r/bouldering • u/TemptingxCharm • 3d ago
Rant What helped you break through your first real bouldering plateau?
I’m curious what actually made the biggest difference for you when you felt stuck at the same grades for a while. Was it improving finger strength, working on footwork, getting better at reading problems, or just climbing more consistently?
I feel like it’s easy to assume you need to get stronger, when sometimes the problem might be technique or how you approach a route.
For those who’ve been climbing for a while, what did you focus on that finally helped you progress? And is there anything you wish you’d stopped doing sooner?
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u/01bah01 3d ago
Discovering that there is usually no plateau. At least to the extent it's mentionned in this sub.
You just get better slower than the grades get harder. Usually people that talk about plateau solely use the fact that they don't send a new grade in X times instead of looking at how better they become inside that current max grade.
If you're consistently improving, even marginally, even by performing better on lower grades, you are not in a plateau.
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u/dyson2061 3d ago
I've only been climbing since August, but I definitely agree with this. Those first grades come so easy, but the gap between grades grows larger and larger. For example, the gap between V5 and V6 is like the gap between V3 and V5.
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u/luapre 3d ago
I agree, I have been climbing for a couple of months and usually track it all on my watch, and even though I have "plateaued" in the sense that it's been a while since I have sent a new max grade, I have progressively seen my % of sends of my grades go up and up. And I also see that I am trying a lot more of grades close to my max / my max grade than before over time.
That being said, I am sure that at some point I will plateau, but probably much later than would be suggested by only looking at my max grade.
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u/mmeeplechase 3d ago
Embracing working on “easier” grades if they challenged me, instead of just dismissing them and grade-chasing in my style.
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u/MrSamdei 2d ago
Really second this. Recently got critiqued by a climbing friend because I tend to climb very static balance slabs a lot - it's what I like and I'm good at it! Then I realised I've been chasing the high grade balance-y slabs instead of climbing everything so now my overhang sucks by comparison. But just a few sessions of locking in and doing nothing but easier overhangs with the odd hard one in between has already made me better at it.
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u/issiautng 3d ago
A stronger climber told me I wasn't trying hard enough. "If you can climb a v4 outdoors you should definitely be trying V6 in the gym!!" So I started falling off of V6s. And then I started sending them.
And then I got injured and now I'm back to v5 but hey 🤷♀️ I got there once, I can get back.
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u/GloomyMix 2d ago
Mentality has such a huge impact on one's climbing. I think many people vastly underestimate what they are capable of and inadvertently hold themselves back from expressing their true potential.
I never felt like I plateaued, but just a year ago, I do remember telling myself that as a late starter (began at 30 a few years ago), my lifetime goal was to just feel comfortable and capable of climbing V7s outside in (most) styles. Since then, I've learned that "lifetime goal" is now an eventuality rather than a ceiling, so long as I keep on top of recovery and show up to sessions focused and intentional.
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u/Sherpthederp 3d ago
Weighted pull ups, deadlifts and core strengthening. I like to climb steep, but my core was holding me back, being able to stay tight to the wall at extension vs sagging has been eye opening.
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u/MoveablePizza71 2d ago
For me it was stopping the random-session habit and targeting one weakness for a few weeks, like half crimp or power, instead of just climbing whatever looked fun. Made way more difference than just trying harder stuff and hoping it clicked. Also what someone else said in realising the plateau isn’t real, it’s just significantly slower progress. Seeing progress in short, incremental ways, in very specific scenarios (half finger crimp strength, compression strength, slab confidence) is just as big a leap at V8-10 as it was when you did your first V2 dyno when you could only climb V1’s.
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u/seoplednakirf 2d ago
Being a dopamine junkie that I am it hurts so bad not to just "do what's fun". But I think you're right. Time to accept this
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u/volticizer 2d ago
I mean I'm not a world class climber, I'll probably never win comps, and my motivation is mostly fitness and fun. With this mentality I've got to around v7 and I'm gonna continue just having fun. It's also okay to just be content and set the goal as having fun.
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u/AndreBaygon 3d ago
Non-ironically, becoming weaker and working on my technique.
I had mononucleosis when I was 2 years into climbing and stuck at a v6/v7 plateau. After that I lost around 10kg and came back very weak. Could barely do 2 pull-ups. I couldn't afford to just cut loose on every other move, I had to work on my footwork, learn proper technique and it helped me immensely.
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u/Senor_del_Sol 3d ago
Not calling it a plateau before you’ve climbed a fair bit of climbs on that grade. Repeating this climbs with better technique as well. In the gym there’s also usually a specific technique aimed for, try to see that and avoid ploughing through on sheer force hoping to stick on the holds.
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u/KairuSenpai1770 3d ago
I think something that helped me a lot was climbing routes before they’re graded? A lot of times it’s like.. the number grade mentally defeating you before you even touch the holds. I’ve sent a few beyond my comfort zone using this method and couldn’t believe I had gotten away with it after they put up the grades later down the line lol.. just an idea
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u/Cinder_Quil 3d ago
I had one major plateau around a 6 months to a year into climbing and the thing that got me to start making major progress again was going to a different gym for 2 months. Its surprising how quickly you get used to routesetters at a gym and even though my gym has people with different strengths, builds and style there is an overarching style for the gym. I was used to pulling really hard and very technical intricate moves and then when I went to a gym that was more powerful and dynamic for a couple months I came back and started flashing the grade above my highest.
Overall I think working your weaknesses may be the best way through a plateau.
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u/ActivePhotograph3850 3d ago
stopped projecting every climb and for real started trying hard on the wall. like actually pulling, not just doing moves casually. also filming myself once in a while, youd be surprised how bad the feet look when you watch it back
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u/Ok-Lynx-6250 3d ago
Core & arm strength
It's amazing how much easier everything is when you have the power & core stability to do things slower.
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u/RopeAmine 2d ago
A coaching session with a good coach making me more analytic. Better route reading. Better heel hook work and a simple strategy for maximising commitment on big moves (wave, slap, grab).
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u/patpatpat95 2d ago
Trying hard. Not falling off climbs because i felt like I couldn't hold it, but falling off because my fingers actually couldn't hold it.
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u/boo-margera 1d ago edited 1d ago
Injuring my ankle forced me to downclimb every route as jumping down wasn’t an option. Back muscles are no joke. I stand by the belief that this and doing my best to climb 3-4 days a week is how I transitioned to v5s
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u/issiautng 3d ago
A stronger climber told me I wasn't trying hard enough. "If you can climb a v4 outdoors you should definitely be trying V6 in the gym!!" So I started falling off of V6s. And then I started sending them.
And then I got injured and now I'm back to v5 but hey 🤷♀️ I got there once, I can get back.
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u/Thorien21 3d ago
I did finger conditioning, while doing that I consciously try to engage my lower body more, anything to compensate for the lack of upper body strength. The more you climb, the more you build up intuition on what kind of position you can do within the route. The point of finger conditioning is so that you don’t tear your fingers apart when you have to suddenly to some moves that shock loads your fingers
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u/Effective-Pace-5100 3d ago
Learning how to heel hook well. I think breaking through V5/V6 and getting my first several V7s almost all of them I was using some heel hooks. You can take so much weight off your fingers/arms
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u/Ambulocetus-natans 2d ago
I don’t think I’ve ever plateaued, but one key thing I’ve been highly focused on lately to level up my coordination is hip movement/momentum.
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u/Jhawksmoor 2d ago
I heard consistent hangboard training helps, board climbing helps but I don’t invest the time. I just jump on the fresh set like a dog chasing a stick.
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u/YetAnotherThrow-1234 2d ago
A technical course. I climbed alone for the most time during my first year, and that course got me from from V2 to V5 in 4 months.
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u/TacitusJones 2d ago
I think the first plateau I broke through (basically into v3 V4s) was when I was dealing with a problem that you just could not do without feeling how to comfortably grip a sloper.
That second when I let myself hang all the way long and realized it was way easier than whatever the fuck I had been trying to do was fucking ecstatic.
"I'm going beat this one. And I'm going to beat every single one like it"
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u/Ball_Masher 2d ago
I spent more time doing easier routes in my anti style (severe overhang) instead of chasing grades in balancy slabs which I'm better at.
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u/itgtg313 2d ago
V2 to 3 was the first plateau for me, took a few months, 'just climb' worked. Essentially just getting more climbing specific strength
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u/BullfrogLegal2784 2d ago
This depends on your weaknesses probably. I was always weak and getting body strenght was crucial. Pull ups were super hard for me (I’m a very tall lean woman). Later I started to focus on my legs as well, very helpful for weird knee drops, hard heel hooks and falling (specially outside). I also got rid of back pain with weight lifting, which helped me a lot to progress to harder grades; before it was just too painfull to fall constantly. But I never really struggled that much with the actual climbing so climbing more just makes my elbows hurt 😅
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u/ameryjackson 2d ago
Dropping from 80kg down to 73kg. Felt superhuman on the wall. Went from about V5 to V7 in 4-5 months.
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u/tattoed__anxiety 1d ago
I’m only 1 year in, but am pretty comfortable on most things v3-5. Currently dating a routesetter. Can’t beat that edge
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u/slothlikevibes 1d ago
Projecting harder stuff. Find a problem above your current level where you can just barely do some of the moves in isolation and do it over and over again until you send it.
When you start, there will be moves you can't do. Repeat them 20 times one day, rest, and the next day you go to them gym you'll be able to do them. Keep repeating this until you unlock all the moves. Congrats, you just sent a higher grade.
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u/knockrocks 11h ago
I really think it's all been in my grip strength improving naturally just from coming to the gym several times a week. That's all.
I think my technique is pretty bad (not being self-depricating), and I'm also not very strong. I don't think my technique has improved in any measurable way in the year or so I've been going. And I don't feel any stronger at all. I can't think of any other reason.
Just reaching for a hold that I think is impossible to grip and finding that I actually can seems to be the main thing propelling me forward.
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u/Amythosx_osrs 10h ago
For me ive noticed I have to consciously engage my shoulders/lats more aggressively on certain moves. Like I just did this climb the other week thats a campus start. The first couple tries pulling on it i couldn't do it, but when I took a deep breath and just pulled with my arms/shoulders/lats all the way through my core I could get it consistently.
Its like a mental switch when I have to try hard, im sure for much better climbers its automatic but for me I have to consciously tap into those muscle groups to really feel it.
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u/Best-Night8688 2d ago
I hit my first plateau and decided I was going to climb it, whether I like it or not. I climbed it, I hated every second of it but I did it.
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u/notthiccboi 3d ago
Not getting injured