4 Ways to Make Your Bouldering Sessions More Deliberate
Bouldering sessions can and should be fun. As we all start to emerge from the coronavirus lockdown, there’s nothing wrong with bouldering simply to enjoy moving on the wall again. However, not all bouldering sessions are going to move you towards your goals equally. To ensure they do, they need to be deliberate.
If you really want your bouldering sessions to support your climbing goals – whether they are boulders, sport routes, or big walls – you need to be a bit more deliberate. Remember, different types of bouldering sessions challenge you in different ways physically, technically, and mentally. To make sure your bouldering sessions are working towards your goals, you need to be aware of and control these variables.
There isn’t a one size fits all perfect bouldering sessions. Different goals and different climbers require different approaches. That said, reflecting on the following four points will help you be more deliberate in your sessions so you can be clear with exactly what you are doing and why.
Bouldering Sessions : Be Intentional
When you go into the gym, do you just climb on the most recent set of problems? If you climb in a big modern gym, chances are there are almost always new boulders for you to try. This is essentially like going to a new boulder field every day and it can be incredibly fun.
The issue, however, is that by always going to the new set you are letting the route setters and their setting schedule determine what you climb on. Route setting is an incredibly difficult job. But remember their job is to produce a commercial product (boulder problems) that keep people coming into the gym. Not to help you send your next project.
Using the available boulders to work towards your goals is up to you and this requires a more intentional approach to choosing what boulders you try. Next time you go into the gym, rather than just going to the newest set, ask yourself the following questions:
- What am I trying to work on?
- Why am I climbing on this boulder?
- Am I avoiding certain walls/angles/styles?
There aren’t right or wrong answers here. The important thing is that by answering them, you’ll have a much clearer sense of exactly what you are doing during your bouldering sessions. With this information, you’ll then be able to make more intentional choices. About how to structure your bouldering sessions so that you are actually working toward your individual goals.
