Most Effective Climbing Training?

[Number Ten Ox]

A post for all you climbers out there. What type of grip training have you found translates best into harder climbing? Can't climb as much as I'd like to due to weather so I'm trying to get strong @ home.

Working grippers, heavy pinch deadlifts, some one arm work and the ab wheel. I thought I would also try a hangboard if I can find a good workout. Anyone else have ideas?

Thanks! Number Ten

[climber511]

This is one I can write quite a bit on, and I have. I've written several training for climbing articles over the past 20 years. The short version is to Train Your Weaknesses. Strength is seldom the limiting factor for guys that lift on a regular basis - just look at the little girl who just smoked the local 13a that you can't get off the ground on. Make a truthful assesment of what you do well and what needs improvement. Yoga might benefit more than wrist curls etc but in the end, the best training for climbing is climbing training. And remember that climbing training should be designed to develop engrams or movement patterens that allow more efficient movement, using the valuable finger and forearm strength as little as possible so they'll still be there when you need them at the crux.

[MixmasterNash]

Working grippers, heavy pinch deadlifts, some one arm work and the ab wheel.  I thought I would also try a hangboard if I can find a good workout.  Anyone else have ideas?

All of these have minimal carry over to improved climbing performance, except the hangboard. However, this is largely due to the fact that grip strength is only one small part of climbing performance. Gripping of all sorts has helped me at least maintain some general forearm strength and endurance during periods of little climbing.

Static hangs from the various grips on the hangboard are probably your best bet for climbing specific strength. Another useful toy is a large diameter pvc pipe (3+") on a chinup bar. If it's free to rotate, it's more of a wrist exercise, but locked in place, it's a great sloper equivalent.

[Darco]

I just posted a pic of how I use a gripper to train for bouldering in my gallery.

[bender]

I climbed off and on for a long while, then got horribly obsessed with grip training. When I finally had the chance to start climbing a few times a week, I found that absoultly nothing compares to actual climbing, with the hang board coming in at a near second. Nothing really comes close. If I had to pick one or two grip training technqiues to use as a last resort, it would be block weights and heavy wrist curls. Besides that, a day on the rocks or in the gym is 10-times better than a full week of grip training.

[chuck]

I agree that climbing, especially on live rock,(as opposed to artificial) is the best. However, there are some worthwhile exercises that can be done at home or in the gym. I would refer you to www.trainingforclimbing.com for lots of good info.

[kettlebellwrestler]

I am no expert but i think finger pull ups (palms away) would be an excellent exercise for climbing grip...

Basically when you do a pull up do not use your thumb to grip the bar only your fingers. Helps your grip a lot.

[EvilDarkLord]

Pinching exercises with pony clamps has helped me a lot.

[the swiss]

do your grip exercices while hanging, it is a lot closer to the effort on the rock. David Horne suggested making different devices to pinch and hang from , and which you can put on a chinning bar. a very good idea IMO.

david

[Number Ten Ox]

Thanks for the links/ advice guys. I'm basically at a point where I have not improved too much in the last 2/3 years since I got married and haven't had as much time to train and travel. My power base is pretty good and my technique seems ok but you always want a stronger core and more hand strength to stick to the sick slopers... I'll let you know how it goes... Ten

[bender]

While driving I had a vision. Plate wrist curls! Plate wrist curls put a huge force on your finger tips and through out the entire hand and wrist. The strength and movement are almost identical to "contact strength", the raw strength needed to lock your fingers forward to allow friction to hold you to slopers. This type of contact strength is only seen in advanced or elite climbers. While half technique, it's also half strength, and this can be simulated through plate wrist curls.

I'd appreciate any feedback from more-experienced climbers. Right or wrong? In some senses, it's better for the entire hand than just training on slopers. Interesting... Must train more...

[nagual]

While driving I had a vision.  Plate wrist curls!  Plate wrist curls put a huge force on your finger tips and through out the entire hand and wrist.  The strength and movement are almost identical to "contact strength", the raw strength needed to lock your fingers forward to allow friction to hold you to slopers.  This type of contact strength is only seen in advanced or elite climbers.  While half technique, it's also half strength, and this can be simulated through plate wrist curls. 

I'd appreciate any feedback from more-experienced climbers.  Right or wrong?  In some senses, it's better for the entire hand than just training on slopers.  Interesting...  Must train more...

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You might be on to something. Although the "pulling" forces of a finger hold is not really trained.

But it sure would be interesting to have some elite climbers see what they can do with plate wrist curls.

[climber511]

Contact strength is mostly static in nature. Almost everything we do in the weight room is motion oriented - and while strengthening any part of your fingers/forearms will help, static training is the most sport specific and helps the most. Plates curls are good and help with fingertip hardness, which is good to a point. The exercise most often shown to me by good climbers is hangboard, HIT strips(Nicros), and campus board work. The weight movement most often shown to me by climbers (those who lift much if at all) is finger curls. Hold a barbell with a curl grip - with straight arm, roll the bar to the ends of the fingers and then with finger strength only, roll it back up into a closed hand position, and repeat. Bodyweight should be easy and 1.5 BW is common. Remember, good climbers are light weights. Strong lightweights.

[nagual]

Climber511, would you say that the finger rolls actually work?

My gripping has gone stale, and I want to mix it up, and since I don't have any plate-loader I have been thinking about finger rolls. Now if they are good for climbing strength aswell, that would be great.

[climber511]

I think of all the exercises with a barbell - they might be the best for climbing. You can really push the weight (and you should), they closely mimic the limited movement of open hand gripping and are fairly safe. When you fail, the weight just rolls out of your fingers. Do them in a rack and learn to cheat with your thighs and you can do a sort of negative as well. Just do not get to thinking that finger or contact strength is the only answer to better climbing. The fact that you fail because you pumped out or just couldn't hold a hold is much more likely due to inefficient body movement skills using your strength up on easy to moderate climbing than a true lack of forearm strength or endurance. I recommend Performance Rock Climbing by Goodard and Neuman - it's a pretty good coverage of all climbing oriented training, from strength to mental aspects. I think you'd like it. It's a kind of layman technical book. How's your flexibility and balance - is your footwork perfect? Do you have a wide array of available engrams to use when needed? How proficient are you with side pulls, flags, back steps, lock offs, etc. Do you crimp grip too often, how's your open hand sloper hold power? A good thing to do is write down what you think you do well and what you do poorly - and then have a climbing buddy do the same for you. See how that goes.

[PinchBlocks]

Contact Strength- Is the ability to recruit the necessary amount of muscle fiber contraction to be able to hold one's body weight under a timed situation

Strength- Is the ability to hold onto a set of climbing holds

Power- Is the ability to move between climbing holds

The most effective training for climbing has already been discovered, its just the lack of clear information regarding that information that has people searching endlessly for that perfect training routine/tool/method.

The break down is very simple.

For pure finger strength nothing beats the hangboard/fingerboard where there are timed holds under 12 seconds (this is accomplished using increasing weight)

For power training nothing beats campusboard training. Correctly applied gains beyond increases in eye-hand coordination can occur after a few weeks

For technique training nothing beats the system board which is a board designed to systemicatically train any technical weaknesses

I've been training for climbing for several years and have competed at the world cup level. The training information has been there for a while.

[climber511]

Contact Strength- Is the ability to recruit the necessary amount of muscle fiber contraction to be able to hold one's body weight under a timed situation

Strength- Is the ability to hold onto a set of climbing holds

Power- Is the ability to move between climbing holds

The most effective training for climbing has already been discovered, its just the lack of clear information regarding that information that has people searching endlessly for that perfect training routine/tool/method.

The break down is very simple.

For pure finger strength nothing beats the hangboard/fingerboard where there are timed holds under 12 seconds (this is accomplished using increasing weight)

For power training nothing beats campusboard training. Correctly applied gains beyond increases in eye-hand coordination can occur after a few weeks

For technique training nothing beats the system board which is a board designed to systemicatically train any technical weaknesses

I've been training for climbing for several years and have competed at the world cup level. The training information has been there for a while.

←

Pinchblocks - congrats or attaining world cup status - that's some serious climbing. I'm just recreational only but it's been my passion for 20 years. It's a great sport/lifestyle. For beginning climbers, I think climbing is probably the best training of all. Then pull out more specific training as your skills catch up.

[PinchBlocks]

Oh I agree completely with you (the above statement)

Beginners through intermediate climbers need to focus on developing their technique because often that is the reason they were unable to do a particular climb or boulder problem.

I only used the fact that I've been at the World Cup level, to push the idea that although climbing is very complex the training tools are simple and that the world's strongest climbers (exclude genetics) train in a very simple manner in regards to the formats that they use.

Peace

[Number Ten Ox]

Okay guys, so I built a hybrid training board. It's a hangboard mounted at the bottom of a sheet of plywood. I have a few juggy rungs (2x4's), and then progressivly harder pinches, pockets, and crimps as you go up the wall. At the top is a 4" piece of pvc pipe (sloper/jug). The whole thing is mounted @ about 30 degrees overhanging. It's basically a campus board w/system board type holds. To hang onto the smaller holds on the starting hangboard sometimes I kick my feet up onto a chair. After the first move I campus (try) to the top. It's hard. I am getting stronger. I found I could do a one arm/one finger chin after about a week of training. Going to Hueco in three weeks, we'll see how the training works...

[PinchBlocks]

Hueco!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll be going in late march

In terms of your hybrid board, it sounds like a good idea but it seems more like an extended foot-off board (combo of campus and fingerboard) but it doesn't seem to be a systemboard.

A systemboard is a board that overhangs between 15-45 degrees from vertical and is minimal 6feet wide by 8feet tall. The focus of systemboard is to training movement weaknesses. But then again I can't say whether or not you board can be a system board because I haven't seen it.

Peace

[PinchBlocks]

oopps

Nevermind about that whole system board, deal. I glanced over your post and missed that you have system board type holds.

[denver]

I am also going to Hueco in late March. Maybe we can talk grip. I'll be there from March 17 through March 21. A short trip, but i couldn't find anyone to go for longer.

I agree with much of what has been said, but here are a few variations and comments about what has worked best for me.

Hanging Board-The hanging board workout that I like best is doing "Repeaters" A Repeater done by doing repeat hangs using the same hold and grip formation in series after falling off. Here is an example: For a three finger pocket hang you first adjust your weight to a level where you can hang the three finger pockets for a duration of 3-10 seconds. You can add weight using a weight belt, ankle weights or putting weight in a back pack. You can take weight off by placing you one foot on a chair to take a bit of weight while you hang. Ideally you don't need to add or take weight off, you can just hang. Your first hang you hold on for as long as you can (3-10 seconds ideally). Then just after you fall off you perform the three finger pocket hang again for as long as you can. Then again. Then rest for about 2-5 minutes. I usually do repeaters for a 3 series hang for 3-5 sets. So I would have hung the three finger pockets for a total of 15 times. Then perform the repeaters on a different grip position. I like progressing holds something like the following: Four finger openhand on an edge, two finger pockets (index and middle), two finger pockets (maddle and ring), two finger pockets (ring and pink-although often skip this one due to how awkward it feels), three finger pockets, and finish on slopers. I always perform repeaters with the 3 series but I do not always do all 5 sets. I use the repeaters concept for most static strength exercises (Blobs, Pinches, Front Levers, etc)

Campusing-Reaped the greatest gains and greatest number of injuries. It is very easy to overdue campus work.

Abs-The ab wheels is great. You can never have too much core for hard climbing. I neglected this concept for years and have climbed less hard because of it.

Yoga-I have yet to stick with a yoga program for very long, but I feel it is a good crossing training item. You work you core and develop flexibility and the ability to hold your body in difficult positions

Block weights and Pinching: If your climbing a lot outside you typically don't encounter pure pinch hold very often...Maybe 1 in 25 holds (This estimate is really rough). Just often enough were you need a strong pinch, but not often enough to develop significant pinch strength. Block weights and pinching is also easy to work into a climbing routine. I alway do them the day after climbing.

However, like others have said...not much of this help significantly if you not climbing very much.

Colter

[drdude]

My own workout incorporates grip training into other excersises, the prime example being pullups on an I-beam or brick ledges.