complicated and daunting.
For now, this book is going to collect some dust on my bookshelf. So touché, Climbing magazine. At least I cracked the spine a handful of times. *wink*
July 25, 2020
a very good training book to read. authors lead busy lives with a lot of professional and family (non-climbing) responsibilities, yet redpoint 5.14d (9a) and onsight 5.13s on their trips
i'm sure many reading are familiar with how many hours climbing training can drain away with seemingly little (if any) measurable progress. at the very least, this book teaches you to be extremely efficient with your training (after all, the authors have to be given their schedules!)
but following the plan exactly might be overkill (it certainly was for me -- especially campusing). some unsolicited advice to avoid making my mistakes after reading this (disclaimer: these are pretty anecdotally-formed opinions -- I can't back the below with objective "send" data from a performance phase because I haven't actually followed the entire cycle. in fact i'm still a huge newbie with minimal mileage outdoor climbing in general):
if you're rather quantitatively-minded (as I am), be careful expecting this book to be "the answer" and to make "mad gainz" just following their plan (as I imagined). it probably isn't, and i learnt that the hard way -- there was a brief period i forgot fundamental truths ("position over everything", "climbing is a skill sport"). i gradually realized i was better off sticking with the "beginner" versions of the routines, as they involved more climbing
nonetheless, book is packed with gems of knowledge and carefully following their advice / selecting exercises definitely yielded "gainz" for me.
i'm sure many reading are familiar with how many hours climbing training can drain away with seemingly little (if any) measurable progress. at the very least, this book teaches you to be extremely efficient with your training (after all, the authors have to be given their schedules!)
but following the plan exactly might be overkill (it certainly was for me -- especially campusing). some unsolicited advice to avoid making my mistakes after reading this (disclaimer: these are pretty anecdotally-formed opinions -- I can't back the below with objective "send" data from a performance phase because I haven't actually followed the entire cycle. in fact i'm still a huge newbie with minimal mileage outdoor climbing in general):
if you're rather quantitatively-minded (as I am), be careful expecting this book to be "the answer" and to make "mad gainz" just following their plan (as I imagined). it probably isn't, and i learnt that the hard way -- there was a brief period i forgot fundamental truths ("position over everything", "climbing is a skill sport"). i gradually realized i was better off sticking with the "beginner" versions of the routines, as they involved more climbing
nonetheless, book is packed with gems of knowledge and carefully following their advice / selecting exercises definitely yielded "gainz" for me.
May 29, 2020
good self-evaluation checklist. this book got me into journaling about my training goals and daily training sessions
September 17, 2021
THE CLIMBING BIBLE
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January 9, 2025I needed a book that explains how to cross-train for climbing and this certainly delivered. Not only does it show what kinds of exercises to do, but it breaks training down into different microcycles (strength, power, power-endurance) with scientific jargon to back up the authors' methods.
I don't plan on following their linear progression training schedules at the moment, but the individual workout plans have already been a great help as I reapproach climbing. I'm glad I bought a copy too. It'll be a mainstay in my gym bag.
I don't plan on following their linear progression training schedules at the moment, but the individual workout plans have already been a great help as I reapproach climbing. I'm glad I bought a copy too. It'll be a mainstay in my gym bag.
July 11, 2018
Great information about training for climbing.
June 3, 2019
Although the science behind training is perfectly explained, I found the actual training program scarce, talking about exercises. But generally speaking, periodization is THE method.
October 5, 2019
Amazing book. I've progressed faster than I though I could following this book.
November 2, 2019
Great book for creating a climbing/bouldering training plan.
Has lots of foundational knowledge on why and how to train.
Has lots of foundational knowledge on why and how to train.
May 10, 2020
Inspirational.
March 7, 2021
Great comprehensive guide. Lots to learn from
August 30, 2022
bible! I have climbed 4 years and read many other training related books, this one has detail training info and I wish I could know it earlier to avoid climbing injuries while climb strong.
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May 11, 2016Several years ago I read Extreme Alpinism and from then on my climbing training pretty much revolved around Twight's famous line: "The goal of training for alpine climbing can be summed up in one phrase: to make yourself as indestructible as possible. The harder you are to kill the longer you will last in the mountains." That quote has stuck with me and served me well as a training mantra for a diverse list of activities where the primary goal is to not die.
The Anderson's book is at the other end of the spectrum. It is almost solely devoted to hard, single-pitch sport climbing and contains a fair bit of advice that would probably be counterproductive in the big mountains (something tells me that Mark Twight didn't switch to a salad diet in order to lose a few pounds in advance of his 60 hour push on the Slovak Direct).
The authors are very upfront about the book's specificity and don't try to imply the Rock Prodigy methodology is appropriate for all climbing goals. The training methodology is probably best suited for the weekend warrior who really wants to progress through number grades and has regular access to an excellent climbing gym. Fortunately the authors include advice about modifying the program for big wall climbing or for people without access to a gym which makes the book useful for someone like me as well.
Overall an important contribution to the genre and a book I intend to be referring to again and again....even if I don't go on their salad diet.
The Anderson's book is at the other end of the spectrum. It is almost solely devoted to hard, single-pitch sport climbing and contains a fair bit of advice that would probably be counterproductive in the big mountains (something tells me that Mark Twight didn't switch to a salad diet in order to lose a few pounds in advance of his 60 hour push on the Slovak Direct).
The authors are very upfront about the book's specificity and don't try to imply the Rock Prodigy methodology is appropriate for all climbing goals. The training methodology is probably best suited for the weekend warrior who really wants to progress through number grades and has regular access to an excellent climbing gym. Fortunately the authors include advice about modifying the program for big wall climbing or for people without access to a gym which makes the book useful for someone like me as well.
Overall an important contribution to the genre and a book I intend to be referring to again and again....even if I don't go on their salad diet.
July 8, 2016
This now-classic guide to training for rock climbing should be on every sport climber’s bookshelf. It contains detailed training programs, explanations of how the body and relevant muscles work, how climbing and related training affects specific parts of the body, and what kinds of injuries to be aware of and avoid while training. I’m not a mountaineer, not an experienced alpinist, never gone ice climbing and probably won’t - I’ve done a bit of trad, sport and a bunch of bouldering. Your mileage will definitely vary depending on your goals and type of climbing. The instructions are clear about 90% of the time (sometimes they are fuzzy or contradictory - but then, everyone is different, so a bit of “use your judgement” isn’t a bad thing) and the routines and photos are all helpful.
My first (mostly) full training cycle has yielded uncertain results - I haven’t made any spectacular progress, yet I can identify many little things that I can do now that I couldn’t before, moves I might not have even attempted last year that I regularly attempt and sometimes do now. More than anything, though, what I have gained so far is a far better understanding of how to train and practice, from scheduling, to managing my time and energy within a training session. I expect that I’ll continue to refer to this book for a long time.
My first (mostly) full training cycle has yielded uncertain results - I haven’t made any spectacular progress, yet I can identify many little things that I can do now that I couldn’t before, moves I might not have even attempted last year that I regularly attempt and sometimes do now. More than anything, though, what I have gained so far is a far better understanding of how to train and practice, from scheduling, to managing my time and energy within a training session. I expect that I’ll continue to refer to this book for a long time.
January 3, 2015
Absolutely the best book on physical training for climbing that I've read. I am going to downgrade Horst's book, because it pales in comparison to this. Very detailed, specific advice with enough explanation to convince you of its efficacy without enough to bore you. I wish there was some more emphasis for intermediate climbers (not just novice and expert), an index would be nice, and some of the typesetting is a bit strange, but I found this an excellent resource for all types of climbers who want to improve.
December 12, 2024
A great book to learn about climbing and how to structure your trainings. It covers all aspects starting from body physiology to training regimes, diet etc. From my point of view it is a little bit too detailed in aspects like muscle fiber and body structure. I am not really interested in all details. A short overview would suffice. But this is not a problem since one can just skim chapters that they are not interested in. A great book overall. I recommend it to anyone who thinks about getting serious with rock climbing.
October 19, 2015
A great addition to other books like the self-coached climber, and the rock warriors way. It covers all aspects of training perfectly with recommended load, plans, and supplementary exercises. It has plans for all levels and all types of climbing covering sport, trad, and bouldering. Also, it has a training log at the back for exercises which can be easily emulated on your favourite spreadsheet or word processing software. Absolutely recommended if you're interested in training for climbing.
December 29, 2015
Really solid book on physical training for all types of climbing. Provides specific advice about what to do, when to do it, and how to keep track. It is definitely advice to the climber who wants to put in hard work and be committed to improving.
The book is mostly focused on training but also has advice on planning your outdoor trip to maximize your chance of sending your project.
I have no doubt that if I followed the advice in this book I'd be a stronger climber.
The book is mostly focused on training but also has advice on planning your outdoor trip to maximize your chance of sending your project.
I have no doubt that if I followed the advice in this book I'd be a stronger climber.
December 6, 2019
Want to take your climbing game to the next level? This is the book. Science, psychology and a training plan to put it all together! A necessity for any climber looking for a proven system to boost their performance.
I used the hangboarding training plan to push my climbing to new levels last year. Reading through the entire thing and setting up a training plan again this winter has me confident I'll push beyond those levels in the coming years.
I used the hangboarding training plan to push my climbing to new levels last year. Reading through the entire thing and setting up a training plan again this winter has me confident I'll push beyond those levels in the coming years.
February 16, 2015
I'm currently working through my first training season following the Rock Climber's Training Manual. If I don't climb 5.12+ in April then I'm changing the rating to one star.
This book is put together really well. I've read it front to back and really enjoyed learning about the ideas and science for each phase.
This book is put together really well. I've read it front to back and really enjoyed learning about the ideas and science for each phase.
September 26, 2020
Skip the chapter on weight management, and everything in here seems well-researched and worth looking into and/or pursuing. Now that I've fought my way through the material, the next battle will be trying to stick to a training plan. Easy enough in the winter, but spring is coming...
March 5, 2016
The book to start with when looking for anything related to physical training for climbing. Very strong background, good exercises and full training plans to get everybody to their next level.
October 10, 2016
The best book on training for rock climbing I have seen. Immediately usable, and detailed at the same time. I am using this method right now, and my climbing has clearly improved.
May 1, 2017
Quite the comprehensive book about the science behind Climbing and training for it, clad with chapter after chapter about the exercise physiology behind it. If you're looking for a training book that'll give you prescribed training plans, this'll give you some of that, but if you take the time to read it, you'll be able to design your own for your climbing goals.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews