Building Blocs: Improve Your Climbing Technique and Overcome Plateaus with Our Coach Led Sessions
What is “Building Blocs”?
Building Blocs is a session designed to help you consistently improve and develop as a climber. It’s free for unlimited monthly and annual passholders but also available at a drop-in price for those without a pass.
It’s simple: want to get better? Come to Building Blocs.
The Struggle with Progression
One of the biggest challenges in climbing is the speed of progression. Sure, everyone is built to climb, but not everyone is built to climb hard. Many people will see quick improvements, which is fantastic – progress feels good!
Improvement = feel good factor
However, fast progress is often due to rapid muscle growth. You’re developing small muscles for grip strength, stabilising joints, and working larger muscles that don’t usually get a workout. It’s easy to learn to pull and get strong enough to progress quickly.
Strong Doesn’t Always Mean Good
Here’s the tough bit: being really strong doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a good climber. Yes, strength helps you pull through holds, but there’s another key element – technique.
How often do you hear someone say, “I didn’t climb that route because I’m not strong enough,” rather than, “I’m not technically capable”? It’s common for climbers to rely on strength, but at some point, you’ll hit a plateau where strength alone can’t compensate for poor or underdeveloped technique.
How often do you hear someone say, “I didn’t climb that route because I’m not strong enough,” rather than, “I’m not technically capable”? It’s common for climbers to rely on strength, but at some point, you’ll hit a plateau where strength alone can’t compensate for poor or underdeveloped technique.
The Plateau: When Progress Slows Down
Everyone reaches the dreaded plateau. For many, it happens around the 6b/6c level, where progress slows down or stops entirely. Why? Because the focus has been on getting stronger instead of getting better.
I’ve been there too. I spent most of my climbing journey focusing on strength. Now, I’m heavier and weaker than I’ve ever been, yet I still climb at a similar level. How? It’s not witchcraft – it’s because I’ve developed a better understanding of how to move, using more than just muscle to get up routes. Some might call this… technique.
Training Technique: The Key to Climbing Progress
Building strength is straightforward, but learning good technique? That’s harder. There are loads of resources out there – YouTube videos, books, and drills – but nothing compares to experienced coaches helping you refine your technique and improve its application.
Coaching is a powerful tool, and not just because it’s my job! I love watching climbers have those light bulb moments when small adjustments – a shift of the foot, a tweak of the hip – make previously impossible moves feel easy.
What You’ll Learn at Building Blocs
Building Blocs is a stomping ground to learn, develop, and practise game-changing skills. It’s not about getting stronger – it’s about climbing smarter, equipping yourself with a toolkit that will keep you improving.
We run these sessions across different grades, starting with Red climbers (Font 4-5, V0/V1), because it’s best to develop these habits early on. Build good form and movement into the foundation of your climbing, and strength will follow.
Climb smart, carry that toolbox with you, and enjoy the journey.
Dan x
