[Omar15]

What do people think the best way of doing more one armers is? Im torn between just doing as many as i can until im useless or doing them with a weight. I'd like to be able to do them so I have more power when im climbing (which is why im leaning towards weighted ones), but also just because I've got an arbitrary goal of 5 by the end of the year.

The best I've done is three and a little bit, usually its one or two. Today I tried them with a 2.5kg weight and it was utterly nails, i barely did one - should I try more like this?

Anyway, thanks in advance and please no-one tell me to go climbing outside.

Omar

[The Sausage]

Marius Morstad did a training program for Ben Moon years ago that involved 6 consecutive days of 1-armers using either a counterweight (to reduce weight) and/or a weight belt. Days 1,3 & 5 you do 5 sets of 5 1-armers with the maximum weight/minimum counterweight you can manage. Days 2,4 & 6 you do 5 sets of 1 with the maximum weight you can manage. There was also something about a load of sub-maximal climbing on these days. I've tried a scaled down version of this (i.e. 4 days in a row) and I certainly felt much stronger.

The key (I think) is to ensure you do them from a full straight arm, and to really try and get your opposite shoulder above your 'pulling' hand - it seems to be very good for strengthening the whole shoulder girdle.

oh, and go climbing outside.

[shark]

First thought (not based on practical experience you understand) is that sets with reps of 5+ with assistance rather than reps of 1 with  resistance in trying to achieve 5 in a row would be the way to go. However, is the 5 in a row commensurate with achieving 'more power when climbing' ? whatever that means. Have you considered climbing outside? - the weather's quite nice at the moment.     

[andy popp]

More? One would be a miracle.

[Paul B]

I got bored a year or so ago and started bating big Stevie H about weighted one armers. Up until that point I'd never bothered doing any.
I used to always end my school sessions with as many as I could on each arm with no weight added, then the same again with 2.5kg assistance.
Its quite dismaying to look back and think I could happily do 5 on my left with a great big hunk of metal holding my right leg together, currently I'd be lucky to do 2! I'm not sure how relevant any of it actually is beyond being able to do 1? Being able to one arm a tiny hold now that seems a lot more relevant.

[Omar15]

Sausage - thanks, thats really interesting. I'll try and incorporate something like that into my life. I've tried from a dead straight arm before and it feels a little bit tweaky so have always usually started from a slight bend - ill try it from straight regularly for a bit and see if its okay.

Paul B - so when you could do 5, you'd beast out as many as possible and then do the same with 2.5kg assistance? interesting. I know what you mean about one arming a tiny hold...I'm sure being able to do a buttload of one armers on a big hold would help climbing more than only being able to do one though.

Thanks for the replies guys.

[nik at work]

...I'm sure being able to do a buttload of one armers on a big hold would help climbing more than only being able to do one though.

And I really don't think it would, but what do I know.

[i_a_coops]

Well I can think of loads of boulder problems and routes where you have to at least lock off one-armed up to 5 times with no feet.....


Actually, wait, I can't.



This is Omar cutting loose and doing a pull up to impress the ladies. I do agree that it would be more impressive one-armed....

[dave]

If you can do one one-armer then you're more than strong enough in that area.

[tomtom]

What dave said shirley...

I've never been able to even come remotely close to a 1 armer.. can't even lock off... The thought of doing 5 

[Johnny Brown]

oh, and go climbing outside.

Priceless. Climbing outside is now just training for one armers.

[slackline]

Or perhaps it will provide enlightenment as to the utility of training one armers in relation to actually climbing. 

[Three Nine]

Omar, i cant do a one-armer, and i promise to outclimb you on any outdoor route or boulder problem you care to pick. Do you see my point? Shark knows what he is talking about!

[Omar15]

i despair. thanks for the decent replies sausage and Paul B. and thanks ian for that photo, ill upload some nice ones of you when i work out how to do it.

and Nik at work, im sure you're very strong and a very good rock climber but there's no need to be sarcastic. surely if you had the option of being able to do more one armers or not (without changing anything else), you'd choose being able to? I really can't see how it would be unhelpful.

i was just asking for some advice, but no, everyone's got to be a jeb.

[Three Nine]

Ok, rising to the bait. Omar talking to you about climbing is like doing this -> 

I wouldn't usually care, but you're such a lovely chap that one has to keep trying.

If your goal in life is just to be strong, or strong for climbing at TCA or whatever, then you should just do that, and campus and whatnot. But then you keep claiming to have goals in rock climbing, and if you really do have these goals, its infuriating watching you act like such a retard! I mean you refused to put a harness on as part of your training for a spanish sport climbing trip!

The fact is, you have plenty enough power to climb font 8A+ or route 8c or whatever. That is no exaggeration. I have climbed with enough monsters to say that with confidence.

If your goals are really are rock climbing goals. Stop messing about at the bouldering wall, stop trying to do 5 one-armers, and go rock climbing, lots. All different styles, all different rock types.

If people think i'm being a dick posting this, I watched Omar campus 1-5-8 leading both arms multiple times a few months after watching him redpoint the 6c warm-up at a crag in Siurana.

Here endeth the sermon.

[Serpico]

Quick question: what grade do you climb, and what grade do you think doing more one-armers will enable you to climb?

surely if you had the option of being able to do more one armers or not (without changing anything else), you'd choose being able to? I really can't see how it would be unhelpful.

Because it takes time to train them, time which could be spent on something that would actually make a difference to your climbing. As climbing gets harder it becomes more about using smaller holds that are less multi-directional, in positions that task the smaller stabilising muscles, more than pulling down in a straight line on a good hold.

i was just asking for some advice, but no, everyone's got to be a jeb.

You've ignored all the best advice. I don't know what a jeb is, but at least I'm in good company with the other jebs on this thread.

[Three Nine]

He's done a couple of font 7Bs.

[Omar15]

I'm not talking about dedicating a large part of my training on them, but after a session when my fingers are useless but my arms and shoulders still have some give in them.

and in answer to your question, i've done not very much climbing outside. last summer in thailand i did a 7c and sort of did an 8a but pussied out of clipping the anchors off a glassy crimp and grabbed them instead (which has haunted me ever since). so im not sure that counts, but i did get to the top. apart from that i did a couple of soft font 7Bs on southern sandstone may or june  last year. I'm in bristol and there's not much bouldering around here so i just end up going inside. to be fair though I have only really been climbing properly a little over 18 months now (although i did a bit of top roping at school but hated it) and what with winter and the no bouldering i haven't been on real rock much.

i have no idea what grade 5 one armers would get me to, but i'd be stronger.

[i_a_coops]

I think getting your finger fixed is probably a good goal right now.....

[nik at work]

and Nik at work, im sure you're very strong and a very good rock climber but there's no need to be sarcastic. surely if you had the option of being able to do more one armers or not (without changing anything else), you'd choose being able to? I really can't see how it would be unhelpful.

Easy boss. No sarcasm, I was merely expressing an opinion that apparently ran counter to yours and qualifying said statement with the caveat that I in no way consider myself to be the last word in knowledge on this topic.
To be able to do 5 one-armers I would have to train one-armers to the detriment of other more important (in my opinion) aspects of climbing development.
If you want to be able do lots of one armers then train that, and good luck to you. But if you'd rather get better at climbing then IMHO you're better doing other stuff. I suspect I'm not the only one to think this. Anyway whatever you choose to do I hope you enjoy yourself, doing one-armers and climbing strike me as equally pointless activities which can probably both yield similar senses of satisfaction.

[i_a_coops]

Also I think if you don't go climbing outside more, you're going to set a record for the person most puntered by Mark!

[shark]

and sort of did an 8a but pussied out of clipping the anchors off a glassy crimp and grabbed them instead (which has haunted me ever since). so im not sure that counts, but i did get to the top.

In my book  ...it counts 

[slackline]

Are you Nibile in disguise Omar15?

[Serpico]

i have no idea what grade 5 one armers would get me to,

It wouldn't because it's not a limiting factor, people boulder and route far harder than you without being able to do a single one.

but i'd be stronger.

...at doing one armers.

You can do what you want with your time, but you stated in your OP that you believed that the ability to do more one armers would help with your climbing - it won't.

[chris_j_s]

Serpico, obviously as a complete punter I'm not in a position to contend your training knowledge, but didn't Rich Simpson go in for one armers in a big way? I'm guessing he must have thought it was helping his climbing.

I know what works for one doesn't always work for another but I presume there must have been some rationale behind it, and he did acheive pretty high in quite a short space of time.