K^2
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Posts posted by K^2
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Fuhrer Finger
W Ridge of Stuart
Forbidden
N ridge of Baker
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What weight exercizes have people found that isolate a muscle groups most effectively?
I agree that isolating muscle groups is very important and effective. However, I would caution against picking one or two exercises for a particular muscle group and doing those same exercises exclusively for that muscle group. A better approach is to have an entire "suite" of isolating exercises for each muscle group that you cycle through to mix up your workouts. Otherwise it is easy to stagnate and not completely develop said muscles.
On the biceps theme, here are some isolating exercises I use:
1) standing barbell curl, wide grip
2) standing barbell curl, narrow grip
3) standing barbell curl, reverse grip
4) preacher curl, barbell
5) standing dumbbell curl, supinate
6) standing dumbbell curl, hammer-head
7) seated dumbbell curl, hammer-head
8) seated concentration curl
9) preacher curl, dumbell
10) preacher curl, "nautilus" style machine
Typically I pick 3 of these, and do three sets each in a workout. Then the next time I focus on biceps, I swap the set of exercises I do.
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You rest 3 days between muscle groups and don't do one mucscle more than twice in a week.
Given that I only do one set till burn, what's the upside/downside of working the same muscle group 3 times a week instead of only 2? I've read 48 to 72 hour recovery time minimum, so I went with 48, with a 72 hour rest once a week.
I split my body into 3 parts for working out:
biceps/triceps
chest/back
legs/shoulders
It works out great this way - can in theory go 6 days on, 1 day off when I am not climbing. Otherwise, I try to go 3 on, 1 off. However I have dropped the legs in lieu of more cardio the last 2 years, and in general rarely do more than 4 weight-training days a week, so the breakdown isn't as useful as it once was.
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What I said was that any workout mimiking a "climbing pump" is not the best for developing strength. Unless you are bouldering, a climbing pump is predominately an endurance phenomenon. Doing finger rolls with failure at 50 ( picked because Dmuja uses 50 for push-ups) reps is not as effective for building strength as fewer reps w/ more weight. Same goes with 25. BTW finger rolls with a lot of weight (240+) are hard to do with proper form.Another thing I've tried are supersets where you basically bundle three sets together, rep to failure on the first, drop the weight, rep to failure, drop the weight and rep to failure with no rest - big burn. Then rest 2-3 minutes before you do the next superset.
I think that going to failure is the most important factor.
In the 5 to 15 rep range my own take is fewer reps and fewer sets is fine for building strength and makes recovery easier.
On lat pull down I use to like to do the following:
1 set of six
Rest 3min
1 RM
Rest 3 min
1 set to (six max) at a higher weight than first set
Rest
1 RM
rest 3 min
1 set to (six max) at a higher weight than third set
Rest 3 min
1 RM
It takes awhile to get the weights right but in general the 1 RM should be of increasing weight.
Another practice that is useful for strength building is "pyramid"-ing your sets. Warm up with a weight you can do 10-12 reps, then increase the weight by 5-10 lbs (depends on muscle), go to failure, keep going up until you are at a weight where you can only do 4-6 reps, then start dropping the weight.
biceps again
10 reps @ 35 lb
8 reps @ 40 lb
6 reps @ 45 lb
4 reps @ 50 lb
6 reps @ 45 lb
7-8 reps @ 40 lb
9-10 reps @ 35 lb
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Anyhow - when I'm actually trying to accomplish something, I typically do a warmup set at about 12-15 reps@ ~50% of max, 3-4 sets of 4 to 6 reps @ ~65-70% of max, and 1-2 reps at around ~80-90% of max.
The way I learned it (and it's worked for me is):
9 sets at 4-6 reps for "bulk".
9 sets at 8-10 reps for "strength".
In both cases you must be at failure on the last rep. So to get through 9 sets you may be dropping the weight 5-15 lbs at some point.
You rest 3 days between muscle groups and don't do one mucscle more than twice in a week.
So, for example, for biceps, I might do 3 sets of 6-8 reps at 45 lb per arm, then drop to 40 lbs for 3 sets, then 37.5 lbs for the last 3. I would do this no more then twice a week. YMMV.
Another thing I've tried are supersets where you basically bundle three sets together, rep to failure on the first, drop the weight, rep to failure, drop the weight and rep to failure with no rest - big burn. Then rest 2-3 minutes before you do the next superset.
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:tup: +1
I have little kids and climb alpine routes. I just tend to be a little on the cautious side, both in terms of route selection and in terms of canceling a trip or bailing if I don't like the weather or conditions.
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To elaborate, I used to be a pretty damn good climber but "I" chose a different path once the kids came into the picture. My now X-wife was totally freaked out about me climbing and would go so far as to deny sex for days after my return. THIS IS A TRUE STORY!!! So, I scaled back my climbing more and more and resented her more and more.
Here is my rationalization for resenting her and eventually divorcing her. She is a controlling bitch.
OK, more elaboration. I get all the points above and heartily disagree with your solutions. Getting out in the mountains has been the single biggest part of my life since I was 3 or 4 years old. Anyone who knows me for longer than 14 minutes will figure this out. SO why didn't my X figure this out before getting married? A woman marries a man thinking he will change. He does not. In my case, I would sooner donate my testicles to the Catholic church.
The less I got out, the less "in tune" I was to my surroundings. This led to many near misses that I normally would have avoided. Weather is an unknown? I don't think so. If you pull your pants down in a crowded room you are going to get caught with your pants down. Same for not having the right gear in the mountains.
Caught by a lightning storm? Let me guess, between 2 and 4PM right?
And so forth.
Life is inherently dangerous. I know a 12 yr old who was accosted by a pedofile in her driveway (no asshole, it wasn't me). How many of us know someone who died on a freeway?
Did I think more about it when my kids came around? Yes. Did I get beat by a big stick in the hands of my wife? Yes.
Which had the most effect, climbing or the stick?
I climbed way more safely when I got out regularly than I do now.
Just ask EricB.
Quit playin and you die...end o' story..
If yer gonna die, die with your boots on.
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Fuhrer Finger: both weekends I set aside had crap weather. Putting it on the list for 2008.
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I'm a new father as well.
I was just interested in a discussion of the comparative dangers. Of course, we all know you can die doing pretty much anything.
My family means a lot to me, but that doesn't mean giving up mountaineering, snowboarding, etc. Does it mean taking fewer risks? Maybe.
For me, I think I'd be a worse father for sitting around with the family and resenting them for the fact that I couldn't go out and do my thing than actually going now and again and being the happier for being around them.
I can't quantify those things either.
I guess my interest was not necessarily in parents giving up their passions for family, though that is an interesting point as well.
To me it seems that there are some serious mistakes you can easily make rock climbing which will lead to certain, serious injury or death, and less such mistakes on moderate glacier routes. For example: rapelling.
Beyond that I'd say the question has more to do with the commitment level of a climb (e.g. grade III and up) than to whether it's rock versus glacier. Once you get up to higher grades on glaciers for example, it seems the margin for error shrinks.
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Trip: Alta - S. Ridge
Date: 11/23/2007
Trip Report:
With the nice weather, C., L. and I decided to head out on a snowshoe this Friday. A crack of dawn start was not in the cards for me with in-laws over, and the overindulgence of food and drink that comes with the territory.
We met in Issaquah at 8 and headed up to the Rachel Lake TH. Not far up from the turnoff into the snow park, we hit snow, which deepened and became hard and icy in the tire ruts. We were grateful to have C's 4 wheel drive. Also, we were pleasantly surprised by the amount of snow at this elevation (well under 3000 ft), expecting bare trail at the TH and on up. Certainly you'd not guess this amount of snow based on the drive up I-90.
We got to Rachel Lake TH at about 9:40, and saw just one car - a subaru - which impressed us based on the deep powder at the TH. We never saw the occupants of the car, which was gone when we returned. The temps were hella cold... definitely low 20's if not colder. We all kept a jacket on, and put on snowshoes. It was foggy here although the drive in had been sunny.
The trail had about 6-12 inches of powder most of the way up to Rachel lake. There were a few bare spots here and there, and some nasty ice, including over two stream crossings. We saw two wonderful, partially-frozen waterfalls.
I kept snowshoes on the whole time, and winced with every scrape or creak on the intermittent bare dirt or rock. L. took off his snowshoes and found the going a bit tougher - fell once and banged his knee.
Rachel Lake was partially frozen. Still hella cold, but better in the sun which was hitting us now that we were above the low-lying fog layer.
We quickly ascended the trail to gain the ridge above Rachel lake, and broke trail through mostly deep powder upwards. After an hour we saw our objective... or so we thought. Up ahead was am obvious prominence at about the right elevation. Soon we were upon it, but a tree grove was in our way. We opted to drop down a bit on the E. side of the ridge to traverse maybe 100 meters, which was a bit exposed and nasty on snowshoes. I wished I had my ice axe out instead of trekking poles. Then we were within 60 feet of the summit. The slope was steeper and a bit icy. So we switched to crampons and ice axes and topped out. It was 2 pm.
Oops. Not the summit yet. We were at 6100 feet or so. Summit was about 1/2 mile away and 150 feet higher. Took some compass readings on Lila lakes and Hibox to verify. It was a nice spot - good views, sun up, daylight wouldn't be around much longer. I voted to stop there. C. and L. had summit fever and went on. I plopped down, ate, drank and enjoyed the views, and watched my partners tag the actual summit and return in about 1 hr and 20 min. They reported an easy ridge run with one steep nasty exposed part at the end. Don't fall. They kept their crampons on.
We quickly hauled ass down to Rachel lake to keep as much daylight as we could. After our last gear change we headed down at 4:15. It soon got dark. Headlamps on, and time for the icy parts. L. and C. wore crampons the whole way down - I just had boots and trekking poles. I kept up just fine, but slipped once, and my trekking pole broke in two (time for an exchange at REI). We got back to the car at 6:15.
A good way to work off the Thanksgiving glutton-fest.
Gear Notes:
ice axe, crampons, snowshoes.
Approach Notes:
1 foot of powder at trailhead. Nasty icy patches at several spots, including stream crossings under waterfalls.
Gibralter ledges route in June
in Mount Rainier NP
Posted
The first ascent of the year appears to have been gib ledges: linky
Conditions on the Muir Snowfield look awful... for a skier.