[jonna]

evenin all

sold my rockworks rack and bought a beastmaker - they are worlds apart!!

I'm breaking into font7a ground( one 7a+) so a lot of the varian stuff is just way to hard for me.  CAn do repeaters off the biggest hold on 3 back fingers and 3 front and two middle and two front.  So i recon its gonna be a case of doing that till i get stronger.

just wondered if anyone had any advice or pearls of wisdom from when they started with theirs??

cheers

jonna

[fatdoc]

Seven holds is one set.

Each hold 7 secs on, 2 off. I audio memo noted it on an iPhone, so you get shout at yourself.

90 secs rest between sets.

7 sets.

Everyother day max, I usually do twice a week.

[jonna]

cheers doc sounds good!!

[abarro81]

90 secs rest between sets.

7 sets.

Hmm... I'm not convinced about these sorts of rest times unless you're looking for a power endurance style session of getting pumped. I find even the 7 on - 3 off, 7rep stuff with 3/4 minute rests between sets feels more like high quality short strength-endurance stuff than anything else (in terms of time 'on' I think it's roughly equivalent to a 15-20 move circuit without shakes/simulating clips/climbing deliberately slowly or anything). I've been playing more with just 3 or 4 reps instead of 7 for more fingery stuff (on every 3rd minute so 2min 30s ish rest between sets), I know of others who've been using 5on-5off 5reps format to achieve a similar thing (i.e. being able to use much smaller holds and not feel like it's a PE session).

Would be interested to hear the thoughts of deadhang beasts.

[shark]

To echo what aborrent81 said if you are are looking to improve max strength (rather than endurance) to enable you to hang holds you wouldnt otherwise be able to then 5on-5off 5reps format he suggests is one way. Taking it even further back to basics try a selection of holds you would like to improve on and order them in difficulty for your session having 5 attempts at each noting how long you can hang. Next session try to beat those times. Change the grips you use as you improve. Repeaters did nothing for me but I got gains doing this. Everybody is different so don't be afraid to experiment. Good luck unleashing the beast.

[jonna]

cheers for the replies guys.

[Barratt]

http://www.climbingworks.com/blog/2009/12/05/

[BB]

Since getting my beastmaker, I've not really been using it, at least not with any great effort.

I've now resolved to get serious and started off using Ned's beginners training plan from the link above and my God did I get a shock! It doesn't look like much, but it's really hard for a punter like me!

I'm a bit down about it really as I clearly had delusions about the level of my boudering ability! You can't hide behind technique or being lanky when fingerboarding.

This should probably be a NNFN!

 

[erm, sam]

This should probably be a NNFN!

So you bought a Beastmaker because you thought you would be good on it? Missing the point? You should be delighted that you have so much improving to do.

[BB]

This should probably be a NNFN!

So you bought a Beastmaker because you thought you would be good on it? Missing the point? You should be delighted that you have so much improving to do.

No, I bought a beastmaker in order to improve. I'm just a little surprised at the level I'm starting from.

[SA Chris]

did you get the 1000 or 2000?

[erm, sam]

To be honest I think the likes of Ned are too many orders of magnitude stronger to remember what it was like to be normal. In his recent Climber or Climb or Cl magazine article on fingerboarding he talked lots of good stuff about fingerboarding, but only managed one sentence at the end along the lines of "you might need to take weight off with a chair on some excersises" I think he was thinking about when training the back pair probably. Seems to me that most normal climbers might need to take weight off on a few finger board excersies, indeed that this would be an important stratagy for avoiding injury in those dangerous first few weeks...

I think the key problem for people starting to finger board is how much weaker they are than the fingerboarding gurus are, and how difficult it is to get stronger without getting injured...

[SA Chris]

Aye, it feels like a fine line which I have got dangerously close to once or twice. Certainly targets any potential weak spots or previous injuries.

[BB]

did you get the 1000 or 2000?

The 2000, which in hindsight may have been overly ambitious!

[Barratt]

Ive recently got the 2000 and had my first session on it Monday following the intermediate guide - i wouldn't admit to being a beginner at anything!

Although I had to replace the "back two" for back three due to a ring finger injury (bit more support) i managed two complete cycles - a third I thought would be pushing said injury too far.

Two things struck me:

1) It was bloody hard
2) I can't wait to get better

Any thoughts on how many times a a week for starting out - i was thinking two max?

[Stubbs]

For starting out I would recommend not fingerboarding when you have a finger injury!

[SA Chris]

did you get the 1000 or 2000?

The 2000, which in hindsight may have been overly ambitious!

Muppet

Even on the 1000 there are some holds I will never really use in anger. Get yourself a pullup bar in the doorframe to at least warm up properly on.

[Jaspersharpe]

The 2000 has some big holds to warm up on, it's not that bad. In fact, being a lazy bastard, the only time I use one is at The Works, to warm up.

[BB]

The 2000 has some big holds to warm up on, it's not that bad. In fact, being a lazy bastard, the only time I use one is at The Works, to warm up.

I agree. The large edge on the 2000 is indeed a big hold, but it's not my fingers that are having problems, it's the forearms! I'm really struggling to hang on to the hold in the last set due to the pump!

[Barratt]

For starting out I would recommend not fingerboarding when you have a finger injury!

Not certain about that.  I think training around the injury is possible. It may even be better than simply bouldering as you can stress the finger exactly how and how much you like in a very controlled fashion. This isn't always possible when bouldering unless you are climbing way, way below your max.

[erm, sam]

In theory....

[Barratt]

Best made plans and all that...

[chillax]

I dunno, it does seem to be helping with the rehab of my now semi-knackered digit. Didn't feel any improvement in the few weeks I stopped climbing altogether. Since starting to do very easy sessions on the board its started to feel better. You pays you money you takes your choice.....

[Barratt]

I went to the physio (the clinic) who told me definitely not to stop completely.

Since then (two months) i've climbed at maybe 80% or so... its come on loads but still a little way to go.

[Stubbs]

I went to the physio (the clinic) who told me definitely not to stop completely.

I assume he was talking about not stopping climbing, rather than fingerboarding?  There seems to be little point in fingerboarding at 80% or less unless you were after some sort of PE gain?  I think resting, massage and hot and cold treatment would probably have been more beneficial for you finger than fingerbarding, but that's just my opinion obviously, I'm not a physio.