Power, technique, strategy. Which one should come first?
I’ve been taking up rock climbing recently. It’s only been twice but it’s really fun. Like all physical sports though, those three components are there. And the question that comes up is, which do I need the most first?
Power is the foundation of any physical activity. Without it, you simply couldn’t do much. Even with great technique, you still need power to pull off those techniques. It’s said that in martial arts, it’s 70% power and 30% technique.
But of course, without proper technique, a lot of that power would be wasted. Technique provides efficiency that minimises the power used. It doesn’t remove the need completely, it just minimizes it. Technique is about the right way to climb.
But what about strategy? If technique is the right way to climb, strategy is about the right place to climb. Imagine climbing the hard way when there’s an easier route just beside you? Strategy is about choosing what to do, which technique to use and where to use it.
So which training method should I adopt? Luckily, my short exposure to magic has given me the proper quote for this. “Practice doesn’t make perfect, proper practice makes perfect.”
And I’m a huge believer in that.
So I’m gonna go through the top down route. Strategy first. I’ll practice my strategy by visualizing my climb completely before making it. Technique second. I’ll practice my technique by trying the “only features for hands” training drill. Power third. Only after I’ve done these will I practice my upper body power more by doing static hangs.
Would this work?
After looking around a little more, it seems that forearm pump is the biggest problem for beginners (besides technique). So I’ll also incorporate some endurance to ward that off.
There, that sounds like the start of a reasonable training plan!