[mctrials23]

I'm doing some one arm hangs on the fingerboard at the moment with weight removed but watching people at the wall the other day it struck me that there were lots of people there who didn't look that strong but could lock off at various angles on one arm (footless). I really struggle with this and although I'm heavier than most climbers that not really a good excuse.

I just tried some lockoffs on a pullup bar and full lock I am fine and straight arm I am fine but anywhere around 90 degrees or greater I just have kitten like weakness. It feels like the area where the teres major is just doesn't have any strength. Is this where other people struggle on one arm lockoffs? I don't remember ever seeing this as a focus of any one arm articles or training ideas.

Have I just got a strange weakness there or is that where most people feel the strain on one armers.

[benno]

How's your shoulder posture/flexibility? I'm objectively stronger on my right side but can lock better on my left. I think this is due to tighter muscles in the back of my right shoulder squeezing it forward into a less effective position. Also, isometric strength is pretty specific to joint angle as I understand, so you might just be weaker in that part of your ROM. If you've got a system for removing weight then you should be able to train it pretty effectively, at least

[mctrials23]

Im definitely quite weak when it comes to wide moves. I think my shoulder posture and mobility are pretty good, for a climber at least. I've been doing shoulder dislocations with a wooden dowel and I can get to about 1.5x shoulder width quite happily. My left side is definitely stronger than my right but if I want to lockoff I have to bring my elbow right to my ribs. If its away from the body my strength falls off a cliff.

[DAVETHOMAS90]

The Brachioradialis - or webbed elbow muscle  - is probably something you could work on:

:

It's this muscle that seems engaged almost more than any other, when I'm locked off.

I find hammer curls great therapy for dodgy elbows too, particularly the eccentric load in the pronated (Palm facing down) position. Great to combine with overhead shoulder presses too.

[nai]

there were lots of people there who didn't look that strong but could lock off at various angles on one arm (footless)

Question is are they locking off with their arm out to side as if they were doing a pullup or with their arm at 90 degrees to the chest. The latter's mostly showboating and not going to do as much for their climbing as the former.  Strengthening the shoulder so that you can lock off with you arm to the side will help, easy to train as well.  You can use a counterweight and bar or big hold.  Or just use a steep bit of wall, find a decent hold you can lock off for about 10s then repeat 2-3 times on each arm at not quite straight and 90 degrees and maybe do a set where you reach out to the opposite side so that you're emulating a wide move.

[Nibile]

As you can imagine, I have trained for lock offs quite a lot, and I have to say that they are probably the most useless ability to train. Locking off while climbing is vastly dependant on your body tension. I've stopped training them ages ago and never felt the need to start again.
Full lock lock offs are especially bad for elbows and shoulders. And anyway any lock off requires strong triceps. 

[tomtom]

Brilliant Nibs... I was just reaching for the dumbbell when I read this. Now I'm reaching for the wine glass

[Nibile]

 
You're welcome!

[r-man]

I found 90 degree lock offs to be pretty useful, on steep terrain especially. I was crap at lock offs, and once I improved them certain moves went from desperate to not a problem.

I did repeaters with a pull up bar - and something like a bungee cord for assistance, until I could do without.

Also, I had to work up to it gradually (dodgy elbows) but when I was at my best on lock off training, outdoor full lock offs were no longer tweaky moves.