Getting older and (un)realistic expectations.

I'm quickly approaching 40. I have a new family (2 girls, toddler and an infant), new (old) house and everything else that goes along with the white-picket-fence lifestyle. If I'm lucky, I'll get a few days outdoors this year, but mostly I'm just a gym hero when I can fit it in, which is usually 2-3/week for 1-2 hours each session. I climb exclusively at a bouldering gym despite me being primarily an outdoor route climber, as it allows for a more flexible schedule (no partner needed) and is more efficient. The strength/power training is a bonus, as I’m a weakling. I have done some hangboarding and easy campusing, but frankly, if my indoor sessions are the only climbing I get to do, I’d rather climb than faff about doing training exercises.

What are realistic expectations in terms of gains? Should I be happy to be able to meander along with some very modest gains year-to-year?

I climb with guys 10 years or more younger than me, and they seem to recover faster and make bigger gains. Being the old dog, it’s a bit disheartening to get left in the dust. Is it completely unrealistic to expect to keep up with them? Time to drop the ego and bask in the glow of middle-aged mediocrity?

I know how you feel. I'm 44, started climbing at 43, and my current climbing partners are all in their 20's. Sometimes they make it into the gym 4 times a week, while because of kids etc. I'm struggling to make it in twice. And even if I could go more often, I feel like I need the extra down days to recover, plus in recent years I've had tendon problems that make it important to be careful and not overtrain. In my 18 months of climbing I've made it onto real rock exactly twice.

I've pretty much done what you talk about - accepted that fact that I'll improve relatively slowly and will never be a great climber in any way. I don't try to be competitive with my climbing partners, I'm just happy for them when they improve and don't worry that they've gone up 2 or 3 climbing grades in the time I went up 1. But I enjoy climbing in the gym, and enjoy it outside when I can make it, and it keeps me in shape and all that, so I don't worry about it. Just climb when you can and have a good time.

Not being an old(er) guy, but having observed several guys in their 40's, I'll toss in some thoughts.

First off, it depends on where you're starting from, and what you intend to do. 3 sessions of 1-2 hours weekly is plenty of time to stay fit and see gains. However, how you treat yourself between sessions is of critical importance (though really this applies to anyone interested in becoming stronger as a climber).

If you aren't consciously hydrating on rest days, eating a balanced diet and getting plenty of vitamins and all that other good stuff, you might be facing slower recovery than your body is capable of.

If you're climbing into the realm of 5.13 and/or bouldering in the double digits, then progression will probably be slow whether you're 16 or 60. In my opinion the key to seeing gains in any training plan is maintaining an organized approach and applying it to exercises and activities that provide a measurable metric for progress. That said, if you don't care to do board type workouts, you probably wont be as likely to stick to the organized plan and so they don't do you much good.

Thats a long, vague answer, but with more information about where you're at and where you want to go I think you'll get better feedback. However, I don't think you need to "bask in the glow of middle-aged mediocrity" just yet, though you might need to stock up on prunes.

I'm not a training guru by any means but if you haven't been climbing that long big gains will come from just climbing more. For most climbers-- starting out or climbing at intermediate level-- it isn't really strength that holds them back but technique and you can improve technique by just climbing once a week.

If I were you guys I would really decide what kind of climber's you want to me.

If your goal is to climb outdoors more, I would be wary of climbing hard in the gym because I think it heightens your risk of injury. In that case you should use the gym for endurance training, long traverses on positive holds (boring-- use ipod) on overhanging terrain or doing repeated up and down climbing on easier boulder problems. Focus on breathing, finding rests, and fighting/dealing the burn. That will serve you well when you venture outside. And it will teach some technique (i.e. climbing efficiently). It also helps to focus on you feet as you climb, make every step count and maximize the placement. Try to climb slow and steady using your feet and core and avoiding dynamic moves. You can also do a lot of stretching and some cardio at home.

If realistically you are going to be climbing in the gym, than I would focus more on harder problems (certainly funner than traversing) but warm up obsessively, take good rest days and good rests between problems, avoid climbing on multiple days, and be hyper conscious of injury. It is really easy to tweak tendons indoors if you don't climb much or haven't climbed that long.

So basically the good news is that you will get better and you don't need to jump into a huge committing training routine. if you are only climbing once a week the gains will always be modest. If you can climb 3 days a week you can definitely expect to get better as long as you avoid injury.

The gym is very humbling place but one of the nice things about getting older is that you don't give a shit what other's think of you as much. The result is that the older you get the better you train in some ways.

So just go in and have fun with it. The best way to improve your climbing is just to stay psyched.

Jim

It would be helpful to have more specifics? What do you currently climb? Are you focused on sport, bouldering, trad? Does your wife climb and/or supports you?

40s is still young and there is room to improve in this decade (I am 44). I find I have to rest more, eat better, get high quality sleep and nip any type of potential injury early rather than ignoring it.
I see many of friends into their 50s accomplishing their goals and improving yearly. It seems to get tougher to improve in the late 50s/60, but there a few climbers in this age group still cranking hard and still improving...

I'm in the 40+ crowd here...
Got the house, got the infant, got a non-climbing wife.
I don't get out much, don't go to the gym at all.
In fact, I drank more pints than I climbed pitches in any given week in the past year.
Still flash 5.10-5.11 when I try it.
My head is the weakest link, and why I fail when I do. Lack of attunement to the rock. Bouldering more would be better for me than would physical training, I suspect. A hang-board doesn't help with my balance or confidence on rock.

If you are doing 11's and 12's that's pretty great.
If you are stuck at 5.10 or below, then the physical aspect isn't the problem if you are in reasonable shape at all. So training for the physical isn't the issue.
I have not noticed a correlation between age and achievement in the 'everyday' crowd - that's for elite people. What I have noticed is that the people achieving more are just the better climbers. My own performance is linked to how often I hit real rock (used to flash some12's, but can't do that 4 months off the couch)

That's my best guess, but your post is low on specifics.

40 year old young whipper snappers, "geeze!"

Of course Fred is childless, but we all make our own future.

Jim Donini (70) and George Lowe (69) just did the Nose in just over a day, so I think 40 is pretty young. Lots of good climbing left to do.

supertopo.com/climbers-foru…

Jim Donini (70) and George Lowe (69) just did the Nose in just over a day, so I think 40 is pretty young. Lots of good climbing left to do.

Is this really a good comparison?

divnamite wrote:Jim Donini (70) and George Lowe (69) just did the Nose in just over a day, so I think 40 is pretty young. Lots of good climbing left to do. Is this really a good comparison?

Depends on how much of it they did free. My guess is that the OP isnt training for wall climbing in a bouldering gym, and if he wants to be wall climbing he's better off joining a crossfit gym or carrying sacks of sand around his backyard while simultaneously untangling knots.

Bill Shubert wrote:I don't try to be competitive with my climbing partners... Just climb when you can and have a good time.

Well said. I've been climbing for 25+ years and I long ago stopped worrying about what grades I could or couldn't climb. I'm happy just to be active at an age when most people have dropped out of climbing altogether.

If you can climb 5.10's outdoor on trad you really dont need to worry. There are 1000's of amazing routes at that level that are probably pretty close to home. I know a 60 yr old guy who climbs 5.10's and i have a great time with him. He's got big cojenes, and that to me goes much further.

If i were you, i'd focus on my mental game and maintaining 5.10's. Then when they call and say they are goin to climb big walls in Zion or Yosemite etc. you can cruise with them. Most guys ive met dont climb 20 pitches of 11 and up anyway.

"I climb just as hard as anyone, just on easier routes." - Mad Dog
no shame in that.

Of course, what do i know? Im a punk kid whos only been climbin outdoor a year.

I'm getting a very close look at being 60. I first roped up in 1971. Climbing for many of us is a life sport. You'll have many peaks and valleys of performance thru the years that you climb. Sometimes other things take preference, that's a good thing, but if you have it in your heart climbing will pull you back over and over. Looking back my 20's were my weakest point in my climbing. So much to learn and so much ego and insecurity. My 30's I really started putting things together but I still had a lot to learn. My 40's and early 50's were probably my peak in experience, technique, and stamina. I'm still climbing about as well on rock as ever but I don't have the drive to push it in the alpine like I did. So to answer your question, yes it's time to drop the ego and bask in the glow. It doesn't have to be mediocre though.

I can toally empathize. I'm 48 with a full time engineering job, a fulltime single dad of 2 girls (4 and 6). For me, I am still improving (well, that was until I btroke my neck in 4 places on my mtn bike a few weeks ago, but hope to get back onto the routes I was working when I come back this fall ( a bunch of .13 cracks what are just so beautiful)

Prioritize what is important. For me its my girls, my girlfriend, my job and climbing. I forget about those things that don't enhance my experience in what I find is important. That means I haven't watched TV in over a year (unless its when I am sitting down wtching what my girls are watching which means spongebob squarepants or Phineas and Ferb).

Take stock in what is important. For me its the people around me, my girls, my girlfriend and my climbing partners). These are the people that are important (breaking my neck has highlighted just how important they are).

Think about how you can fit things into your schedule. Sometimes its not easy, but sometimes the solution is not a traditional answer.

when you are climbing, concentrate on what is important to you (for me its my partners and finding the perfect route). Face it, you don't have unlimited time, so concentrate on what psychs you and forget those things that don't. But when you do get a chance to do what psychs you, be totally excited about doing it.

In your day to day life, live a healthy lifestyle, but not to the point of being so anal about it that its no longer fun. If you start to develop a beer belly that won't help you climb when you do get a chance to climb.

40 isn't even close to being old for chrissakes. Sounds to me like you want some validation for blaming age when the real reason you are plateauing is something else. Lots of guys are waaay older with even busier schedules and still crank; its just all about how much effort you want to put into it.
But you better get after it now, the older your girls get the more time they need. My 13 yo daughter plays LAX, I lose at least 10 weekends of climb time to that, b/c the house requires at least one weekend day too. If I were totally motivated at 52, I would see to it that my home chores were done during the week; but after a 10 hour day of construction I'm often not up for it. Its all about how you structure your life.

Here's my personal motto, try it on for yourself:
You Deserve What You Accept.

I was racing in a triathlon and one of the racers was 84. He was there (in Hawaii) to race in the Ironman on the Big Island the following week. He started swimming, biking and running at age 76.

Its all about how you approach it. I own a farm (not good for climbing), I have a wife, I have a four year old, I work two jobs on top of my farm and I still get out every weekend or at least every other weekend. I also have severe osteoarthritis in both of my knees that my military career gave me plus all my Ls and Ss in my spine have bulging discs and pinched nerves that cause me great pain.

I live this way because I created it, I wanted so I took. I desired so I created. Its super corny but so true: "you are your own lifes author". Stop thinking so much and start DOING.

This isn't about me, I'm taking the chance by sharing that this may motivate you. What I've stated is all true.

My dad's 73 year old friend still leads 4/4+ ice and 5.8/5.9 rock.

You make your own expectations and can choose to either fulfill them or abandon them. Just don't abandon your children.

I see you were asking about gains year to year, sorry for the comment. I would imagine it's very different for everyone, but cardio probably plays a larger role the older you get I would think.

Bens post reminded me I didn't sum up mine: I'm always tired, always sore (farm works no joke) and I never get more than 7 hours of sleep. Here's my main point: drink water constantly, increase your cardio which in turn moves the lactic acids out faster and gets oxygen to your muscles faster and more, protein, protein, protein. Go out of your way to eat plenty of protein. Stretch (when warmed up) for a LONG time, many people halfass stretching and its causes problems, stretch lightly and for a long duration. Never go to sleep without downing lots of water. Eat light, not too fatty foods. And what is just as important is: learn to be comfortable when uncomfortable. I am making gains at a very steady pace because of all the reasons stated plus when I'm sore I still push it: find comfort in uncomfort (Ie. Learn to love climbing sore as fuck).

PeckerHead wrote:I'm quickly approaching 40. I have a new family (2 girls, toddler and an infant), new (old) house and everything else that goes along with the white-picket-fence lifestyle. If I'm lucky, I'll get a few days outdoors this year, but mostly I'm just a gym hero when I can fit it in, which is usually 2-3/week for 1-2 hours each session. I climb exclusively at a bouldering gym despite me being primarily an outdoor route climber, as it allows for a more flexible schedule (no partner needed) and is more efficient. The strength/power training is a bonus, as I’m a weakling. I have done some hangboarding and easy campusing, but frankly, if my indoor sessions are the only climbing I get to do, I’d rather climb than faff about doing training exercises. What are realistic expectations in terms of gains? Should I be happy to be able to meander along with some very modest gains year-to-year? I climb with guys 10 years or more younger than me, and they seem to recover faster and make bigger gains. Being the old dog, it’s a bit disheartening to get left in the dust. Is it completely unrealistic to expect to keep up with them? Time to drop the ego and bask in the glow of middle-aged mediocrity?

First, you'll never keep up with the 20 something unless you are a genetic freak. A 13 year old girl just did nose in a day, while donini and lowe did not. It's completely unrealistic to expect to keep up with the young guns.

If all the climbing you can do is in the gym, then I would just say, the hell with training exercise and just have fun. You'll see modest gain year-to-year. If you have a tick list in mind, then you should train for the tick list.

Also, it depends what type of climbing you intend to do. Super hard trad and sports are young gun's game. Big wall, big peaks on the other hands are all fair games.

Geez, well first off if you think you're old then you are, and it seems you've convinced yourself that somehow 40 is old. I didn't start climbing until I was 36, it always seemed everyone I climbed with was younger but I really didn't dwell on it.I established 5.12's and probably my hardest 5.12c at 49, appropriately named "Elders of The Tribe". I'm in my 60's and still send an occasional 5.12. Having said all that, I'm a realist and some body types fit this game better than others, genetics, lean muscle mass, flexibility all factor in whether we like it or not, I've known lots of climbers some are blessed with the above and some are not, training, diet and a strong commitment will go a long way, but please quit thinking of yourself as nearing 40 thus you're old.