Online coaching. Training beta vs climb strong vs ? Looking for help.

I am looking for a new program and have used the rctm for a few cycles.   Now looking for something else.   Anyone have experience with the training beta programs or climb strong?  Also, how good are they at tailoring to weird schedules and answering questions?  Also, if your using something different that is relevant, please share.  

I've been really happy with the logical progression format laid out by Steve Bechtel. You may already know about it and have ruled it out, but if not there are a few podcasts out there where he discusses it and also a book. It is really flexible and encourages days outside. I even emailed him with a question at one point, thinking it'd be a slim chance he'd answer it and he wrote back a detailed answer in less than 24 hours. I've for sure noticed a difference in my strength over the past 6-8 months since starting. I too tried rctm and though I noticed gains I also noticed I lost so much strength so quickly when transitioning away from hangboarding. With the logical progression I'm hanging once a week and progressing from one to the next slightly, but not burning out on hanging. Its flexible with rest days too, which is good for those of us who aren't in our 20s.

I also would recommend Bechtel's program. I tried to do some over the phone coaching with him but he ended up with too many clients to do coaching with me - but he provided some really good information in the 2 phone calls I had with him. I think Bechtel would be great at tailoring training for weird schedules and answering any questions. He places a big emphasis on training most of the time with your shoes on. His book, as Andrew mentioned, is a great resource as well. 

Andrew Southworth wrote: I've been really happy with the logical progression format laid out by Steve Bechtel. You may already know about it and have ruled it out, but if not there are a few podcasts out there where he discusses it and also a book. It is really flexible and encourages days outside. I even emailed him with a question at one point, thinking it'd be a slim chance he'd answer it and he wrote back a detailed answer in less than 24 hours. I've for sure noticed a difference in my strength over the past 6-8 months since starting. I too tried rctm and though I noticed gains I also noticed I lost so much strength so quickly when transitioning away from hangboarding. With the logical progression I'm hanging once a week and progressing from one to the next slightly, but not burning out on hanging. Its flexible with rest days too, which is good for those of us who aren't in our 20s.

What kind of improvement have you seen on the rock?  I’ve yet to hear from anyone who stuck to this for a good period of time

Pajama jeans wrote:

What kind of improvement have you seen on the rock?  I’ve yet to hear from anyone who stuck to this for a good period of time

I just looked back in my notes and I've actually been doing it for about a year. I'd highlight three things specifically I really like about it. 

1.) Because I'm constantly working the different energy systems I've been way more consistent over the past year in training.

2.) I feel like even though I may not eve be at may absolute peak that I'm more consistently really close to it which has allowed me to knock off a bunch of routes on my RP pyramid and last fall was able to do many of them within a few grades of my goal route fairly quickly, some of which I'd previously been on and struggled on. 

3.) Most importantly last month I was able to tick my goal route (top of my pyramid) in 2 days when I had a bit of a cold and my back was aching and while it didn't seem easy, I definitely know it wasn't my actual limit which up till this spring I was pretty sure it was. I'd been on it a few times a couple years ago and made a bit of progress, but ultimately put it on the back burner when I started doing the logical progression opting to use my outside days to get on routes a few grades below it. I live in Minnesota and we had a couple nice weeks in March and unfortunately the weather the since has been horrible. I did go out last week and got on a boulder where last fall I couldn't do a single move and in one session got to the point where I'm one move away from completing it.

You should check out the guys at Lattice.
Tom Randall and Ollie Torr.
Tom is one of the 'Wide Boyz'.
They have a different approach, which has worked well for many.
Definitely more fun than a strict RCTM protocol (although that's effective too!)
Quite flexible and good about answering questions.
https://latticetraining.com/training/

I’m about 12 weeks into the training beta program for route climbing, and I have noticed a significant gain in that timeframe. I also work about 50hrs/week and don’t have access to outdoor climbing on a consistent basis. Training beta keeps it pretty simple/foolproof, and all it requires is 3 2 hour sessions per week.

Power company climbing, is another good resource

Greg Koeppen wrote: Power company climbing, is another good resource

Reviving thread to see if anyone has tried these. Greg, did you use one? I'm considering trying one of the "proven plans" or the aforementioned lattice/Bechtel. 

I'm in week two of the Power Company Proven 5.13 Plan.  I really like it as it's a good mix of technique work ("practice") and good old fashioned try-hard stuff.  

The plan is app based and I opted for the coach communication option which basically means my coach and I message through the app.  He has been very prompt in returning messages, answering questions, and often checks in just to see how things are going.  I'm also able to message those in the Proven Plan group (which I assume is all those currently performing a Proven Plan) and Kris Hampton regularly responds and posts in the thread.  All exercises/activities have demonstration videos attached and are clearly explained.  The timed exercises have links to a timer app, though I choose to use a different app that I'm already familiar using.

The Plan itself, though aimed at preparation for routes, is bouldering based, which I like as I neglected bouldering last fall and feel was a mistake.  I'll be doing three weeks of Stength and Stamina work, a deload week, three weeks of Power and Endurance work, a deload week, and three weeks of Power Endurance work, followed by a final deload week, which sets up a performance peak for about a month or so.  I like that unlike a pure periodization program, multiple systems are trained at once with an emphasis on the target system for the time period at hand.  

I've been a self-coached climber for my 20 year career and while I spend a lot of time reading about and keeping up on the latest greatest training stuff related to climbing, it's nice to have someone else sift through all the possibilities and tell me what to do.  It's just on me to show up and get the work done.  

I have other friends that have done Lattice Plans, which they've liked, but I chose Power Company because I really like their common sense approach/attitude as demonstrated through their Podcasts and blogs, and they're based in Lander, not too far from SLC.  As a topper, I recently met Kris Hampton while bouldering at Moe's Valley and he's a super nice guy - very down to earth.  I'm very happy with my choice so far.

Thanks for your thoughts Ned!

I’ll throw some input since I’ve done both Climbstrong and Trainingbeta.

I completed TB’s Bouldering plan and followed it religiously for over a year. The price point was too good to pass up, and I liked that it was tailored for someone like myself with a full time job and limited training time. The workouts got me out of a plateau at the time (breaking through V5) and I did get stronger in my fingers and overall power. However, my complaint was the workouts were too vague (weights and hangboarding), and recording progress over time was mostly on your own. Some of the workouts, especially campusing, were “too much too soon” I feel, and I’m glad despite my eagerness to follow them and get stronger, that I didn’t get injured in the process. Hang boarding was vague as well in regards to progressing to smaller edges vs. adding weight on the existing edge. Overall I suggest it to a climber who wants to start seriously training, but with the caveat of being mindful of how your fingers/body feels on certain workouts.

I switched to Climbstrong because I was willing to pay extra for coaching, I am competing more seriously, and wanted a more tailored training regimen. My coach took exactly what I wanted to accomplish, and implemented a program that was specific to my goals. I workout every other night for 4+ hours after work, either climbing, off-wall weights and hangboard/campusboard, along with Tension/Moon/Kilterboard workouts. My workouts, progress and communication are handled through a very easy to use app that includes video of every workout, reps/sets, warm ups, cool-downs and injury prevention/mobility exercises. I also am on a personal call once a week to check in and make tweaks to the program. My coach stresses proper form on weight training, easing in to new workouts or intense ones like campusing, and closely monitoring how my fingers and body feel before/during/after workouts to make sure I’m not overdoing anything, which is extremely important to me and has been thus far responsible for no injuries or strains.
I started this program August 2019, and have seen huge gains in finger strength, endurance, explosive power, and technique improvement. This program will get you strong, while still focusing on returning to basics and fundamentals when needed to make you an overall better climber. The price difference compared to TB is large, but you get what you pay for, and for me is worth every penny. 

Congrats on the improvement and thanks for your thoughts D Elliot!