This Stage is super fun!  You will be performing near or at your previously tested on-sight maximum and this is the opportunity to see just how strong you have become.  If before you were struggling to with your on-sight route, now you should be able to accomplish several problems or routes of the same grade in the same session.  Take the time to apply all that you learned from the previous Stages  such as good technique and body position (Stage 1), the use of your gained endurance (Stage 2), and efficiency of movement (Stage 3).

Maximum Strength:

The training for this Stage is fairly straight forward.  Simply put, you are expected to climb your hardest with the appropriate amount of rest (and no more).  The biggest thing here is that even though the training is short, be sure that you have warmed up enough to be safe when pulling near or at your limit.  For bouldering, select a problem of the appropriate resistance on each major feature in your cave.  Complete the problem and drop down to rest.  Even if you feel fully rested, wait for the full rest period of five (5) minutes before starting the next problem so that you can perform in the best style and not out of desperation as you most likely were during 4×4’s.

Week	Grade	Problems	Cadence	Rest
1	90%	5-8	Controlled	300 sec./5 min
2	90%	5-8	Controlled	300 sec.
3	95%	5-8	Controlled	300 sec.
4	100%	5-8	Controlled	300 sec.

For routes, select one from each major feature type; slab, arete (or fin), dihedral (or corner), vertical, overhung, and/or crack (where applicable).  The rest period should be in the range of ten (10) to fifteen (15) minutes based on your partner, how crowded it is, and your personal needs.

Week	Grade	Routes	Cadence	Rest
1	90%	5	Controlled	10-15 min.
2	90%	5	Controlled	10-15 min.
3	95%	5	Controlled	10-15 min
4	100%	5	Controlled	10-15 min.

This Stage is about  increasing your Maximum Strength.  As such, we will be experimenting with hyper-gravity training the intermediate and advanced levels.  This is more commonly known as weighted pull-ups.  It may take some experimentation to find exactly how much weight you can add and still perform a pull-up with appropriate form.  That means your chin clears the bar and no kicking out at the end of the motion.  Most up-to-date facilities have weight, either dumbbells or plates or both, and a belt to hang them from.  Your harness can work in pace of weight belt with a carabiner and sling.  If you do not have access to these pieces of equipment, then you can use a hangboard and perform regular pull-ups on holds that will cause you to fail in the appropriate number of repetitions.  That means the weight increases similar to the resistance levels in the Climbing and Conditioning Characteristics.  The following exercise selections should be used based on your previous analysis of your ability:

0-4 Pull-ups:
If you are in this category, then continue with the hangs from the previous Stage, but move up to next most difficult.   Rest will be ten seconds for each move made.  To help you remember, the list is provided below:

Dead Hang
Flex Hang
90 degree Hang
L-Hang
90 degree L-Hang
Jump to Lowers
Assisted Pull-ups
Pull-ups

Week	Sets	Hangs	Cadence	Rest
1	5	4/5	Controlled	40/50 sec.
2	5	6/7	Controlled	60/70 sec.
3	5	8/9	Controlled	80/90 sec.
4	5	10/10	Controlled	100 sec.

*Hold the position for 5 seconds, rest for 5 seconds.  Full Rest between each set, or hand position is an additional 10 seconds for every hang in one set.

4-10 Pull-ups:

As I said before, there may be some experimentation to see exactly how much weight you can add and still complete a pull-up.  Use the first week to test yourself and see where you fail.  If the first set of five feels too easy, add some weight , and if you fail before five repetitions, remove some weight.  Week 2 should be the same weight you found worked in Week 1.  For Weeks 3 and 4, add five (5) pounds (or two (2) kilograms) each week.

If you still can not campus or do not have access to a campus board, then continue with the exercises from the previous Stage by moving to the next most difficult type of pull-up.  The list is provided below:

Jump to Lowers
Assisted Pull-ups
Pull-ups
L-hang Pull-ups
4/2/1 Pull-ups

If you still can not campus or do not have access to a campus board, then continue with the exercises from the previous Stage by moving to the next most difficult type of pull-up.  Rest remains at twenty (20) seconds per move.  The list is provided below:

Pull-ups
L-hang Pull-ups
4/2/1 Pull-ups
Off-set Pull-ups
Frenchies

Continuing with the progression from the previous two Stages and using the same number of sets, repetitions, and cadence, we have reached the end for this series of strength exercises.  You will notice that many of the moves add or take place exclusively in the transverse plane, simply put, the twist.  Other exercise keep the same base movement and add another exercise to make a compound movement.  For this Stage, I like to make one repetition include a twist to the right and left effectively doubling the total number of repetitions.  Since the regular work load is significantly less, this should not be an issue for time.

Swiss Ball Long Lever Crunch with Rotation
Hanging Leg Lifts
Back Extension with Rotation, hands behind head
Cable Lift

Single-leg Touchdown to Curl and Press*
Single-leg Romanian Dipping Bird to Curl and Press*
Lunge to Balance, Transverse Pane
Step-up to Balance, Transverse Pane

*Increase difficulty by using the following; a board, a foam pad, DynaDisc, or half foam roll.

Repeat Tuck Jumps
Repeat Squat Jump, Sagittal Plane (Forward/Backward)
Repeat Squat Jump, Frontal Plane (Left/Right)
Repeat Squat Jump, Transverse Plane (90 degree rotation)

Core Workout – Conditioning	Resistance	Sets	Reps	Cadence	Rest
Core Activation: Swiss Ball Crunch with Rotation	Body Weight	2 2 3 4	12 12 10 8	2/2	0 sec.
Balance: Lunge to Balance, Transverse Pane	Body Weight	2 2 3 4	12 12 10 8	4/2/1	0 sec,
Plyometrics: Squat Jump, Transverse Plane	Body Weight	2 3 3 4	8 8 10 12	Repeating	60 sec.

In the Cardio Characteristic, the interval style of training shifts to include sprints.  First, the warm-up portion has changed slightly since the bulk of the training is at 85% of your max heart rate, we want to have a staggered warm-up to reach that level.  Sprints are limited to 30 seconds for each interval and through each week the amount of time between sprints will be reduced by 30 seconds for this and the final Stage.  That means that the amount of time for each workout will get shorter by three minutes each week.  The first session may be difficult to make the change in dynamic, but you will adapt quickly thanks to the work of the previous Stages.

Week	Resistance	Interval Training
1 (32 mins)	65-100%	1-min walk, 1-min (65%), 1-min. (75%) 3 x [(3.5-min (85%), 0.5-min (95%)] 2-min (65%) 3 x [3.5-min (85%), 0.5-min (95%)] 1-min (65%), 2-min walk
2 (29 mins)	65-100%	1-min walk, 1-min (65%), 1-min. (75%) 3 x [(3-min (85%), 0.5-min (95%)] 2-min (65%) 3 x [3-min (85%), 0.5-min (95%)] 1-min (65%), 2-min walk
3 (26 mins)	65-100%	1-min walk, 1-min (65%), 1-min. (75%) 3 x [(2.5-min (85%), 0.5-min (95%)] 2-min (65%) 3 x [2.5-min (85%), 0.5-min (95%)] 1-min (65%), 2-min walk
4 (23 mins)	65-100%	1-min walk, 1-min (65%), 1-min. (75%) 3 x [(2-min (85%), 0.5-min (95%)] 2-min (65%) 3 x [2-min (85%), 0.5-min (95%)] 1-min (65%), 2-min walk

Remember, this is how you find your Target Heart Rate:

220 – (your age) = Maximum [Effective] Heart Rate (Max. HR)

Then,

Max. HR x 0.65 = 65% HR

Max. HR x 0.75 = 75% HR
Max. HR x 0.85 = 85% HR

Max. HR x 0.95 = 95% HR

In this Stage, we return to the vertical loading system where we move from one exercise tot he next for the entire set until all exercises are completed.  This allows maximum rest for each muscle group so that you can push your hardest.  As with before, continue using the base exercise as it is the movement you are most familiar with and can continue to build your maximum strength.  The progression of the number of sets and repetitions simple, just like the Stage.

Barbell Bench Press
-Same as previous Stage

Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press
-Same as previous Stage

Legs
Barbell Back Squat (strength 1)
-Same as previous Stage