What's KAYA Pro?
We created KAYA PRO and the performance feature suite for the coached climber, the analytical climber, and generally for climbers that just want to improve.
The crux with our sport, unless maybe you’re exclusively a speed climber or board climber, is that it’s pretty tough to measure progress. Sure, we can use grades but they don’t carry over between outdoor areas or even gyms. Climbers also get trapped in the mindset that progress should be linear, but that’s hardly the case.
So we wanted to give climbers a way to SEE and measure progress.
Here’s how KAYA PRO lets you do just that:
Levels and badges
We created something brand new to climbing, that seemed like a no-brainer in terms of motivation and progression. The new badging system is here to help build your ascent pyramid, and give you guidance on volume goals at each climbing intensity. Plus they’re fun to collect and share. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve already brought it up to friends and setters that I need one more V7 before the year is up so I can earn my V7 limit badge. It’s really motivating and has been forcing me to project more.
Workload score
Workload score is something I’m really excited about because it’s something we haven’t been able to measure before. By using our existing dataset and with research on elite level climbers, our team created a scoring system called Workload score. You’ll now see a personalized point value on climbs, relative to your hardest send. Using that point system, plus the volume of attempts and sends you put in during that session, we can spit out a score that tells you how hard you worked in that session. Tracking your Workload over different time periods, allows you to see that progress isn’t (and shouldn’t be) linear. There are strategic ebbs and flows that are required in order for us to rest appropriately and peak at the right time.
Velocity and Tops Rate
Other metrics like velocity and tops rate are a bit more straight forward. Watching changes in my Velocity has really motivated me to try or revisit more climbs in the gym and not get sucked into projecting. It’s also a helpful indicator of progression. I know that if it used to take me 5 attempts to get a V6, but now it’s taking me 3, I’m developing strength and skill at that grade level. This is a really nice way to prove that you’re not actually plateauing… there are micro progressions within each grade. Sending faster leads to sending harder. Tops rate has been really fun to track and I’m finding there’s a sweet spot for me around 76% each month. That means I’m sending 76% of the climbs I try. Harder, projecting sessions are much lower, usually low 60s, and endurance sessions are higher, at or near 100%. Tracking my tops rate, or rate of success, ensures I’m not stuck in a projecting trap and am getting good mileage on the wall.
KAYA PRO is delivering metrics we could previously only measure with great documentation, journaling and spreadsheets. We’re making it so much easier — all you have to do is log your climbs.
Get outta that training slump and join me, @coachjess, on KAYA PRO.
Let’s get better together.