[DAVETHOMAS90]

To answer the OP it depends what finger strength you require.

Dead hanging will increase your finger strength so you are better at dead hanging.

While many strength gains can be transferred, holding a tiny edge on a finger board is very different from holding the same tiny edge on a problem... Body position, footwork, core etc..

Deadhanging will increase your finger strength (if done in the right way) ergo, deadhanging will increase finger strength. Sounds pretty good to me.

All the other ancillaries are a bonus, of course.

[Stubbs]

I can see the value in warming up on one before trying crimpy fingery probs.. But for my own climbing now it's not so much finger strength that holds me back - more shoulders/arms/core. Stuff that doesn't really get a workout from the BM.

After a decent BM session where I've tried hard, it's often my shoulders that are failing on the final set of repeaters along with my fingers, you also use a surprising amount of core stabilising yourself on the fingerboard when on smaller holds.

There's a big difference in climbing on crimps at places like Harmers where a lot of weight is on your feet, and you can do a lot with body position compared to on steeper ground (Trowbarrow for instance) where finger strength will be a lot more of a limiting factor.

[cha1n]

My original question was regarding efficiency of finger strength training but in reality I need to work on general strength too (shoulders, core, etc) so I was hoping that steep board work would work all factors without the monotony involved with fingerboarding.

I guess I was hoping that some of you guys might have trained both ways (isolating each group vs. training everything together such as steep board work) and would have some insight into which method yields better results.

I really enjoy the movement of climbing but also enjoy the feeling of progression in ability and whilst I understand the benefit of deadhanging it all feels a bit like being back at the gym (before I started climbing). I've briefly played on steep boards before and it still feels like you're climbing, albeit a rather basic style. I can work with that!

[SA Chris]

I really enjoy the movement of climbing but also enjoy the feeling of progression in ability and whilst I understand the benefit of deadhanging it all feels a bit like being back at the gym (before I started climbing). I've briefly played on steep boards before and it still feels like you're climbing, albeit a rather basic style. I can work with that!

Surely you've answered your own question here?

[T_B]

I guess I was hoping that some of you guys might have trained both ways (isolating each group vs. training everything together such as steep board work) and would have some insight into which method yields better results.

I've climbed on boards for the past 20 years. I am heavy and have weak fingers and tend to enjoy big moves between good holds. I have used a fingerboard consistently for the past 12 months. My fingers are stronger now than they've ever been. I use deadhanging as part of a varied and balanced training diet 

[cha1n]

It seems like I've answered my own question but I am willing to do things I'd rather not for the greater good.

I'd rather not waste my time and money on an engineering degree which doesn't make me any better at my job but it means I'll earn more money in the future... For example!

I did manage 9 consecutive FB sessions once and even that showed improvement but I'm guessing that was mainly recruitment, what with finger strength progress being a yearly thing rather than weekly...

[tomtom]

I can see the value in warming up on one before trying crimpy fingery probs.. But for my own climbing now it's not so much finger strength that holds me back - more shoulders/arms/core. Stuff that doesn't really get a workout from the BM.

After a decent BM session where I've tried hard, it's often my shoulders that are failing on the final set of repeaters along with my fingers, you also use a surprising amount of core stabilising yourself on the fingerboard when on smaller holds.

There's a big difference in climbing on crimps at places like Harmers where a lot of weight is on your feet, and you can do a lot with body position compared to on steeper ground (Trowbarrow for instance) where finger strength will be a lot more of a limiting factor.

True dat - and my lats often ache after Beastmakerage..

Though finger strength has oft been my limiting factor at Harmers but never at Trowbarrow...

[lagerstarfish]

Well that's gone quite then?
I've heard its a 1000 pound a year to join
You get to climb with a bunch of miserable old bastards that are better surfers now then climbers and that's being generous.....test yourselves on splintered 20 year old problems that we all did in the nineties and to top it all you get to gobble moon off...Smiley face

is that included in the £1k fee?

[abarro81]

Yes - i can see a stamina element in fingerboarding translating into routes.. Sorry my personal vista only extends as far as bouldering..

Huh what? My point wasn't about routes, it was an example to show thay "A is not B therefore B is inferior in order to train for A" is not necessarily true


Also, the statement that your weak back 2 don't hold you back is a bit meaningless since there's no comparison- theyay well be holding you back, you just don't know it.

[Eddies]

Mix it up and work on your weaknesses...

If you find climbing a steel board hard, work on it. big moves between different types of holds keeping foot-holdsas small as poss.

If you find fingerboarding hard, work on that more. Repeaters and Max hangs in 4-week blocks work well.

If you dont feel you are working your shoulders/back/core when on your FB, lock out different arm positions (encores) and hold L-sits during your hangs.

My advise is not to worry about scales and other gagetry or what to do during your rests, it only diverts attention/time away from your workout. A good way of timing your hangs and rests is all you need. (BM App)
 
Get warmed up properly, get your workout done and get on with your evening!

[tomtom]

Yes - i can see a stamina element in fingerboarding translating into routes.. Sorry my personal vista only extends as far as bouldering..

Huh what? My point wasn't about routes, it was an example to show thay "A is not B therefore B is inferior in order to train for A" is not necessarily true


Also, the statement that your weak back 2 don't hold you back is a bit meaningless since there's no comparison- theyay well be holding you back, you just don't know it.

Yawn....

[Sasquatch]

My original question was regarding efficiency of finger strength training but in reality I need to work on general strength too (shoulders, core, etc) so I was hoping that steep board work would work all factors without the monotony involved with fingerboarding.

I guess I was hoping that some of you guys might have trained both ways (isolating each group vs. training everything together such as steep board work) and would have some insight into which method yields better results.

I really enjoy the movement of climbing but also enjoy the feeling of progression in ability and whilst I understand the benefit of deadhanging it all feels a bit like being back at the gym (before I started climbing). I've briefly played on steep boards before and it still feels like you're climbing, albeit a rather basic style. I can work with that!

4 weeks of strength training-both FB and Shoulder/core work,  followed by 4 weeks of as hard as you can board training to apply the strength.  Rest a week, rinse, repeat.

Yes, I've done both.  I trained extensively on a board for a long time.  Plateaued at 7C+ for about 10 years.  changed and added FBing and Core/Shoulder/Pull Strength training and now am at 8A+ after 2 years, and aiming for 8B this year.  Was on track before a finger injury in March(while climbing outside).  Coming back strong though. 

This really only work if you can committ yourself to at least a few cycles of this, makes the workouts hard enough, and also rest enough to recover.  although that goes for almost any training

[cuboard]

I've heard its a 1000 pound a year to join
You get to climb with a bunch of miserable old bastards that are better surfers now then climbers and that's being generous.....test yourselves on splintered 20 year old problems that we all did in the nineties and to top it all you get to gobble moon off...Smiley face
[/quote]

is that included in the £1k fee?
[/quote]

Apparently

I agree with Dense Loner…. Lee of recent hair loss

Who remembers Smythe….. he declared one day that he was going to dead hang only, for one year straight… no bouldering. His goal after one year was to red point Jehovahkill 8b+ at the Tor.
Guess what.. one year later he went on said route and couldn't do any off the moves 

[cha1n]

Sounds good to me Sasquatch! Which style of fingerboarding were you doing? (Eva lopez stuff wasn't it?)

[Sasquatch]

Both Max Hangs and Repeaters, although I found the repeaters to take more recovery.  As a working stiff, I really liked the Max hangs on season, as I would do hangs Tues/Thurs, and get outside hard bouldering on weekends. 

Much like you I get bored if all I'm doing is training, especially just FBing.   The payoff was so good though that I've learned to love it in the right doses. My goal now when purely training for bouldering is to get about 8 max hang sessions in over a 4 week period, along with some other core/shoulder/etc strength stuff and 3-4 hard bouldering sessions as well.  If I need extra rest, skip a boulder session.  Then do the 4 weeks of hard bouldering with 1 day a week of campusing as well. 

I also found this works pretty well with the home life.  The FB sessions are short and at home, so I get loads of stuff done around the house and with the family during that 4 weeks.  Then during the 4 weeks of bouldering, I'm ahead on the house stuff, so not stressed about the honey do list. Then take 1 week really easy at the end of the 8 weeks and make up the big family stuff. 

[tomtom]

What shoulder training did you do Sasq?

[Sasquatch]

Ring work and one arm hangs.  I find hanging one arm off a bar and twisting myself both directions in control is really good for stabilizing my shoulder. 

My STR workouts now are generally Deadlifts, Wtd pullups, one arm hangs, one leg ring pressups, ring dips, one arm ring planks and  Bicep curls, plus a bit of eccentrics for my elbows.  Ounce of prevention and all that. 

[michal]

I really like the idea of a block of hangboard/strength training followed by a block of board/campus training.  Seems pretty compatible with what is advocated in the Rock Climber's Training Manual for boulderers. 

A couple of questions: Are you doing your supplemental strength workouts just during the 4 weeks of hangboarding, or constantly?  For the one arm hangs/twists, are you keeping your shoulder engaged and arm slightly bent, or really hanging off of the joint. 

[Sasquatch]

Keep in mind, this is my "on season" training, not my year round. 

I only do the the STR stuf during the hang boarding weeks.  During the board climbing / bouldering, you get plenty of body workout. 

As far as the one arm stuff goes, be careful.  I engage as much as I can through my core to my shoulder, but not my bicep.  When you try it, I think you'll quite naturally feel where to engage.  I generally do 3-5 twists to each side. Rotating as far as I can go in full control.  This isn't about gaining strength or flexibility, so don't force it.  It's about gaining stability, so control is key.