[youngy]

A rope access harness is ideal if you know someone who can lend you one. Maybe it's a coincidence but I was a lot stronger on the board today after 2 weighted sessions

Borrowed youngy's setting harness today, way more comfortable even though i'm a fat ba&tard and its pyar tight!

[Sasquatch]

Sorry for another idiotic question but Is everyone doing this in a strict half crimp?

I've done both 1/2 crimp and open.  Due to wanting to track progress, I picked one and then did that same one for 4 weeks. 

I think the big holds on the bm are to big to half crimp effectively. For half crimp I've just convinced myself that I prefer the "easier" bm. I find this a much better size for the fingers, if the holds bigger I have a tendency to drop into a drag when tiring.

I'd found the big slots on the 2000 entice me towards a half drag sort of position too.

I've been using the little rails on the bottom outside edges, which I assume are probably too small for that to count as strict Lopez training? Either way, I could just about manage 3x10secs on about +10kg.

I'm using the small lower outside slots on the BM2K for mine.  The only issue I have with them is that they have a pretty big bevel, so they are harder than 14mm edge with less bevel. 

[cjsheps]

Slightly  I know, but I have a query. When you guys do the max hangs, do you find yourself tensing your core like mad like I do? I noticed this yesterday when I was doing some repeaters, and my midsection feels worked this morning. Is this right, and if so, will core training lead to an increase in deadhang ability? If so, that's weird as hell!

[Sasquatch]

Slightly  I know, but I have a query. When you guys do the max hangs, do you find yourself tensing your core like mad like I do? I noticed this yesterday when I was doing some repeaters, and my midsection feels worked this morning. Is this right, and if so, will core training lead to an increase in deadhang ability? If so, that's weird as hell!

Yes and no.  I certainly use my entire core/lats/arms during the hangs, but for me personally(and i would guess most climbers) my core is not the failure point, and never gets sore after repeaters or max hangs.  So I would say, if your core is being worked that hard, then strengthening your core may help your repeaters, but probably not for most people. 

[cjsheps]

Cheers. I think it was more noticing that my core had been engaged than actually getting fatigued. At least my fingerboard training doesn't suggest I have the tensest climbing style in the world (I'll leave that to my climbing!).

[Luke Owens]

I manged 2 extra sets than planned, the hangs themselves felt hard and I had to try hard. Reading posts on this thread, due to the successful 5 sets should I up the weight by 1.5kg for the next session and aim for 3 main sets again?

Go for 2.5kgs. Dont get too stressed if you don't quite manage 3x10secs.

Cheers Shark, how many milimeters smaller is everyone going on the small edge cycle in relation to the large edge?

I've done both 1/2 crimp and open.  Due to wanting to track progress, I picked one and then did that same one for 4 weeks.

Which did you feel you made the most gains with?

[Sasquatch]

Not much difference in strength gains from the exercise.  So far I've done 5 cycles total, 4 halfcrimp and 1 open hand and they're all fairly close in measured gains, so no way to know which is better. 

I chose which one based on what I felt was my bigger overall weakness and also based on what projects/goals I wanted to do. 

Cheers. I think it was more noticing that my core had been engaged than actually getting fatigued. At least my fingerboard training doesn't suggest I have the tensest climbing style in the world (I'll leave that to my climbing!).

That reminds me of something else i started working on during my FB workouts, whcih I think has helped my climbing.  I noticed on the max hangs, that'll I'll tense my whole body and generally I don't breaath.  So during the progressive hangs, I actively focus on breathing during the hang.  I've noticed now that when I'm climbing I'm actively breathing better than I used to. 

[shark]

Cheers Shark, how many milimeters smaller is everyone going on the small edge cycle in relation to the large edge?

I've only used the small edge on the first cycle in the summer which was the bottom edge of the Wedge which is 10mm . Ive stuck with the medium 23mm edge with heavy weights since as this got the biggest gains in Eva's study and it makes me feel manly.

[Sasquatch]

Cheers Shark, how many milimeters smaller is everyone going on the small edge cycle in relation to the large edge?

I've only done the small hold cycle once, and I went from +50kg on a 18mm edge to a 7mm edge.

[Doylo]

I'd be scared of injury on the half crimp with all that weight

[Nibile]

Yes, exactly. I've tried the maximum added weight only once last summer (yes I'm an idiot) and it was a true pain. I felt my lower back really badly worked for days, afterwars; I have to say that I also did far too many sets, going with 5 kg increases. Anyway I got where I wanted (using all the weights I had at home) and never tried it again nor felt the desire to.
Got back to one armed hangs on bigger holds and it feels a lot better.

As for the smallest edge, I've only used a 5 mm one, half crimped, obviously without any added weight, but doing both simple deadhangs and pull ups. Not very useful in my opinion because the contact surface is so small (with also a slightly rounded edge to avoid deep cuts) that despite good skin and conditions it's very hard to put in more that one single good set without starting to slide off.
I wanted to make an incut (instead of flat) 5 mm edge to avoid the sliding issues and work it more effectively but never got to doing it.

[cha1n]

Hey

Did my first ever fingerboard sessions in the last few weeks and this program looks quite appealing. One thing I've noticed is the imbalance of strength between open/half-crimped and front 2 and middle 2.

Do you think these imbalances should be addressed first with more traditional fingerboard work before trying this program (as this program uses half-crimp only) or could they be worked during the same session?

Thanks.

[Nibile]

I think that these imbalances should be addressed in separate sessions, with specific work, like splitting fingers on the Beastmaker. Common half crimped or fully crimped deadhangs will only encrease the imbalances between front middle and back2.

[Sasquatch]

Yes, exactly. I've tried the maximum added weight only once last summer (yes I'm an idiot) and it was a true pain. I felt my lower back really badly worked for days, afterwars; I have to say that I also did far too many sets, going with 5 kg increases. Anyway I got where I wanted (using all the weights I had at home) and never tried it again nor felt the desire to.
Got back to one armed hangs on bigger holds and it feels a lot better.

As for the smallest edge, I've only used a 5 mm one, half crimped, obviously without any added weight, but doing both simple deadhangs and pull ups. Not very useful in my opinion because the contact surface is so small (with also a slightly rounded edge to avoid deep cuts) that despite good skin and conditions it's very hard to put in more that one single good set without starting to slide off.
I wanted to make an incut (instead of flat) 5 mm edge to avoid the sliding issues and work it more effectively but never got to doing it.

So this in an interesting concept to explore.   Deadhanging with an extraordinary amount of weight relies on more than purely finger strength.  I've found that the cycles adding between 30-50% of BW gets the greatest gains for me, and this has applied to two different hold sizes.   The cycle where I was getting closer to 60-70% of body weight added didn't see the same % of strength gains. It felt as there were more variables involved that were indirectly involved in the hanging, so failure was not always related to finger strength.   One armed hangs by their nature also rely on shoulder stability and one-arm pull strength in addition to finger strength, so I would guess that one-armed hangs have a similar issue.  But I haven't done a full cycle of one-armed max hangs, so maybe I'll explore that by doing a set of one-armed max hangs after my trip next week. 

I think that these imbalances should be addressed in separate sessions, with specific work, like splitting fingers on the Beastmaker. Common half crimped or fully crimped deadhangs will only encrease the imbalances between front middle and back2.

In my experience,  I found that my imbalances actually decreased, but that may be because I'm a weird case.  I'll defer to your experience on this as it seems far more logical and I have no explanation for mine....

[Nibile]

 
I only know that most of my friends could hang the BM back2 pockets very easily on their first session, while it took me ages to be able to do that. I think that I have/had a really really big imbalance between front and back2 especially.

PS: I like the expression "deadhanging with an extraordinary amount of weight".

[shark]

I think the big holds on the bm are to big to half crimp effectively. For half crimp ive just convinced myself that I prefer the "easier" bm. I find this a much better size for the fingers, if the holds bigger I have a tendency to drop into a drag when tiring.

Me too. Is this a problem? I don't see it as a problem. It doesn't feel tweaky and you get to train the drag too. Maybe it is even training the negative of those horrendous finger pull ups wads do.

[Richie Crouch]

Made a start on this today. Ended up doing easily over 10 seconds with +20kg,5 times with 4 min rests using the bottom pockets on the moon fingerboard (all stict half crimp). Hopefully they will feel a bit more challenging if I bang 5kg on for session 2 instead of 2.5? Not too keen to go straight to the bm2k bottom crimps just yet. Ideally I'd find a fingerboard which has edges in between these 2. Anyone have a bm1k and know if they have such an edge?

[JohnM]

The BM1 bottom edges are slightly larger than those on the BM2.  Good for transitioning one arm deadhangs to the BM2.  Which holds on the Moon FB were you using?  The bottom edges or the rounded pockets?

[Richie Crouch]

The punter pockets... The edges would probably split my tips!

[JohnM]

Wouldn't there be more weight going through your fingers if your just hang off them one handed?

[sjw]

Don't know if this might be useful, but I made an adjustable edge for doing these hangs based on a picture I saw on Eva's website. It's just offcuts and a few long bolts (nuts either side of a moveable bit of wood). Nothing fancy but works a treat for progressing through edge sizes without changing hold or fingerboard. Photo is pre-rounding off of the edge...

[Doylo]

I'm at kendal wall and having to use one the Eva Lopez fingerboards. It's fuckin nasty 

[Sasquatch]

Wouldn't there be more weight going through your fingers if your just hang off them one handed?

Of course, but there are other factors that play a role in a one-armed hang such as shoulder stabilization.  The same thing goes for using super small holds (humidity), or adding significant weight(pull muscles strength, back muscles).  The question is really what is the optimal way to maximize finger recruitment, and maybe all of these have a good role to play depending on your personal strengths/weaknesses. 

I'm at kendal wall and having to use one the Eva Lopez fingerboards. It's fuckin nasty 

So it's as bad as it looks.....

I think the adjustable woody is the way to go.  Can Probes/crusher or carlisle/beastmaker design a solid one of these?  I'd pay for one.....

[abarro81]

Large campus rung and bits of cord at various diameters?

[Sasquatch]

Large campus rung and bits of cord at various diameters?

Tried somethign similar, and it didn't work well. you really do need a fixed solid piece at the back