Continuous climbing lap

Who it's for

Finding out where your pump limit actually is. Climbing until your forearms stop you gives an honest measure of your endurance, and timing each round gives you a number to track.

The holds stay easy, so newer climbers can do it from early on, and it's a useful drill for anyone who climbs routes or long boulder circuits. If you're coming back from a finger or elbow injury, get a physio to look at it before you go to full pump.

Common mistakes

• Holds that are too hard. Pump should end the round. If one hard move keeps stopping you, pick easier holds.
• Stepping off to shake out. Shake out on a good hold while you're still on the wall, then keep moving.
• Cutting the five-minute rest. Full recovery between rounds, or round three is meaningless.
• Racing round the loop. Rushing gets you pumped from sloppy moves and squeezing the holds too hard. Climb at a steady pace, place your feet carefully and breathe.
• A loop that's too short. Going back and forth over the same few holds lets you rest on the easiest ones. Use a traverse or a chain of problems long enough that the moves keep changing.

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.

How to make it easier

Use bigger holds and a less steep wall. Stop each round a little before full pump, and do fewer rounds if the third one falls apart. Vertical walls with plenty of footholds let you take weight off your arms, which is a good place to start if nonstop climbing is new to you.

Where it fits in your week

It fits a Base, Endurance or Power Endurance period, and it's gentle enough for a light week too, where you stop short of full pump. Do it at the end of a session after your hard bouldering, or as the main part of a lighter wall day. Keep it away from the start of a session where you want to try hard moves.

Questions

What is nonstop climbing?

Nonstop climbing is moving continuously on easy holds for several minutes without stepping off the wall. It's usually a traverse or a loop of easy problems. You keep going until your forearms are too pumped to hold on, which trains the endurance you need for long routes and long boulder circuits.

How long should you climb nonstop?

Climb nonstop until pump stops you, which usually takes 3-6 minutes on easy holds. Then rest 5 minutes and repeat for 3 rounds. If you're coming off well before three minutes, the holds are probably too hard. If every round goes past six minutes, make the holds worse and keep the loop the same length.

Is nonstop climbing good for endurance?

Yes, nonstop climbing is one of the simplest ways to train climbing endurance, because your forearms work for minutes at a time on holds you can manage. Timing each round gives you a number to track from week to week. Later in a training block, add harder power endurance work alongside it.

Can beginners do nonstop climbing?

Yes, beginners can do nonstop climbing, and it's a good early endurance drill because the holds stay easy. Pick a traverse well below your limit so pump is what ends each round. It also gives you minutes of footwork practice, since tired arms make you rely on your feet.