Training

Some combination of full-time career, sweet tooth, lack of focus and general lack of talent has meant that I have been an on and off trainer for my whole life. This also means that I have a range of trousers from 31"to 34" in the waist and wear a medium or large harness depending on the season. For me weight and fitness have always made a huge difference in performance and volume of activity. When it comes to yet another comeback, I find there is nothing like the grind. No real tricks or hacks and really all I do is look to optimise around the area that hurts the least. The key things I learned is that there are no short-cuts and as we get older, we need to do more, not less to stay in shape. Let me try and summarise my approach.

Diet

Diet is a very large part of the game for me and there are no short-cuts. Be hungry, fast, cut carbs, focus on good proteins and avoid sugars. I try to do most weight loss at night, which means a light evening meal and then waking hungry. If I can, I will then push through to lunchtime on only water and coffee. For protein, I will supplement a bit with whey. But the key thing has been to cut the sugars and accept that I will be hungry quite a lot.

I used to drink loads of coffees and coke zeros but have come to realise water is the king of drinks, preferably filtered and not sparkling. In terms of the bad stuff. No alcohol. I have been sober for over a decade and it's the best decision I ever made and no cigarettes. The latter used to be cool but have no place in modern life. I do allow myself the odd bit of apple pie. However, try and limit, as diet is the number one battleground.

The Wall

Some folks love the gym. For me I simply love being in nature and going climbing. Therefore, the climbing gym is a necessary evil, full of attention seeking posers and no doubt a hotbed of sexual tension and intrigue. That said, its clearly an incredible tool for getting and staying strong. There is now a whole industry around training and coaching fueled by the increased profile of indoor climbing through the Olympics.

Unfortunately, that is not my world. When I go, I have two very simple priorities. The first is to minimise injuries, which I try to do by avoiding too many large dynamic moves and by doing a bit of a warmup. The second is to do as much movement as possible. This is either extended sets on big holds (20+ moves) or holding onto the smallest holds as long as I can, until the point of failure. The finger board is also a pretty useful tool, even for an average climber. However, my tool of choice is the spray wall. Just get on, move and hold on. As with everything in training though, consistency is key and I feel if I can't do a minimum one session a week, it is a waste of time. Also, it's important not to get too distracted by other people's talents.

The Trails

I used to love to run outdoors, but as I have got older and more injury prone, I mostly avoid. Not least of all because my current style could be nest described as 'old man shat pants'. However, I am super-fortunate to have access to world class trails, which I try to hike as frequently as possible, maintaining my heart rate in the 120-160 range. BD Carbon Poles makes a huge difference, especially on the downhills. In addition, I may do one 5-6km run a week, if I can fit it in.

The Gym

I grew up with images of Stallone, Jean Claude and Arnie and the view that pumping iron was the path to romantic riches. However, for climbing I have never really been sure how much benefit there is in pure weightlifting. That said, there is a lot of benefit for overall health as we age and I like it, so I try to add a weights session or two to my training. Again, I try not to be specific, instead focus on what feels ok and trying to work those muscles that don't see as much focus in bouldering and climbing. Benching, dead lifts, lat pull-downs, farmer carries, curls and inverted rows, for example, always in sets and usually with reasonably heavy weights.

Stretching

There is a fine line between stretching, yoga and pilates and I have crossed it. However, having a good head to toe stretch at least once a week works for me. It also helps with relaxation and mindfullness. Form is everything and while I avoid organised classes, I did work with a private yoga instructor to get a reasonable array of movement and positions. Shoulders, quads, hip flexors and hamstrings are my focus areas. It's an area worth investing in and can be done anywhere, within reason. I have done sessions in airport lounges.

In summary

We are surrounded by endless information on health and fitness and for most of us it is confusing and probably a distraction. What does matter is movement. Movement with elevated heart rate and movement under some form of physical load. If you can get lots of movement, avoid injuries and fix your diet, it feels like you are mostly there. As with most things though, consistency is the key and I like adage that the only bad training session is the one you didn't do.