I revisit bouldering after 100 hours on the wall to see if I’ve improved. Clips from similar graded climbs are compared to highlight improvements, if any, to my abilities over the past year. Have I improved in the grade? Let’s see.
Thanks as always to my lovely wife, Kim, for filming and making the thumbnail, avatar and banner art for the channel!
45 Comments
YOURE BACK CLIMBING LETS GOOO
Im happy seeing more content from ya ❤
Nice one Mike. I can definitely see a difference on the lower grades! Moving smoother and with confidence 😎
A really nice follow up video 😀
"Expecting" to hit V8 is pretty ambitious. V8 is about where bouldering gets hard – harder than most people will ever do, even among people who climb quite a bit. It's a good and attainable goal, to be sure, but for the average person, you will have to work pretty hard to achieve it. I'm not saying breezing up to that grade isn't possible, but it's reasonably rare. Don't put so much pressure on yourself with that expectation. 🙂
Since you said you went climbing about once a week. Are you doing supplemental training during the week? Because as for me, I noticed really improving only after going climbing at least two times a week, and pretty much stagnating when I only went one time. Maybe that's something you could try (if you have the time)
I started recently as well! In the Netherlands, having a lot of fun
Iv also been bouldering for 1 year, I currently climb v7 project v8’s but I go 3 times a week, so that trajectory seems about right 👍🏽 keep it up! Try to Go twice a week and double your speed 👌🏽
In terms of progression and footwork, I think you might've been a little too strong for your own good when you started. So on easier climbs you can cruise through on strength and that stops working when things get harder. Then developing good footwork on those really hard boulders is super difficult. One think you can try is to so a bunch of pull-ups at the start of your session to tire yourself out, and then doing medium difficulty climbs. The goal is that you're tired though that you can't muscle your way through the exercise, but have enough margin so you can experiment with footwork. Good luck!
wow, i love this so much, been watching u for many years learn new skills, its awesome to see more ppl move into climbing media. great vid, made me laugh heaps
You're saying that some other people that started with you had a bigger jump in grades, but I don't think they're climbing just once a week, which actually makes your jump very impressive in my opinion
I checked the comment i left on the video you did to announce the 100hr challenge. I predicted V5 would be a good milestone, V6 as an extra challenge. Props to you on actually sticking with it for the whole 100hrs and becoming a V5 crusher 🎉.
Thats some awsome progress mike!
A tip id reccomend are learning all the rock climbing techniques and what they are used for and then before getting on problems trying to read the route preferably trying these new techniques you learned. This really helped me improve my flashing ability as i was better able to fit the right techniques to different moves and swap them out for other moves if they didnt work to adjust my beta.
Some great recources for learning these techniques that i found were channels like
"Movement for climbers" and the "TAMY rock climbing channel run by olympic climber tomoa narasaki and other professionals. They have a great series on different techniques and utilizing certain handholds. The videos are in japanese so you have to turn on the subtitles but its well worth it.
2:48 what mate your foot placement is way more deliberate and each action flows better into the next one.
Honestly you only did 100h over the course of a year. If you specialize in Bouldering you'll be doing roughly 300h+ per year. Just another reminder comparison is the thief of joy.
calm down. You'll climb better
reaching v5 in one year of bouldering is very respectable. Anyone that says they reached v7-v8 in one year is either making up they haven't climbed before or already has loads of strength from a sport like gymnastics. At v5 level you could do a bit of bodyweight finger boarding. but generally the best way to get better at climbing is to just climb.
I loved seeing the progress you have made though.
Can you give any advice on coming down from the top. I am still nervous about jumping from the top and need to climb down but sometimes that it is trickier on higher grades
i still gotta say, that first V0 you did in the last video is definitely more of a V1. V0 should be a jug ladder for beginners and warming up lol
It’s crazy what another year will do!
Mike, try the 'Ultimate Climbing Test,' so you can compare your progress every year. Love your videos, cheers 😉
soft 👏 V5 👏 is 👏 still 👏 a 👏 V5
so bloody proud of your improvement man
Crazy to watch you years ago… then you leak into my adult interests too. This is awesome
Yeah to the part "i thought i'd have gone farther in grades" is what i think a lot of people were kinda worried about when you kept making videos that were seemingly focused on getting to the highest grade possible, which is a pretty bad mentality when it comes to climbing knowing how much grades vary and how progression works.
You progress way faster at the start and eventually hit a plateau and if you've been using grades as a way to measure your progress from the start then it might make you feel like you're not progressing at all.
Personally i do more rope climbing, been climbing on and off with big pauses and bad habits for like three years and have been stuck at projecting 6c/7a for a while, which is quite frustrating. Even though recently i've started taking my training more seriously i still haven't broke this barrier, which is why i rely on different metrics like the fact i can flash 6b most of the time, the fact that i can last longer, the fact that my bouldering has been improving a bit, that i'm getting overall better at different types of climbing.
If you only focus on the top grade you can do it's quite depressing and can feel like you're not making any progress.
Where are the down climb holds in this gym?
Observation/advice I noticed.
Looking at the v0s/1s, there is a marked increase in precision/confidence with your handholds and footholds. In the past, there were many micro adjustments and shuffling of your hands and feet to find what was comfortable. In the present, on those climbs you had little to no adjustments, enabling you to complete the climb with less “wasted” effort. What’s interesting, is you can see these micro adjustments occur again during your v5 climb. This energy being used is causing you to have a harder time with your climb, and might result in less attempts you’re able to make, or less confidence in your climbing ability.
A solid training method for this is to go down a few grades (probably v2/3 for you) and practice a climb being hyper focused on NOT adjusting your grip. This will force you to get the exact position on your first go, and to more easily read where you should place your hands and feet. When you get to the higher grades, you might have to adjust depending on the route, but knowing ahead of time what you need to do, versus panicking due to sloppy placement will save you a ton of energy, and boost your confidence in your climb!
Also ++ for wearing a helmet outside. Safe climbers become great climbers
V5 is a common plateaue for a lot of people. I would try climbing a few times a week and doing some strength training. Otherwise progress will likely be pretty slow from here on out.
Do your hands and shoulders a favor. Do some eccentric hand exercises every day and look up some external rotator cuff band exercises.
4th… why this video only got 4 comments
There is quite a change in your climbing technique. You are far more relaxed and have much more precise footwork, and you do not hug the wall
I don’t think you have any issues with your flexibility or even your technique. I reckon you just need more core work and you’ll hit higher grade easy I reckon. Awesome work Good luck!!
Double Standard! Parroting and spreed Propaganda, that’s the problem in the west of their reporters and politicians making the mass to the world but defying themselves as superheroes. All of you and your countries still don’t see the Karmas happening….? Open up your eyes!
1:40, i have the same shoes and same chalk bag!
Ah so you cuss on the us channel, love it!
Biggest tip to anyone: Do not let the grades demotivate you. Every single second on the wall you are improving. Keep at it!
I am currently undergoing a very similar journey as Mike. I started bouldering a bit over a year ago going once per week. I had been doing calisthenics for about 15 years at that point so I went all the way up to V4 through sheer brute strength. After six months I plateaued for the rest of the year, consistently sending v5 after learning technique. Only a couple of month ago did I start successfully sending some v5+ and rarely v6. I'm loving it! (EDIT: grades)
The first time i boulderd i broke my back..
i love this sort of thing trying something new
i hope you are loving the experience
Don’t underestimate the power of hang boarding
Its amaizing to see how much you're improved Mike! I remember watching your old videos and hoping one day you do climbing!
9:55 v7 v8?!?! You underestimate how difficult that is Mike… I have been doing this for 5-6 years consistently and I am only now starting to manage v6-v7 depending on the style
ive been climbing for about 5 months now and im projecting around v7-8 definitley get some practice on the training board to get better with technique and finger strength too also try grades which are harder you may find some harder graded climbs easier if theyre suited to you
Just here to leave some general tips that i see most people make:
1. Keep your hips close to the wall.
2. Try to keep your arms straight, as it conserves strength.
3. Use your legs to straighten up, not your arms to pull up.
4. When you want to switch your foot, you can use your arms to help descend.
5. You can always ask other people in the gym, and 99% of the time they are very happy to help, so don't be shy 😉
6. You want your goal on a route to be improving technique and strength, not to top it out.
7. Just like tip 6, you climb because you want to have fun, not because you want to climb the hardest route 😀
Magnus Mitbo collab?
your foot moves like the hoof of the ecow
I know it's easy to comment on beta from an armchair whilst watching on youtube, but have you considered on the yellow V5, near the top, placing your right foot on the left hold and flagging further down to the left with your left leg? That may allow you to reach up to the right more statically to the final hold
Your content is very relatable. I've often watched Magnus' content and thought I have no idea how difficult I would find a lot of his warm up routes, but with yours I can relate to the same struggle, and it's great to see someone go through a very similar journey to myself