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Lockdown fingerboarding advice (Read 32377 times)

Nibile

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#50 Re: Lockdown fingerboarding advice
April 10, 2020, 03:29:25 pm
At the risk of being pedant, I'd like to politely clarify that there is no such thing as "lockdown fingerboarding".
There's only "fingerboarding".

Muenchener

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#51 Re: Lockdown fingerboarding advice
April 10, 2020, 03:43:19 pm
What is the normal distribution of strength in each digit?

I actually tested this recently, so here's an N=1 dataset for you: 14-16-12-10 kgs, using first pad on a sling.

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#52 Re: Lockdown fingerboarding advice
April 10, 2020, 05:09:02 pm
A question for Dan (or anyone else!)

I had a lockdown fingerboard going well - 3-4 sessions a week (odd days) alternating (sessions) between two weaknesses of mine that were the back two and one arm hangs. I've now managed to build a board (steep) and am wondering how to mix up the board/fingerboard sessions. E.G if separate sessions (warm up on fingerboard then go on woody - or just fingerboard) how should I alternate between fingerboard and woody days? Or - is it OK to combine both in a session e.g. session on my one arm stuff and woody?? How to mix it up - or not between the two....

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#53 Re: Lockdown fingerboarding advice
April 10, 2020, 05:18:21 pm
Double sessions but with a 4+ hour gap if keen.

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#54 Re: Lockdown fingerboarding advice
April 10, 2020, 05:39:23 pm
I have always found anything other than chisel, half crimp and to an extent 3 finger drag really tweaky/ horrible feeling.  Will try using the weights and sling to work on pinky and ring fingers. 

You've likely got flexor carpi sheath and lumbricals which will need gently coaxed into loosening up and pulling in directions they're not used to. the classic example of this is when people drop a pinky and get palm pain. The best way to turn the corner is by picking light weights up off the floor at about 3/10 tweakiness in those positions. (this is all very vague due to being short answers sorry but hopefully it helps)

Thank you.  Ye I think you are right, especially the flexor carpi - when I drop pinky pain tends to be in distal forearm, what I imagine is the muscle-tendon junction.  Used to love 3 finger drag but this had bothered me on and off for years now.  Back 2 or 3 has always just felt bit off.  Will definitely give the weights a consistent effort.

I`ve not quite managed the "quote function" correctly there!

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#55 Re: Lockdown fingerboarding advice
April 10, 2020, 05:51:31 pm
I've now managed to build a board (steep) and am wondering how to mix up the board/fingerboard sessions.
I've settled on a 3 day on, 1 day off routine as follows:

Day 1:
Morning - 1 arm max hangs
Rest an hour, then max pinch block
Evening - Limit board session

Day 2:
Morning - Board power session
Evening - Limit board session

Day 3:
Morning - Ancap board session
Evening - Fingerboard aerocap

Day 4:
Rest

Day 5:
Morning - One arm max hangs
Rest an hour, then max pinch block

Day 6:
Morning - Limit board session
Evening - ancap board session

Day 7:
Morning - Limit board season
Evening - Aeropow board session

Day 8:
Rest

This feels like about the right amount of rest for me and I currently seem to be making progress in all areas and am uninjured (touch wood).

My sessions are shorter than if I was only doing one per day. I'm planning on doing about 4 weeks of this, then taking 1 lighter week.

I live alone and am working from home so I can schedule sessions whenever I want.

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#56 Re: Lockdown fingerboarding advice
April 10, 2020, 06:39:40 pm
Thanks SDM and Shark. I am 50 (with family at home) so am aware of my own age related recovery issues (it takes time) and It’s hard to schedule in more than 3-4 sessions a week...

Today I did a mix of one arm work and going on the board - though the limiting thing on the board was my skin/tips crying out in pain after about 30 min (that will change).

If I mix a session is it a bad idea to mix (for eg) crimpy problems with a fingers day - or alternatively big moves with a pull up/one arm day.

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#57 Re: Lockdown fingerboarding advice
April 10, 2020, 07:27:03 pm
What is the normal distribution of strength in each digit?

I actually tested this recently, so here's an N=1 dataset for you: 14-16-12-10 kgs, using first pad on a sling.
I recently have been testing and working on mine as I have a left middle finger a4 issue.  This is using the 25mm Tension block mono. 
So N=2 dataset:
Left: 30-30-41-27 (the middle finger is injured)
right: 30-45-30-27 (I fully ruptured the right ring finger a2 and a3 ages ago and never had it repaired.  The tendon now sits on the inside edge of the finger instead of in the middle.)

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#58 Re: Lockdown fingerboarding advice
April 10, 2020, 07:41:19 pm
Dan - whilst you're here... You got a strong view on "mastering" a weight vs incrementally increasing it slightly session to session. Thinking mostly about repeater sessions where if I complete all hangs on a grip I normally up the weight slightly for the next session.


People doing individual finger scores - can you actually try to max on anything other than middle finger mono? I'm way too tweaky to go anywhere near max on ring, index or pinky. I'm 90% sure I'd break before I failed...

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#59 Re: Lockdown fingerboarding advice
April 10, 2020, 08:23:26 pm
People doing individual finger scores - can you actually try to max on anything other than middle finger mono? I'm way too tweaky to go anywhere near max on ring, index or pinky. I'm 90% sure I'd break before I failed...

I have absurdly thick fingers, so yeah I can redline on all fingers except the index.

And I am sometimes forced to use pinky monos even at my modest level of climbing since the pinky is the only finger that fits.

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#60 Re: Lockdown fingerboarding advice
April 10, 2020, 10:35:41 pm
People doing individual finger scores - can you actually try to max on anything other than middle finger mono?

Good question. I felt I was pretty confident pulling hard with index as well as middle. Index probably the finger with the most independent voluntary control, from general dexterity / Doing Stuff.

Interesting that my ring is weaker than index, yet my middle 2 is stronger than front 2 (normal for most people I think) - and I suspect you're right there, the failure mechanism on ring finger is mostly fear.

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#61 Re: Lockdown fingerboarding advice
April 10, 2020, 11:51:03 pm
Just going back to first principles here. The exercise that Dan describes at the start of the thread is a repeater, no? Not a max hang (that would be hangs that you can just about manage for 7 seconds with lots of rest in between)?
I thought that repeaters were for getting fit and max hangs were for getting strong - is this not right?

When hanging one armed, should we be facing forwards or to the side?

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#62 Re: Lockdown fingerboarding advice
April 11, 2020, 07:30:44 am
Time under tension for a repeater is usually around 40 seconds, so similar to an average length boulder problem, and as such a long way away from a ‘fitness’ exercise.

Cast off any ideas about there being two types of fingerboarding that do two different things and view the varieties of protocols on a spectrum of strength and strength endurance with variation in intensity and time under tension. 

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#63 Re: Lockdown fingerboarding advice
April 11, 2020, 07:43:28 am

When hanging one armed, should we be facing forwards or to the side?

Good Q. With my body under the hand (facing to side) its much easier (shoulder engaged and bent arm). Which suggests it probably should be facing forwards. We’ll see.

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#64 Re: Lockdown fingerboarding advice
April 11, 2020, 08:50:53 am
Sorry, when I say "fitter" what I really mean is power endurance. But getting better power endurance doesn't actually make you stronger? For me personally, better power endurance would be nice to have but I think it's more important to try and actually get some power to endure first.

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#65 Re: Lockdown fingerboarding advice
April 11, 2020, 09:02:17 am
Repeater style fingerboarding will improve your maximum finger strength (not power) and is probably a better place to start if you haven’t done much previously.

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#66 Re: Lockdown fingerboarding advice
April 11, 2020, 09:08:03 am
Ah yes, sorry, was mixing up strength and power again. Good to know that repeaters are fine for absolute finger strength. Thanks.

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#67 Re: Lockdown fingerboarding advice
April 11, 2020, 09:08:38 am
Repeaters are often said to be a better place to start, but, does no one else find them much more challenging to maintain good form? Personally, I think it might be wise to to 6secs on, 4 off and only do 5 reps per set.

With 7:3 x5 I find I'm sloppy by the end and it always feels risky.

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#68 Re: Lockdown fingerboarding advice
April 11, 2020, 10:05:04 am
When I’m doing repeaters near my limit (as I am with one arm stuff) I go for 5 on 5 off. (-8kgs). Interestingly I twist off instead of dropping off - shoulder rotation needs work.

Now with -15 kg I can hold for 10 secs with no rotation or drop - two weeks ago it was like above with 15kg.

Having had my first board session yesterday (first ‘climb’ in nearly a month - only lasted 30 min too!!) my fingers felt battered this morning!!

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#69 Re: Lockdown fingerboarding advice
April 11, 2020, 10:09:41 am
Repeaters are often said to be a better place to start, but, does no one else find them much more challenging to maintain good form? Personally, I think it might be wise to to 6secs on, 4 off and only do 5 reps per set.

With 7:3 x5 I find I'm sloppy by the end and it always feels risky.

I started doing 5 on 5 off and did that for ages. Definitely felt like a gentler intro to it.

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#70 Re: Lockdown fingerboarding advice
April 11, 2020, 10:25:10 am
I do 5 second rest rather than 3. Allows you to chalk up between reps as required.

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#71 Re: Lockdown fingerboarding advice
April 11, 2020, 10:58:25 am
Repeaters are often said to be a better place to start, but, does no one else find them much more challenging to maintain good form? Personally, I think it might be wise to to 6secs on, 4 off and only do 5 reps per set.

With 7:3 x5 I find I'm sloppy by the end and it always feels risky.

Glad others are finding it tricky. As a beginner to it I wasn’t sure whether I could justify extending the rest but reckon it would definitely allow better quality time under tension. My FB is suspended off a pull-up bar so need a second to get off safely without pinging off and a second to get my fingers back on right afte a little shake. Feels pretty panicked towards the end of a set.

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#72 Re: Lockdown fingerboarding advice
April 11, 2020, 11:44:19 am
I've been doing 1 session a week @ -40% for aero, and even this light load, 3 secs is not enough for a mini shake and chalk.

Might bring back some heavier repeaters with a more forgiving hang:rest ratio. Crimpd app is good if you want to follow predefined timings, but what's everyone fav timer for custom stuff?

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#74 Re: Lockdown fingerboarding advice
April 11, 2020, 12:38:24 pm
Crimpd app is good if you want to follow predefined timings, but what's everyone fav timer for custom stuff?

I use mirror timer basic for basic sets and for aeropow sets where rest equals the work time from the previous set. Someone on here made it (Nik I think?)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.keeg.freetimer

For more complex timing, I use Impetus. Also free, has plenty of options but the UI is a bit rubbish and it has an annoying habit of wiping your custom timers after major updates. There's probably better options than Impetus but I haven't got around to finding one.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fi.ohra.impetus

 

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