Fraction of climbers who follow a hangboard-fingerboard program

From various personal accounts I've read here and elsewhere, following a hangboard (or fingerboard) program is a relatively fast way to train to climb harder, steep routes.

I also have noticed numerous models of hangboard out there for sale, so a lot must be sold, and yet I personally know of no one who regularly uses a hangboard.

So, this makes me wonder-

1) Are there any reliable estimates on the fraction of active rock-climbers who regularly train on a hangboard?

2) As I suspect that the above fraction is quite low, what are the main factors that keep people from using them?

Sure, one must specify what exact subset of climbers constitute "active rock-climbers", but it would be interesting to know the answer for any definition. If I were to do a study on it myself, I might choose 'those who do some sort of training and hope to improve their climbing ability'. And by "regularly train", I mean to strictly follow some program, whether an established hangboard program or one's own program, during some part of the year.

For me, the answer to 2) is that hangboards are too hard to hang from and sessions are boring because so little motion is involved. Maybe some other people don't use them because bolting them to the wall is damaging or a hassle. I don't know, so that's why I ask. What keeps you from using a hangboard?

Well, I can't help you with #1, but as for #2, I owned a hang board (and had it hung) for about two years with little to no use. I never used it because I believed that by just keeping a steady climbing schedule I could progress and reach my goals, however, this last season I came to a realization that I am what is referred to as a performance climber, someone who has as much fun progressing up the grades as they do just climbing. I also realized that I had maxed out my bodies natural ability to adapt by just climbing, so for the past 2 months I have been on a training plan that heavily incorporates a hang board. So ultimately for me, the reason why I actually use it now is because I did some serious self reflection, and realized that the hang board is a means to an end. The reason why I never used it before, is because I believed doing anything that wasn't actually climbing, was a waste of time.

At the gyms where I regularly climb and train, I rarely see anyone use the fingerboard for any purpose other than doing pull-ups on the high jugs.

I took my home wood fingerboard down because almost never do I fail on climbs outdoors or indoors from any inability to hang statically. So I've been preferring to train my fingers mostly with dynamic loads and dynamic moves.

And on the infrequent occasions where I decide to train with static hangs (like for warmup), just pieces of wood screwed into a board work fine for me.

When I put multiple wood pieces at different horizontal levels ... seems more like frequent climbing situations I get into ... and trains arm lock-off strength at the same time as finger strength. And gives me more possibilities for dynamic loads and dynamic moves stressing my fingers.

After months of focusing on dynamic finger strength, I recently tried some static hangs from small edges, and seemed liked I'd gained on static finger strength that without specifically training it.

Ken

I have one and use it regularly, usually 2 to 3 days a week. I think it is like most other weight machines, or tread climbers, or whatever, people get either bored, or don't have the commitment, or get injured from pushing too hard too fast, and it becomes nothing more than an ornament. I know of many clothes hangers aka treadmills.

Climbing friend,

Do not use the hangboard.

Do many 4-plan for mental training and endurance and technique.

Do many boulderings for the finger strength rather than hangboarding. The boulderings will train your fingers to become like steel cables, as well as training your technique, dynamic movement, and I think it will not be so boring for you as hanging onto a piece of static wood in your doorway, sadly wishing you were not so terrible at climbing.

Unless you would be making enjoyable flash of the double digit boulders, I feel certain you may progress by climbing the hard boulders and relentlessly projecting the bold, difficult routes, and do not give up until you must crawl from your pad to the next enjoyable boulder, and they must pry the holds from your cold, dead hands.

If you feel you are having of a plateau, and perhaps should be hangboarding, I suggest you examine your diet, rest, technique, and add different styles of routes also, as well as increase the volume of your boulders.

Please do not be afraid of the boulders, they will make you a man instead of merely manboy (or a true woman, for readers of female type).

So I used to hate training on a hangboard, because I found it boring. However, once I introduced weights and a pulley system to remove weight, and started tracking the sessions and gains, I actually found it rather addicting. It becomes a visual challenge, and I find myself trying that much harder to do just a little more weight for those 7 seconds, and then a little more... And wit weight removed, you can train on holds that you wouldn't normally be able to use. I've seen far more gains in my climbing ability from hangboarding than from just bouldering and climbing.
As far as kenr not seeing anyone use the gym hangboards, well, they are greasy, and nasty, and typically not set up well for use by a serious hangboarder. Every climber I know that hangboards has their own board to train on, so that's why you wouldn't see climbers using gym ones very often.

Micah Klesick wrote:... why not seeing anyone use the gym hangboards, well, they are greasy, and nasty, and typically not set up well for use by a serious hangboarder. Every climber I know that hangboards has their own board to train on

That makes sense.

Micah Klesick wrote:once I introduced weights and a pulley system to remove weight, and started tracking the sessions and gains, I actually found it rather addicting.

Yes that happens to lots of people (including many non-climbers) with lots of different kinds of measurable training exercises.

But then why not put all that careful effort of setting up measurable weight-resistance control and recording quantitative results into some form of training that's more relevant to actual climbing. And then (inevitably?)
become addicted to some measurable protocol that's more relevant?

Ken

It all depends on where you are. The local gym I go to has already replaced the RPTC board in less than a year from use.

kenr wrote: But then why not put all that careful effort of setting up measurable weight-resistance control and recording quantitative results into some form of training that's more relevant to actual climbing.

What would those be?

watching you must be - when doing fingering of the boards at your gym, you do not want a cut finger and may risk getting a disease.

kenr wrote: That makes sense. Yes that happens to lots of people (including many non-climbers) with lots of different kinds of measurable training exercises. But then why not put all that careful effort of setting up measurable weight-resistance control and recording quantitative results into some form of training that's more relevant to actual climbing. And then (inevitably?) become addicted to some measurable protocol that's more relevant? Ken

I think its because I have a hard time putting a number to anything else. Grades in gyms are too subjective, and its hard for me to find a line that trains what I want to train at the time. Its a little better on my home wall, as I can set a problem that works the weakness I want to work, and then its also easier to measure the progress. And that works to a point. But I was amazed at the change due to hangboarding, vs just trying to project specific boulders, or even campusing. I went from struggling to redpoint 5.11b, to lapping 5.11c in just a month of hangboarding. So for me, it has really solid results, and that's all I care about. Its really about finding what works for each person. I have to work to get my gains in abilty. I've got a buddy that went from never climbing to redpointing his first 5.13a in 2.5 years. He doesn't hangboard, and has no need to. haha lucky bastard.

1: No
2: It's boring & hard

Micah Klesick wrote: I think its because I have a hard time putting a number to anything else. Grades in gyms are too subjective, and its hard for me to find a line that trains what I want to train at the time. Its a little better on my home wall, as I can set a problem that works the weakness I want to work, and then its also easier to measure the progress. And that works to a point. But I was amazed at the change due to hangboarding, vs just trying to project specific boulders, or even campusing. I went from struggling to redpoint 5.11b, to lapping 5.11c in just a month of hangboarding. So for me, it has really solid results, and that's all I care about. Its really about finding what works for each person. I have to work to get my gains in abilty. I've got a buddy that went from never climbing to redpointing his first 5.13a in 2.5 years. He doesn't hangboard, and has no need to. haha lucky bastard.

Climbing friend Micah,

Can you be telling what kind of program you followed? How often hangboarding? How often real climbing?

Would you be hanging for max single hangs with minute rest, or following a different structure of repeaters for several hang separate by 5 seconds, with multiple sets?

Your results you write to me amaze me. Perhaps I would do the rethinking, serious yo, of my position on the board of fingering hangs.

1- I'd be willing to bet that the percentage gets larger as the routes climbed get harder.

2- many folks will get appropriately discouraged and quit because finger strength isn't their real weakness. It's actually poor technique or timidity or poor strategy.

Aleks Zebastian wrote: Climbing friend Micah, Can you be telling what kind of program you followed? How often hangboarding? How often real climbing? Would you be hanging for max single hangs with minute rest, or following a different structure of repeaters for several hang separate by 5 seconds, with multiple sets? Your results you write to me amaze me. Perhaps I would do the rethinking, serious yo, of my position on the board of fingering hangs.

haha I followed the Rock Prodigy hangboard training, but with more aggressive weight additions. 7 sec on, 3 sec off, times 7 sets, per grip. Then do the grip again, and add 7lb of weight and repeat the sets. I do that for 6 grips. Then the next time I do a session (three days later) I start at the added 7lb, and then add 7lb more the next set.
I also have a pulley installed, so I can add or remove weight as needed. For example, on the 1/3pad crimp, I had to take off 20lb when I started, and when I finished my 6th set, I was adding 15lb to my harness.
I don't climb at all during my hangboard phase, just hangboard and rest between. The rest of the time, I factor the type of training I want to focus on into my outdoor routes I choose to climb, and climb at least twice a week.

Micah Klesick wrote: haha I followed the Rock Prodigy hangboard training, but with more aggressive weight additions. 7 sec on, 3 sec off, times 7 sets, per grip. Then do the grip again, and add 7lb of weight and repeat the sets. I do that for 6 grips. Then the next time I do a session (three days later) I start at the added 7lb, and then add 7lb more the next set. I also have a pulley installed, so I can add or remove weight as needed. For example, on the 1/3pad crimp, I had to take off 20lb when I started, and when I finished my 6th set, I was adding 15lb to my harness. I don't climb at all during my hangboard phase, just hangboard and rest between. The rest of the time, I factor the type of training I want to focus on into my outdoor routes I choose to climb, and climb at least twice a week.

Most interesting ... most interesting to me.

I have a hangboard at home, and use use it regularly, but I’m definitely in the tiny minority.

If you define active rock climbers as people who climb (or train) on average one day a week or more, I'd guess that only maybe 2% regularly train on a hangboard, or in any other way. At my local rock gym the hangboards are in the same area I lift weights. In perhaps 40 sessions lifting I have seen zero people doing anything systematic on the hangboard or campus board. Lots of pull-ups, a few people hanging off some smaller edges after their climbing, etc. but all of it haphazard - nothing I'd call training. Even including climbing wall based training (e.g. the Anderson brothers limit bouldering or most of the methods described in Self Coached Climber), very few people are adding any structure to their climbing.

I think there are a few reasons:

First, some climbers are more interested in climbing than improving at climbing. If that’s the case, then it doesn't make sense to train (except maybe for injury prevention).

The second reason is that climbers many climbers want to improve, but believe that the best way to improve at climbing is to “just climb”.

Third, many climbers want to improve, and understand that training will help, but don’t understand the distinction between performing and training. They think that going to the gym and working projects for two hours is a training session.

But, while the percentage of climbers who train is low, I do think it’s increasing.

I have one that I use 3 days a week. That being said, I just do pull ups on the jugs, and sloper. Elbow damage prevents me from doing any of the smaller holds. I also do pull ups with my old axes on the I beam in my basement.

Thanks for all the interesting replies.

Other than the greasy/dirty issue, I can see the gym hangboard being unpopular also because it is so much more fun to boulder or climb something in the gym. As some of you have pointed out, the climbing is generally better training.

For home boards, I can see the pulley system helping out with making things easier for weak guys like me, but connecting everything up and being leashed to a weighted pulley seems like a hassle. On the other hand, the benefits are there for those with the dedication.

1) None that I know of.

2) Boring.
Climbing is more fun. Climbing is a movement based activity and just climbing is a good way to develop strength. Personally, I only climbed for most of my career and am doing oK. I only started adding in hang-boarding about 18 months ago to break through a plateau.

kenr wrote:why not put all that careful effort of setting up measurable weight-resistance control and recording quantitative results into some form of training that's more relevant to actual climbing.

It sounds great and all, but aside from my other comments which have already been addressed- if that was the best way to get better, why does nearly every sport on the planet have drills and cardio work and strength training? People who want to get better at basketball do play basketball- but they also do drills, run, and lift weights. Same for football, baseball...

I'll echo the comments about grades. "Technique" was definitely my problem in the lower grades. I started getting interested in hangboard training after I was struggling up a 5.12 and hit a large pinch upon which I had to hang almost all my weight. I just couldn't hang on, even for a second. I checked with climbers much more skilled than I, and they replied my technique was right, I just had to pinch harder.

Jon Nelson wrote:but connecting everything up and being leashed to a weighted pulley seems like a hassle.

It's really not a hassle at all, especially if you're already dedicating time to hangboarding. Depending on the routine, you rest for a specific set of time (2-5 minutes, whatever) between sets. It takes a few seconds to remove the weight, resling some plates for the next set, and add them back to the pulley or your harness.