Yeah not the end of the world but not really necessary unless prepping for a contest/weight class etc. i would look into carb cycling or just have a big refeed day every 10 days say.
re training: 5x5 generally meant to be done in a surplus and can leave you stale if done alongside all that other sport.
Something like this very good for strength to weight ratio and will leave you a lot fresher…
Thanks for the article. I am at the end of 5x5 this week, this will help me figure out the next few weeks!
Why do you change when you stop getting sore? Soreness isn’t an indicator of anything useful. It does not mean the workout was productive, and lack of soreness doesn’t mean it wasn’t productive. I guess for beginners it can tell you if your exercises are targeting the muscles you want to target (if your quads get sore from squatting, and you’re squatting to build your quads). But usually it’s better to avoid soreness after the initial phase of lifting or doing something new. It allows you to train harder and more often.
I’ve had a different experience personally. I climb 3 days a week (2.5 hours, slightly nauseating intensity), lift 2 days a week (1 hour, I sometimes dread my sessions because I know how hard I’ll have to work), and will “do cardio” once or twice a week as well in the warmer months (45-minute bike rides or just hiking to climbing areas). I don’t have any issues with recovery, although I do have to be careful not to overtrain my grip.
You make a lot of great points, especially that being extremely active while trying to lose weight isn’t always the best answer. My post wasn’t made to disagree with you, but to share my experience with the OP because we’re all different and need to find what activity levels work for us. I’ve also been climbing for 7 years so my body is quite conditioned to it at this point.