Bouldering session load

Finger tendons adapt slowly. A simple load number helps you build up your climbing gradually.

Your details

Session length
How hard it felt (0 to 10)
Sessions this week
Last week's load (0 if unknown)
Average weekly load over the last 4 weeks (optional)

3 sessions of 90 minutes at 7 out of 10

1,890

load units this week

  • Each session630 units
  • Compared with last week118%, steady
  • Against your 4 week average1.35: above the 0.8 to 1.3 range
  • Rest days this week4

Steady build ups are kind to fingers, which adapt more slowly than muscles. Leave at least one rest day between hard sessions.

Finger, elbow or shoulder pain that lingers after a rest day is worth showing to a GP or physio.

The working

3 sessions of 90 minutes at 7 out of 10

Each session is 7 × 90 = 630 units, so the week is 1,890. Last week was 1,600, so this week is 118% of last week: a steady build, with 4 rest days.

One week against the last can swing a lot, so add your average over the last 4 weeks for the acute to chronic ratio: 1,890 ÷ 1,400 = 1.35, just above the 0.8 to 1.3 range Gabbett 2016 linked with lower injury risk in team sports, and below the 1.5 danger zone. Climbing has less research than team sports, so treat it as a nudge to hold steady for a week, not a rule.

Session RPE

How it works

Session RPE was developed in sports science to measure training load simply: about 30 minutes after a session, rate how hard the whole thing felt, and multiply by its length in minutes. It tracks well with heart rate based measures.

Looking after your fingers

Habits

  • A rest day between hard finger sessions
  • Warm up with easy problems and hangs
  • Limit hard crimping when tired
  • Add load slowly week to week

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

  • Fingers onlyLoad counts the whole session, not just fingers.
  • Other trainingAdd other sports for a full picture.
  • PainPain is a signal, not a number to push through.

Questions

Common questions

How do I measure climbing training load?

Session RPE: rate the session from 0 to 10 and multiply by minutes.

How many times a week should I boulder?

Many climbers do 2 or 3, with rest days between hard sessions.

How quickly can I increase climbing volume?

Gradually. Big jumps on last week are when injuries tend to show up.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

Before you push on

New to exercise, or got a heart, lung or joint condition? Have a word with your GP or practice nurse first. Stop and get help if you feel chest pain, faintness or unusual breathlessness, and call 999 if it is severe.

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