I’m embarking on a year-long challenge, diving into an experiment where the world of climbing meets personal transformation. This isn’t just about shedding pounds or gaining muscle in the conventional sense; it’s about discovering how a dedicated climbing regimen can reshape not just my body, but my lifestyle.
In this monthly series, you’ll witness firsthand my highs and lows. From initial weigh-ins and body measurements to deeper insights into how climbing can influence physical fitness and mental resilience, each update aims to provide a transparent look at the natural progression of this transformation.
What’s Involved? Each month, I will share:
- Physical Updates: My current weight, body measurements, BMI, and body composition changes.
- Climbing Progress: How my climbing skills are evolving and how they correlate with physical changes.
- Personal Reflections: Insights into the mental and emotional aspects of undergoing such a transformation purely through climbing.
Whether you’re here for the climbing, interested in alternative fitness journeys, or just curious about how one can transform without stepping into a traditional gym, I hope you’ll find something inspiring in this series. Let’s get started with where I am right now and set the stage for what’s to come.
Physical Updates: Weigh-In and Composition
When it comes to measuring body weight and composition, the tools at our disposal, like my scale, are incredibly useful but come with their own set of limitations. The readings—particularly for metrics like body fat percentage—are not always exact and can vary from one device to another.
Given this, I’ve decided to focus less on the absolute numbers and more on the changes over time. By consistently using the same scale, I can ensure that the shifts I observe are real, even if the specific percentages might not be perfectly accurate. This approach allows me to track my progress in a meaningful way, observing trends and changes that indicate improvement or areas that need more focus.
This consistent method will provide a reliable guide to how my body is responding to the climbing-focused training regimen, and help me make informed decisions about adjustments to my fitness strategies.
First Weigh-In: July 1, 2024
photo
Weight: 152.4
Change
Weight:
0
Muscle Mass
0
Body Fat
0
Measurement Details
Body Fat: 16.7%
Muscle Mass: 119.4
BMR: 1614
Visceral Fat: 4
BMI: 21.8
Muscle Storage Ability lvl: 5
Fat-free Body Weight: 127
Body Water: 57.2%
Skeletal Muscle: 48.6%
Protein 20.3%
Subcutaneous Fat: 15.1%
Bone Mass 7.6 lb
Body Composition
Waist: 28.5
Chest: 36.5
Left Arm: 11.5
Left Calf: 14.5
Hip: 41
Right Thigh: 23
Right Arm: 11.25
Right Calf: 14.5
Abdomen 36
Left Thigh: 22.5
Neck: 12.5
Shoulder: 39
Climbing Progress:
In the world of climbing, progress isn’t just about moving from one grade to the next. Each gym, each crag, and even each route can vary widely. What might be graded as a V8 in the iconic boulders of Yosemite could feel quite different from a V8 in the sandstone of Joe’s Valley. This inconsistency presents a significant challenge in accurately tracking my climbing progress.
To address this, I considered regular strength benchmarks, like those from Power Company or the Mitbo 9c test. Many of the benchmarks are based on things like hangboarding with added weight or a deadlift weight.
These strengths may translate to climbing but they are also skills that are developed from actually doing the activity. You get better at deadlifts by doing deadlifts. This is a concern because my training is all on the wall, so my improvements on the wall regarding strength and technique, likely won’t translate well to tests like deadlifts.
I’m exploring the use of standardized training boards—such as the Tension Board, Grasshopper, or Moon Board. These tools offer a consistent setting in that the routes remain the same anywhere I may access the board. and measurable progress, but they also depend heavily on how much time I can dedicate to them and to projecting routes at various grades.
As the year progresses, I may need to adapt and evolve my approach to evaluating my climbing progress. Finding the right balance between measurable benchmarks and the qualitative feel of climbing different routes will be key to understanding the true impact of my transformation journey.
First Benchmark
I got these strength benchmarks from Power Company Climbing here
I haven’t completed the tests yet but it is scheduled for later this week. At which point, I will update this article with the data.
Strength
| Max Hang Strength to Weight Ratio 20mm edge (10 sec) | tbd |
| Weighted Pull-up Strength to Weight Ratio | |
| Campus Max Reach, inch | |
| 7:3 Repeaters at bodyweight (20mm, sec) | |
| Continous Hang Time 20mm, Seconds | |
| Max Pull-ups, reps | |
| Max Push-ups, reps |
Grasshopper Board Climbing Benchmarks Completed
I have not attempted any of the benchmarks on the grasshopper board so I will be adding projects to my training regimen and mark them as I go.
My hope is that by the end of each month, I’ll have completed at least one benchmark. Ideally, by the end of the project, I’ll have completed at least one V8, though I’d really like to hit my first V9 if possible.
Personal Reflections
It would be easier to go about this project and stick to the data for “proof” of concept and transformation but the truth is that as a human, the data only reflects part of the results.
The primary purpose of this project is to prove to myself that I can be healthy in my thirties and that transforming my body and climbing can be done in a fun way with on-the-wall training only. On one hand, that may sound like data is all I need, but the purpose isn’t really about the numbers, it’s about how I want to feel about myself and my climbing.
The data is only a reflection of my physical transformation and not my mental and emotional transformation, which is equally as important.
I want to feel confident and great about my body and my climbing. So this section of the updates, moving forward, will include those more personal thoughts.
Finger Injury: Over the last few weeks (months now?), I’ve been battling a finger injury. Every time I start a session feeling like things are finally getting better, I recognize the weakness in my grip and the pain that some moves induce.
My favorite type of climbing includes tiny crimps but right now, I can’t crimp using my ring finger. This has led me to focus on my anti-style as much as I can. Unfortunately my anti-style has been neglected, as of late, so I haven’t felt confident with the level I can perform.
Muscle Storage: One of the measurements that my scale provides (where the data comes from for this project) is “muscle storage ability level.” I had no idea what that meant so I did some research about it and found it may actually be an important indicator in my training. So much so, that I wrote an article about it here.
Month 2
Coming Soon (Aug 1)
Join Me on This Climb!
Thank you for checking in on my progress! If you’re inspired or just curious to see how far I can go with this, make sure to visit next month for the latest update.
And if you haven’t already, subscribe to the Grip & Grind newsletter for more insights, weekly climbing drills, tips, and personal stories from the climbing world.
Together, we can reach new heights—both on the wall and in life!
