4×4’s – What They Are & How To Do Them

The point of 4×4’s is to increase your ability to climb through a pump and improve your general fitness. Basically, it’s a way to increase power endurance and your mental ability to work through some pain.

You’ll want to pick 4 hard boulder problems – problems that are a couple grades below your max but still challenging.

Here’s how you do 4×4’s.

After warming up, pick 4 boulder problems or routes that are about 2-4 grades below your max, and try to climb all 4 within 5-6 minutes (10-15 min if you’re climbing routes). If V0 or V1 is your max, add feet or hands to your problems to make them easier.

• Problems or routes should not be tweaky, and you should ideally know them well.

• Do all 4 problems or routes in a row without resting. On boulder problems don’t top out, it’ll save time and give you a better workout.

• Jog to the next problem or route and start up the wall without rest.

• If you fall off before the halfway mark, try the problem again or pull back on to the route from where you fell off. If you fall from more than halfway up, move on to the next problem or route.

• If you can’t finish all 4, pick easier problems or routes for the next round. You want to be able to just barely finish the circuit.

Rest 4 minutes between sets if your bouldering and 10 min between sets if you’re climbing routes. You’ll want to climb 4 rounds total, hence the name 4×4 :).

Have fun!

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