Beta before microbeta
One move that stops you, 8 tries, one change per try: sequence first, then body, details last.
- Slot
- On the wall
- Focus
- Problem solving
- Time
- 19 min
- Intensity
- High intensity
- Injury risk
- Moderate injury risk
- Equipment
- Boulders, Notebook
How to do it
Take a move on your project that keeps stopping you. Give it 8 tries with about 90 seconds of rest, changing exactly one thing per try, in this order. First the beta itself: a different hand order, a different foot sequence, another hold. Then what Kris Hampton calls macrobeta, the big things: more body tension, hips closer to the wall, moving faster through it, committing fully instead of feeling for the hold. Only then the small details, like a slightly different spot on a foothold. Say out loud what you're changing before each try and write down what each change did. Changing three things at once tells you nothing.
Run it now
The same timer as the app: a five-second get-ready, then every round and rest counted down with a beep. Keep this page open while you train.
Beta before microbeta
0:00 / 18:35
Ready
18:35
8 rounds
One move that stops you, 8 tries, one change per try: sequence first, then body, details last.
High risk: read the protocol, stop if anything feels wrong.
- 8
- rounds
- 1:30
- rest
- 18:35
- total
Done.
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Take the quizWho it's for
Climbers stuck on one move of a project who keep trying the same thing a little harder. Giving each try a single job, in a set order, shows whether the problem is the sequence, your body or a small detail.
Common mistakes
- Starting with the details. Moving a foot slightly won't fix the wrong sequence. Try other beta first.
- Changing more than one thing. One per try, or you won't know what helped.
- Not saying it out loud. Naming the change before you pull on stops you slipping back into your old way halfway through.
- Not writing it down. After eight tries on a hard move, you won't remember which change did what.
- Cutting the rest short. It's a limit move. Tired tries only tell you that you're tired.
How to progress
When the move goes, run the same process on the next move that stops you. Over time you'll start working through the order in your head on every project, without needing the timer.
When it fits
The training periods this exercise fits into in Blok Sessions.
Power Explosive moves, momentum and coordination.
Performance Peak for a trip or a comp: focus, reading problems, trying hard.