How the NSCA-CPT shapes my approach to climbing training

A few weeks ago, I passed my exam and officially became an NSCA-certified personal trainer. The exam consisted of 155 questions covering four domains: client consultation/fitness assessment; program planning; techniques of exercise; and safety, emergency procedures and legal issues. The process of attaining this certification has equipped me with the tools I need to write training programs for people of diverse backgrounds & experience levels who want to pursue goals ranging from general health to specialized athletic performance. As a climber, the concepts I’ve learned have helped me attain a deeper understanding of how to structure training programs for targeted improvement towards climbing goals.

Before I break down the components of this credential that I’m most excited to use in climbing training, I want to highlight why I chose the National Strength & Conditioning Association for my certification. There are multiple organizations that offer a similar credential. After doing the research, I chose NSCA because it is a nonprofit organization known for rigorous certifications that are deeply rooted in exercise science. The fact that the NSCA is a nonprofit organization demonstrated to me that their credentials prioritize education and rigor over profit and ease. The pass rate for first-time NSCA-CPT candidates is just 66%, which is lower than comparable industry certifications.

I am so excited to be able to share this knowledge with other climbers to help you become the strongest version of yourself! Here are the top four areas of expertise that I’m most excited to apply to climbing and climbing training.

Energy Systems

I’ve started to hear more casual talk of the body’s three main energy systems amongst climbers. You may know them as the phosphagen system (also known as the ATP-CP or anaerobic alactic system), glycolytic system (or anaerobic lactic system), and oxidative system (or aerobic system). Through the NSCA-CPT, I’ve gained an in-depth understanding of how each of these three systems work and when each comes into play. As climbers, we need to be training different energy systems depending on our goals. A different energy system is prioritized if you’re training for boulders versus routes versus walls. We cannot train all of them equally all of the time, because the body’s physiological adaptations to each type of training will be compromised if a program is not focused. Additionally, climbers will likely need to cycle through periods of training each system—climbing is complex, and the relationship between energy systems is nuanced.

Specifics of energy systems is beyond the scope of this post, but for now let’s just say that “feeling pumped” doesn’t just mean you need to “work on endurance.” Actual improvement based on the body’s physiological adaptations is much more nuanced. And, you can leverage exercise science to see real progress.

I also learned how each energy system is fueled and how each recharges on a biological level. I’ve definitely gotten real strict about taking full rests between bouldering attempts, and I now have a mental image of exactly what’s happening in my muscles during those 3-5 minute rests. Skimping on the rests really does compromise your efforts!

Programming

A big focus of the NSCA-CPT certification is how to write exercise programs for all types of client goals. This goes beyond simply picking exercises based on upper & lower body splits. In learning about energy systems, I also learned how to write exercise programs to achieve desired results. This includes selecting exercises to target specific muscles, as well as choosing the correct weights, set/rep schemes, and rest periods. Other variables include how many days per week to train, when to take rest days, and when to use compound sets or supersets (these are two different things!).

As climbers, our strength training needs to be focused in order to see progress towards our goals. There are so many things a climber could train when it comes to strength, but narrowing in on the why behind specific training choices is what will really help accelerate improvement. After obtaining my NSCA-CPT, I am more prepared to make evidence-based training choices that combine knowledge of the body’s physiological adaptations with the nuances and specificity of rock climbing.

Lastly, knowing when and how to progress a strength training program is absolutely critical if you are serious about improvement. Climbers are balancing strength training with time on the wall, so we need to be especially efficient in the weight room so that we don’t compromise climbing time. Through obtaining my personal training certification, I am confident in helping climbers progress strength training sustainably to maximize results and minimize risk of injury or overtraining.

Exercise Technique

The NSCA-CPT included a hefty dose of technique for exercises ranging from full-body to accessory muscles. Technique is super important—without executing exercises correctly, we might not actually be hitting the desired target muscles. Additionally, an understanding of exercise technique helps minimize the risk of injury. Good technique is nuanced, and having a qualified professional assess your form can help illuminate areas for improvement that you might not catch on your own. Your bad habits might be holding you back without you knowing it!

Again, a climber’s time in the weight room should pack a punch, so we can get back to time on the wall. Obtaining my NSCA-CPT has given me the skills to assess exercise form to make sure strength exercises are performed correctly and safely.

Nutrition

Most climbers have a baseline understanding of nutrition principals, but still the cultural emphasis on thinness and lightness is pervasive. The NSCA-CPT certification required me to connect sports nutrition concepts with desired training adaptations in order to help athletes achieve their goals. Without an understanding of the physiological relationship between nutrition and training, it is very difficult to see real gains. Nutrient timing and specific refueling for the type of workout you’ve just performed will help maximize your efforts and accelerate your progress. While the NSCA-CPT is not a nutrition certification, I did gain an important baseline understanding of the relationship between what we eat and how we perform & improve.

This list of topics is certainly not exhaustive, and I’m beyond excited to have obtained my NSCA-CPT certification as a way to help climbers improve through a deep understanding of exercise science and physiology. Be on the lookout for future articles that take a deeper dive into these topics to provide you with takeaways for your own training!