When our performance plateaus, most of us immediately feel like we need to double down on our training.  After all, climbs would feel a whole lot easier if you just had stronger fingers, could do 1-5-9 on the campus board, and hang on forever.  However, the reason we like immediately turning to training is that it offers a concrete solution and the gains are measurable.  For many climbers, though, the answer to breaking through a plateau isn’t always more training.  It’s addressing the underlying issues in their approach and technique.

To help you take a critical look at your climbing and make these adjustments, here’s an article from Climbing Magazine and climbing coach Justen Sjong that features three technique changes that will help you better leverage the physical abilities you already have.

“Faced with a performance plateau, climbers looking to push forward might default to just climbing more or building strength on the hangboard and weight bench. But the most common pitfalls for advanced climbers, notes coach Justen Sjong, an instructor for Climbing’s Climb a Grade Harder: 5.12 and Beyond online course, are not strength-based but have more to do with movement and emotion.” – Climbing Magazine

Justen Sjong – Three Subtle Technique Changes

As we mentioned above, these changes are not about getting stronger, but about improving how you climb and the way you approach climbing.  Justen is one of the most experienced climbing coaches out there.  He developed these tips based on what he has observed as the most common issues holding intermediate and advanced climbers back.

Regardless of your ability level, however, switching your focus away from simply training your physical abilities to also practicing climbing better can have a huge impact on climbing performance.  This article is a great place to start.  Read it for yourself by clicking through below!

Full Article: Climbing Magazine – Three Subtle Technique Changes with Justen Sjong

(photo courtesy of climbing.com)

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