[Krank]

So, climbing knowledge says that fingerboarding on straight arms will lead to knackered elbows and due to this info i always fingerboard on bent arms. Recently i  have started doing some gymnastic training (front levers, planches, L-sits and handstands) and i am using this as a guide. Now this book is written by the U.S yoof gymnastics coach, and he clearly knows a thing or 2 about training and injury prevention. Throughout the book it states that all exercises are to be completed with straight arms, which goes against the common theory among climbers that straight arms are bad for training.

He does advocate steady state training, which allows several weeks of adaption/joint conditioning, once the exercise has become easy, and not a continued increase in reps/weight. He says that this is the most effective method of strength training he has encountered and that he see's very little injury in his student who use this method.

Anyone got any SCIENCE on why fingerboarding with straight arms is bad?

[account_inactive]

Having your shoulders activated is more important. Bent arms will automatically cause this to happen. As long as you concentrate on pulling your shoulder blades towards your spine then you will be fine

[Krank]

Cheers Dylan

[a dense loner]

not science but if u hold a bar there's not much goes on in your forearm, now crimp. my forearm swells by at least half an inch, only my forearm. theres a lot more going on in a climbing related hang

[GCW]

Again, no definite SCIENCE but I suspect it is partly to do with loading the joint and capsule.  I would theorise (perhaps wrongly) that if you hang with a straight elbow and allow the joint to take all the weight, this will be where the issue arises.  Similar with "slack" shoulders during hangs.  With shoulders, you can "tighten" them- you're actively stabilising your shoulders rather than simply dangling.  I think if you can stabilise your elbow with extrinsic muscles, you're less prone to joint injury.  this is obviously easier to do if you bend your elbow by 5 degrees as you automatically have to "pull" across the joint.  If you can pull whilst having a straight elbow it should have the same result.  Maybe.

Am I talking bollocks, Joe?