Guest Monkey Paws Posted April 27, 2002 Share Posted April 27, 2002 Hey all, Glad to see some of the same folks still hang around here, I kind of lost track of this board for a while. Anyway, here is a quick update from me. I can't close the #3 with my right anymore. I haven't even tried in probably over a year. I never got certified so if I want that I'll have to go after it again. Climbing has been my focus. I pretty much think that the grippers are too intense to add to a boulder climber's training. A little work might be ok but I prefer training more climbing style specific grips. I am starting to think that the plate hub lift is one of the top weight training exercises for a climber. It seems like it would have good crossover to the small holds used in climbing. I just tried the other day and I got the 10-pound plate but it was hard. The lip is real small. I plan on working on these. My friend who is smaller than me by about 40 pounds also got the ten (it was easier for him). I was surprised because I can beat him in other grip feats. He is a sick strong climber, within reach of completing some of the hardest climbs. He agreed with me that the hub lift was good for climbing. My other top choices for climbing specific grip training off of the rock are hangboard, plate curls, block tossing, and campusing. If there are any other climbers reading this board, I would be interested in your thoughts on grip training specific for climbing. Actually, any questions or opinions from anyone would be welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest skroah Posted April 27, 2002 Share Posted April 27, 2002 Hey. I consider myself more in the climber category than in the burly strongman category, since i'm neither burly,155, or strong, . Grip training has really helped in my climbing. My hands feel alot stronger and this is helping me snatch and stick holds I couldn't before. I've really just started but things i'm doing now.... 1. Rolling thunder and ring lifts. Man they feel good on the wrists. My wrists are so much more stable now and can easily support my body weight even when i'm accelerating downward very quickly, which is often... I like what Tom Black says about one arm deadlifts something like you are focusing your entire body strength through your hands. Pick up a heavy weight with the thunder and walk with it moving your arm around. Climbings is all about squirming with a heavy weight not just holding it still. 2. Hub lifts. I can't really say for sure. I own the iron mind hub device. They are rough on the thumb more than the fingers I think. I'll know more in a couple weeks. 3. Hangboard. Make my hands look like a dockworkers. 4. Grippers. I think these really help in grabbing those big fat sloper holds I agree about the grippers being too intense for use during a hard climbing phase. I'm going to have to lay off the grippers until I get into endurance again. 5. Plate walking. Good to keep the the fingers healthy. First time I tried these I had problems handling a 3 lb plate with my pinky and thumb. Within a couple days I was using a 10lb smooth plate. If it feels good do it I say. Brookfield says these find and strengthen the weaknessess in your hands and fingers. I believe it. 6. Iron mind fabeled cables. I love these. I clip one end into the ceiling or wall and do one armed pulldowns,dead hangs or rows. Double loop those cables and you can build power. Wrist curls with these are awesome as well. Put your foot in one end and you can work your wrist and forearm from any angle you want. Truly painful. My forearms are bulging from these cable workouts. I'd be glad to hear from more climbers as well. I know they are lurking here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 27, 2002 Share Posted April 27, 2002 I think campus board training is the best digit exercise there is. I am gonna build a small campus board when I get my new place (when!) and I think it is a brilliant piece of kit for budding grip trainers and of course climbers. It takes a while to get the ends of your fingers used to the punishment and you must NOT over do it otherwise you'll get injured for a long time. One other execise good for the digits and for climbers is the One Hand Rim lift. Just use a 20kg plate and put a rod through to add weight. Then stand it up and lift it by the Rim using your finger strength. This is a great exercise. Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the swiss Posted April 29, 2002 Share Posted April 29, 2002 cool, a climber topic! best exercices for climbing (for me): - campus board - wide pinch lifts - plate curls - bouldering I agree that grip training is pretty taxing on the hands and I now train grip twice a week and boulder once (twice proved to be slightly too much in the long run and I have little time) however I feel I get great benefits from training the grip all round. My hands feel stronger. I also feel grip training helps me recover from bouldering. This is why I dont hub-like lifts during grip training. No crimped position, so the tendons get some recovery time. just my point of view train hard david Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul valpreda Posted June 3, 2002 Share Posted June 3, 2002 What exactly is bouldering? How is it performed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Monkey Paws Posted June 3, 2002 Share Posted June 3, 2002 Bouldering is rock climbing without a rope with an emphasis on difficulty of movement. Bouldering is different than free soloing (climbing cliffs without a rope) because boulders generally stay close enough to the ground that falls are acceptable. There is also “highball” bouldering (bouldering with increased risk, climbing high above bad landings, etc.) but when a fall would mean certain death, the climber is no longer bouldering and has entered the realm of free solo. Bouldering is a gymnastic form of climbing, climbing the hardest moves possible without the aide of a rope. Here is a picture of me bouldering taken last weekend: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul valpreda Posted June 3, 2002 Share Posted June 3, 2002 Thanks for the illustrated definition of bouldering. It sounds like something I should learn as Moab, Utah isn't too far of a drive for me from Salt Lake City. I have never been there before, but the photos and video I have seen of the area show some awesome mountains and rocks to climb! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Monkey Paws Posted June 3, 2002 Share Posted June 3, 2002 There is tons of climbing all around Salt Lake City. Moab is beautiful but you definitely don’t have to drive that far from Salt Lake to climb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul valpreda Posted June 3, 2002 Share Posted June 3, 2002 Have you personally done any climbing around Salt Lake City? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Monkey Paws Posted June 4, 2002 Share Posted June 4, 2002 Yes, I've climbed at American Fork a few times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul valpreda Posted June 4, 2002 Share Posted June 4, 2002 That's cool! Do you have any suggestions for a good place around here for a beginner to work on bouldering? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Monkey Paws Posted June 4, 2002 Share Posted June 4, 2002 There is a huge climbing community in Salt Lake. I would suggest checking out a local indoor climbing gym, SLC has more than one. I prefer climbing on real stone but gyms are great for learning the basics and for training as you advance. I've heard there is great bouldering in Joe's Valley, Ibex, and Little Cotton Wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul valpreda Posted June 4, 2002 Share Posted June 4, 2002 Thanks for all of the tips. I think this would be a great way to incorporate some creative grip training into my routine, plus I love the outdoors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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