Supplemental strength training for weight-based sport

Training Q&A [Moderated]
1

I rock climb and it’s a sport that’s pretty dependent on the athlete’s strength-weight ratio but also have come across some pretty convincing evidence that the added strength from weight gain isn’t really that detrimental to climbing performance.

So I recently started with the main lifts (Squat bench dead row OHP) and I’m loving just the practice of lifting heavy and it makes me feel good. I’ve gained about 10lbs since starting this journey but also feel stronger on the wall (rock wall) which has been refreshing since I’ve always obsessed about maintaining a certain weight. I went from 140 to 150lbs at 5’4 and I’m officially overweight with a BMI of 25. I’m also Asian if that matters as I recall Asians having a slightly lower BMI requirement for optimal health. No problem with how much I weigh. My body fat is low and I’m getting stronger.

Here are my goals:

  1. Maintain my bodyweight to get a balance of general health, climbing performance, and general body strength
  2. I also want to keep lifting heavy but don’t really mind the speed at which I progress. I just enjoy lifting heavy weight. I’m happy to just keep lifting and keeping a manageable session RPE and increasing the weight really slowly if I have to.
  3. Focus on climbing strength which means I will typically be lifting while carrying some fatigue from a prior climbing session. (i.e. I’d much rather climb than lift right after a rest day)

Note that there aren’t any performance goals for climbing or lifting on here. I just want to be able to do both but focus on climbing and enjoy the successes that come with practicing both.

Here are my questions:

  1. I assume the beginner template would be good for me? Can I just modify this to do 2 sessions a week instead of 3? Should I make modifications to the RPE to account for climbing stress? I assume most of your templates are for people who do strength training as their primary goal. If it’s a secondary goal, should I just spread out the program from a 4 week cycle to 6 for example?

  2. This is more theoretical, but would I still get the benefit of strength training (mood wise, health wise, longevity wise) if I don’t prioritize progressive overload as per my goals. I assume I can still progress (albeit slowly) even if I strength train with consistently low volume / high intensity?

Thanks for reading. I’m really loving what you guys are doing! Top notch content!

2

Glad to hear you’re having a good experience with training so far! Your goals here make sense.

  1. I assume the beginner template would be good for me? Can I just modify this to do 2 sessions a week instead of 3? Should I make modifications to the RPE to account for climbing stress? I assume most of your templates are for people who do strength training as their primary goal. If it’s a secondary goal, should I just spread out the program from a 4 week cycle to 6 for example?

The beginner template is appropriate, yes. You can certainly modify the frequency (or any other variable you want) to your needs and preferences. Regarding RPE modifications, I would not pro-actively make such modifications until / unless you find that the training is not sustainable (in which case, you could simply bump the RPE targets down by 1-1.5 points across the board, and re-assess). The beginner template (particularly the first phase) is not intended for people whose primary goal is strength training / powerlifting, but is intended to help build a relatively broad base of strength and movement skill before an individual chooses to specialize however they’d like.

  1. This is more theoretical, but would I still get the benefit of strength training (mood wise, health wise, longevity wise) if I don’t prioritize progressive overload as per my goals. I assume I can still progress (albeit slowly) even if I strength train with consistently low volume / high intensity?

You absolutely would!

3

Thank you Austin!