More about Neil’s training plan service
Are you having difficulty fitting climbing into a busy schedule and keen to make the most effective use of your training time?
Maybe your climbing has stagnated and you’re looking for fresh ideas, direction and motivation to boost you to the next level?
Perhaps you’re training for a particular project or you have a trip in the diary, with limited time to prepare.
Sometimes it can feel like pure guesswork when devising your own plan and attempting to make sense of all the conflicting info online. So why not leave it in the hands of one of the world’s leading experts, who has over 30 years of experience?
A personalised training program from Neil Gresham could be just what you need to turn your climbing goals into a reality.
It’s vital to stretch your upper limbs in order to avoid injury and maintain functional mobility. Neil’s programs will explain exactly how.
Photos: Ben Grubb
‘So I’ve finished your training program. My fingers feel so much stronger, which has me feeling way more confident while climbing. I went from feeling nervous on a 5.9/5.10a to warming up on 5.10c and I’m almost assistance-free on my 10mm deadhangs (I could barely do 25mm before). The diligent mobility work has me feeling a million times more flexible and able to use my hips and fit better on the wall. All in all an amazing program. It was very well thought out and targeted the important stuff, while still being relatively simple. The route in this photo is Mardi Gras 11a at Lake Louise, Canada. A route I would not even have considered climbing before your program.‘
Sydney Braaten 06.20
It's crucial to train the antagonist (opposition) muscles to prevent injuries, but which exercises and protocols are most effective and how frequently should you? Neil will base your plan on your needs and use your benchmarks to calibrate the load levels in select exercises.
Sydney Brazen on Mardi Gras 5.11a at Lake Louise, Canada, a route she ‘would not even have considered climbing’ before her program.
‘I have become a new climber thanks to your program!’
Volko Radzik 2009
‘I'm absolutely blown away by how comprehensive this is.’
Dave Heaton 04.20
‘Before I started training with Neil I was getting stuck on 7a+. His training program really targeted my weak points and 6 months on, I’ve just climbed my first 7c+ and am getting close to 8a’
Jort Robertus 2015
It helps so much to have a plan to guide you through your gym sessions. There's no better way to make sure you're doing the right thing and staying on track. Photo: Ian Parnell
‘It has been a major psychological boost for me to have a tailored, structured and detailed plan from someone I know is a genuine expert. I've seen continued improvements across strength, endurance and recovery and my bouldering has bumped from 6b to 6c, despite being so busy.This is a game-changer for me, and exciting to know I can keep the ball rolling.’
Matt Evans 11.22
Key advantages of Neil’s personalised training plans…
Trusted since 1994 - Neil was the first British coach and one of the first in the world to offer online personalised training plans. He has been running the service successfully for over 3 decades.
Ultra-personalised - Neil’s plans are widely regarded as the most personalised out there. He tailors the overall structure to the ability, strengths & weaknesses of each individual. He then uses your grades and benchmarks to tune each session (ie: he suggests grades and load levels for key climbing sessions and exercises). NB: Few coaches do this!
Goal - focused - programs can be for all-round performance or geared towards different climbing styles: bouldering, sport, trad or competitions, trips or projects.
Practical, functional and fun: No baffling mumbo-jumbo or pseudo-science; the plans are user-friendly, easy to follow and based on robust methodology, which works!
Time-efficient - Advice is given for shortening sessions and saving time during busy periods.
Informative - The plans contain a wealth of useful information and so many of Neil’s clients have reported that the plans have really taught them how to train effectively.
Adaptable - Neil will always provide options so that the program is flexible and you don’t feel trapped. For example, the order of some sessions can be swapped and home hangboard routines are provided for days when you can’t get to the climbing gym, as well as advice on fitting in crag climbing.
Holistic - Neil understands the pitfalls of placing excessive emphasis on physical training and losing focus on technique and mindset. His plans include bespoke hacks for key skills, and a wealth of supporting advice to ensure that you maintain an holistic approach.
Bouldering is the most important strength training method for climbing, but how hard and steep should you go and how should you mix in other exercises such as hangboarding? A training program from Neil will answer these key questions. Photo: Ben Grubb
Data supported - Neil’s methodology is constantly evolving. His methods are derived from the coal-face of coaching and verified using a combination of the latest research and a vast data pool, which he has collected over the years. Neil’s coaching partner, Steve Golley is a data analyst who studies trends to see which training formulae have been most successful. Scroll down to read moreabout how Steve’s input makes Neil’s plans even more effective.
Results delivered - The proof is the thousands of climbers who achieved their dream goals and enjoyed the process! See the enormous list of testimonials on this site.
Neil putting his methods into practice on the first ascent of Lexicon E11 in the Lake District in 2022. A route which is widely regarded as one of the hardest in England and Wales. Photo: Alastair Lee
As a coach, Neil is renowned for being down-to-earth and capable of understanding individual needs. Photo: Rick Smee
About Neil Gresham
Described by British bouldering champion, Leah Crane as ‘a leading authority on coaching in the UK and the ultimate international ambassador for the sport’, Neil is one of the original pioneers, who has developed many of the methods, which are used widely by coaches today. He is also an accomplished high-level all-round athlete who has made over a hundred first ascents around the globe and climbed 8c+, E11 trad and WI9.
Neil wasn’t one of those natural talents who hit high grades overnight; he played the long game and climbed his hardest routes in his late 40s and early 50s, so he understands the challenges of the average climber.
Neil’s long list of achievements in coaching spans across 3 decades. He was the first British coach to write training articles for national magazines (back in 1993) and has been the regular columnist for over 6 publications and websites worldwide, including Rock & Ice, Klettern and UKC.com. His ‘Masterclass’ technique films were the first of their kind on YouTube and are still regarded as the go-to learning resource.
For more info, see Neil’s full biog and routes list on this site.
Putting his methods to the test - Neil on the first ascent of Sabotage 8c+, Malham Cove in 2016. Photo: Ian Parnell
History of Neil Gresham’s training programs:
Neil Gresham started writing training programs for friends and clients back in 1992 and went on to become the first British coach to establish an online personalised training program service in 1994. Over the years he has produced thousands of customised plans for climbers of all ages and ability levels and he has vast experience when it comes to understanding how different climbers respond to different formulae.
Neil has trained 6 British champions and a large number of elites; however, he specialises in working with intermediates, namely those climbing F6a – 7c. He believes strongly that the workload of a training program should always be adapted to the level and lifestyle constraints of each individual. As a father of two, with a busy work-life himself, Neil really understands the need for time-efficient training. The proof lies in his own climbing (having achieved PBs in sport and trad climbing in his late 40s) and also in all the climbers who’ve destroyed their goals after following his plans.
SEE BELOW AND GET INSPIRED……!
Highlights of Neil’s recent training program successes:
Omar Haque breaks the 8a barrier with an ascent of Raindogs at Malham after following Neil’s plan. Photos: @mf_climb
Jonas Kempf on Coexistence, 5.10d in the Shawagunks.
Omar Haque leaps from 7b to 8a after a highly targeted plan
When Omar first approached Neil in 2024, his goal of climbing 8a seemed, potentially, very ambitious seeing as he’d managed a few 7bs and was working on a 7c. But Neil identified his potential and set Omar a plan, which was geared very specifically to his dream project, Raindogs at Malham Cove, UK. It included extra focus on undercuts and compression moves and the endurance work was centred around 4x4 boulder intervals in the same style as the route.
Omar’s ascent was all the more impressive because he lives in London, so he had to train before work and travel long distances for the route. His comment:
‘Getting to Canary Wharf for 6am to train, and to my desk by 07.30, was the hard part ….but it all came together really well. Thanks for your help.’
Omar Haque 05.25.
Huge congratulations to Omar from Neil and the team!
Jonas Kempf destroys former nemesis routes after his plan
’A quick note on how things went after my last plan. In a word, great! I’m feeling stronger than ever - towards late summer I really started finding my stride and had a string of successes that I’m proud of - mostly trad and sport lines in the 5.11b/c range. I returned to several routes in the Shawagunks that I struggled with before and onsighted almost all of them. I’m also hitting the indoor climbing performance goals that you set for me. So, definite improvement on my end!
The attached photo is of Coexistence (5.10+ officially…the Gunks are stiff!!). Sincerely, I felt much better than my facial expression suggests!’
Jonas Kempf 11.24.
Rebecca Hodge breaking the 7a barrier in Kalymnos after her 12 week plan.
First 7a for Rebecca Hodge after a 12 week plan
After week 5 of the plan:
‘I managed to hit my pull up target (7 reps, up from 4) and whilst this isn’t really a monumental achievement, I’m really pleased that I managed to gain that much more strength in such a short space of time! I then then completed the endurance phase and got my first 7a indoors!!”
From Kalymnos:
‘..we headed up to Milianos where I redpointed Hornets a-go-go 7a, on my second attempt!! I felt super strong and my endurance felt great. Thank you for making that possible! I’m still surprised by how much progress I made so quickly.’
Rebecca Hodge 05.23.
Jo Heng working towards her well-earned goal of V8. Photos: @land_kirst & Tom Haigh
Jay Whiting celebrates his first E3 - Long John’s Slab at Froggatt, UK.
Jo Heng’s journey to slay her V8 mega-project (via 3 training plans with a focus on core tension)
After plan 1:
‘I'm pleased to report that this training round has be going pretty well so far. …I ticked my first V7 on the Kilter yesterday at 50 degrees (not an angle I would ever willingly choose). I think you pitched the training program perfectly for my needs and motivation and psych is high’. (03.22)
After plan 2:
I had my first day on rock this weekend and managed to send one of my projects! It’s a roofy V7 and I was pretty close in June but struggled with keeping tension for a particularly long reach. The biggest difference was that my core tension was much, much better! Usually, I expect to get tired after the thuggy crux move, but I had much more juice left in the tank than I would normally. I definitely put the quick send down to your training program. 100%.’ (07.23)
After plan 3:
‘I sent my V8 project!! Aptly named To Hate to Love. I knew after all the training that I was stronger and had more stamina but after falling at the same move for so long, there was also a huge mental barrier to overcome. It was a glorious feeling to stand atop that boulder after two years working on it.
So just wanted to thank you for all the training programs that you've written for me. You have been, and continue to be, a huge inspiration to me. Thank you for giving me so many tools and good habits to help me continue to push my bouldering limits into my 40s and beyond.’
Jo Heng 03.24
First E3 for Jay Whiting after a 16 week trad-focussed plan
Training for trad climbing requires a very different approach, with a skew towards aerobic endurance and a high emphasis on recovering on the wall. When Jay approached Neil he was operating steadily at E1 and climbing E2s and Neil set him a plan which was aimed at helping him to break the next level.
‘The plan really was ace. Completely obliterated my onsight grade!’
Jay Whiting 09.23.
Chris Russell takeing advantage of his finger-strength gains in Thailand.
Finger strength ‘doubles’ for Chris Russell during a 12 week plan
‘Firstly, your training program was great! I enjoyed the structure, and seeing progress with my workouts was excellent and really motivating.
Before the program my max-time deadhang on the 15mm edge was 20 secs (and this felt tough). I measured this at the end of the max strength phase and managed 40 secs!
I squeezed in a Tonsai trip to try Tidal Wave. I tried this route back in Feb and was way off. Struggling with the start so came off it. The first day on it after your training I was much stronger, it was a huge improvement.
So thanks again Neil. I will be ordering another plan in the near future.’
Chris Russell 08.22
Andrew Barr reassesses the terrain with his new-found strength and fitness. .
Andrew Barr flashes his former project grade after 12 weeks
‘My old redpoint grade is my new safe flash ... it's crazy!! :) In short, I'm absolutely thrilled with the results! In the middle of last year, I had to work on a 6b for 4 to 5 sessions then after your program, I flashed that grade and I have since gone on to redpoint 7a and done a bunch of routes around that inside and outdoors!! So, it's safe to say that I would love to get another program from you.’
Andrew Barr 05.21