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!
How to make it harder?
I feel comfortable after doing 4×4 on one tier lower balds in about 2:30 and 4 min rest.
Should I go up with tier of boulders or cut time of rest? Or add an extra series?
I would recommend increasing the boulder grade
What if after 4 boulder problems my total time is about 2:30, should i continue climbing for total 4mins?
The way I read this exercise; you are not supposed to track the time climbing. You finish your 4 boulders and rest for 4 minutes. (4 boulder, 4 minutes break –> 4×4)
It says your 4 problems should take 5-6 minutes then rest for 4. This person is asking if you finish all 4 in 4 minutes do you just begin your rest earlier (which I think is the case – you’re only doing 4 boulders the time limit is just a suggestion)
The article literally states the naming for the 4×4 it is 4 sets of 4 boulders… It has nothing to do with time, I suggest you read the article before replying because your entire comment is wrong.
I think I would try to find slightly longer routes. This is an exercise to improve power endurance, so it should not be over to fast.