Blok SessionsGet the free appGet the app

Powerslap

From a still position, explode up and slap as high as you can. 6-8 tries per hand.

Slot
On the wall
Focus
Power
Time
20 min
Intensity
High intensity
Injury risk
Moderate injury risk
Equipment
Boulders, Overhang

How to do it

Hang still on the wall from two good holds with your feet on. Pull explosively, as in a fast pull-up, and slap one hand as high as you can, catching a hold or just touching the wall. Keep your shoulders and core tight. Mark your highest slap and try to beat it. Do 6-8 tries per hand, resting 1-2 minutes between tries.

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.

Powerslap

0:00 / 20:05

Ready

20:05

12 rounds

From a still position, explode up and slap as high as you can. 6-8 tries per hand.

12
rounds
1:00
rest
20:05
total

Want this in a plan? Seven questions and you get a plan built around your climbing.

Take the quiz

Who it's for

Anyone whose limit moves fail at the moment of commitment rather than at the hold. It's a measurable drill, which is rare in power training: you either beat your mark or you don't.

Common mistakes

  • Starting with a wind-up. Hang still first. The point is generating from a dead stop, which is what a hard move actually asks.
  • Letting the feet cut on every try. Keep them on. If they always blow off, the start holds are too far apart or your core isn't engaging early enough.
  • Slapping past the mark and calling it a rep. Touch, don't swipe. A high touch you couldn't hold isn't a higher number.
  • Doing sets of ten. Power fades fast. Six to eight tries per hand, then stop, even if you feel fine.

How to progress

Change one thing at a time: worse start holds, a steeper wall, or a target you have to actually catch rather than touch. Mark the height on tape and check it once a month, not every session.

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.