Jump into lock-off

Who it's for

Catching a hold and holding it, which is a different skill from reaching it. If your dynamic moves work but you keep sinking off the catch, this is the gap.

It suits climbers with a year or two of regular bouldering who already do dynamic moves comfortably. If you can't yet do a handful of clean pull-ups, or your shoulders or elbows are sore after steep sessions, build strength first. Jumping into a bent arm loads the shoulder and elbow suddenly, so do it fresh and fully warmed up.

Common mistakes

• Catching with a straight arm. The arm should already be bent about ninety degrees on contact. That's the whole point.
• Sinking after the catch. If you drop into a straight arm, that try doesn't count.
• Carrying on once the lock-offs go. Stop when you can't hold them cleanly.
• Jumping too far to start. If you only just reach the hold, you'll arrive with a straight arm every time. Pick a jump where the catch is easy and the lock-off is the hard part.
• Cutting the rest. One to two minutes between tries. Short rests turn a power drill into a pump drill.

How to progress

Longer jumps or worse target holds. Keep the tries at three to five per move: this fades fast.

How to make it easier

Keep your feet on. A deadpoint where your feet stay on the wall and you catch with a bent arm teaches the same position with far less load. Use a big target hold, like a jug, on a less steep wall, and shorten the move. You can also practise the position without the jump by pulling up on two good holds and letting one hand go with the other arm bent.

Where it fits in your week

This is power work, so it goes in a Power or Performance period, early in a session after a full warm-up and before any endurance or pump work. Don't put it the day after heavy pulling.

Questions

What is a lock-off in climbing?

A lock-off is holding yourself on one arm bent at about 90 degrees or tighter while the other hand lets go to reach the next hold. Your body stays still and doesn't sink. It's what lets you make long static reaches, hold a position while you find the next hold, and stay put after catching a hold on a dynamic move.

How do you train lock-offs for climbing?

You train lock-offs by holding bent-arm positions under load, on the wall or on a bar. On the wall, jumping into a lock-off trains the catch: you land on the hold with the arm already bent and hold it there without sinking. Off the wall, pull-ups with pauses at different elbow angles build the same strength more slowly.

Why do I sink after catching a hold?

You usually sink because your arm arrives straight or your shoulder isn't set when you catch. The hold takes your weight before your back and arm can stop the drop. Practise catching with your arm already bent at about 90 degrees, on moves short enough that the catch is easy, and count only the tries where you hold that position.

How many lock-off tries should you do in a session?

Do 4-5 moves with 3-5 tries each, resting 1-2 minutes between tries. That's enough for power work, which fades quickly once you're tired. End the session as soon as you can't hold the lock-off cleanly, even if you haven't done every try, because tired tries mostly teach you to sink off the catch.