EP 17: Drew Ruana

ClimbingSport ClimbingSelf-ImrovementCompetitionsGratitudeTrainingBoulderingTop BoulderingTop Elite PerformersTop 2020 #4
Written By Steven Dimmitt

May 11, 2020

Drew Ruana is a 20-year-old boulderer, sport climber, and competition climber who is quickly becoming one of the best rock climbers in the world. We talked about climbing ‘Sleepwalker’ (his first V16), the significance of skin and conditions and tactics for optimizing them, his current training philosophy, transitioning from competitions to outdoor climbing, and his career and climbing goals.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Google Podcasts

Check out other episodes with Drew:

Drew's Training Plan:

A Day: (Bicep Focus)

  • Max One-Arm Pull-Ups (4 sets)

  • Weighted Front Levers (4 sets)

  • Max Weighted One-Arm Pull-Ups (2 sets)

  • Lever Pull-Ups (3 sets)

  • Cross Body Hammer Curls (4 sets)

  • Plate Reverse Curl (4 sets)

(^superset these two exercises)

  • Reverse Grip Preacher EZ Bar Curl (4 sets)

  • Lat Pulldown (3 sets)

  • Dumbell Rows (4 sets)

  • Bouncy Ball Ring Rows (4 sets)


B Day: (Chest Focus)

  • One-Arm Open Hand Hang (3 sets)

  • One-Arm Closed Hand Hang (3 sets)

  • Repeaters Two-Hand Closed Crimp (3 sets)

  • Max Front Lever No Weight (3 sets)

  • Two-Arm Paused Extensions (3 sets)

  • One-Arm Extensions (3 sets)

  • Weighted Paused Flys (3 sets)

  • Cable Flys (4 sets)

  • Weighted Dips (4 sets)

  • Skull Crushers (4 sets)

  • Tricep Pushups (4 sets)

(^superset these two exercises)


A Few Training Plan Notes:

  • Training done at the end of climbing session

    • Example: Hard/limit bouldering + 30 minutes campusing boulder problems (optional)

  • Bodyweight exercises are done to failure (stop as soon as you can’t maintain good form)

  • Shoot for 10-15 reps for other exercises

  • 3-5 minutes rest between sets and between exercises

  • Focus on maintaining good form and trying really hard

  • Programming is as follows: A-B-A-rest-B-A-B-rest-A-B-A-rest-etc

    • Example: Monday A, Tuesday B, Wednesday A, Thursday Rest, Friday B, Saturday A, Sunday B, Monday Rest…

    • Add extra rest days as needed (listen to your body)

  • One-Arm hangs :

    • Each set is 1 rep of max time at bodyweight

    • Beastmaker 2000 center edge

  • Repeaters:

    • Two-hands on small crimp at bodyweight 

    • Downsize when it gets too easy

    • 7 seconds on 3 seconds off to failure (stop when you can’t maintain form)

Nuggets:

3:14 – Rest day during quarantine, Game of Thrones  

4:57 – Bishop in February, ‘Goldfish Trombone’, and the worst skin injury Drew has ever had

6:55 – The Milwaukee fan, a game of 0.1 percents, and the importance of skin and conditions

10:13 – Night sessions and Drew’s light setup

11:02 – Drew’s chalk bucket of skin products

12:32 – Dry Spray, Climb Skin, and accepting bad skin

13:28 – Drew’s V15 rampage, a day in the life while projecting ‘Sleepwalker’, Drew’s best two days of climbing, and the sending drug

18:01 – Why Drew doesn’t warm up on other boulders

19:05 – Drew’s warmup routine

20:38 – How Drew thinks about working on multiple projects at a time vs focusing on one

21:58 – ‘Three Days In Joe’s’, mixing in volume, and doing V14 in a few minutes

23:39 – Griffin Whiteside, and Mike & Ikes as rocket fuel

25:36 – Drew’s training philosophy and workout

29:32 – Drew’s favorite rings exercises

31:17 – A day and B day, and “all the strength comes from recovery”

33:00 – The importance of nutrition and sleep, Drew’s protein intake (1-1.2 grams per lb bodyweight), and PhysiVantage protein powder

35:21 – Why Drew spent two years focusing more on weight lifting than climbing

38:18 – Climbing at Smith Rock at age 3, climbing ‘Dancer’, and Drew’s first set of quick draws

40:26 – Why Drew never felt external sources of pressure, competing as a kid, and the frustration of being too short for competition boulders

45:16 – Sticking it to the man, coach Tyson, and learning to climb tall

48:33 – Shifting motivation from comps to outdoor climbing

50:37 – Olympic qualifiers, world championships, frustrating comp results, and the validation of a successful outdoor season

1:02:39 – FA of ‘Pegasus’

1:06:10 – FA of ‘Assassin’

1:12:04 – Climbing at Smith and how that made Drew the climber he is today

1:13:26 – 5.15 projects at Smith

1:15:02 – “We’ll see where climbing takes me.”

1:16:15 – Psyche for bouldering, School of Mines, and dreams of alpine blocks

1:18:12 – Drew’s career plans, and wanting to give more back to the world than just climbing

1:20:32 – Why Drew thinks Salt Lake City is the best scene for hard training in the country

1:22:55 – A lot to be grateful for

1:25:26 – Instagram and Facebook, getting logged out of Messenger, and “You can always try harder.”

1:28:29 – BONUS: Drew’s campusing routine

Steven Dimmitt
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EP 16: Tara Kerzhner