Slow-motion climbing
6-8 boulders 2-3 grades below flash, as slowly and precisely as possible.
- Slot
- On the wall
- Focus
- Stability
- Time
- 20 min
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Injury risk
- Low
- Intervals
- 6 rounds, 1:00 rest
- Equipment
- Boulders, Overhang
How to do it
Pick boulders 2-3 grades below your flash level, including some you normally climb fast or with momentum. Climb in slow motion: every move slow and deliberate, with exact hand and foot placements and your body in position before you reach - no jumping, no swinging. Climb 6-8 boulders, resting a minute or two between them. Only go harder if the movement stays slow and clean.
Who it’s for
Climbers who muscle through moves and can’t tell you afterwards what their feet did. Slowing down removes momentum, and without momentum every sloppy placement shows up immediately.
Common mistakes
- Slow arms, fast feet. Feet get placed carelessly because nobody’s watching them. Watch them.
- Picking boulders that need a dynamic move. Two or three grades below flash, and nothing that has to be jumped.
- Pausing between moves instead of moving slowly. A slow move is continuous. Stop-start is a different drill.
- Going harder because it felt easy. If the movement stops being smooth, the grade is already too high.
How to progress
Same boulders, slower. When six to eight problems are genuinely smooth end to end, move up one grade, not three. The real test is doing a boulder you normally rush and finding you can climb it at half speed.
When it fits
The training periods this exercise fits into in Blok Sessions.
- Base Lots of easy climbing, good movement and aerobic fitness.
- Strength Stronger fingers and pulling, with weight you control.
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.