[chips]

Hey all

Recently have got access to a steep board, 40 degrees ish, at a location very close to my house.  Excellent. 

The problem is I am a pretty low grade climber, about v4 ish on all styles of climbing, and been climbing properly for a year, though did trad and that for a while before that. 

Thus, I can only get up (and even then not consistently get up) on the biggest holds on the board, they're edges about 3cm deep and horizontal ish.  On a nice vertical wall it'd be a thank god jug but at this angle i find it hard. 

Will training on these get me fingers stronger?  And generally get myself better?  Aka will I improve to be able to do stuff on the board with small holds and that?  Or will I just get better at doing steep stuff with jugs?

Am generally quite weak, probably bang out 3 pull ups on a good day, but have decent ish footwork, although the fact all the footholds on the board are poor means I'm limited in my foot faggotry options which is usually how I get up steep things.



Thanks all

[iain_cbr]

I'm weak as a kitten on steep stuff too. I remember reading somewhere (neil gresham maybe) that you should climb using the smallest FINGER holds you can. This will improve your finger strength, which seems to be the weak area. If you use the big jugs (fnar fnar) you'll just be building your shoulder strength which is probably not an issue.

I got a fingerboard and by doing some reasonably regular training, i've noticed my finger strength increasing. Just make sure you don't kill your tendons, remember to take it easy. Digits can go pop quite easily!

Iain

[erm, sam]

Just think about it. If you can currently only sometimes get up the board using the biggest holds, will you have improved if in a month or two you can consistantly get up the board on the biggest holds? Or you can get up the board on the biggest holds twice in a row x5 with 2min rests in between each pair?

It might not exactly make your fingers stronger, but it will make you fitter climbing on steeper stuff and serve as a base for harder training with smaller holds later.

Don't get bogged down in "what hold size should I be training on". The board is currently a weakness so work the weakess. When you can get up it easily using the big holds and can do laps or lots of repeats then you can start thinking about using smaller holds.

[rginns]

 
Just keep plugging away and you'll start to improve. May take a while, but you will definitely adapt to the angle if you keep at it. Then you can start to use smaller holds, further apart etc,

[shark]

Hey all

Recently have got access to a steep board, 40 degrees ish, at a location very close to my house.  Excellent. 

The problem is I am a pretty low grade climber, about v4 ish on all styles of climbing, and been climbing properly for a year, though did trad and that for a while before that. 

Thus, I can only get up (and even then not consistently get up) on the biggest holds on the board, they're edges about 3cm deep and horizontal ish.  On a nice vertical wall it'd be a thank god jug but at this angle i find it hard. 

Will training on these get me fingers stronger?  And generally get myself better?  Aka will I improve to be able to do stuff on the board with small holds and that?  Or will I just get better at doing steep stuff with jugs?

Am generally quite weak, probably bang out 3 pull ups on a good day, but have decent ish footwork, although the fact all the footholds on the board are poor means I'm limited in my foot faggotry options which is usually how I get up steep things.
Thanks all

For your board sessions dont stresss about getting to the top of the board to start with. Yes sort out some problems using the jugs to warm up but then work on single moves  i.e single hand moves on the smaller handholds. Doing these maximal type moves is great for gaining strength but can be frustrating. Use 'systems board' type tactics and select about half a dozen single move 'projects' with a variety of holds/moves that work both your left and right arm and have 10 goes at each with a couple of minutes between goes and a decent long rest between 'sets'. The moves might include a gaston move, undercut cross thru and rock over depending on what you want to work. Try to mirror each problem so you work the right side and the left.

[Oldmanmatt]

If you don't train the steep stuff, you'll never climb the steep stuff. It's not only your fingers (Finger board will work them more consistantly); it's the muscles in your back. I'd been climbing for best part of 20 years before I really started training for steep stuff and the strength and developement around my back was swift and startling. Go for it!

[Kingy]

Cool that you have access to such a great facility. if you go on it regularly I am sure you will notice your ability on steep rock increasing rapidly no matter what you do on it, just hanging around on jugs at the angle or rock will get your back and shoulders strong. The only thing I would say is to to keep the less steep bouldering going as the fingers are vitally important. As Malcolm Smith said, a lot of climbers with strong fingers get away with having weak muscles but not the other way around!

[chips]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

[SA Chris]

Even just pulling on and holding positions on smaller holds before attempting to make a move will be beneficial, but not the most exciting or satisfying way to spend your time, but the improvements will come and you will start being able to do individual moves as shark says, and then reaching a point where you can start linkign them.