8a and other things worth doing

Margalef Part 2 ~ EPIC FAIL!!!!

2011-11-11T12:10:00.000-08:00

Now that my trip is coming to an end, it is only appropriate to report my climbing performance this trip. EPIC FAIL (AS ABOVE)!!! I did not complete an 8a, i could not complete my 7c+ project. So ya... epic fail.... Now it is time to sit back and relax for the rest of 2011. Climbing will definitely not be a focus item in 2012. Who knows when will be my next roctrip.....

Margalef part 1

2011-10-30T11:44:00.001-07:00

Reached Margalef yesterday afternoon in style in the form of VW Polo. What a long journey! The last 20 to 30 km was especially taxing. The road was long and winding and I did not get much sleep on the plane. I watched zookeeper, super8, get shorty, shuttle island n portions of captain american..... Anyway I felt like takumi attacking the mountain passes with narrow roads n hairpin curves. Nice.

We checked in a small apartment room. The landlady was extremely nice. The room will be our home base for the next 1 to 2 weeks.

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This is it......

2011-10-28T03:21:00.000-07:00

Hear it first at fingerstrength.blogspot.com

View Larger Map

Blogger droid

2011-10-12T03:56:00.001-07:00

Just installed blogger droid, now I can blog on the go!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4

Its late September already!!!???!!!

2011-09-25T09:19:00.000-07:00

Haven't been paying attention to this blog lately due to various reasons most notably laziness. Been busy with climbing lately always preparing for the next trip. Training is intense. It is time consuming and it is intense. You don't have time to do other things. Its crazy, either you are climbing somewhere or you are doing some stability or mobility training to prepare for your next session. Training is madness. Unfortunately this type of training didn't work in Krabi in May. I don't blame it on the training. i am taking responsibility for this one. Anyway, i made some adjustments here and there and here i am in another training cycle. My focus this cycle is power endurance. i can't do too much strength/power training because it usually leads to injury for me. You can't train forever. i am planning to take a big break after my big trip this year. i am going to train so hard i wish i never need to train like this again. Its ridiculous...... but i like it =)

Cross Counter Features SG

2011-07-09T20:23:00.001-07:00

Chicago FTW!

2011-06-29T01:38:00.001-07:00

Singapore ftw!

2011-06-28T17:51:00.000-07:00

I am on Taiwan TV!

2011-06-28T03:33:00.000-07:00

Click here. 36th Second

MTV

2011-06-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

Check In

2011-06-13T10:26:00.000-07:00

The rather late Yangshuo lookback

2011-05-16T18:54:00.000-07:00

Been quite busy with training and some personal matters lately, but it is never too late to have a lookback. Overall its been a good trip, didnt manage to try an 8a though. I find this "not trying 8a" issue more mental than physical. i just have to try it and believe that my muscles will remember the movement eventually making the route doable. Too often i backed off because i find it impossible on my first try. I need to believe in the process, in my ability. I also need good beta hahah

Ok enough of the rambling, i did put up a rather good show despite the fact that it rained approximately 80% of the time. i bagged another 7c, did some onsights. Its all good. And not forgetting the company, hanging out with DJ S-Tatic, CA king, Paul and my China friends.....it was fun =)

So whats next? Well NEXT is just 1 and a half weeks away. Next Sat i will be heading to Krabi for another shot @ 8a. Need to POWER UP!!!!

Super inspiring. Let's go!

2011-05-16T18:53:00.001-07:00

BD athlete Adam Ondra making the first ascent of Chaxi Raxi (9b) at Oliana, Spain from Black Diamond Equipment on Vimeo.

Retro Sunday

2011-04-09T21:26:00.000-07:00

Let the travelling begin!

2011-02-25T17:23:00.000-08:00

Last week, i kicked off my 2011 travelling with a wkend trip to camp 5. The place is awesome as always. They have also completed the 25 metres (?) PRO wall which is super fun to climb on. Next up is a trip to sentosa tomorrow haha! I will b heading up camp5 again next week. All these in preparation for my Yangshuo trip in mar. Its going to b a short 1 wk trip. My target is to climb 1 8a n also to visit Steve in hk. I am also toying with the idea of goin somewhere in may (krabi? japan?). Anyway given all the trip up to malaysia mayb i should get a 2nd hand OPC. Lets see how my increment goes.....

Raging Demons

2011-01-22T19:38:00.001-08:00

Block BO for up to 16 hours!!!!

2011-01-20T07:44:00.000-08:00

Akuma in MvC3

2011-01-17T08:03:00.000-08:00

More Marvel Vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds Videos

Finally......

2011-01-07T08:19:00.000-08:00

Did something NEW in 2011

2011-01-02T22:43:00.000-08:00

I fixed my stoopid desktop! Ok i consider tearing my computer apart, identifying (actually is guessing) the defective component, removing it and putting the rest back together to type this blog post as fixing.

Climb 2011 - ITS TIME!

2010-12-30T09:04:00.000-08:00

My christmas wish this year is to have a nice christmas tree next year!

8a
7c+,7c+
7c, 7c, 7c
7b+

Climb 2010 - The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

2010-12-30T08:15:00.000-08:00

The Good
- Completed Le Privilege Du Serpent and Vegabond D Occident. Epic.
- Awesome France trip. Great climbing, great people, great food, lots of sight seeing. Thats how it should be done!
- No major injury this year. Dave Macleod is right "When our bodies are tired and cant manage it, we get annoyed and do exactly the wrong thing - Try even harder". The key is to reduce intensity when you are performing below expectations and be patient if you are in the middle of a down cycle. This is especially apparent if you periodize.

The Bad
- No hard onsights this year. Onsight has always been my achilles heel, my kryptonite
- Didnt achieve my goal of a nice pyramid. Short of 1 7b+

The Ugly
- Maybe my poor performance during Rock On? i dunno, didnt bother me a lot. i was focusing my efforts on IPPT.

Family Guy Funny

2010-12-09T07:04:00.000-08:00

climbing again

2010-12-08T08:29:00.000-08:00

Oh yes i am climbing again! Back from my short Sharma break! Seems like there is no time to lose as Alvin is heading up YS next Mar. i am definitely super keen to visit White Mountain again but then again i have other commitments to worry about.....

Trying really hard to regain my fitness now. Based on my current performance, this is going to take some time. Shucks

Yessss......

2010-11-30T20:52:00.000-08:00

Finally! My first IPPT gold. Proud!

Barbra

2010-11-30T03:08:00.000-08:00

Word of Wisdom

2010-11-26T04:10:00.000-08:00

Putting all your eggs in the same basket is not as bad as putting all your eggs in the wrong baskets.

Sharma Break

2010-11-13T11:06:00.000-08:00

Its time for my annual sharma break! This year its going to be a 2-3 weeks rest from climbing. This break is going to be full of running with my reservist in the middle. Yiaks! Anyway the awesome thing about this break is that i am usually forced to take a break due to a bad injury. However this time it is on my own free will. I felt that i needed a timeout.

Coping

D-W-S!!!!

2010-10-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

Nice Video of Ceuse

2010-10-22T00:56:00.001-07:00

VIDEO PROFILE: BD athlete Adam Ondra on first ascent of L‘étrange Ivresse des Lenteurs (9a+), Ceüse, France from Black Diamond Equipment on Vimeo.

Lock Off or Die!!!!!

2010-10-07T19:50:00.000-07:00

Saw this picture in Petzl blog. This is some serious training facility......

No motivation

2010-09-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

Been rather slack with climbing lately. No motivation to train. Perhaps is because i don't have any climbing goals at the moment. No leave to go on long trips, reservist coming (force rest), Osmosis too hard for me.....Maybe i should drive up to Batu Caves one weekend to try Osmosis again. Maybe i am strong enough to do the crux this year. I have been bouldering lately so perhaps i have gotten stronger (or not). Heh

In other news, seems like Julian Ramon has been crushing it in the Climbing World Cup circuit this year. Short is the new strong! Hope he wins this year, he deserves it. Venga!

My Favorite Fishball Noodle

2010-09-26T07:47:00.000-07:00

Just look at that fish cake!!!

Wooooo delicious!!!

Maximum Spider!

2010-09-21T01:45:00.000-07:00

How to go to 1 utama (from e2)

2010-09-20T08:27:00.000-07:00

1) at e2 after the exit to nilai, exit left to e6
2) at end of e6 (after shah alam stadium) road will veer right to new klang valley expressway (nkve), keep to main road but keep left
3) exit on 2nd exit (exit 106), left exit, road will swing right
4) after toll booth, keep left, dun go up highway, and turn left on the first obvious left turn, u should see a 7-11 in front when u turn
5) u will then hit a roundabout, da middle is a carpark, at the roundabout exit right
6) keep going straight until u hit main road again, turn left
7) go up highway which should veer left (if u couldnt go up highway, do illegal left at traffic junction)
8) u should b able to see hotel 1 world from the flyover (on the left)

Almost Ready.......Psyched

2010-09-19T19:50:00.000-07:00

Reel Rock Tour 2010 - Trailer

2010-09-16T20:39:00.000-07:00

"Everyone wants to be the best, if you don't keep training, you are going to be left behind" ~ Daniel Woods or Paul Robinson

Photos of Ceuse

2010-08-26T09:56:00.001-07:00

The walk

More walking

The wall

Our tent and our ride

Biography

2 Second Tent

2010-08-26T09:16:00.000-07:00

What I ate in Southern France (Part 2)

2010-08-11T08:53:00.001-07:00

I would call this an absolute disaster

One of my favourite food - Moules Mariniere + Frites

Salade Nordique

Ravioles?

Bouillabaisse! + Caesar's Salad

What I ate in Southern France (Part 1)

2010-07-30T11:40:00.001-07:00

Salmon in cod fish sauce with fried egg on top + tagliatelle with mushroom and tomato base pasta sauce

Poule in a pot soup (instant) with mushroom and lettuce + teriyaki chicken drumstick

Seafood pizza

Goat cheese + local delights

Spaghetti with pesto sauce and small tomatoes + beef patty (in teriyaki sauce?)

WTF!!!!!!

2010-07-07T04:59:00.000-07:00

RocTrip 2010: Ceuse

2010-07-06T10:33:00.000-07:00

This is it! This is the day! So psyched now! Cant wait to go shopping in Decathlon! Draws at 8 Euro, 70m rope at 115 Euro. Damm it is cheap!!! Suddenly it seems meaningless to stuff my bag when i should leave it as empty as possible.

Anyway i got THREE goals this trip:
1) To enjoy every single climbing day regardless of my performance
2) To not get discouraged and move on if i climb badly on a route
3) To go Al Muerte on every single climb

I will try to update this blog with pictures and stuff as often as i can. If you are interested to know what type of tent i am staying in or what i had for dinner, please check back in frequently cause you never know when i am going to update this blog. Heh!

Putrajaya - Gray route

2010-06-29T10:17:00.000-07:00

My best attempt on the gray route. Still not strong enulf!!!

Video filmed by JiaSheng

Daigo Wins 10-3!!!

2010-06-28T06:56:00.000-07:00

Looks like i over-estimated Momochi. He has no answers to Daigo's spacing and counter-attack strategy. Brutally destroyed by the beast. He should go back to Akuma......

Alternate Route from PCC to the Expressway

2010-06-28T00:39:00.000-07:00

Although we went off course a bit (in green), we still manage to enter the expressway within 18 mins. The drive is also much smoother because the roads are wider and there were fewer cars.

GodsGarden Tournament

2010-06-27T19:19:00.000-07:00

Daigo's Ryu is going to battle against Momochi's Ibuki tonight at 9pm. The format is a simple race to 10. The match should be viewable live on Godsgarden UStream page (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/godsgarden) and Eventhubs (www.eventhubs.com).

I am quite sure this is going to be one of the best matches in the tournament as both players are ultra skilled. If there is someone in this world that can beat Daigo, it is Momochi. He also decides to shoot knives instead of fireballs this time round choosing Ibuki (instead of Akuma) for the match. It will be exciting to see a high level Ibuki in action. Plus the fact that Ryu is nerfed big time and given a useless ultra 2, it is anyone's game.

My Guess: Daigo Wins 10-9. Daigo will be Daigo so suck it!

Alternate route from PCC to NS Highway?

2010-06-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

Will test it out this weekend......

Southern France

2010-06-24T07:06:00.000-07:00

What you have heard is true. i am returning to Southern France for a 21 days climbing trip. The itinerary is not finalized yet but i will probably visit Gorges Du Loup and Ceuse (and tour Nice). My main focus now is to get rid of my nagging pains and climb the gray route! That's right i am going KL tomorrow!

10 (or 12m) slide at Terminal 3

2010-06-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

Flaming Cake. Delicious!

2010-06-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

Tracking my Climbing Progress (2)

2010-06-19T07:14:00.000-07:00

Late May - Went to camp 5 / putra, finished the gray in camp5 but not the gray in Putra though i feel a little closer this time. I WILL FINISH IT ON MY NEXT TRIP!!!
Early Jun - Lotsa bouldering!!! A bit too much actually, didn't feel like i have the opportunity to recover fully from the trip
Mid Jun - Down Period!!! Fell sick and feeling terrible. Still not giving myself enough rest. Pinkie finger not recovering and worse, strained my elbow while bouldering. Is this the end of the run??? Decided to rest for 3 days.
Today - Health still not 100%, elbow strain only gave me trouble during warm up and pinkie still bothering me on certain holds. Shucks......

Only 3 more weeks before my Southern France Trip, pressure is mounting... I need to re-strategize.

I was wondering who is this C Leong.....

2010-06-09T05:33:00.000-07:00

Nike World Cup Ad - Its all or NOTHING!

2010-05-24T05:28:00.000-07:00

Tracking my Climbing Progress

2010-05-19T07:20:00.000-07:00

1) Oct 2009 - Started climbing again after a serious pulley injury
2) Oct to Mid Nov 2009 - Started building up my climbing fitness
3) Late Nov 2009 - Yangshuo, 2 weeks, completed a few 7bs, 7b+es
4) Dec 2009 - Maintenance mode
5) Late Dec 2009 - Nyammuk/Camp5/Putra, completed Pear, felt super fit endurance wise though lacking in strength and power
6) Jan 2010 to Early Mar 2010 - Periodization
i) 2 weeks of strength
ii) 2 weeks of strength/power
iii) 2 Weeks of Power
iv) 3 weeks of Power Endurance
Felt that my strength and power improved, able to do the crux of a route in Putra (which i couldn't do in Dec 09). Not as fit endurance wise compared to after Yangshuo
7) Mid Mar 2010 - Krabi, 1 week, completed a 7b+ and 7c. Felt that all the 7b+es in Krabi were within reach (except for maybe BDD which i didn't try)
8) Late Mar 2010 - Feeling demotivated, felt that i had sacrificed too much of my time in climbing. Taking it easy with short and relaxing sessions
9) Mid Apr 2010 - Old man came back, organized KL trip and got everyone psyched (ok maybe not everyone), decided to try getting back my fitness
10) May 2010 - 4 weeks of fitness training, decided to incorporate training for KL into a larger periodization program which will end in early July in time for my overseas trip.
11) Mid May 2010 - Feeling good though i am the type of person who likes to overdo things when i feel strong and ends up getting injured. Need to be mindful of that. Projects for Camp5 and Putra - GRAY ROUTES!!!

Talk about outperforming the market

2010-04-15T08:51:00.000-07:00

Whats up with COSCO CORP?

2010-04-13T22:28:00.000-07:00

Seriously, what is UP with them? From a low of 1.19 on 12 Mar 2010, it grew to 1.81 today (more than 50% increase in value). Can someone tell me whats going on over there in China? Are they going to give out massive dividends? Tell me cause i am too busy to investigate....

Note: Numbers from Yahoo Finance

STI Breaks 3000!

2010-04-13T21:37:00.000-07:00

In less than a year, STI grew from a mere 1791.45 to over 3000 today. That's approximately a 67% increase! If you have entered the market last Apr throwing your money into the various reliable STI counters(eg Keppel, Sembcorp, OCBC, etc), you would probably have made at least 30% profit. Ok you can say that hindsight is always 20/20, but if you have at least stay invested during the tough times, putting money in bit by bit since Nov 2008 (like me), you would at least make enough profit to cover your losses during the meltdown (like me again, heh).

That said, some counters never see the light after the meltdown so invest with care!

Note: Numbers from Yahoo Finance

Word of the day: Hemipenes

2010-04-07T01:37:00.001-07:00

SMACKDOWN

2010-04-06T09:11:00.000-07:00

27 Apr 2010, Mark this date!

2010-04-05T20:47:00.000-07:00

Hope this is the last round.......

2010-04-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

Given the controversies and flaming resulting from the FRFM saga, as an EX-VSC*, I felt a need to comment on this incident. Though most of the comments in the various blogs and websites are constructive and not directed at anyone, I am saddened by certain posts that are purely speculative, extreme and written with the purpose of putting the involved individuals down. These comments really take us back a few years in terms of the evolution of climbing. I am often uncomfortable when i hear people make sweeping statements about controversial topics (climbing or non-climbing). What's with the confidence? Why are you so sure if it is right or wrong? Is everything so black and white? If someone did something that you think is wrong, why are you so fast to judge and take that person down with all that negative energy? These people should just chill and focus on their own messed up life and how to make it better.

*VSC = Very Serious Climber (Hardcore but not very strong)

Krabi 2010

2010-03-26T09:54:00.000-07:00

Still couldn't finish Sour Fish! Argghhh!

This trip gave me an opportunity to reminiscence about my climbing throughout the years, the sacrifices that i made and the memorable experiences. It was a good run for sure and i felt that i had put in my utmost effort. The results are commendable though not impressive. But hey, i only need to answer to myself right? I am at peace with myself. It is time to take it easy. Anyway I don't foresee anymore climbing trips this year, that is unless i get laid off =p

Rest Rest Rest

First gay Street Fighter Character?

2010-03-10T08:30:00.001-08:00

The Ultimate Periodization Program?

2010-03-06T08:53:00.000-08:00

Check out the periodization programs in http://www.kletterzentrum-tivoli.at/

Tivoli in Innsbruck is the gym that churns out climbers like Johanna Ernst and David Lama. The website provides training programs for beginners, amatuers and professionals. If you don't understand German, use google to translate the page. The wordings might seem weird after translation though.

Krabi 2010

2010-03-06T08:48:00.000-08:00

I will be in Krabi from 12-Mar to 22-Mar to fight it out and tear it down. Hope i can complete my goal of redpointing Sour Fish Curry. A Muerte!

If you are interested in my sends this trip, feel free to follow me at 8a.nu. Cheers

Nice Vid

2010-02-22T07:41:00.001-08:00

IKER POU - DEMENCIA SENIL (MONTAJE 2.1) from jordi canyigueral on Vimeo.

Now you can look like Sharma!

2010-02-11T07:14:00.000-08:00

Brand New Prana Mojo for SALE!!! 3 colors available, PEWTER (greyish blue), CYPRESS (dull green) and hot favourite BURNT OFFERINGS oops i mean BURNT ORANGE. Size S only. I will give you special price don't worry! While stocks last.

Episode 2 (the sequel)

2010-02-09T08:57:00.000-08:00

Episode 1

2010-02-09T08:56:00.000-08:00

If you can't climb, at least look good!

2010-02-09T08:39:00.000-08:00

Can't climb like Sharma? Fret not! Now you can look like Sharma! Details coming soon......

Pictures from last weekend. From my phone camera

2010-02-08T07:25:00.000-08:00

Nice T-shirt

My favourite Seafood Soup in Singapore! Think i will post more of such photos over the next few weeks

Driving Aggression

2010-02-07T08:01:00.000-08:00

Another interesting thing about Roctrip 2010, at least from my perspective, is that I drove my little Getzy up this time. Driving in Malaysia definitely require a fair bit of aggression and the flip side to it is i seem to have brought this impatient driving technique back to SG. This can be a bit dangerous especially when i am a fairly inexperience driver and i don't drive all the time. Ya so i better watch myself, listen to soothing music, etc..... All in all, driving in Malaysia is generally enjoyable and i will definitely do it again =)

Putra Roctrip

2010-02-07T07:49:00.000-08:00

Another awesome trip to KL! 1 day in camp5 and 1 day in Putrajaya. Although i felt that my endurance was not as good compared to last December, i definitely felt stronger from all the training and bouldering. At least i could do certain moves which i couldnt do last December. 1 more week of power training and it is time to work on my power endurance. Venga

Putra Roctrip 2010

2010-01-22T07:56:00.000-08:00

Details:
Going by car (in alphabetical order)
1) Alvin
2) Assad
3) Baoyan
4) Chee Meng
5) Elisa
6) Jay
7) Jessica
8) Kun Kiat (Michael)
9) Liu Li
10) Ning Feng
11) Paul
12) Ronghui
13) Shu Mei
14) Weiming
15) Yi Chuan

Going by plane (in alphabetical order)
1) Li Ting

Not Going (in alphabetical order)
1) Donny
2) Sze Ping

Accommodation
2 x 3-room apartment (Assad to confirm)

Getting there
3 x car (Alvin, CM and Jay)

Meeting time and place
30th Jan 2010, 6.30am at Boon Lay MRT (drivers please pick up stragglers along the way)

Get psyched for the hike!

A photo from last year

2010-01-12T08:01:00.000-08:00

photographer: Liu Feng

From the Straits Times

2010-01-10T05:43:00.000-08:00

Where is this place?

What does the first sentence mean?

Climb 2009 - The good, the bad and the ugly

2009-12-30T21:14:00.000-08:00

The Good
- Numerous climbing trips overseas including 2 trips to Yangshuo
- Onsighted my first 7a and subsequently my first 7b
- Completed 14 7s this year. This has got to be a record for me!

The Bad
- Nasty pulley injury which took me out of the game for a while
- No 7c this year. Wheres my 7c?

The Ugly
- LS in Yangshuo
- Got terrorized by Osmosis 7c. I need some Beta!

Putrajaya

2009-12-30T20:27:00.000-08:00

A photo of the climbing wall. You can also see Assad lying down, taking a nap.

Another awesome climbing trip in KL. 2 days of Camp 5, 1 day of Nyamuk and 1 day of Putrajaya with no rest day. Manage to complete (surprisingly quite easily) my long term debt Pear 7a. Woohoo!!! I also got completely destroyed by Osmosis 7c on the very same day. i really need next level fingerstrength in order to do 7cs. Time to start training again!

After hearing so much about Putrajaya, i decided to pay a visit to the coveted biggest gym in South East Asia? Anyway Putra is way BIG and totally built for World Cup competitions. It has a huge empty space in the middle for the audience, long overhanging rock face and a nice holding area with a small bouldering wall for the competitors. It also has a nice bouldering area and 2 speed climbing walls. The walls have more than enough routes to keep anyone busy for quite some time. I will definitely go back to finish my project!

Buy 1 Get 1

2009-12-20T08:10:00.000-08:00

You buy one, you get one! You don't get two! You get one. This is how i do business

Just some SF4 combos

2009-11-18T06:10:00.000-08:00

Spider Jay at Rock On 2009

2009-11-15T08:43:00.000-08:00

Looks like Spiderman visited Singapore for Rock On finals this year. Awesome fall by Jay and awesome shot by Ben. AIR TIME!!!

Time to Start Training Again!

2009-11-13T08:03:00.001-08:00

Today i saw a brand new hangboard in the NUS gym. Looks awesome with its perfect slopers, edges and pockets. I got a feeling that this is a sign for me to start training again. I LOVE FINGER TRAINING!!!

I am going BACK TO YANGSHUO!

2009-11-02T06:57:00.000-08:00

Inside a madcatz

2009-10-25T03:22:00.001-07:00

Finally Climbing Again.......

2009-10-20T00:38:00.001-07:00

Yes i am finally climbing again! Be sure to stay around for more updates of my upcoming trip(s).

I Want You To Show Me

2009-10-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

Sharma Break

2009-09-24T08:58:00.000-07:00

I am currently in the midst of a climbing break now. I realise that it is pretty tough to climb through a pulley injury. Hopefully taking a long break will hasten the recovery process. i have read many literatures that mentioned using ice water, cold water or even warm water to speed up the recovery process. i tried a few different remedies here and there, none of them felt especially effective. Perhaps it is better if i leave it alone and focus on other aspects of my life.

I remember my very first post in this blog is about me coming out of a finger injury (as well) and starting afresh again. That post gives me strength as it lets me know that i can surpass my previous high even after a bad injury.

El Muerte

5 Principles of a Successful Training Program (in no order of merit)

2009-09-11T18:40:00.000-07:00

Principle 1: Buy an exercise book and start tracking
Tracking progress instills discipline and keeps you focus.

Principle 2: Strength then Power
Think of strength as how big your muscles are and think of power as how well you use your muscles. So make them big and use them efficiently.

Principle 3: Be patient with your tendons
Tendons take a long time to get stronger (especially for me!), so be patient and train your tendons slowly and progressively.

Principle 4: Follow this sequence -> Get stronger, hone old techniques & learn new techniques, train to apply them consecutively (for 30-40m), repeat
I think it is true, some techniques require a certain amount of strength or power before you can practice them.

Principle 5: Tackle muscle imbalances quickly
Watch out for muscle imbalances and remediate them quickly. You don't want imbalances to limit your progress.

Just my 2 cents worth. Hope it works for all of you.

POP!!!

2009-08-17T07:08:00.000-07:00

The sound that no climber likes to hear while climbing especially if it is coming from his or her own finger(s). I heard a loud one last Wednesday coming from my right ring finger. That's right, the unthinkable happened, i popped my A2 pulley. My 12 weeks, almost highly successful strength training program came to an abrupt end. Despite the injury, i still feel that the program is highly effective which is why i am going to share it with all of you in my next post. In the meantime i am going to cook up a 10-week, (hopefully) highly successful rehabilitation program. Cheers!

Solution 69

2009-08-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

Climbing Shoes for Sale. Cheap Cheap!!!

2009-07-15T09:50:00.000-07:00

Left: La Sportiva Mantis, size Euro 38.5 SOLD!!!!!!
Right: La Sportiva Venom, size Euro 37.5 SOLD AS WELL!!!!!!

Hardly used because they are too small for me, willing to let go at a very very low price. Cheap Cheap!!!

John Bachar: 1957 - 2009

2009-07-06T19:27:00.000-07:00

From WestCoastBouldering.com

It’s being reported that legendary climber John Bachar died today, falling during a free solo of Dike Wall.

A few users on Supertopo.com’s forums confirm it. Friend of West Coast Bouldering, jleicht, just got a text from a guide friend of his in Bishop who confirmed the fatality.

Double Dragon (Punch)

2009-06-24T17:35:00.000-07:00

Cyan Route @ Camp 5

2009-06-14T06:48:00.000-07:00

Edited using Windows Movie Maker and Vista Snipping Tool. Painful process!

(Not so) Useful Tip

2009-06-12T19:29:00.000-07:00

Want to strengthen your non master hand? Try this: Brush your teeth with that hand

Muscular balance is key to preventing injuries.

Negative Ape Index is GOOD?????

2009-06-12T10:10:00.000-07:00

Jens gave a few reasons why Adam Ondra is such a good climber, one of it is as follows:

"Short arms - Adam is 181 cm but he has a negative ape-index that makes it easier for him to bend his arms"

Hmmm, let's agree to disagree.....

How Top Ryu Players Fight

2009-06-04T17:50:00.000-07:00

I was analyzing how the best Ryu players play Ryu. My subjects are namely Daigo (the legend) and Poongko (Best in Korea)

Daigo
Fireball intensive, doesnt seem to care who his opponent is, he just fires away. With good spacing, he uses his fireball to pin his opponent down. Very old school. Likes to use Forward + MP. In the middle of the match, he will go into "Slamming mode" where he will turn nasty and slam the opponent like nobody's business.

Poongko
Focus Attack (FA) intensive, he likes to use FA to begin his offensive. Very often this will confuse his opponent because FA if well timed opens up many options to him.
Doesnt use Forward + MP a whole lot. Think he rather slam the opponent.

Reference: http://www.streetfighterdojo.com/sf4/tournament/street_fighter_4_world_championship_2009.html

Been working my madcatz pretty hard the past week. I wonder if i am ready to challenge/compete......

Nice Route

2009-06-04T17:38:00.000-07:00

I would say a nice route is a route that challenges all 3 aspects of climbing performance: Physical Ability, Technique and Mental (balls). Have you met such a route lately?

Time to get Serious......

2009-05-29T19:29:00.000-07:00