Weight-vest bouldering
4-6 problems 2-3 grades below max in a light weight vest, 2 attempts each, 3 min rest.
- Slot
- On the wall
- Focus
- Finger strength
- Time
- 25 min
- Intensity
- High intensity
- Injury risk
- High injury risk
- Equipment
- Boulders, Added weight
High injury risk. Only do this fully warmed up, rested and injury-free, and stop at the first sign of pain in your fingers or elbows. Training is at your own risk.
How to do it
Eric Hörst's 'hypergravity' idea: climbing with a little extra weight makes every hold feel smaller. Wear a weight vest or belt of about 5% of your bodyweight. Climb 4-6 problems you've done before, 2-3 grades below your max, with 2 attempts each and 3 minutes rest between attempts. Downclimb or step off low - never fall from high up with extra weight. Stop at any finger or shoulder twinge.
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.
Weight-vest bouldering
0:00 / 25:05
Ready
25:05
8 rounds
4-6 problems 2-3 grades below max in a light weight vest, 2 attempts each, 3 min rest.
High risk: read the protocol, stop if anything feels wrong.
- 8
- rounds
- 3:00
- rest
- 25:05
- total
Done.
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Take the quizWho it's for
Making familiar problems feel harder without finding harder problems. A small amount of extra weight makes every hold feel smaller, which is the point.
Common mistakes
- Too much weight. About five per cent of bodyweight. More turns it into a different and much riskier exercise.
- Falling from height with the vest on. Downclimb or step off low. Landing with extra weight is how ankles go.
- Using problems you haven't done. Problems you know, two to three grades below max, so the only variable is the weight.
- Ignoring a twinge. Extra load on fingers and shoulders means stopping earlier than you would otherwise.
How to progress
Harder problems at the same weight, rather than more weight on the same problems. It fits in a strength block for a few weeks, not as a permanent fixture.
When it fits
The training periods this exercise fits into in Blok Sessions.
Strength Stronger fingers and pulling, with weight you control.
Power Explosive moves, momentum and coordination.