Strength Training Programs and the Off Season

timmysaint · Nov 15, 2019

Hiya Fellas,

Just getting to slowin' down, and am wondering if anyone has a preference for or can recommend any good strength training programs. My shoulders feel a little bit loose - well, my left shoulder, and I want to anticipate and prevent an injury next year. We're starting logging in a couple of weeks- we have a couple of contracts, but most at my folks-in-laws-es place (ie very chill, kids running the skidder...etc), and that should bring us through to Feb, so I'll have some 'recovery' but would like to strengthen up for the Spring.

I am looking at Uphill Athlete and MTI for possible training plans. They have strength programs, but nothing specifically related to arborists. I also have a climbing gym just at the corner of the street and can do laps there, for climbing endurance, to keep that up. My real concern is shoulder strength and integrity - my back, knees, everything else is solid, and has been for 10+ years or so of work.

Does anyone have any good recommendations?!

Thanks in advance. Whew- it's gotten real chilly out there (-13 tonight!!!!) Stay Warm.

RyTheTreeGuy · Nov 15, 2019

My advice would be to go get a quality assesment done by a physiotherapist or kinesiologist to determine where your imbalances and weaknesses are. Once that has been determined you can then develop an approach to address all of your weaknesses and develop a well balanced and functional fitness plan. One thing I have noticed as I continue to add numbers to my age is that I need far more flexibility and mobility work. The foam roller and my increased Yoga has kept the nagging injuries at bay. Good luck

Leafguy · Dec 4, 2019

Why Uphill Athlete? Are you looking to train for something specific or get into a gym with a personal trainer? Lots of good programs out there via apps. Stretching programs as well via apps you can do by yourself.

Have you ever had a coach watch you lift? I found learning to lift and manipulate weight have helped me huge in this job.

Serf Life · Dec 4, 2019

Posted this elsewhere, the elastic bands for stengthening connecter muscles in the shoulders and planks for strengthening abs for one's back. Reccomended by a phys. ther. a few years ago and pain was gone in less than a month.

Serf Life · Dec 4, 2019

RyTheTreeGuy said:
I continue to add numbers to my age is that I need far more flexibility and mobility work

Well put, especially in the cold

RyTheTreeGuy · Dec 4, 2019

Serf Life said:
Well put, especially in the cold

Definitely in the cold....I have also been very diligent in my pre climb warm up. Climbing trees and working in them is a very strenuous activity and it requires the same rates of percieved exertion as a workout in the gym. A good dynamic warm up will go along way to help prevent injury. Tree work is full body so it requires a full body warm up. Hips and Shoulders are ball and socket joints that rotate 360* therefore are very susceptible to injury. Take this into consideration when warming up and your body will thank you for it

RyTheTreeGuy · Dec 4, 2019

The best off season training programs at the highest level of professional sport follow a principle called Periodization. The idea is that every 3-6 weeks your training program switches phases with different training priorities. This causes "muscle confusion" and eliminates plateaus. The best coaches will have a target date (Olympics, start of the season etc.) and develop a periodized training plan backwards from that date to ensure the athlete is performing at peak output for that date....The best generic, non professional program that follows this principle in my opinion is P90X 2...it follows a periodized schedule and focuses on all the things an athlete, or production climber needs to be better....Speed, Power, Agility, Quickness, Reaction, Balance, Mobility and Flexibility.

Keep fit and have fun

timmysaint · Feb 11, 2020

Hey Fellas,

Thanks for all the replies and info! I did spend some physio sessions, and they've given me some band/shoulder exercises. Have been going to the climbing gym a few times a week. Luckily, scored a 1 month contract brushing and dragging buckthorn, which has changed the typical workday. A lot of ground work- I think combined with the exercises and easy laps at the climbing gym, my shoulder's are thanking me for it. Have a week of cold climbing now- bumped the schedule a day to ease into it - spend a day doing easy laps and setups - before tackling head on!

rico · Feb 11, 2020

Face pulls are probably the single best shoulder prehab/rehab exercise. Do them daily and your shoulders will thank you..

Make sure and watch this vid so you are doing them properly and not putting your shoulders in an internally rotated position (bad).

samsquatch · Feb 11, 2020

One easy core exercise that coincides strength, balance, and meditation:
Balance on hands & knees on top of an exercise ball, and slowly extend, hold, & retract each limb while maintaining balance on top of the ball.

Buckin Billy Ray style!

timmysaint · Feb 12, 2020

Thanks, Rico, for the resource! Checked out the website as well- had't even heard of that guy. The video was great - pretty easy to rig something like that up with weights, rope and retired pulley's in the basement.

rico · Feb 12, 2020

timmysaint said:
Thanks, Rico, for the resource! Checked out the website as well- had't even heard of that guy. The video was great - pretty easy to rig something like that up with weights, rope and retired pulley's in the basement.

Do band face pulls, and remember this is a shoulder prepaid/rehab exercise so you don't need a lot of resistance and you never want too take them anywhere near failure.

Tree-Taylor · Feb 26, 2020

Pavel Tstatsouline just updated his Simple and Sinister book. The meat of the program involves 10x10 one arm kettlebell swings and 1x10 Turkish get ups. Those two exercises require a lot of practice and discipline, but they build a rock solid posterior chain and shoulders. It's a great working man's program, it's challenging but leaves enough in the tank to perform again the next day.

Jonathan lehman · Dec 3, 2020

timmysaint said:
Hiya Fellas,

Just getting to slowin' down, and am wondering if anyone has a preference for or can recommend any good strength training programs. My shoulders feel a little bit loose - well, my left shoulder, and I want to anticipate and prevent an injury next year. We're starting logging in a couple of weeks- we have a couple of contracts, but most at my folks-in-laws-es place (ie very chill, kids running the skidder...etc), and that should bring us through to Feb, so I'll have some 'recovery' but would like to strengthen up for the Spring.

I am looking at Uphill Athlete and MTI for possible training plans. They have strength programs, but nothing specifically related to arborists. I also have a climbing gym just at the corner of the street and can do laps there, for climbing endurance, to keep that up. My real concern is shoulder strength and integrity - my back, knees, everything else is solid, and has been for 10+ years or so of work.

Does anyone have any good recommendations?!

Thanks in advance. Whew- it's gotten real chilly out there (-13 tonight!!!!) Stay Warm.

I like to have a set of gymnastics rings hanging from a tree in my yard to do various pull-ups, core-work and dips from. Some strong yoga, like Ashtanga, should help you stay fit too

hannasm · Dec 19, 2020

Check out kelly starret / mobility wod on YouTube and if you like it you will eventually want to get a copy of the book becoming a supple leopard. It's more about body maintenance / recovery than building new strength but it is very effective stuff.

Cambium_Climber · Wednesday at 3:55 PM

rico said:
Face pulls are probably the single best shoulder prehab/rehab exercise. Do them daily and your shoulders will thank you..

Make sure and watch this vid so you are doing them properly and not putting your shoulders in an internally rotated position (bad).