Continuous climbing lap
3 rounds of nonstop climbing until pumped, 5 min rest between rounds.
- Slot
- On the wall
- Focus
- Endurance
- Time
- 25 min
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Injury risk
- Low
- Intervals
- 3 rounds, 5:00 rest
- Equipment
- Boulders, Easy circuit, Timer
How to do it
Find an easy traverse or loop of problems you can climb without stepping off. Climb nonstop until your forearms are too pumped to continue (usually 3-6 minutes), then rest 5 minutes. Repeat for 3 rounds. Keep the holds easy enough that pump, not a hard move, is what stops you.
Who it’s for
Finding out where your pump limit actually is. Climbing until your forearms stop you, rather than until a timer does, is a different and more honest measure.
Common mistakes
- Holds that are too hard. Pump should end the round, not a move you can’t do.
- Stepping off to shake out. Nonstop means nonstop.
- Cutting the five-minute rest. Full recovery between rounds, or round three is meaningless.
How to progress
Track how long each round lasts. When all three rounds get past six minutes, make the holds worse rather than the loop longer.
When it fits
The training periods this exercise fits into in Blok Sessions.
- Base Lots of easy climbing, good movement and aerobic fitness.
- Power Endurance Keep your power through one hard move after another.
- Endurance Climb longer before you pump out, by moving efficiently.
- Deload Train less, let your fingers recover, keep moving.
Related blocks
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.