Running laps in the gym

Eric Engberg wrote:

Running laps will do little/nothing to help.

Or will make a huge difference.

C'mon, it's just yet another training protocol. As usual the choice of a particular training protocol depends on the task in hands. Running that huge laps is good for polishing (already aquired) technique (milage does actually count) and improving speed climbing skills (here speed is not trashy fussy meaningless movements, but fluidly gracious ascent in one long continuous move with like perfect execution - the ultimate goal of more or less any climber).

The rule of thumb here is to refrain from blaming anything on a strong foundation of ignorance and lack of knowledge and education.

I’m with Eric. I don’t find laps useful for building endurance. I do find them helpful for getting in a lot of volume in a short time, which I find helps my stamina/work capacity. Let’s me take more burns on my projects. 

Theoretically ARC should improve climbing aerobic capacity in a fashion similar to tempo training in running. That wasn’t my experience, just didn’t think it helped that much but maybe I didn’t do enough of it. 

Mostly I see people ARCing at way too low an intensity. Maybe a few hard moves to a rest, a bunch of easy moves, and so on. Unless you are continuously breathing above the first ventilatory threshold, it’s a waste, IMHO.

What Lena describes is interval training. That has helped me. The key is controlling the rest time. 1:1 work to rest, or even 2:1.

Of course, YMMV. 

arcing is good, but it's not the best. with better science, many people figured out a better way to do more. arcing was invented by a few climbing trainers with almost no experience in real life. as a result, their science lagged behind other sports. that's the only annoying part - people using an inferior training method and taking up everyone's time as a result. it's like finding an amnish horse and buggy doing 15 mph on the only road in town. it's annoying because you have to go around due to this one person who refuses technology. but whatever - it's not a big deal. 

This is the same as the "multi-pitch" ethics question:  What responsiblity does the first to arrive at a shared resource owe those who come later?

Doug Hemken wrote:

This is the same as the "multi-pitch" ethics question:

No it's not. Everyone in the gym are paying customers: you get your turn and move on.

 it's like finding an amnish horse and buggy doing 15 mph on the only road in town. it's annoying because you have to go around due to this one person who refuses technology. but whatever - it's not a big deal. 

If a horse and buggy are going 15mph, they are probably trying to kill the horse.

reboot wrote:

No it's not. Everyone in the gym are paying customers: you get your turn and move on.

You are right, it is 100% up to the gym owner.  If the gym owner hasn’t told people to stop doing laps, then everyone else can just wait.

Aweffwef Fewfae wrote:

arcing is good, but it's not the best. with better science, many people figured out a better way to do more. arcing was invented by a few climbing trainers with almost no experience in real life. as a result, their science lagged behind other sports. that's the only annoying part - people using an inferior training method and taking up everyone's time as a result. it's like finding an amnish horse and buggy doing 15 mph on the only road in town. it's annoying because you have to go around due to this one person who refuses technology. but whatever - it's not a big deal. 

You mean...like the Anderson Bros? :/

arcing is good, but it's not the best. with better science, many people figured out a better way to do more. arcing was invented by a few climbing trainers with almost no experience in real life. as a result, their science lagged behind other sports.

The physiology behind ARCing is solid and is employed by coaches and athletes working at the elite end of every endurance sport in the world today. I would count the 400 meter sprint as an endurance sport in this definition. We can definitely argue about the specific implementation of the principles, and just how applicable they are to each climbing discipline, but the overarching principles are rock solid and there is no 'better science' with respect to building aerobic capacity. 

It's behind a paywall somewhere, but Twight's TNSTAAFL is worth reading. If you want aerobic capacity, you have to put the time in. It's just a fact of life.

What a goon. It's a gym not a crag, they were getting in a good workout probably. 

Rick Carpenter wrote:

What a goon. It's a gym not a crag, they were getting in a good workout probably. 

I like this description.  Maybe I'll catch you in Kenai eh?  I'll out fish ya'!