Whether you are training for the fall or out there trying to send during the summer season, it’s important to remember that we can’t stay in a performance peak year round.  The reality is that as we move out of the gym and focus on giving quality burns on our projects we can often project our way out of being strong and fit.

To help us all prolong our performance peaks, here’s an article by Mark Anderson about how he used a micro-cycle of training to help stay in sending form and have a long and productive fall season last year.

“In the past I’ve had great success sustaining high levels of power and fitness through regular Maintenance Training (discussed extensively here). That approach works well when you can count on many, regularly-spaced indoor training days, in which you are able to train long and hard. However, my outdoor days on Shadowboxing were too intense to permit quality maintenance training during my rare and sporadic indoor training days.” – Mark Anderson

Extending a Performance Peak with a Micro-Cycle

Mark clearly isn’t suggesting that you should spend all your time in the gym training.  After all, being able to get out and send on rock is the reason we are training in the first place.

However, what he is addressing is the reality that for climbers who are looking to operate at or near their limit will only be able to do so during periods of peak performance.  The micro training cycle Mark describes in this article is simply a way to try and prolong these periods so that we can spend a bit more time at the crag tuned up and ready to send.

Click through below to read the full article and for all of the details about how Mark added this micro-cycle into his training/climbing schedule.  As with everything the Anderson Brothers do, the article and this tactic are carefully thought out and implemented.  You will definitely learn a thing or two!

Full Article: Mark Anderson – Extending a Performance Peak

(photo courtesy of rockclimberstrainingmanual.com)

Other Articles You Might Like:

• TBP 063 :: The Anderson Brothers’ Evolving Training Philosophies and New Research
• Mark Anderson Advanced Endurance Training
• Mark and Mike Anderson’s Guide to Hangboard Training
• Maintaining Performance: Staying Strong to Perform Your Best All Season