I think that in terms of progress in anything there are 2 major areas of focus: getting better (deliberate practice), and trying harder. Often we get stuck in either camp, but both of these areas can become a trap.
Climbing and Kettlebells
Gratitude and Owning Your Shit
Specificity In Training
I often have conversations with climbers regarding their training programs and the nature of their focus, i.e. strength training in the gym, hangboard repeaters, hangboard max hangs, campusing and projecting all in a week. A little bit of everything training, the generalists approach. But is this the best approach?
More Progress, No Training
Is Projecting Becoming A Forgotten Art?
Modern gyms are clean, tidy and there is an endless supply of new climbs, shiny new climbs that are at our flash grade or maybe just a little bit harder so we get the feeling of trying just hard enough, just long enough to make the sweet sweet taste of success from reaching the top irresistible.
Don’t get me wrong, its pretty awesome to walk into a nice clean gym with good coffee, endless climbs, new movements and the impending sense of immediate achievement of topping a climb has been the catalyst for the speed at which this sport grows.
It does raise a question though: Is real projecting becoming a forgotten art?