PUMPED FOREARMS – A ROUTE CLIMBERS NEMESIS

Edu Marin fights the pump on La Rambla, 9a+. Picture Sam Bié.

    WHAT IS PUMP?

There are three main factors that interact to produce pumped forearms, 1) acidosis of muscle tissue (low pH), 2) spastic contraction of the muscles (i.e. cramp), and 3) reduced blood circulation through your muscles.

1) Contrary to common belief pump, i.e. immediate muscle soreness, is not caused by the accumulation of lactic acid, as lactic acid cannot be produced under regular circumstances in human tissues. Instead, a substance called L-lactate is constantly produced during normal metabolism and exercise. During intense exercise when the rate of demand for energy is high the rate of lactate production exceeds the rate of lactate removal. This is a beneficial process that ensures maintained energy production during the exercise. The acidosis that is associated with increases in lactate concentration during heavy exercise arises from a separate reaction. In brief this has to do with the increase of “loose” hydrogen ions during hydrolysation (cell respiration). During intense exercise, aerobic (oxygenic) metabolism cannot produce enough energy to supply the demands of the muscle. As a result, anaerobic (non-oxygenic) metabolism becomes the dominant energy-producing pathway. This leads to an overload of tissues with “loose” hydrogen ions, causing pH to fall and creating a state of acidosis. This contributes to the acute muscular discomfort experienced shortly after or during intense exercise.

2) Cramp has two main causes, 1) fatigue, and 2) low hydration. Fatigue (1) means that cramp sets in when our muscles are tired due to inadequate oxygenation (oxygen-flow). Resting, reloading of energy (i.e. eating) and stretching the muscles may solve this problem. Low hydration (2) means that there is a lack of water or salt in the cells, which reduces the functional ability of the muscle cells. Remember, cramp can also be an indication of low health condition, i.e. you are sick or not fit enough.

3) Reduced blood circulation and low oxygen levels can be caused by muscle-contraction-squeezing of the capillaries. In fact, heavy loads during long intervals may close the capillaries completely, resulting in acidosis and great pain. The same thing can occur when the arms get flooded with blood. This happens when the veins are unable to remove the surplus of blood that the arteries, which have a higher pressure, continually force into the arm. The overflow “squeezes” the capillaries, further lowering the ability to remove “old” oxygen-poor blood.

Note: Children have a higher ratio of capillaries to muscle fibre and a lower ability to contract their muscles, producing a more constant supply of blood to the muscles.

DYNOING - A ballastic science: Fly, baby fly?

Patric Alm Törnrosa, 8a, Sweden

Everyone feels too short when the holds are far away, right? So, what is the clue? What are you to think, that makes it possible to fly and land those crucial centimeters higher up?

Naturally, every dyno is, to a certain extent, unique in terms of holds, angles, length etc., but there is also at least one aspect in which all dynos are similar; you have to let go... What decides if you are to succeed are your physical shape, technique, but most of all your mind. Here are 14 pieces of advice and training tips from a 166 cm short man, with negative gorilla index and a 193 cm tall guy with positive gorilla index.

1. Let the catching hand go as late as possible!
A very common fault among beginners is to let the catching hand go too early in the movement. Doing this, you will lose a lot of power which the hand would have generated if you had have let it go later. You get a longer part of the dyno without contact. The best way to correct this mistake is probably to do the "candle". This means trying to get the body as high (up in the air that is) as possible without letting the hands go until the lose touch with the hold through the momentum of the body.

2. Slap on the wall/hold!
When you start working a dyno, it often feels impossible. You feel there is no use even trying really, and if you do, you don't really go for it. To get a sense of improvement, start slapping the wall as high up as possible. Try to set new personal records. In time the record often gets dangerously close to the hold, and you can start trying to grab it.

3. Recruit the whole move!
It?s an easy mistake to only recruit the muscles active in the first faces of a dyno, forgetting the muscles that come in to play later, in the actual grabbing-face. The reason for this is simple: you won't use the contact-muscles if you can't do the catch... Recruitment-wise, the best is if you can reach the hold and put weight on it, if only for a micro second, since, this way, all the necessary muscle fibers gets to play. If you can't reach the hold by your own power, use someone else's, or the rope. You can also, with support, try reversing the move.

4. Push with your feet!
Don't forget most of the power in a dyno originates from your legs. Try putting as much weight as possible on the foot holds, to the point where you actually skids off them (paragraph 7). It's most often an advantage using as soft shoes as possible, since you this way get the most out of the muscles in your feet. Remember, those muscles are also recruitable!

5. Use "the bungee cord" to your advantage!
To gain momentum, you should start every dyno with a vertical motion, up and then down, to kind of extend the bungee cord, to be able to use its power to be catapulted (hopefully) toward the hold you?re aiming for. If you don't have enough room for this, it's also possible to gain momentum by swinging side to side.

6. Long, even applying of power
A common mistake is to use too much power in the first faces of the move. Doing this, it's very easy to lose contact with the holds, and hence the only way to keep the momentum, in the last and often deciding face. Sometimes it's best not to use all the fuel at once...

7. Use the lower hand to the maximum
Before you've managed to literally pull the lower hand off the hold, you haven't tried how much power you can apply to it. This is, of course, not true for jugs, but on smaller holds you must push toward the limit of what?s possible to gain maximum effect.

8. Dyno inwards
A problem when catching is that it's often hard to keep close enough to the rock, but swing out. A way of solving this is to dyno inwards by starting with more or less straight arms leaning out from the rock, and then through yourself inwards, upwards.

9. Over- or under curve?
When dynoing diagonally, it's important to chose an over- or under curve. It's impossible to design a rule for when to use which, since the possible hold placement combinations are infinite. Simply try what feels best for you. Maybe you should just go straight for the hold!

10. Tick-marks
To mark the hold you're going for with a bright white chalk-line is an underestimated method to improve your timing. Don't just dust some chalk on the hold, use clear, bright tick-marks, you won't be disappointed. If the hold is somewhat hidden you can also draw arrows etc. to make it easier to know where to aim. Please make sure to remove them afterwards.

11. Hyperventilate
Experiments show you'll actually gain short term power by hyperventilating. It has probably something to do with adrenaline being freed, and that you, hence, get a bit mad... Try 4-5 fast deep breaths and go for it!

12. Timing & Dead-points
A successful catch is often about being able to keep one foot to the rock, and it?s often also important to reach the hold at the dead-point, that is in a kind of weightless state, neither going up or down. This is especially true when you're dynoing sideways or to a side pull. If you use to much power and still are going upwards/sideways when you get the hold, it's very easy to swing out and lose balance.

13. Contact-time and grip-positioning
The clue is to make the contact-time as long as possible when you get your fingers on the hold. Doing this you allow the muscles to be maximally recruited, and to reach a flexing crimp-position. First the fingers bend upwards, and then downwards, all in a fraction of a second. A special trick is to through your head back to extend the dead-point for a couple of 1/100 of a second.

14. Practice makes perfect
Last, but not least, it's the amount of dedicated training you've put in that will decide. Your body needs to learn the movement so to speak, for the muscles to be able to interact perfectly. You can?t think of all the advice above when you?re trying a dyno, you must work them one by one, until you do it naturally. Now, fly baby fly.?

When it comes natural!

Chris climbing & spotting

Chris Sharma is at Railay Beach - Thailand, together with his lovely girlfriend Julie, and it's obvious that this is his paradise. Last year he was mostly doing routes but this year he is also bouldering, directly from the beaches, with the locals.
- It is more natural! It is more fun!
Short sentences and always a welcoming smile and he is just like one of the natural-borns on the playground. His only problem is that they are all around 165 cm and not used to spot (like me).
- Could you help me when I'm climbing?
Sharma tries to invite a tall stranger passing by on the beach, as he needs him badly for the new problem he wants to do. It ends up that we all are shuffling sand over some flagstones.
- COME ON!
Chris is super psyched but he's not climbing, he is spotting and he is so focused and powerful when he is spitting the commands out that he just grabs them on straight arms when they pop of.

Brushing away the sand from his feet and carefully chalking his hands and he is off. Some quick moves and the first thing that puzzles you is the power he puts on his feet when he squeezes the overhanging bulge. Higher than ever, going for tiny holds that no man has ever touched, and you can feel that he is a bit worried about the weak spotting squad beneath him and he screams when he desperately goes for an undercling and falls in our arms. Everyone is laughing and he has to wait another day for more sand.
- Look at it, it's so beautiful!
Sharma is smiling and you can see in his eyes that this problem is not about ratings or being the best. You do not have to ask why, it's just natural as it is. But you start to wonder. Is this the reason for him knowing that he has been the best or is it a consequence?

	Hard facts	__	Chris Sharma
	Born	__	1981
	World Championship - 1997	__	Second
	Redpoint	__	8c+, Biographie
	Boulder	__	8b+, Slash Face
	WC Rovereto (bouldering) - 2000	__	Third
	8a.nu's World Ranking Routes & Boulders	__	~40 & ~15
	Sponsors	__	5.10 & Prana

Playing with the stalactites Cruising Voodoo Doll, 7c+

He started out when he was 12 when his parents left him at the gym and ever since, climbing has been his true passion. Three years later he was number two in the world championship in 1997 and at the same year, turning 16, he was within the top five in all the seven UIAA competitions he participated in. So what's the secret? How are you supposed to train to become such a super athlete? Few questions and minutes later you really understand that, in his case, it's most about natural talent and attitude. At least, he can't come up with good enough training reasons. The explanation he gives is having the right "feeling" and having "fun" and not to follow any specific "program".

Surprisingly he says that WC comps are fun and he is in fact thinking of a comeback in the next season. But he really doesn't know and when he is answering why he has done so few since 1997, he looks deeply in my eyes and makes me understand that the feeling hasn't been right. In fact, the feeling hasn't been that right for producing results for close to three years and it's instead the myth that has grown stronger. He has seriously been trying to give Biographie, 8c+, in Ceuse, a 50 feet 9a+ extension but fallen numerous times at the top. But mostly he has been bouldering and earlier this year the un-rated Mandala, was on everyone lips. Speculations assumed up to 8B+ but as it was relatively easy repeated and the grade has been suggested to 8A+.

He will remain in Railay for another couple of weeks before he goes to the Phillippines and India, during the winter season. Then back to the States and maybe Europe and some WC series the next summer, whatever! This guy he is living in the moment and why should he bother when he is here in paradise together with his girlfriend.

As soon as I'm starting to ask about ratings and Hot Flashes he starts to feel uncomfortable. In fact, his body language changes so dramatically just when he understand that I'm like everyone else and it ends up that I have to apologize to even have brought the matter up and he walks back to his girlfriend. Last week we saw him doing an 8a+ on-sight, but that's not important to him. The important thing, it seems, is each time as he, fully loaded, feels rock under his nails. Then he is, each time, just letting go of all the energy he gets in this paradise, just by walking around and being with Julie. Happy-go-lucky he waits for the next time - When it comes natural!

Alternatively, the worlds most talented climber, since the (9a route) legend Wolfgang Gullich, could do like him and the rest of the world class climbers - train hard - and instead of being a myth he might become the legend of 9A bouldering...