Eva Lopez

First of all how you become a trainer?

I started climbing and studying Sports Science nearly at the same time, 20 years ago, and soon begun experimenting, on myself and others. According to experts, now I enjoy the optimal learning environment: study and observe to gather knowledge, apply it to others, and finally convey it.

What are you best general training advices?

You may expect some fantastic insight... but instead I'll put forward some tools for you to reach your own eureka moment:

1- Focus on improvement. Don't take training as a mean but as a worthwhile end. Enjoy it and learn from your mistakes. That will keep you motivated.

2- Persistence is key for performance. The ultimate trick is being commited to your goals, and devote lots of time and effort to accomplish them.

3- Avoid shortcuts and individualize your training load. Use the easiest method that gives you some gain, and don't leapfrog steps. Beginners have enough with 60% loads to improve, while elite climbers are not so lucky and need to go beyond 80%. Some will get results hanging from a 24-mm edge for 10 seconds, others will need 8 seconds on 14 mm and even add extra weight. Following what worked for others or doing what this or that mutant does... leads only to injury and frustration.

4- Practice your self-analysis and self-knowledge: your climbs, your training, and yourself (weaknesses, mistakes, feelings, improvements...). A training log can help.

Back in 2004 I carried out my first research project. From my research I found that training dead hangs with added weight on an 18-mm edge (3 to 5 sets x 10'' :3') for 4 weeks, and then proceeding to train for another 4 weeks on the smallest possible edge without added weight, led to the following changes: there was a remarkable improvement in maximum finger strength (as indicated by the maximum added weight held while hanging from a 15-mm edge); a noticeableincrease in the maximum time hanging from an 11-mm edge (finger endurance); finally, the participants were able to hold their body weight off a smaller edge than before.

After that study, I and the climbers I have been training (Luis Alfonso Félix, Nacho Sánchez, Eric López, Andrea Cartas, Pablo Barbero, Dani Moreno…), have used this method along with others that I later developed.

Leaving aside individual factors, and given that I found that training finger maximum strength had a positive effect onfinger strength endurance, my training schedule consists of using the above methods in a first stage, and then performing a strength endurance phase, doing intermittent dead hangs of 5 to 10 seconds in duration with an incomplete rest of 30 to 3 seconds.

The key aspect of this methodology, though, is that each person must adjust and control their training load. Just as some people when doing 8-rep sets of biceps curl will choose the 10 kg dumbbell, and some other the 40 kg one, we will choose each day, or even each set, the edge size or the amount of added weight (depending on the method used) that will allow us to hang for the stated time.

In order to accomplish that, we need a fingerboard that provides us with different and progressive edge depths.

That is why, together with DafnisFernández and Joan Machado I've developed, for JM Climbing Surfaces, Progression™ and Transgression™; two fingerboards that include different and progressive edge depths, so that climbers of a lower or medium, or a higher level in the case of the latter, will be able to train in an effective way their finger strength and strength endurance. To achievethat goal, each board comes with a training guide based on the conclusions of my studies and my broadexperience from training climbers for more than 10 years.