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Non Fingerboard Training

Original Post
IronMan · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2012 · Points: 65

I train around 3 days a week, typically climbing on Friday and Thursday.

Can anyone create a training workout for me? I have a simulator, and some rock rings, and atomic bombs.

I don't want to fingerboard, as that makes me feel tweaky.

any suggestions? weighted pullups? lock-offs? frenchies?

Evan Sanders · · Westminster, CO · Joined Dec 2010 · Points: 140

Do you have access to a thick manila "training" rope? Personally, I've found those to add quite a bit of intensity to a workout.

Rajiv Ayyangar · · San Francisco, CA · Joined Jun 2010 · Points: 220

I got this: Yer gonna die!!!

(joking).

A few questions that you need to answer before designing a training program:
-What are your goals? (e.g. if you are trying to just maintain strength, you can go really minimal. If you're trying to improve... what aspects are you trying to improve?)
-What are your limiting factors? (when you've failed on your goals, what is the typical reason for failure?) - this is another way of asking what your weaknesses are.
-What is your climbing level? (I know it's not polite to ask, but it's highly relevant for this type of question).

Also, if fingerboarding makes you feel tweaky, then either you are injured and need to take some time off, or you're doing it wrong. Fingerboarding is the most controlled, safe way to build strength and injury-proof your fingers. However it might require some experimentation with different boards and grips and weights to make it non-tweaky.

Tane Owens · · Las Vegas, NV · Joined Aug 2010 · Points: 905

I know there are people out there that are anti-frenchie because of potential elbow injuries, but it's all in the mechanisms. Use the rock rings for your frenchies so your wrists are allowed to supinate as you flex at the elbow. Anyone who thinks frenchies do not work is high.

Lately I've been TR climbing in the gym with a 10 lb weighted vest. I've tried more (20 lbs) but I find myself doing desperate lunges up the wall, not good for technique training, not to mention the added strain on your tendons if they aren't use to the added weight. Do a little climbing with a weighted vest every time you are in the gym and just about everything in terms of strength in climbing will improve.

Not everyone reacts the same to training so adjust it as you deem necessary. I went from a 10c RP last March to a 12a RP this March (most of it was technique development as a relatively new climber).

The strength benefit from a weighted vest is obvious but the technique benefits are almost better. With the added weight on your chest, your center of gravity raises and therefore makes your footwork much more important as your balance is thrown off. You may find yourself swinging like a barndoor much more often if you don't get your feet right and lock in your core.

Brendan Blanchard · · Boulder, CO · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 590

To second what Rajiv said, short of doing 1 or two finger pulls, it shouldn't feel tweaky.

Here's a bunch of questions that may or may not help.

How long are you holding on/ how long do you rest between reps?

How hard do you climb? (I only ask because bodyweight hangboarding may be too intense at lower grades, such as 5.10/V1-2 and below. (Estimate/generalization)

I've found the Simulator to be pretty comfortable as long as you sand the 3 finger pockets around the edges to stop it from pulling on your mid-digit skin. I wouldn't think it would be the cause of tweaking.

Are you doing excessive pull ups on the Simulator? Pull ups should be done on the rings instead.

Are you hanging straight armed, or slightly bent elbows?

Are you easing into your workouts, with a good warmup, and a few weeks of lesser intensity before starting hard sessions? Any quick spike in training will make you feel tweaky and wreak havoc on shoulders, elbows and other joints.

Finally, rest days?

This may be an Anderson brothers quote/Q&A: You should feel like you're not climbing enough when you're doing HYP/hangboarding. Aim for 48-72 hours between hard hangboard sessions.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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