Purpose:
To encourage you to explore movement patterns on the floor, build visualisation skills and gently work muscles.
[Please note: this is possibly the most embarrassing drill I’ve created and can make anyone feel slightly self-conscious. Works well if you’re on your own, though, or if you simply don’t care what other people think]
Where: on the floor
This drill is explicitly done lying on your back on the floor
When: any time
This can be done absolutely any time, as it only takes a few minutes and requires no climbs
The Drill:
This drill was developed from seeing Adam Ondra’s attempts to flash Silence with his osteopath Klaus Isele. Video here to see what I mean
- Lie flat on the floor with your eyes closed and your limbs limber
- Select a limb and imagine moving it towards a hold. This can be any hold in any position. Now move your limb to the position you’ve imagined it to be and engage the relevant muscles
- While keeping those muscles tense, select the next limb and move it in the same way as before
- Continue to create a route, adding moves in the same way as typical Add-A-Move
- Explore with different movement patterns, keeping some simple and making others as complex as you can
Variation: with a group of you, it is possible you take it in turns to describe the next move to the group who all complete the same new move
The Outcome: How do you know when it’s working?
Over time, you should find that you develop the ability to visualise moves without actually needing to be on the wall