11 August 2021
Soft Power 8b+ by Krzysztof Sas-Nowosielski (54)
Krzysztof Sas-Nowosielski, who did his last 8b+ ten years ago, has done Soft Power 8b+ in Apteka.
"As for the process of my preparations, the situation is that, on the one hand, my work significantly limits the possibilities of frequent climbing, because many weekends I am busy working at the university. As the climbing season in Poland lasts about half a year there is not much time for me to work on projects :(
However, on the other hand, being a sports scientist, I have so much knowledge about training and so much knowledge of my body that I can organize my training quite precisely according to my currents needs and circumstances. Taught by last year's pandemic, this year I have; modified my home training. Last year was for me in this respect not very successful, because the lockdown limited training to hangboard overhangs. When the possibility of going out into the rocks returned, I had little feeling of my body and it took several weeks for all the motor chains to "start working". As a result, I was only able to lead a few routes with difficulty VI.5 (approx. 7c+). Admittedly, the specificity of the rocks in my country - mostly vertical slabs with small holds and slippery steps - requires strong fingers and very precise footwork.
Taught by last year's experience, the "Training season" 2020/2021 I devoted to the modification of home devices with a board with screwed on holds that I suspended under the main hangboard. It allowed me to perform reaching movements (and not only dead hangs and pull ups). Since in last year I noticed a decrease in power ouput and a rate of force develepment (which is not unusual in the the age 50 +), I focused more on these abilities. I based much of this training on principles of the so called Velocity Based Training, controlling the speed of the generated movements with linear transducer. These changes allowed resulted in the improvement of the dynamic properties of the upper body, which made it possible to deal with routes with difficulties VI.6 (8b; which in Polish limestone is not too far from the maximum difficulties) relatively quickly as for the standards of the age of 50+. I think there is one more factor, and although it is mentioned at the end, it is the most important thing in my life: the constant joy of climbing! Thanks to it, I have not even one day over thirty years of my climbing that in which I would feel that I do not want to climb. It is still the greatest adventure of my life, and when you love something, you are faithful to it."
"As for the process of my preparations, the situation is that, on the one hand, my work significantly limits the possibilities of frequent climbing, because many weekends I am busy working at the university. As the climbing season in Poland lasts about half a year there is not much time for me to work on projects :(
However, on the other hand, being a sports scientist, I have so much knowledge about training and so much knowledge of my body that I can organize my training quite precisely according to my currents needs and circumstances. Taught by last year's pandemic, this year I have; modified my home training. Last year was for me in this respect not very successful, because the lockdown limited training to hangboard overhangs. When the possibility of going out into the rocks returned, I had little feeling of my body and it took several weeks for all the motor chains to "start working". As a result, I was only able to lead a few routes with difficulty VI.5 (approx. 7c+). Admittedly, the specificity of the rocks in my country - mostly vertical slabs with small holds and slippery steps - requires strong fingers and very precise footwork.
Taught by last year's experience, the "Training season" 2020/2021 I devoted to the modification of home devices with a board with screwed on holds that I suspended under the main hangboard. It allowed me to perform reaching movements (and not only dead hangs and pull ups). Since in last year I noticed a decrease in power ouput and a rate of force develepment (which is not unusual in the the age 50 +), I focused more on these abilities. I based much of this training on principles of the so called Velocity Based Training, controlling the speed of the generated movements with linear transducer. These changes allowed resulted in the improvement of the dynamic properties of the upper body, which made it possible to deal with routes with difficulties VI.6 (8b; which in Polish limestone is not too far from the maximum difficulties) relatively quickly as for the standards of the age of 50+. I think there is one more factor, and although it is mentioned at the end, it is the most important thing in my life: the constant joy of climbing! Thanks to it, I have not even one day over thirty years of my climbing that in which I would feel that I do not want to climb. It is still the greatest adventure of my life, and when you love something, you are faithful to it."
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