[shurt]

I'm currently not able to get out climbing a great deal on rock at the moment (2-3 times a month) and have had to sack off going to the wall (£ reasons). Instead I've been hitting the fingerboard in an attempt to stay fit and ultimately get stronger so I see some progression each time I get out rather then treading water and getting bummed out that I can't go climbing that much.

It seems to be working but I'll be honest I don't know what I'm doing, I've just made something up and kept doing it. There is talk by people about phases of training, ancap, aerocap etc?? I just do the same pattern of exercises and gradually am able to increase the quantities within it.The fingerboard is mounted on quite a small doorway (heightwise) so I can place my feet on the floor and underneath it and have been playing with moving between the holds on the fingerboard in a set pattern which gets me quite pumped.

Each current set consists of: 4 pull ups, 30 moves with feet on, 4 PUs, 30 moves, 4 PUs, 30 moves, 4 PUs, 30 moves, 4 PUs then 5 mins rest. I try and do this 3 times. In my own mind I am trying to simulate getting pumped on a route and being able to do harder cruxy moves during it hence the pull ups. I've done a lot of bouldering in the past so find I have to work stamina more than anything else.

Does anyone have any suggestions of other things to try or to add to what I'm doing?

Anyone know what I am doing?

 

[a dense loner]

That's all good. Try and make/keep the body strong by doing bodyweight exercises every other day. Taking it weights are out cos of cost? Don't let that stop you!

[Sasquatch]

Deisgn/build an adjustable foot hold setup.  I'd envision something you can move to adjust the angle, but with a small edge that requires pulling with your toes for tension rather than the classic chair which is way to big of a foot. 

[shurt]

Try and make/keep the body strong by doing bodyweight exercises every other day.

pardon the dimness. are we talking press ups? or weights?

Sasquatch, when I'm hanging off the fingerboard I have to bend my legs to stop my feet hitting the floor. I could make something to put toes on but it would be very far back for it to work. It'd be like I was climbing a huge overhang - maybe no bad thing....

[a dense loner]

Weights are for pussies! 
No, bodyweight stuff like press ups, L-sits, supermans. Basically things were your limbs are as far apart as they can be, or you're struggling to hold a position. Mine at the mo is every other day:

Planche leans, L-sits, crab hold, arched holds, back raise, advanced frog

So that's 6 exercises, 5 sets of each. Start off at what you feel comfortable with ie 20 secs of all except L-sits and frog where you'll prob do 10. If 20 is your bench for the others  a minute and half rest between sets.

Type in callisthenics on YouTube, really good stuff on there.

Obviously this is a supplement to finger work

[petejh]

Sounds like you're doing some sort of low to mid intensity power endurance training (you don't mention whether you're failing at the end of the last set). Ways to progress it would be keep the set the same and gradually reduce the rest time down to 2-3 mins. You'd have to experiment reducing in 20 or 30 second steps to see what works - by 'works' = what you can manage and fail at late on in the last set. Or go to 4 sets and fail then. Need to fail though or it's too easy for PE and instead you're working aerobic fitness, at some point on a scale of intensity. Not necessarily a bad thing, just depends what you want to do outside.

You'll plateau with this sort of fitness within 4-6 weeks (for the PE), according to current popular theory.

Thought about working finger strength? You could get strong as fuck on your fingerboard, just google a standard finger strength program and stick with it 3 times a week for 4-6 weeks. This would involve max effort hangs for 5-8 seconds, a short rest, and repeat for 5-8 reps. Lots of variations on the theory, have a read of the beastmaker blog or Moon's site. 1,2 or 3 sets of each grip type with 4-7 different grip types depending on your board. Takes around 45 mins to 1hr.30 depending on number of grip types and sets. It helps to be able to take weight off in a recordable way for working 2 and 3 fingers on small holds but it isn't vital.

As ever it all depends what you want to be good at outside.

[Sasquatch]

Sasquatch, when I'm hanging off the fingerboard I have to bend my legs to stop my feet hitting the floor. I could make something to put toes on but it would be very far back for it to work. It'd be like I was climbing a huge overhang - maybe no bad thing....

Or it could be under you and you're standing on edges like on a vert climb.  You stated you were doing foot on work, for hand moves.  This makes it so you're not standing on the ground, you have to weight the hands, and it should be designed so that the angles/distances are measurable so you can see/measure improvement, control for same angles, etc.

[shurt]

Sounds like you're doing some sort of low to mid intensity power endurance training (you don't mention whether you're failing at the end of the last set). Ways to progress it would be keep the set the same and gradually reduce the rest time down to 2-3 mins. You'd have to experiment reducing in 20 or 30 second steps to see what works - by 'works' = what you can manage and fail at late on in the last set. Or go to 4 sets and fail then. Need to fail though or it's too easy for PE and instead you're working aerobic fitness, at some point on a scale of intensity. Not necessarily a bad thing, just depends what you want to do outside.

You'll plateau with this sort of fitness within 4-6 weeks (for the PE), according to current popular theory.

Thought about working finger strength? You could get strong as fuck on your fingerboard, just google a standard finger strength program and stick with it 3 times a week for 4-6 weeks. This would involve max effort hangs for 5-8 seconds, a short rest, and repeat for 5-8 reps. Lots of variations on the theory, have a read of the beastmaker blog or Moon's site. 1,2 or 3 sets of each grip type with 4-7 different grip types depending on your board. Takes around 45 mins to 1hr.30 depending on number of grip types and sets. It helps to be able to take weight off in a recordable way for working 2 and 3 fingers on small holds but it isn't vital.

As ever it all depends what you want to be good at outside.

Thanks for this Pete. I've been under the impression that just being able to do the last set is better than failing so that's good to know, I'll adjust things accordingly.
I've been a bit nervous about getting on a finger strengthening mission as last time I did I did a pulley in. I'm a pianist so have to minimise the chances of a similar thing happening again.
What I'd like to be good at are harder sports routes (mid to high 7s) and generally fitter and stronger for a bit of bouldering here and there, no specific aims on that front

[shurt]

Weights are for pussies! 
No, bodyweight stuff like press ups, L-sits, supermans. Basically things were your limbs are as far apart as they can be, or you're struggling to hold a position. Mine at the mo is every other day:

Planche leans, L-sits, crab hold, arched holds, back raise, advanced frog

So that's 6 exercises, 5 sets of each. Start off at what you feel comfortable with ie 20 secs of all except L-sits and frog where you'll prob do 10. If 20 is your bench for the others  a minute and half rest between sets.

Type in callisthenics on YouTube, really good stuff on there.

Obviously this is a supplement to finger work

Ok thanks, will give the exercises a go. I was doing some core stuff a while back that I got off a callisthenics vid on youtube so will dig that out again. That guy Frank Medrano needs to get into climbing pronto. He's wasted on a pull up bar...