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another finger exercise


the swiss

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don't know if this has been suggested here before, but here goes:

- hang on a chin up bar by the tip of your fingers (fingers extended)

- then flex your fingers until you reach a semi-crimped position (fingers make a 90 degree angle)

- repeat till failure

if this is too easy, add some weight to yourself.

This looks like the finger curl, but is a little different because of the position of the fingers. be sure to warm up before trying that.

anyone doing this now? results?

train hard

david

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Hi David (sorry I forgot your name before),

I have a friend here who can do that with one arm! He's an arborist and rock climber. I think I've mentioned him before. I'd like to get him involved in grip more because he's already very strong in that area especially in the fingers and forearms (he handles a chainsaw with one arm!).

I haven't played with this exercise much but I can do them on two arms ok but not one! It's a good supplementary exercise and pretty hard on the tendons. Thanks for bringing it up.

Nick

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handles a chainsaw with one hand? wow!!

the guy must be a beast! do you know how good he climbs?

convince him to train his grip by telling him how good it is for climbing:  I've never been so strong in my climbing, and this winter I did no climbing (only grip training).

As for the exercise, I don't think I can do it on one hand (I've never tried) and I agree that it's hard on the tendons. strained one once doing this while climbing.

train hard

david

ps:looking forwad to your tip!

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Hi david,

His name is Keir and he's a fellow stuntman. He grew up living in the bush (the outback of Australia) and is right at home in the outdoors. He's about 78kg but has forearms like a muscular 90kg lifter. His specialty is tree climbing where he is the state champion and this year maybe the national champion. In regular climbing I think he's climbed as high as grade 24 or 25 (like E3/6aUK, 5.11a/b USA, French 7a) so he's not bad considering he doesn't specialise. We climb infrequently more for the fun and thrill than for hard, technical sport stuff.

As for pure grip strength he's getting some grippers and can plate curl a 15kg plate for reps as well as wiping the floor with me at finger wrestling! I'll keep encouraging him but like myself he has other interests and goals too.

Nick

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Guest Monkey Paws

Hello,

I agree that finger pull-ups (that's what I've heard them called before) are hard on the tendons.  I avoid this exercise because I don't want to injure my fingers.  I am not saying you shouldn't do them but I don’t recommend them.  This movement sometimes occurs when rock climbing, it is very much like pulling from an open grip into a crimp position.  Although the hand can be exposed to this stress when climbing I don't necessarily think it is a good thing to train specifically for.  Actually I try to avoid this movement when climbing because of the potentially injurious torque it places on the finger tendons.  If I know I am going to crimp then when it is possible I try and grab the hold in a crimp to start with and if I have to bump into a crimp I try to change hand position without pulling hard on my fingers while doing it.  This can be accomplished in a variety of ways depending on the situation but typically pressure can be released from the hand that needs adjusting before moving into a crimp (often times you can temporarily release the tension by increasing the force of your other points of contact or by pulling hard to build momentum and then adjust at the gravitational deadpoint).

Tendon health is of utmost importance to grip masters and climbers so anyone interested in testing himself or herself and progressing with this exercise should proceed with extreme caution.  Don’t get me wrong; I don’t make it a rule to forgo specific exercises just because they have a bad reputation but in this case, the exercise feels injurious to me.  And all of this warning is from a guy who swears by campus training (an exercise many “experts” proclaim is too dangerous).

Mark

PS, I've posted some new climbing videos on my web page, http://tahoebouldering.tripod.com/tahoebouldering/

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Guest Monkey Paws

Yeah, quality video and slow internet connections certainly don't mix well.  I want to compress the videos as progressive Quicktime but I have not been able to get it to work right yet.

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Hi Mark,

I totally agree with you about that finger chin exercise - it does have lots o potentialfor injury so BE CAREFUL!

Great videos on your site too. I wanted to ask you about the campus board training . I have done some campussing a while ago although I don't have access to a set up at the moment. Any suggestions on the campus board and do you have any other advice for 'fat' boys like me!  

Glad you liked the tips too.

Nick

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Guest Monkey Paws

Nick,

Thanks for the compliment on the videos; my friends and I are having fun making them.  When I have a chance I will put together and post my thoughts and opinions regarding campus training, and some tips for climbers that aren't built like the prototypical ultra lean and light climbing powerhouses.

Mark

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest Monkey Paws

In my opinion, campus board training is one of the most effective ways to develop finger power but it won’t necessarily help your climbing because it doesn’t do much for your technique and takes away from time that could be spent actually climbing.  In this post by campus training I mean training on a campus board as apposed to what the term "campusing” has come to mean which is any climbing on overhanging walls without feet.  For those of you not familiar with the “campus board” let me explain.  It is a framed sheet of plywood, usually 4’ by 8’, with small wooden rungs attached every 9” or so.  The board is hung from a wall or tree at an angle approximately 15 degrees past vertical.  The rungs are usually small, approximately ¾” thick by 16” long, and are used as hand holds.  The first rung should be at about head height.  The idea is to climb the wall without using your feet.  You pull from hold to hold working your way to the top.  The goal is to build explosive gripping power; you will need it to campus well.  Campusing also develops pulling power, body tension, reflexes, and timing.

 

This type of training is intense.  Campus training poses a high risk of injury.  If you decide to have at it, you will figure out what you can and can't do by trying.  In the beginning you may need to practice with feet on and then some dead-hangs but with intelligent training and sufficient desire you may be skipping rungs with both hands, throwing double dynos, and catching holds on the way down.  You do have to be careful to avoid injury by remaining within your physical abilities and by resting properly between workouts.  Lowering and dropping onto holds places tremendous stress on the joints and tendons. It is a good idea to use feet for lowering if you are weak or tired.  Remain tight enough to avoid overextension, particularly in the elbow and shoulder joints.  Injuries can strike fast so always be focused and alert.   Stop instantly if you feel even a hint of an injury.  Be creative, you can invent many challenges.  I motivate myself by setting and breaking records as frequent as possible.  Train explosively.  The idea is to generate maximum power by pulling as hard and fast as possible.  You can also reach statically from rung to rung to build and test strength but I think it is more fun and productive to swing and throw like a madman.  If you want to see expert examples of campusing watch Ben Moon and Jerry Moffat in the movie The Real Thing.  Here is a link to a short video of Ben Moon demonstrating his campus board skill:

A'>http://www.s7.co.uk/video/campus_15fps.rm

A

good source of campus training information on the web can be found at:

Lets'>http://www.metoliusclimbing.com/howto_camp...ards.htm

Lets

see, tips for heavy climbers (I should be able to provide an expert answer here):

1.  Loose Weight (running and diet are good for this)

2.  Be Strong

3.  Be Flexible

4.  Hone your technique (flow, use your feet, utilize momentum, believe in yourself, etc.)

5.  Make sure you have lots of excuses why you couldn’t do the move other than “I’m too heavy” or “I suck”.  Some examples are:

    a.  I drank too much last night

    b.  I didn’t drink enough last night

    c.  It’s too hot

    d.  It’s too cold

    e.  My coffee wasn’t strong enough

    f.  I could have sent if I was fresh

    g.  It’s a high gravity day

    h.  My lady kept me up all night with her sweet lovin'

Have fun and climb hard!

Mark

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Thanks for the long and amusing post Mark - very funny and informative.

I have  The Real Thing video and it's still one of my favourite 'strength'/sport vidoes. I have seen Moffat and Moon climb and it is something! I was at a seminar once and somebody asked them if they did any weights. They both looked at each other laughing and shaking their heads at the guy saying, "How else do you think you get strong!?". Made me laugh.

I also saw Gullich training and bouldering in 1989 when I was in Yosemite. He was doing repetition one finger one arm chins like they were nothing. He was with a bunch of other top climbers who always hang out at camp 4. He was a really hard worker and it paid off for him.

Thanks for the tips for heavy climbers. I'm actually gaining weight at the moment (about 225lbs right now) but I'm also getting stronger too. Flexibility has never been my strong point but it's better than it has been. Technique is a bit like a Rhino in a Tu Tu (all power no style!) but it works for me. As for the excuses I've used 'em all but no one believes me!

Thanks again,

Nick

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Guest zeke34

  I haven't seen the Real Thing video, but have a copy of One summer- Bouldering in the Peak District.  Moon and Moffat campusing are unreal.  May have to watch it this weekend. Might be just what i need to get motivated to climb again.  Glad to see the comment about the weights. A much thinner climbing partner swore that guys like moon would never stoop to lifting weights. ( mostly when i tried to get him to lift with me) :)   Nothing like seeing it done by the best to motivate you.                            Ed

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Anyone else not able to get access to that video?  Maybe it could be posted on this site, as I'm sure it shows an amazing amount of finger strength.  I can't wait to see it.

Michael Falkov

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