How it works
The complete guide to your training journey
Climbro navigates you through the fastest route to send your project
Performance Evaluation
The first thing to do with Climbro is to check your climbing specific physical fitness. This is done by executing 4 tests in a row, named “Performance Test Battery”, that provides information about the different physical qualities of the forearm. The tests are:
- Max Strength – checks your maximal finger strength.
- Continuous – checks your forearms anaerobic capacity.
- Intermittent – checks your forearms aerobic capacity.
- Finger Hang – checks your forearms strength and endurance.
It is very important to read carefully the descriptions of the tests provided in the app and follow the instructions. In order to get valid results you need to rest enough after each test execution as prescribed in the descriptions. The results from the “Performance Test Battery” are presented as climbing grades in a Radar Chart where you can see your strong and weak points.
Personal Training Plan
Once you have completed the battery, you can get a personal training plan to improve your weakest point. The plan consists of 16-24 training sessions. Each session consists of several exercises with different intensity, repetitions, work and rest times designed to improve your worst performing ability. The app tracks your progress and timing and guides you when to train or rest. It evaluates how well you have performed each exercise and how well you are following the schedule of the training plan. After you have completed your current training plan, you can do again the “Performance Test Battery” to check your progress and get a new training plan.
Performance Test Battery
The test battery consists of 4 tests that assess your finger strength and endurance. The tests have to be done when you are fully recovered in order the results to be correct. They can be done in a couple of days, however all 4 tests should be completed in max 2 weeks in order the battery to correctly represent your current physical state. The raw scores from the tests are transformed into French climbing grades to enable comparison between your strength and endurance levels. You can see your progress by comparing the current and last performance battery graphs.
The presented grades show how difficult you could possibly climb with your current strength and endurance levels. If you climb more than predicted, you probably compensate with better technique, mental skills or other abilities. If you climb less than predicted, you probably have not pushed yourself to fully realize your physical potential on a route or you are less technically and mentally experienced than the average climber at your climbing ability level.
Once you have completed the battery, you can get a personal training plan from the “Workouts” screen. The battery results are valid for a month, which means that if you want to get a personal plan after more than a month since you have completed the last battery, you will need to perform a new one to assess your current fitness. The “Battery expiration date” field tracks the validity of the battery.
The “Performance Test Battery” screen shows result for both lead and boulder climbing styles and you can easily switch between both views by tapping “Lead” and “Boulder” tabs. If you want to see a test result details, you can tap the result circle from the graph and it will open the screen with result details.
At the bottom of the battery screen there are summary scores for your last and current test results.
Single Tests
The tests that comprised the Performance Test Battery can be executed individually, when you want to check only a given physical quality.
It is highly recommended to perform the “Max Strength” test regularly as its results are used to define the absolute intensity of all other tests and exercises. When you save the results of a single “Max Strength” test you have the option to save them to your profile level. All tests and exercises use the max force values saved at your profile to calculate the intensity for each hand.
You can choose to execute the “Continuous” and “Intermittent” tests with the opposite hand used in the Performance Test Battery to check its physical state.
Test results
After each test execution the app shows the test results and you can save or discard them. The results include scores for lead and boulder styles presented as climbing grades using the corresponding grading systems – French Sport and Fontainebleau. The results also include various performance indicators that are applicable for the given test as :
- Repetitions – the number of repetitions performed
- Time in target zone (Abs.) – the absolute time in target zone
- Time in target zone (Rel.) – the ratio of the time in target zone to the total work time
- Avg Force (Abs.) – the average force applied while working
- Avg Force (Rel.) – the ratio of the average force to the max force of the given hand
- Performance (Abs.) – the absolute Force Time Index – the product of the absolute avg force and time in target zone
- Performance (Rel.) – the ratio of the Force Time Index and your body mass
- Hang time – the hang time (only for Finger Hang test)
- Max force (Abs.) – the absolute max force of the given hand
- Max force (Rel.) – the ratio of the max force of the given hand to your body mass
The “Test results” screen shows also information about the hand and hold configuration, where it has been started from (Performance battery or Single test) and execution date.
Workout Plan
Once you have a complete performance test battery you can get a workout plan to train your weakest point. The workout plan consists of 16-24 numbered sessions (workout days) each of which have several exercises. Each workout day is scheduled to be done on a certain date. If you are late, below the workout day is shown the number of dates your are late and the schedule of the plan is automatically recalculated.
The workout plans are designed to be combined with climbing, however you should take care to be well recovered, have at least 2 days of rest, before executing your next session if it has exercises with high intensity like “Strength” and “Hypertrophy”. If your next session has exercises for endurance it is acceptable to climb routes with high intensity before it, if you are able to complete them. The execution score of each exercise gives you information of how recovered have you been before performing the given exercise. As a rule of thumb, you should always try to have good execution scores in order the workout plan to be effective.
The “Progress and Timing” status bar shows how much of the overall plan you have completed and a timing score of how well you are following the training schedule. The timing score indicates how effective would be the overall plan if you keep the current timing. You should always do your sessions on time in order to have a good timing, hence maximal training effectiveness. If you’ve been late with some sessions, we do not recommend to do the next ones in advance just to improve your timing score, unless you are able to complete the exercises with good execution score – that would mean you can recover quickly.
After you have completed the workout plan you can do the test battery to see your progress and get a new workout plan to improve your next weakest point.
Single Exercises
The “Exercise” screen provides 5 predefined exercises with various parameters to improve different physical qualities:
- Strength – develops finger strength.
- Hypertrophy – stimulates muscle growth and improves strength-endurance.
- High Intensity Endurance – improves high intensity endurance and oxygen extraction.
- Medium Intensity Endurance – maximizes oxygen use and improves endurance performance.
- Low Intensity Endurance – stimulates oxygen use and improves recovery.
These are meant for more experienced climbers who would like to follow their own training plan and know which physical quality would be best for them to improve. The single exercises gives you the flexibility to choose when and what to train. It is important to track your execution scores when performing single exercises in order to combine optimally training on Climbro with climbing. You should always try to have good execution score in order the training to be effective.
Exercise Results
After each exercise execution the app shows the exercise results and you can save or discard them. The most important data of the results is the execution score. The execution score gives you information on how well you have done the exercise, hence how effective the training would be. It is calculated based on the expected and real time you have spent in the target zone and it takes into account also other factors as the time you need to reach the target zone. If you are unable to complete an exercise with good score, most probably you haven’t had enough rest.
The results also include the following performance indicators:
- Time in target zone (Abs.) – the absolute time in target zone
- Time in target zone (Rel.) – the ratio of the time in target zone to the total work time
- Avg Force (Abs.) – the average force applied while working
- Avg Force (Rel.) – the ratio of the average force to the max force of the given hand
- Performance (Abs.) – the absolute Force Time Index – the product of the absolute avg force and time in target zone
- Performance (Rel.) – the ratio of the Force Time Index and your body mass
The “Parameters” section show details of the definition of the exercise like the number of the sets and repetitions, work and rest times and intensity.
The “Exercise results” screen shows also information about the hand and hold configuration, where it has been started from (Workout plan or Single Exercise) and execution date.
Performance Analytics
The “Performance Analytics” screen provides information about your performance over time. It shows the aggregated weekly best results for the selected tests, period and source of execution.
Selection Criteria
You can choose which test results to be included in the report by selecting the desired tests, period and source of execution.
By default all tests are selected and the period is set to the last full 3 months plus the past days of the current month.
The “Source” selection parameter filters the tests done as part of a performance battery or single tests.
Performance History Chart
The performance chart provides information about your progress over time. It shows the aggregated weekly best results for the selected tests, period and source of execution.
The aggregated results are presented as a Line chart, so it is easy to compare the level of your physical qualities over time.
You can switch between “Lead” and “Boulder” view to see the corresponding test scores. The scores are internally stored as decimal numbers, and thanks to this you can see more precisely if a test result is a little bit more or less than a given grade. That means that if for example you have the same grade score for a given test in the last two executions, you can still find out which one is better.
Training Analytics
The “Training Analytics” screen provides various summary information about the exercises performed for a given period.
Selection Criteria
You can choose which exercise results to be included in the report by selecting the desired exercises, period and source of execution.
By default all exercises are selected and the period is set to the last full 3 months plus the past days of the current month.
The “Source” selection parameter filters the exercises done as part of a workout plan or single exercises.
Total Exercises
The “Total Exercises” chart shows the total count and workload of all exercise results for the selected exercises, period and “Source” filter.
The results are grouped by exercise type, so you can easily see what is the ratio of the training workloads with different intensity for a given period. The workload is presented using the absolute Force Time Index measurement unit (t.s – tons.seconds) normalized to the standard 2.3cm hold. The Force Time Index or FTI is a product of the average force and the working time in the target zone.
Exercises by Month
The “Exercises by Month” chart shows the total count and workload of all exercise results for the selected exercises, period and “Source” filter, aggregated monthly. The results are grouped by exercise type, so you can easily see what is the ratio of the training workloads with different intensity for each month. The workload is presented using the absolute normalized Force Time Index measurement unit – tons.seconds.
Avg Execution Score
The “Avg Execution Score” chart shows the average score of all exercise results for the selected exercises, period and “Source” filter, aggregated monthly. The results are grouped by exercise type, so you can easily see which exercises you are able to complete with good score and which you are not. This is very important in order to understand how much to rest before starting a given type of exercise and how to combine optimally training on Climbro with climbing. The execution score is using a 5-point scoring system, where 1 is “Poor” and 5 is “Excellent”.
Summary
The “Summary” table shows the summary results of all selected exercises for the chosen period and “Source” filter.
The table shows the total count, total workload and average execution score for each exercise type.
Free Measurement
The Free Measurement function is designed for advanced level climbers, trainers and scientists. It provides the ability to customize all work parameters like intensity, set count, repetition count, work and rest times. You can design whatever test or exercise protocol you like.
The intensity can be set as relative to your profile current FMax or as an absolute value in kg. Setting the intensity to 0 would mean disabling the intensity target zone.
It is possible to set infinite reps or work time as needed for an “all-out” test for example.
The set rest min value is calculated automatically based on the entered reps and work time.
The time and force raw data can be exported at the end of the measurement for further analyses in an external application like Excel or similar. The export function needs to be enabled in advance from the Settings menu.
