I started hunting for a climbing training planner after reading a stack of sports psychology books, and what I found changed how I think about getting better. Turns out plenty of athletes and universities pour serious money into figuring out what actually works, so there’s a mountain of research on it. The big takeaway? The key to a successful athlete isn’t just the right exercises at the right time with the right food (though that’s part of it). It’s having a plan and using a training planner to track it so you can genuinely track your progress and stay motivated.
If you want to level up your climbing, you’ve got to track your progress and stay motivated. That’s tough for any athlete, but climbing makes it even trickier. A climbing-specific training planner takes care of that. It’s a simple tool that helps you stay on track, dodge injury, watch your progress, tailor your training, and save time. If you’d rather see the plan-and-track idea broken down step by step first, we walk through it in how to track your climbing progress so you actually improve.
- To stay on track. It’s easy to drift when you’re winging it. A training planner keeps you pointed at your goals and makes sure you’re actually moving forward.
- To prevent injury. Climbing is hard on the body, so you want to train in a way that keeps your injury risk low. A good planner helps you build your workload gradually and steer clear of overtraining.
- To track your progress. A planner shows you how far you’ve come over time. That’s a huge motivator and it keeps you honest with your goals.
- To customize your training. You can shape the planner around your own needs and goals, so you spend your energy on the parts of your climbing that need the most work.
- To save time. Plan your sessions ahead and you won’t waste half your gym time figuring out what to do once you’re there.
The Send Edition climbing training planner is my ideal way to track progress
I’ve tried a handful of climbing training planners, plus a few regular fitness ones. Most of them tracked sets, reps, and weight, and some had room to jot beta for a project. But none of them checked every box I needed. So I built my own training planner.
It works for climbers at any level. I designed it to help you track your progress across a bunch of areas, including climbing grades, mobility, flexibility, strength, and drills. It also tracks performance and motivation, which is a big part of staying fired up and leveling up your climbing.
Here’s what the planner does for you:
- It tracks your progress across the board. Climbing grades, mobility, flexibility, strength, and drills all in one place.
- It shows you your strengths and weaknesses. Once you can see them, you can adjust your plan to fit what you actually need.
- It keeps you motivated. The performance and motivation tracking lets you watch your progress add up over time, which keeps you chasing your goals.
- It’s easy to use. The planner is digital, so it goes wherever you train, whether that’s the gym or the crag.
The first section is an evaluation that helps you spot your strengths and weaknesses. From there you can tweak your training plan to match what you personally need to work on.
The second section is a monthly planner for tracking training and rest days. It’s got a quick rating for how each session went, so you can see your progress over time, plus a fast way to mark whether you hit your goals for the day.
The third section is a daily view where you set your intentions or goals for a training or rest day, note what the day includes, and check off the exercises as you finish them. This section also has performance tracking and evaluation to keep your motivation up and your climbing trending in the right direction.
The planner is digital, so it’s perfect for your tablet (I use the Goodnote app) or you can print it out. Either way it’s easy to bring along to the gym or wherever you train.
It’s simple to use, and it helps you track your progress, stay motivated, and level up your climbing.
If you’re serious about climbing harder, I’d really encourage you to put a training planner to work. It’s one of the most useful tools I’ve found for reaching my goals. And if you want to see what deliberate progress looks like when you stop guessing, this piece on how to actually progress in climbing instead of just winging it pairs nicely with a planner.
Why does this planner lean so hard into performance evaluation and mental training?
Remember those sports psychology books I mentioned? On top of reading them, I’ve talked with a few sports psychologists about what they actually do with their athletes that moves the needle most. What they told me genuinely surprised me.
A lot of athletic programs have paid thousands of dollars for the perfect training program for each athlete, but that isn’t what makes the difference. Following a training plan to the letter doesn’t mean you’ll get the same results the top players do. So why not? Is it just genetics?
It turns out better performance comes from way more than the most expensive training plan. Across every conversation and book from sports psychologists I’ve dug into, I narrowed it down to 5 things that separate a good athlete’s training from the best athlete’s training:
- Motivation
- Concentration
- Anxiety Control
- Belief
- Decision Making
Pro programs in basketball, tennis, and football pay sports psychologists hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to track and improve these 5 elements in their athletes.
Here’s the thing. Pair a decent training routine with tracking and improving these 5 elements, and you’re going to see real gains in your climbing. I’m not a psychologist and I doubt many climbers are, but climbing is unique because so many of us already feel how much the mind drives performance. We can track these 5 elements and take real steps to get better at them. If you want to go deeper on that side of things, our guide to mental training for climbing is a great next read.
So I built these 5 elements right into the training planner, the same place I’m already tracking my training. That way I get a version of what the pros are getting, minus the six-figure price tag. And figuring I’m probably not the only climber who wants that, I decided to share the planner with everyone else. Which is exactly why you’re reading this right now.
What to look for when buying your first climbing training planner
Climbing isn’t like most sports, so you want a training planner built for climbing, not just general fitness. Plenty of fitness planners track your reps and weight, and even give you a spot for personal records like your max deadlift. Weight training is often part of climbing prep, sure, but reps, weight, and PRs aren’t the only things you need to track when you train for climbing.
There’s a lot to weigh when you’re picking a planner, but the big ones are:
- Your goals. What are you after? Harder routes, cleaner technique, or just staying fit? Once you know, you can look for a planner built to get you there.
- Your current fitness level. New to climbing? Start with a beginner-friendly plan. As you get stronger and more experienced, dial up the intensity and length of your sessions.
- Your schedule. How much time can you honestly give to training each week? Some planners ask for more than others, so find one that fits your life.
- Your budget. Planners run from free to hundreds of dollars. Find one that fits both your wallet and your needs.
- Your preferences. Some folks want a ready-made plan, others like building their own. There are plenty of options either way.
- How flexible it is. Look for a planner that lets you adjust the workouts to fit your own needs and goals.
- How easy it is to use. It should be clear and simple to read, with instructions that make sense.
- The support behind it. Make sure there’s some kind of help available, like a website or forum where you can ask questions.
With so much to weigh, picking the right planner can feel like a lot. But take your time comparing your options and you’ll land on one that fits you.
Quick tips for creating and using a training planner
Building or using a training planner is one of the better ways to climb stronger, stay healthy, and keep your motivation up. If you’re serious about climbing, give it a shot.
- Start with your goals. What do you want out of your training? Harder routes, better technique, or just staying fit? Once you know, you can build a plan around it.
- Factor in your current fitness level. If you’re new to climbing, start with a beginner’s plan and ramp up the intensity and duration as you get stronger.
- Be realistic. Don’t do too much too soon. If regular training is new to you, start with a few days a week and build from there.
- Stay flexible. Things won’t always go to plan, so roll with it. Feeling wiped or sore? Take a rest day. Miss a session? Don’t beat yourself up, just pick back up where you left off. Speaking of which, here’s what to actually do with those off days: 7 things climbers should do on rest days for better performance.
Want to build the tracking habit without buying anything first? Grab our free newsletter and get a fresh climbing drill every week in about 15 minutes, so you’ve always got something worth logging in your planner. And if you’d rather train with structure guiding you through it, the Grip & Grind app is where I do my day-to-day drills.
Frequently asked questions
What is a climbing training planner?
A climbing training planner is a tool for laying out your sessions ahead of time and tracking your progress in the areas that matter for climbing, like grades, mobility, flexibility, strength, and drills. Unlike a general fitness planner, it’s built around climbing instead of just reps and weight.
How does a training planner help you track your progress and stay motivated?
It keeps a running record of your sessions, your goals, and how each day went, so you can actually see your progress add up over time. Watching that progress stack up is one of the best ways to stay motivated and keep pointed at your goals.
Why does the Send Edition planner include mental training?
Because performance comes from more than a perfect workout. From sports psychology research and conversations with sports psychologists, I narrowed it to 5 elements that separate good athletes from the best: motivation, concentration, anxiety control, belief, and decision making. The planner tracks these alongside your physical training so you can improve on both.
Can I use the planner on a tablet or do I have to print it?
Either works. The planner is digital, so you can use it on a tablet (I use the Goodnote app) or print it out and bring the paper version to the gym or crag.
Do I need to be an advanced climber to use a training planner?
Not at all. The planner works for climbers at any level. If you’re just getting started, begin with a simple beginner plan and build up as you get stronger and more experienced.
Where this fits in your training
The planner is the tool. The plan is what goes in it. The Climbing Training Hub shows how tracking, rest, drills, and strength fit together, and which one to fix first.
