Training: Part II
In this article we’ll be focusing on adding fingerboard training to your program.
This article is part of a larger series where we build a training program tailored to your needs. If you missed the first installment, check it out here: https://medium.com/training-for-climbing/training-part-i-9c786fafc302
By the end of the series you’ll have a strength program with a solid progression plan. Most importantly, you’ll understand why each exercise has been selected. Because of the slow thoughtful build, it will be easier for you to stick to your training program, and for you to become an absolute crusher.
Now, if you came here because you want a prefab program with a list of instructions and a little manual — if you don’t want to think — then you’re in the wrong place! If you want that, you should go to the nearest CrossFit — but don’t blame me if you find yourself jumping around on one foot, holding a 2lb dumbbell, flapping your arms like a seagull.
I’ve tried to follow structured programs in the past, and failed. The reason is that I have a pesky little voice in my head saying: “Why am I doing this exercise? Why am I standing on my head? If I stand on my head ten times, will I be a better climber? If I stand on my head twenty times will I be twice as good?” It’s demotivating if you have no answer; even worse if you suspect there is no answer. Time is precious, and you should only do things that matter.
I’ve read countless training programs, scholarly articles, rigorously defended theses from sports scientists, and I’ve been physically active for more than a decade. Here is the sum of my knowledge:
- Nobody knows anything.
- There are no universal truths.
- There are no magic bullets.
- Hard work is everything.
- Listen to your body.
Our training program will be based around these tenets.
I recently posted on mountainproject.com, asking why most climbers don’t have a fingerboard program, even though it’s considered one of the most effective isolation exercises for climbers. Here are two answers that stood out to me, because I feel they capture the ethos of a lot of climbers:
“… if I climb all weekend then i usually feel like i need to rest my fingers Monday and Tuesday. Then by Wednesday I would rather go to the gym. Then it’s almost the weekend again.”
“Just look at irony of “training beta” podcast featuring pros who climb v13+ and 5.15b who don’t train but instead climb a lot and constantly try hard projects.”
This is typical, and understandable. Climbing is awesome, so why would you train? There are guys out there like Chris Sharma and Ethan Pringle, who climb hard and never train, so why should I? I don’t seem to be getting anywhere with this hangboard stuff, it doesn’t feel hard, and it’s boring. Maybe I’ll just go climb ropes!
Take a second, stop reading this article, and think: where do I stand on this?
Here’s where I stand:
Chris and Ethan have both been climbing since they were 8 years old (or so). They are full-time climbers, and they have the ability to push themselves to the absolute limit on the wall, outdoors. For most of us, that’s a luxury — it’s a weekend trip every now and then.
They are unique. Everyone is — every body will respond differently to training. It may be the case that you were born to get strong on the wall, and training won’t be as effective for you as just throwing yourself up hard projects over and over again. If that’s the case, then I salute you!
I have a scientific mindset, and part of the glory of training for me is to discover the nuances of the training response and to optimize it for my own needs. But my mind is always open, and if I discover after all my ceaseless digging, that I have no use for spreadsheets and training, and truly the only way to get strong is by throwing myself at projects, then so be it!
In the meantime I will be training, observing, taking notes, listening to the stories that are told, trying things out — and giving them an honest go. I won’t let my training slide just because I hear about some strong guy who doesn’t train, or because it would be more fun to do X. I have my sights on bigger things, and I think the best way to get there is to explore all of my options.
“Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time,’ is like saying, ‘I don’t want to.” -Lao Tzu
The first thing we must figure out is time. If you are to stand a reasonable chance of success, we can’t just graft a training program onto your life and hope it flourishes. The program must fit naturally within the bounds of your existence, and it must be treated with respect and given time to reap its benefits.
Right now, you should think about where your additional training will fit: are you going to climb slightly less? Will you just add additional training on top of what you already do?
Now lets get to the meat of it. We’re focusing on the fingerboard in this article, so lets think about where your current weaknesses are…
Are you particularly bad at pinches? Are you bad at crimps? Edges? Slopers?
Choose one grip type that you want to improve on. We can add more later.
First, a warning: NEVER CRIMP!!!!! If you crimp the fingerboard, your hand will literally blow up and you’ll never be able to climb again. Use an open hand only, or half crimp if you absolutely must.
Now, we’re going to shamelessly steal the methodology that Eva Lopez developed in her doctoral thesis, and have you select a grip that is hard enough that you can hold it for only about 12 seconds.
Hold that grip for 10 seconds. That’s right — 2 seconds less than your absolute maximum holding time. Now take a 3 minute rest. Do it again. Now you’re done.
Holy shit. What the F*#$ did that accomplish?
Let me answer simply: you are at the beginning of a long journey. Strength is earned over the long haul, your body takes time to adapt, and you should stop worrying. It doesn’t feel intense yet. But we will progress your training slowly, adding little droplets of difficulty, until you have a veritable reservoir of strength, ready to be unleashed with fury upon the wall! Furthermore, we will avoid injury, by slowly incrementing, and yet every session will be harder than the last — that’s right, every single one of them will be harder than the last, and it’s going to add up!
Success! You’ve completed your first session!
But it was just about the easiest bit of training you’ve ever done…
Great! I’m glad to hear that. In your next session, you’re going to add one more set. So you’ll be gripping a hold for ten seconds (and it should feel like you would fail after two more seconds), then you’re going to rest for three minutes, and do that whole cycle three times in total.
The session after that, you’re going to add a fourth set, a tiny bit of weight (like 2.5lbs or 5lbs), or an additional grip type. Remember, slow progression is key — fingerboard training is intense, and it is imperative that you avoid injury.
Record the results of each session in a notebook or spreadsheet. Keep track of the date of each session. Space your sessions 2–3 days apart. You will quickly figure out whether you can combine this type of training with your regular climbing — for me, the answer was no. But I admit that everyone is a unique snowflake, and there are exceptions to every rule.
Each week, choose how you’re going to progress, based on your observations and gut feeling. In general, I stick to a volume of 5 sets or less per grip type. Progression eventually becomes less a matter of volume, than choosing harder grip types and/or higher weights.
As a general rule, prefer a harder grip over more weight; weight is inherently dangerous — it’s unnatural, it’s an overload. Think of it as a stepping stone — use it when you’re halfway between two grips in terms of your strength, and you need progression to achieve the strength necessary for the harder grip.
I guarantee that if you stick to this, you will see progression, and it will translate to the wall.
In the next installment of this series, we’ll give your training program another upgrade. Climb on!
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