Redpoint Nutrition

Workout 1: Complete both the Climbing and the Weight workouts described below:

Climbing Workout:

Interval training on a bouldering wall. Climb on the wall for 1 minute then rest for 30 seconds. Complete 20 rounds.

Weight Workout:

Do each round of the following every 30 seconds. So for a 10 minute round you will do the following a total of 20 times:

1. Snatch to overhead squat to hang-clean (this is one continuous movement, as depicted in the photo sequence below): 10 minutes, use enough weight that it is not too hard to do one round but near the end it gets fairly difficult. You should be able to complete all 20 rounds.

2. Clean to front squat to push press (this is one continuous movement, as depicted in the photo sequence below): 10 minutes, use enough weight that it is not too hard to do one round but near the end it gets fairly difficult. You should be able to complete all 20 rounds.

Workout 2: Complete both the Climbing and the Weight workouts described below:

Climbing Workout:

Cascade intervals (This workout is adapted from Dave Binney and Steve McClure’s training articles in Climb, Feb. 7 and gleaned from Moon Climbing). Perform one onsight at a regular degree of difficulty (this should be a grade that you are almost guaranteed to onsight), then drop two letter grades and climb the route up and down. Then drop 2 more letter grades and climb the route up and down twice. Then drop two more letter grades and climb up and down the route 4 times.

An example: Suppose you can onsight 5.11a routinely, then...
- Round 1: Climb a 5.11a
- Round 2: Climb a 10c up and down.
- Round 3:  Climb a 10a up and down two times.
- Round 4:  Climb a 5.9 up and down 4 times.

Weight Workout:

1. Complete 1 deadlift rep every 30 seconds for 5 minutes for a total of 10 reps. The weight should be fairly difficult but you should be able to get all 20 rounds done. For those who know their 1 rep deadlift max do 50% of your 1 rep max.

2. The following three exercises comprise one set. Do each exercise back-to-back for the full set.  Complete 3 sets:

- Hold dip for 30 seconds
- Rest 15 seconds

- Hold plank for 30 seconds
- Rest 15 seconds

- Hold barbell overhead for 30 seconds. Weight should be such that around 20 seconds you’re hurting.
- Rest 15 seconds

Workout 3: Complete both the Climbing and the Weight workouts described below:

Climbing Workout:

Interval training on a bouldering wall. Climb on the wall for 1.5 minutes then rest for 30 seconds. In this case do a boulder problem at the beginning of the 1.5 minutes then climb around for the remaining time.  Complete 20 rounds.

Weight Workout:

30-30s: Use a dumbbell that allows you to perform at least 10 reps pretty easily. Push-press the dumbbells for 30 seconds, then hold the dumbbells overhead for 30 seconds, then push press the dumbbells for 30 seconds, then hold over head for 30 seconds. Repeat for a total of 4 rounds. The workout takes 4 minutes and it is important keep your arms fully extended when holding overhead and to never let them fall down to waist level when doing reps. Try to be consistent in the number of reps you can perform for the 30 seconds. For example, you might try to do 10 reps for each 30 second intervals using 10 lb. dumbbells.

Workout 4: Complete both the Climbing and the Weight workouts described below:

Climbing Workout:

Cascade intervals; switch routes or try to notch up a grade.

Weight Workout:

Descending sets: Go through each exercise doing the highest number of reps first, then over and do the second-highest number of reps for each exercise. Continue this cycle until you've completed all reps for each exercise. So, perform 80 squats, then immediately do 40 kettle bell swings, then immediately do 20 pull-ups, then immediately repeat the cycle but do 64 squats, 32 swings and 16 pull-ups, etc. Repeat the cycle until you've worked down through the lowest number of reps for each exercise.

Kettlebell/Dumbell swings:

Workout 5: Complete both the Climbing and the Weight workouts described below:

Climbing Workout:

Interval training on a bouldering wall.  Climb on the wall for 2 minutes then rest for 30 seconds.  Do a boulder problem at the beginning of the 2 minutes then climb around for the remaining time.  Complete 20 rounds.

Weight Workout:

Your choice of any previous AA Weight Workout. Reduce rest, increase resistance, or increase reps.

Workout 6: Complete both the Climbing and the Weight workouts described below:

Climbing Workout:

Cascade intervals and notch everything up 1 letter grade.

Weight Workout:

Your choice of any previous AA Weight Workout. Reduce rest, increase resistance, or increase reps.

The AA period is all about getting ready to train hard. The idea is not to break your body down too much, but at the same time, some break down is necessary for gains. The workouts will produce the breakdown while the supplementation will enhance the gains you realize when your body recovers. It’s important to understand that your body does not become stronger during training. Training provides the overload to which your body responds during recovery. It’s only during recovery that your body rebuilds stronger than before.

The critical part of this phase is making it a habit to consume a post-workout meal comprised of simple carbohydrates and protein within 30 minutes of finishing a workout.  Your body responds to the stress of your workout and the introduction of these post-workout nutrients by releasing insulin in order to shuttle nutrients to depleted muscles to pave the way for recovery.

A simple, effective way to do this would be to eat a banana and a cup of non- fat yogurt (fat slows digestion and increases the time to generate the insulin response, so it’s best to avoid fat in your post-workout meal) right after training. The optimal ratio of carbohydrate to protein is around 3 to 1 (some say 4 to 1, but this is more appropriate for endurance athletes like cyclists who burn a ton of calories during multi-hour, sustained workouts). 

The one problem with eating a solid meal after training is that it takes longer to digest solid foods than it does to digest liquids so this can put you out of your 30 minute glycogen window. Another difficulty with eating solid meals after training is having them immediately available. I don’t like packing a cooler with ice to keep post-workout meals from going bad while I train and trying to spoon yogurt in my mouth while driving home from the gym is a pain.

I recommend a drink with a roughly 3 to 1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein consumed immediately after your workout. You’re likely going to be thirsty anyway, and being well-hydrated improves recovery, helps keep connective tissue elastic, and it is incredibly important for optimal performance.

A carbohydrate such as maltodextrin is probably best, since it causes a rapid insulin response and thereby quickly raises your blood sugar levels, which is what you want during your recovery window. As far as protein goes, I think whey protein isolate is the best because it has high levels of glutamine (which is really good for your immune system as well), it is quickly absorbed, and it tastes pretty good. 

A recovery drink is a convenient and necessary component for all phases of training. If you’re not fully recovering from today’s workout then you’ll under-perform during your next workout, resulting in slowed fitness gains. Furthermore, lack of sufficient recovery increases the likelihood of injury and over-training.