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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
Injury risk
Moderate
Intervals
8 rounds, 1:30 rest
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.

Who 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.

Start with a ready-made block

A six-week strength plan with a deload, as a file for the app, and seven short emails on how to run it.