Rubtsov to Tokyo by chance and rock climbing

Alexey Rubtsov, Boulder World Champion in 2009, made his best Lead performance of his lifetime in the Combined Lead final in Moscow. Even so, it looked like he was just going to get the bronze but then all results went his way and he got the Olympic ticket. Actually, without COVID-19 he would not have had any chance. Asking him about his training recipe and how much in percentage he did train the different disciplines and the Olympic training preparation, he most certainly come up with some interesting answers finishing with, “My dream 100% focus on rocks.”On Insta his first words were, “Guys, we are a team and we did it together! Thanks!!!”

“Due to a shoulder injury last year I missed the World Championship in Japan but tried to recover to Toulouse. I started my rehabilitation very intensively and 6 weeks after the surgery I had already climbed 8a onsight on the rocks in Ceuse. Three months after the injury, I returned to the competition to qualify for Toulouse, and I was even able to do it :). But I lost in Toulouse, my shape was still not good.

After Toulouse, I decided to stop concentrating on the combined, as I realized that even in March I still would not be in perfect shape, and I just started bouldering. I did a couple of trips to the rocks and a couple of commercial competitions. On the first dates of the European Championship in March, I was not ready and I am sure that I would have lost it. But due quarantine, all events were canceled and I went to the village. For almost 2 months I did not climb and for a couple of weeks I didn't train at all Then I started doing exercises on the board. In mid-May I was able to go to the rocks. During the quarantine, my shoulder fully recovered, and when I returned to climbing in May, I finally had no more pain.

I spent the summer on short trips to the rocks, explored the new Mega promising bouldering area, Dzhan Tugan, and climbed 9a with a rope. In the fall, I returned to training in the gym. In September we had the combined championship of Russia. I didn't know how I would perform. After Toulouse, I did not practice speed at all, and did not even touch the holds on this wall. Honestly, in qualifying for that championship, I climbed speed with a chalk bag, used it, and climbed the wall in 21,5 seconds, became the last one.

It was a joke but the coaching staff did not understand it and they scolded me a lot :) They even wanted to punish me. I got to the final very uncertainly :). But in the final I decided to pull myself and won Lead and Bouldering, taking the 1st place in the end. Then I realized that at the European Championship I would be in the team and decided that why not try again to play in the combined. I even did 2 speed sessions but I had not enjoy it as always, and I stoped. I started to hope to win bouldering and lead. Although I didn't train lead either :).

How did I prepare in principle?) It's interesting. For the all year, I did strength training, hangs, pull-ups only few weeks on quarantine in April and early May. After that, I did not do this type of training at all, maybe about 2-3% of what I usually did. As a result, a week before the European Championship, I tried to pull up (no extra weight) and did only 20 times :) then for another 3 days my body ached. Although at the beginning of 2019, 100 times was not a problem for me. I focused on improving the body, not strengthening it. I did a lot of stretching, mobility exercises, balance exercises. I climbed 3-4 times a week, only bouldering. But always in the company of strong guys: with Kolya and Sergei, we motivate each other and make us work to the maximum in climbing.

As a result, they also earned medals at the European Championships, Kolya in bouldering, and Sergei in bouldering and combined. I can say that for the last year I completely left training system in climbing, based on the big volume of physical training. Of course, I became weaker, and on the power boulders I am very uncertain now. But I improved other skills. I endure new trainings more easily and feel healthier and better. In general, I am a fan of changing training methods and always looking for new solutions. Sometimes they bring positive results, sometimes negative ones, but in any case it increases my experience and knowledge.

I think I will continue with my current method. I have not done everything here yet and I see weak points. In the meantime, I plan to bring back some strength training. Maybe 1-2 times a week if I don't have a problem with the shoulder. I'm not sure if I will do speed. Perhaps once a week - several races, but no more. I think that the period of focus on victories in competitions has shifted to general development through training. I want to finally learn to climb perfectly to show the beauty of climbing:). Whether I will win at the same time is not as much important for me now.”