Most of the info I follow is from Horst’s book “How to Climb 5.12”. It’s a great training reference. According to Horst, liquid protein within 30 minutes after your workout is important for muscle recovery, but general things like getting enough sleep and eating healthy are just as important. I’ve also heard that anabolic steroids are awesome for quick recovery :)

Nothing but panda milk works for me. Keeps these arms looking like they just rolled off the Smith and Wesson assembly line.

Thanks to the Behavioral Eco Blog for the sweet panda shot.

Thank you Robert… but on a more serious note, panda meat has much more protein than panda milk.

Wait. Do you rub the panda meat on then? Because that’s what I’m doing with the milk.

Nutritionally what you do AFTER you climb doesn’t matter. And sleep is over-rated. But WHEN you climb you should rub a paste made of an alpha panda’s testicles on your testicles and just start crankin’!

Wait a sec tom, I don’t have either! Anyone know if I can get them from REI? ;)

You guys are crazy.

Max – From my triathlon experience and I have found that salt and protein are key to keeping your muscles fresh. The salt is to make sure you are absorbing all the water and Gatorade you are drinking. I actually found I was not getting enough salt and that is why my muscles got weak. You may even want to try salt pills. Crazy I know but they work for the long distance events. As for protein, for every two hours of endurance you should be taking in at least 2oz of protein but it should be easy to disgust (peanut butter, protein shakes, etc.). Peanut butter and bananas are my favorite:) Hopefully that helps.

Thanks K, by the way when are we going to start training for this adventure race, you need to whip Dan and I into shape

You got to get Dan off his ass and then we need to pick a race. I am game when you guys are ready.

On a serious note, Muscle Building can be over-emphasized. Muscle usually doesn’t make a climber good; typically good technique make a climber good. Perfect your technique and let the muscles build naturally. Focusing on muscle power usually just leads to injury.

(unless you want to score a date with a lady)

Technique Schmechnique. Let me tell you something schlomo, Just work on cranking some bitchin one arm pullups, eat lots of steak, drink plenty of whole milk and you should be able to scream through any problem with or without feet.

Mmmmm….steak and whole milk…i like. I’m gonna start building some muscles!

Preach it brother Zac. You can always give a man a fish, but if you teach him how to do one arm pullups instead, he’ll always be hungry. But Tom is right, muscle doesn’t make a climber good, it makes them awesome. HOLLA

A wise man once said… you can teach Zac to do one arm pullups… or you can teach a panda to fish… but not both and either way I’m hungry.

What happened to this post?

Fine Max, take it all serious again. For muscle building its important to get a good dose of protein RIGHT after your workout. Your muscles will be starving for it the most then, so absorbtion rate will be the highest. Of course it can be hard to prepare a meal right after you workout, so what a lot of people do is bring a shaker with the dry protein mix in it already and then just add water when they’re done.

The other important aspect of muscle building is recovery. If you never give your muscles a chance to repair the micro tears, you’ll never get bigger/stronger, and just end up hurting yourself. If you must climb all day every day, at least try to take hard and easy days.

Technically Dave is right, but you could also use your feet and get the best of both worlds.

Thanks all. Dave, When are we going to see you again? How’s the arm/school, life?

Gee Max… I think you’re thinking of another Dave. If only everyone used their official titles and full names like I do we wouldn’t have this problem.

Sincerely, Mayor McCheese

You’re right. I’ve gotten the smiley and the non-smiley Dave’s mixed up. My apology non smiley Dave, whoever you may be.

Whoever I maybe? Its the Mofokko.

There he is. I had a feeling, but didn’t want to be wrong twice, I couldn’t handle that kind of embarassment

See! That’s what I’m talking about! Picture = positive identification. Huuuuuuyyyyyyypppee!

IN all seriousness, consuming a more pure form of protein within 30 minutes of working out will help with muscle recovery, repair, and building.

As for the member who made the comment on salt, salt doesn’t really help with the building of muscles. The reason why salt pills work during endurance activities like marathons and tri’s is because the athlete is losing sodium due to sweat. If you recall your anatomy and physiology class from high school, the sodium/potassium pump is what keeps your muscles working properly; any deficit in either Na+ or K+ will cause cramping. This is why sports drinks have a high sodium content.

Back to the original question. If you want to build muscles, consider body building workouts. If you want to get stronger, consider cross-fit workouts. The former will give you a beach body, but will help little on terms of increasing your strength. The latter will help increase your strength, but is not designed to give you a beach body, though it could be a side effect.

And always warm up slowly and properly.

This month’s Rock & Ice covers this topic, training, injury diagnosis/prevention and other things that we’re always posting about, so pick it up or just sit in Barnes and Noble and read it cover to cover while the staff shoots daggers at you.