This thread is about recovery times.

[Betty]

I've been ill for about 18 months (I swear, where's the "returns" department for bodies???) and have been unable to climb. I'm finally able to do some stuff now.

My technique is still there, footwork is good, and core is still tight. But for the first time in my life, my finger strength and forearm endurance are more than just lame. I'm taking it slow right now, but I started climbing when I was a kid (straight off the monkey bars), and am concerned that I may start to push my tendons too far and injure myself. I want to continue to redevelop my strength and endurance though.

Do you guys think that my tendons have weakened to the point where I need to take it super slow? Until three months or so ago, I was on a zillion cocktails of meds, one after the other. But since then, I've only been on a few meds, none of which affect tendons. It's blatantly obvious that the prior meds are out of my system (I was Zombie Betty back then).

I'm curious as to whether you guys think it's okay for me to get on my old school Pusher hangboard (slopers galore, and tendon-friendly; nice one MC!) between weekend trips to the gym to rope up. I'd ask my trainer, but he's on a road trip. And several of you know me, and might have some good advice.

[toivo]

hey Betty- from what you say, patience seems like the best training ethic. our bodies have no return policy- pray for reincarnation as some kind of sabre tooth tigre or something. your wish. a new ice age is upon us and it's the preolithic time to conquer all projects!

seriously, be patient. if you're coming back to training try to periodize your training. so, start with volumes of super easy climbing. just lots and lots of ridiculously easy. stuff you'd solo. long pieces, 10-20 to 30 minutes on, with emphasis on on-the wall rest. knee bars, just find the easiest way. a couple of mesocycles of that- 2 months- then some easy boulder problems and hypertrophic weights to balance climbing muscles on your front side pushing muscles. you could get to the point where you can project within 6 months, with shorter sets as you progress. counting hand moves is an objective way to log your training sessions. how to peak before projecting or competition is very individual, but generally shorter shorter then specific for what you want to do.

hang boards are actually pretty hard. they're good for contact strength. i'd stick to walls and routes on rock - lots of easy mileage- before getting on that. hangboards are nice to dial in productive failure for pull ups or deadhangs with choice of holds and added weight. that should be closer to your peak than to the rehabilitation/base training phase, which is where you sound to be now.

ambitious is to peak 2X per year. more casual and biologically rhythmic is 1X per year peak performance, the rest just getting ready for that. take your time, you have your whole life to climb.

[KIX]

2x peak performance?

only takes me about 20 - 30 minutes to get hard again.

nbd.

[toivo]

obviously we've broached into super hero ism. fair enough. periodization is just a matter of how long you need to get wound up. all very personal. we can all enjoy our obsessions in due time.

[pmahnn]

Do you guys think that my tendons have weakened to the point where I need to take it super slow? Until three months or so ago, I was on a zillion cocktails of meds, one after the other. But since then, I've only been on a few meds, none of which affect tendons. It's blatantly obvious that the prior meds are out of my system (I was Zombie Betty back then).

If you haven't done anything with them comparable to the stresses of climbing, probably. Just like anything in the body, if it isn't used it becomes weak.

Be careful and don't think that just because you used to be able to do something you still can. This is how you screw yourself forever...and it's pretty lame. Take it slow, be safe.

[Betty]

Thanks guys for the feedback. I wish I was as bada** as you KIX, but unfortunately I haven't made it to mutant level YET.

I'll just keep taking it really slow and easy for a while. And yeah, I'm almost over-using technique (knee bars, no-hands rests, drop-knees, and even the occasional hip-scum) right now. I should probably be getting on the easier routes to build up my finger strength and forearm endurance. But it'll have to mainly be in gyms right now. Traveling is more complicated right now (money and time). Thanks again.

And is there seriously not a returns department??? It seems that I just go from illness to illness. If I have to rely on reincarnation, I think I'd like to be an orangutan (but not throw poo at people) with the grip strength of a three-toed sloth.

[stonefiend]

I'm hearing ya. I took a couple years out of climbing, mainly due to knee breakage. I tried getting back into it with fury, but know it takes time to re-develop the muscle to get back into it. Tendon concerns from my experience is, if I push myself too hard on crimps, I'll feel some oldschool fingerpain.

Just fade it down a bit and let it all re-adjust. Open hand.

[Cardboard_Dog]

Betty,

I stopped climbing for about 2 years a while back .. surprisingly I didn't loose alot of muscle strength, just fitness and endurance. I was still able to climb some harder problems that I had muscle memory for, but had trouble with new problems in the same point range. I was on a short, overhanging boulder prob. @ Lincoln Woods with Pinky and eff, and the start of a crux is falling into a sloping crimp sidepull. When I fell into it, I was feeling strong, like I was going to send .. until my knuckle popped. And it hurt like hell for about three weeks. I still tried climbing on it taped up, but eventually had to just stop and let it heal. I guess my point is that tendons take time to be able to deal with the stress of climbing and they don't recover nearly as fast as muscle tissue. I would take it easy even if you are feeling strong. That is the one and only time I sustained a finger injury ..

[Cardboard_Dog]

Thanks guys for the feedback. I wish I was as bada** as you KIX, but unfortunately I haven't made it to mutant level YET.

I'll just keep taking it really slow and easy for a while. And yeah, I'm almost over-using technique (knee bars, no-hands rests, drop-knees, and even the occasional hip-scum) right now. I should probably be getting on the easier routes to build up my finger strength and forearm endurance. But it'll have to mainly be in gyms right now. Traveling is more complicated right now (money and time). Thanks again.

And is there seriously not a returns department??? It seems that I just go from illness to illness. If I have to rely on reincarnation, I think I'd like to be an orangutan (but not throw poo at people) with the grip strength of a three-toed sloth.

sometimes .. not always, but sometimes .. it pays to read before posting.

[Betty]

I'm hearing ya. I took a couple years out of climbing, mainly due to knee breakage. I tried getting back into it with fury, but know it takes time to re-develop the muscle to get back into it. Tendon concerns from my experience is, if I push myself too hard on crimps, I'll feel some oldschool fingerpain.

Just fade it down a bit and let it all re-adjust. Open hand.

Yeah, mondos used to be my enemies, but now they're my friends. Open hand squeezing, body tension, mantles, hand-foot matches, hip scums, heel hooks... extreme fun!

Cardboard Dog: Geez!!! You still climbed on a popped tendon??? Owch!

[Cardboard_Dog]

ya .. it was not the smartest but I was just getting back into shape and didn't want to have to start over again. But thats the way it goes when ou are old.

[Cardboard_Dog]

sometimes people like to have real conversations. Without sarcasm and insults, you know? I think, anyway? I don't really. But someone must.

[evil temptress]

But b.com is so supportive. It is like a warm hug from a pod of butterflies.

[Cardboard_Dog]

like a pod of butterflies riding a unicorn over a rainbow.

[skav]

Nah, we ain't all bad.

[600#gorilla]

go climbing as much as you can handle and focus on having fun and do whatever you can on your rest days to get stronger any way you can.

and

die.

[toivo]

recovery really is the essence of training. it is our bodies bouncing back from the load of the world- its gravity first and foremost- bearing down on us as the terrestrial creatures we are. then we sleep, levitate in our dreams, and transcend back to ground and another burden. life.

[toivo]

just trying to tell the truth. maybe a little essentialist, but then we do tend to get carried away. true?

[toivo]

is there something specific you'd like to know?