Ever feel like no matter how much you climb, you’re just not getting any better?
You show up to the gym, put in the effort, maybe even throw yourself at some harder routes, but weeks (or months) later you’re still stuck at the same grade. Sound familiar? If you want to know how to actually progress in climbing instead of just winging it, the short answer is that you have to climb with a plan, not just log hours and hope.
A lot of climbers assume that just climbing more will naturally lead to progress. And while consistency matters, mindless repetition isn’t the same as deliberate improvement. If you’re only showing up and hoping for the best, you’re probably reinforcing bad habits instead of breaking through to the next level.
So what separates the climbers who improve from the ones who stay stuck? Intentional practice.
As a climbing coach, I’ve seen this play out over and over. The climbers who make the most progress don’t necessarily climb the most. They train smarter. They set clear goals, work on their technique, and track what they’re doing. And you can do the exact same thing.
In this post I’ll walk you through how to actually progress in climbing with a structured, practical approach that works. Let’s get into it.
Step 1: Set Clear Climbing Goals
If you don’t know what you’re working toward, how can you tell if you’re improving? A lot of climbers make the mistake of climbing without a plan, hoping progress will just happen over time. But without clear goals, it’s easy to plateau or feel like you’re spinning your wheels.
Why It Matters
Setting clear climbing goals helps you:
✅ Stay motivated – Having a goal gives you a reason to push yourself.
✅ Measure progress – You’ll know if you’re improving instead of just guessing.
✅ Train with purpose – Instead of climbing randomly, you can build your sessions around what actually helps you improve.
The problem is that most climbers set vague goals like “I just want to climb harder”, which doesn’t give you any real direction. Instead, try using the SMART goal method:
🔹 Specific: What exactly do you want to achieve? (e.g. “Send a V4” instead of “Climb better”)
🔹 Measurable: How will you track progress? (e.g. “Climb three V3s clean before attempting a V4”)
🔹 Achievable: Is this goal realistic for where you are right now? (Don’t jump from V2 to V7 overnight.)
🔹 Relevant: Does this goal fit your climbing style and weaknesses? (If endurance is your struggle, focus on that.)
🔹 Time-bound: Set a deadline to keep yourself honest. (e.g. “Send a V4 in 8 weeks”)
Example Goals Using the SMART Method
❌ “I want to climb better.”
✅ “I want to send a V4 in the next 8 weeks by improving my footwork and endurance.”
❌ “I want to lead climb more.”
✅ “I’ll lead climb at least once per session for the next month to build confidence.”
Pro Tip: Track Your Goals for Maximum Progress
Once you set a goal, the next step is tracking your progress. Without tracking, it’s easy to feel like you’re not improving even when you are.
✅ Write down each session: What routes you tried, what went well, what needs work.
✅ Track small wins: Did a crux move feel easier? Did you get one hold higher than last time?
✅ Review and adjust: If you’re not progressing, tweak your approach.
➡️ Want an easy way to track your goals? My Elevate Your Climbing: Training Planner and Tracker is built to help you stay consistent, log your sessions, and make real progress [Check it out here]. If you want to go deeper on the how, here’s a full guide on how to track your climbing progress so you actually improve.
By setting clear goals and tracking them, you’ll climb with more focus, improve faster, and stay motivated.
Step 2: Focus on Technique (Not Just Strength or Mileage)
A lot of climbers think the only way to get better is to climb more or get stronger. Both can help, but neither one fixes bad movement habits, and those are often the biggest reason climbers plateau.
If you’re not actively working on your technique, you’re just grooving the same inefficient movement patterns every session.
Why It Matters
Good technique makes climbing feel easier, even on hard routes. Without it:
❌ You waste energy muscling through moves instead of moving efficiently.
❌ You struggle with balance, footwork, and body positioning.
❌ You feel stuck at a plateau no matter how strong you get.
Think about it. Elite climbers don’t just have strong fingers. They have precise footwork, smooth weight shifts, and efficient movement that make hard climbing look easy.
How to Improve Your Technique
Instead of just showing up and hoping to improve, give part of each session to focused technique drills.
✅ Pick one technical skill to focus on per session (e.g. footwork, hip positioning, balance).
✅ Climb easier routes on purpose, slowing down and paying attention to movement quality.
✅ Use drills to reinforce good habits instead of just repeating bad ones.
A simple way to structure a session:
🔹 Warm-up: Do a drill focused on one movement pattern.
🔹 Climb with intention: Apply that technique on real routes.
🔹 Reflect: What worked? What didn’t? Adjust as needed.
Drills That Actually Help You Improve
The best way to build better technique is through deliberate practice with drills. A few to start with:
✅ Silent Feet Drill – Forces you to be precise and intentional with every foot placement.
✅ Flag Everything Drill – Trains balance and stability by making you flag on every move so you stay in control. If flagging still feels random to you, here’s when to flag in climbing and how to do it.
✅ Pause and Plan Drill – Improves route reading and movement efficiency.
Footwork is usually the fastest place to find free grades, so it’s worth drilling on its own. These 17 footwork drills for climbing give you plenty to rotate through, and if you only have a short window, try the best drills to improve your climbing in just 10 minutes a session.
If you’d rather have someone else pick the drill and count the reps for you, that’s exactly what the Grip & Grind app is for. It hands you short, movement-focused drills to work through so you’re not standing at the wall guessing what to do next.
💡 Want a structured way to train your technique? My book, 77 Drills to Help You Climb Better, is packed with drills for footwork, balance, efficiency, and body positioning. Instead of guessing what to work on, you’ll have a roadmap to refine your movement and climb better, faster. [Check it out here]
Pro Tip: Treat Technique Like Strength Training
Most climbers set aside time for strength training but skip technique training, when really both should be part of your plan.
🚀 Try this: Spend at least 15 to 20 minutes per session doing drills or climbing with a technique focus. Over time those small tweaks add up to huge improvements.
By prioritizing deliberate technique work, you’ll climb smarter, not just harder, and unlock real progress.
Step 3: Train Your Weaknesses (Not Just What You Like)
It’s human nature. We like doing what we’re good at and avoiding what feels hard. But in climbing, dodging your weaknesses is the fastest way to stay stuck (makes sense, right?).
If you only train what you’re already good at, your progress will be slow and lopsided. The key to real improvement is naming your weaknesses and actively working on them.
Why It Matters
Every climber has strengths and weaknesses. If you don’t address your weak spots:
❌ You’ll plateau because you’re avoiding the skills that would level you up.
❌ Certain styles of climbing will always feel impossible.
❌ Your progress will be capped by the thing you struggle with most.
Think about it. If you only climb overhangs because you love them but avoid slabs, you’ll never build the balance and footwork you need to improve. The best climbers are well-rounded because they train their weaknesses, not just their strengths.
How to Identify Your Weaknesses
Not sure what’s holding you back? Run through this quick climbing weakness check:
✅ Technique: Do you struggle with footwork, balance, or body positioning?
✅ Strength: Do you feel like you can’t hold onto small holds or lack pulling power?
✅ Endurance: Do you get pumped quickly and fall apart on longer routes?
✅ Mental Game: Do you hesitate on lead, second-guess moves, or freeze up on the wall?
If you’re not sure, ask a coach or an experienced climber to watch you climb. They can often spot weaknesses you don’t even notice.
How to Train Your Weaknesses
Once you’ve named your weak areas, give part of each session to working on them.
✅ If footwork is an issue → Spend 10 to 15 minutes on footwork drills (Silent Feet, Flag Everything).
✅ If grip strength is holding you back → Add short fingerboard sessions after climbing.
✅ If endurance is the problem → Try ARC training (low-intensity climbing for 20 minutes or more).
✅ If mental barriers are limiting you → Practice falling in a controlled setting to build confidence. Nervous about it? Start with how to deal with the fear of falling.
💡 A good rule of thumb: Spend at least a third of your climbing time working on your weaknesses. It’s not always fun, but it’s how you make the fastest progress.
Pro Tip: Make Weakness Training a Habit
The biggest mistake climbers make is thinking, “I’ll work on that later.” But if you don’t schedule time for weakness training, you’ll keep putting it off.
➡️ Try this: Before every session, pick ONE thing to improve and give it at least 15 minutes.
By actively training your weaknesses, you’ll become a more well-rounded climber, progress faster, and break through plateaus.
Step 4: Track Your Progress to Stay Motivated
One of the biggest reasons climbers feel stuck, even when they’re improving, is that they aren’t tracking anything. Without a way to measure improvement, it’s easy to feel like you’re going nowhere.
If you’re not tracking what you’re doing, how do you actually know if you’re getting better?
Why It Matters
Tracking your progress helps you:
✅ See improvements over time – Even small gains add up, but you won’t notice them unless you look back.
✅ Stay motivated – It’s easier to push through tough sessions when you can see you’re making progress.
✅ Spot patterns in your climbing – What’s working? What’s not? Tracking helps you adjust.
Without tracking, you might be improving without even realizing it, which makes climbing feel frustrating when you don’t instantly send harder routes.
How to Track Your Climbing Progress
Tracking doesn’t have to be complicated. You just need a simple way to log your sessions and reflect on what changed.
Here’s what to jot down after each session:
✅ Routes attempted and sent – What grades? What styles?
✅ Breakthroughs and struggles – What felt easier? What did you fight with?
✅ Skills or drills practiced – What technique did you work on?
✅ Adjustments for next time – What will you focus on next session?
This doesn’t just help you see progress. It helps you climb with intention, because you’ll start each session with a clearer focus.
The Power of Video
A game-changer for tracking progress? Filming your climbs.
🎥 Watching yourself climb can be eye-opening. You’ll catch footwork mistakes, wasted movement, and bad habits you had no idea you had. Try filming the same route a few weeks apart to see how your movement improves over time.
Pro Tip: Use a Climbing Planner and Tracker for Faster Progress
A training journal makes it way easier to stay consistent and track your climbing over time. That’s why I created my Elevate Your Climbing: Training Planner and Tracker, to help climbers set goals, log sessions, and see real progress.
➡️ Want to make tracking easy? Grab a copy here
By tracking your sessions, you’ll be able to see and celebrate small wins, stay motivated, and climb with more purpose, which is exactly how you improve faster.
Step 5: Balance Climbing With Strength and Mobility Training
Climbing is a full-body sport, but a lot of climbers only train by climbing, which can lead to plateaus, weaknesses, and even injuries. Strength and mobility work might not feel as exciting as sending a new project, but they play a huge role in long-term progress.
If you want to climb harder, you need to train your body for climbing, not just climb more.
Why It Matters
If you only climb, you might be neglecting key areas that shape your performance:
❌ Weak fingers or pulling strength – Limits your ability to hold onto small holds.
❌ Poor mobility – Makes high steps, drop knees, and flexy moves harder.
❌ Muscle imbalances – Can lead to injuries, especially in the shoulders and elbows.
Climbers who add strength and mobility work tend to:
✅ Climb harder grades with less effort
✅ Lower their risk of injury
✅ Have better endurance and power
What to Focus On
The goal isn’t to lift heavy or train like a bodybuilder. It’s to build the strength and mobility that directly help your climbing.
🦾 Strength Training (2x per week):
✅ Finger Strength: Hangboarding or weighted dead hangs to improve grip.
✅ Pulling Strength: Pull-ups, lock-off training, and weighted hangs.
✅ Core Strength: Leg raises, L-sits, and anti-rotation work (like Pallof presses).
✅ Leg Strength: Step-ups, pistol squats, and calf raises for steadier footwork.
🦵 Mobility Training (2 to 3x per week):
✅ Hip Mobility: Deep squats, Cossack squats, and hip openers for high steps.
✅ Shoulder Mobility: Scapular retractions and banded work to protect your shoulders.
✅ Ankle Mobility: Toe raises and deep lunges for better smearing and toe placement.
You don’t need to spend hours in the gym. Even 10 to 20 minutes after a climbing session can make a huge difference over time.
Pro Tip: Train Smarter, Not Harder
🚀 Try this: Replace one climbing session per week with a focused strength and mobility session.
🔹 You’ll recover better and come back stronger without overloading your body.
By balancing climbing with strength and mobility work, you’ll feel stronger on the wall, move more efficiently, and cut your injury risk, which sets you up for long-term progress.
Step 6: Rest and Recover (Yes, It’s Part of Progress)
If you think climbing more is always the answer, think again. More isn’t always better. Better is better. Without proper rest and recovery, your body doesn’t get the chance to rebuild and adapt, which can actually slow you down.
Climbing is demanding on your muscles, tendons, and nervous system. If you’re constantly pushing without recovering, you’re setting yourself up for plateaus, burnout, and injury.
Why It Matters
Your body improves when you rest, not just when you train. Without enough recovery:
❌ You’ll feel fatigued and plateau faster.
❌ Your risk of injuries (like tendonitis) goes up.
❌ You won’t build strength and endurance as efficiently.
But resting doesn’t mean doing nothing. Active recovery and smart habits help you come back stronger.
How to Recover Smarter
✅ Listen to your body: If you’re constantly sore, fatigued, or feeling weaker than usual, you probably need more rest.
✅ Prioritize sleep: Your body rebuilds and strengthens muscle while you sleep. Aim for 7 to 9 hours per night for solid recovery.
✅ Hydrate and eat well: Good nutrition and hydration help your muscles bounce back faster. Focus on protein for muscle repair and carbs for energy.
✅ Use active recovery: Rest days don’t mean lying on the couch all day. Light movement like yoga, stretching, or an easy hike keeps your body mobile without overloading it.
✅ Build in rest days: At least 1 to 2 rest days per week will help you improve more efficiently than climbing every day.
Pro Tip: If You’re Plateauing, Try More Rest
🚀 Try this: Take an extra rest day before a big climbing session and see how much stronger you feel. Most climbers are surprised at how much better they perform after proper recovery.
By prioritizing rest and recovery, you’ll actually improve faster, lower your injury risk, and feel stronger every time you climb.
How to Actually Progress in Climbing Instead of Just Winging It
Climbing progress doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you train with intention. If you’ve been showing up and hoping for improvement, it’s time to take a more structured approach.
Here’s your game plan for real climbing progress:
✅ Set clear goals so you know what you’re working toward.
✅ Prioritize technique instead of just climbing more.
✅ Train your weaknesses instead of sticking to what feels comfortable.
✅ Track your progress so you can see and measure improvement.
✅ Add strength and mobility work to support your climbing.
✅ Prioritize rest so your body can recover and adapt.
🚀 The fastest way to improve? Climb with purpose, track your progress, and train smarter, not just harder.
And if you want that structure handed to you in bite-sized pieces, the best thing you can do is get one good climbing drill in your inbox every week. That’s exactly what the free Send Edition newsletter is: one short, focused way to train for about 15 minutes at a time, so you always know what to work on next. Join free here and level up your climbing with 15 minutes of training.
If you’re ready to take your climbing to the next level, start training with purpose today. If you want an easy way to stay accountable, check out my Elevate Your Climbing: Training Planner and Tracker to help you log your sessions and stay consistent [check it out here].
💡 Want to improve your technique fast? Grab a copy of 77 Drills to Help You Climb Better for structured, easy-to-follow drills built to sharpen your movement [check it out here].
👉 What’s your biggest climbing goal right now? Let me know in the comments.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to actually progress in climbing?
It depends on where you’re starting and how you train, but climbers who practice with intention usually notice changes within a few weeks. Setting a SMART goal like sending a V4 in 8 weeks gives you a realistic window to work with. The climbers who progress fastest aren’t the ones who climb the most. They’re the ones who set clear goals, drill their technique, and track what they’re doing.
Why am I stuck at the same grade even though I climb a lot?
Usually it’s because you’re repeating the same movement habits instead of improving them. Climbing more only reinforces whatever you already do, good or bad. To break through, spend part of each session on technique drills, train the weaknesses you tend to avoid, and make sure you’re resting enough for your body to adapt.
How much of my session should I spend on weaknesses?
A good rule of thumb is at least a third of your climbing time. It’s not the fun part, but avoiding your weak spots is the fastest way to stay stuck. Pick one thing to improve before each session, whether that’s footwork, endurance, or the mental game, and give it a focused 15 minutes.
Do I need to train off the wall to improve at climbing?
You don’t have to, but strength and mobility work helps a lot, especially as you climb harder. Just 10 to 20 minutes after a session on finger strength, pulling, core, and hip and shoulder mobility can improve your performance and lower your injury risk. The goal isn’t to train like a bodybuilder. It’s to build the strength and mobility that directly help your climbing.
What’s the easiest way to start climbing with more intention?
Start small. Pick one goal, one drill, and track your sessions so you can see what’s working. If you want it handled for you, a weekly climbing drill in your inbox keeps you focused without any planning. You can also use a training planner to log sessions or the Grip & Grind app to work through short, guided drills.
