# Transitioning from Beginner to Intermediate in Bouldering
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Chapter 1: My Bouldering Journey
A few months back, I shared my experiences regarding the advantages I’ve gained from regularly bouldering. At that time, I was still a novice, having just started visiting the gym for a few months without a clear understanding of my approach. However, I’ve made considerable progress along my bouldering path. Initially, my focus was on simply enjoying my time on the wall, but now I’m still having fun while actively working to enhance my strength and technique. Here, I will outline what a budding intermediate boulderer can do to advance their skills.
Consistency is essential when aiming to develop a skill. This means dedicating time to your goals nearly every day. Due to my busy schedule preventing daily gym visits, I’ve incorporated some straightforward but effective exercises to do at home.
One of the simplest ways I've improved my climbing is by building my core and shoulder strength. Performing forearm planks, rocking back and forth, and doing dolphin poses a few times daily has significantly boosted my gym performance. These exercises require no special equipment and can be adjusted as my strength increases.
Next, I’ve been focusing on enhancing my finger strength at home. Although I can't currently install a hangboard, I’ve discovered alternative methods to build this strength. I invested in some thera-putty, commonly used in physiotherapy. By creating shapes with one hand, quickly pressing my fingers into the putty, and spreading it across a desk, I’ve been able to strengthen my grip. The thera-putty is stronger than the regular kind found in stores. Additionally, I bought some hand grips, which are affordable and come with varying weights. They sit on my desk, allowing me to do exercises whenever I take a break from writing or studying.
Section 1.1: Importance of Warming Up
Previously, my gym routine involved a brief arm wave before jumping on the wall. Now, I have developed a warm-up sequence that prepares both my mind and body for climbing. This warm-up has allowed me to concentrate more on technique without compensating for a lack of muscle activation.
I start with dynamic stretches for both the upper and lower body. During my stretches, I avoid pushing to the point of discomfort, as my goal is not to enhance flexibility but to ensure my joints are mobile.
After that, I dedicate time to the hangboard. As a newcomer to hangboarding, I stick to basic exercises like scapular pulls from larger holds and hanging from the deepest four-finger slots until failure. As I improve, I plan to incorporate advanced techniques like single-arm hangs.
Once again, focusing on core strength is crucial for climbing, so I always include simple abdominal exercises. This is also a perfect opportunity to survey the gym and decide which climbs to tackle.
Section 1.2: Climbing Techniques for Improvement
Transitioning from a beginner to an intermediate climber involves the concept of “projects.” While beginners are encouraged to climb as many routes as possible, intermediate climbers begin to develop specific techniques. I rotate between four key techniques based on the routes available at my gym.
- Stamina: To enhance my stamina for challenging climbs, I climb the same easier problems back-to-back several times. I find that I often lose stamina near the top of difficult climbs, so I’ve been focusing on this area recently.
- Slab: To improve my slab climbing, I dedicate extra time during my warm-up to practice balance moves. I start with easier climbs and pause almost to failure on each move before proceeding to the next hold, which helps me become more aware of my balance. I also spend time on slab projects, which I find less physically demanding than other climbing styles.
- Dynamic: Dynamic climbing is currently my weakest area. To develop this skill, I focus on the moonboard, selecting holds that are spaced enough apart to require a jump but not too high off the ground. I also target climbs with dynamic starts, aiming to complete just the initial moves.
- Underhang: My gym features several underhang routes, which emphasize core and finger strength. When I focus on this technique, I choose one or two routes and execute each movement individually, taking significant breaks in between. If I feel confident, I then combine the movements.
Moving Forward
These are the techniques and exercises I’ve been utilizing to enhance my bouldering skills recently. I’m eager to hear from other climbers who have navigated the beginner to intermediate transition and what strategies worked for them!