[James Malloch]

I've had a few niggles around the elbow lately (as if a tendon is forcing my arm to bend) when lowering off routes.

And after a bit of training on a fingerboard I think it's arising due to lock-offs.

It's fine with pullups and deadhangs so I need to try and bridge the gap. I just did some sets of 10 slow pull ups locking off halfway for a second, then then a second at the top, and then a second half-way back down, ending on a hang and repeat. It felt okay and seems a reasonable compromise for now instead of just locking off. When I say second, it might be less. But a static pause at least.

My plan was to start on Jugs until I could do some 10 rep sets (which went fine the first go) and then next session move down to the 4 finger slot, then 3 finger etc etc so it's still similar to just hanging on smaller holds.

I guess it will work okay, but I was wondering if it's worth persisting with this, or if anything else could be particularly beneficial.

Any advice would be welcomed, thanks!

[shark]

Worth reading the following and reassessing their value:

Lock-off Strength Training (I). Does Static (lock-offs) Training have any Effect over Dynamic (pull-ups) Performance?
Lock-off training (II) Does our locking-off ability have any influence on our performance? Is it so important to train it?
Lock-off training (III) Do you really lock-off?
Lock-off Training in Sport Climbing (IV). A Review of several Methods and an Introduction to Explosive Lock-Offs

[James Malloch]

I'll have a read of them later, thanks!

I'm not specifically aiming to do lock-offs, just try to make this tendon niggle go away. It only happens very occasionally but generally makes me want to stop climbing that day in case I aggravate it further.  Maybe a different exercise may help it more though.

[tomtom]

I avoid them... trying any kind of lock off seems to hurt my elbows... I have tried hanging at locked off angles - but without pulling up to get there - ie put a chair under the fingerboard and stand on it to get to the locked off or fully pulled up position then hang and release etc..

[shark]

Could be a lot of things. Locking off might aggravate it but there may be an underlying cause. A visit to Steve at Hallamshire Physio is usually money well spent

[ducko]

get on the campus board!as you get stronger do the pulls slower and more controlled, thats my opinion anyway!

[Nibile]

I don't train lock offs anymore, and my elbows are grateful.
The articles linked above will show how overrated lock offs are, except for party tricks, and - as I read the other day on an Italian forum - "to lock off for clipping a bolt".