By Mercedes Pollmeier Recently, climbers have been coming to me with aches and pains from recently starting up climbing again. And most of them have gone from doing nothing to doing too much all at once. One of the more common injuries that seems to be popping up recently is impingement and bursitis of the shoulder. This injury occurs from lots of overhead activity, poor pulling technique, and weakness in the back muscles. Pain is...

So there has been a story floating around for the past eighteen years about a weird party that was held at the Vertical Club.  Back in 1988 we would rent out the gym to groups that wanted to hold private after-hours parties. In those days we needed the cash and as long as the place was cleaned up for the next morning, what the heck ­ well, sort of.  I got a reservation one day and a deposit for a Saturday evening after-hours social party....

The other day, after running intense climbing workout class, one of my clients asked me what the best post workout foods or supplements are to take for recovery. My answer was Chocolate Milk! This is because it has the optimal ratio of carbohydrates to complete proteins (whey and casein). When it comes to recovery, it’s all about eating the right ratio of carbohydrates and protein within a 30 minute period after your workout. This is when your...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE USA Climbing Youth Divisional Championship in Seattle SEATTLE, Wa (May 24, 2013) – The Vertical World Seattle will be hosting the 2013 USA Climbing Youth Divisional Championship on June 15th and 16th, 2013; presented by the North Face. Approximately two hundred high level young competitors, ranging in ages 10 to 18, from WA, AK, UT, ID, NV, OR, WY, ND, SD, and CA will attend this two-day event. The climbers will be...

Why do you train? What is the purpose of your training? What are your goals? Every time you exercise, you are wiring your body to do those movements. Every movement should have a purpose, and should be helping you on your path to your goal. This isn’t just important for your training and keeping it specific, but also for motivation and seeing progress. This doesn’t mean that you should be inside all the time. If your goal is to climb that...