[Will Hunt]

Something I forgot to ask. Shark, you mention a pre crag fingerboard warm up, but you live a two hour drive and 20 mins (or so) walk from the crag. Are you really still carrying the benefits? I'd be interested to know how you continue to find this. I normally wouldn't bother warming up at home but given I can get from door to most things in Yorkshire in an hour then maybe I ought to do it.

[moose]

Something I forgot to ask. Shark, you mention a pre crag fingerboard warm up, but you live a two hour drive and 20 mins (or so) walk from the crag. Are you really still carrying the benefits? I'd be interested to know how you continue to find this. I normally wouldn't bother warming up at home but given I can get from door to most things in Yorkshire in an hour then maybe I ought to do it.

I know you didn't ask me, but I'm also an afficianado of the home warm-up.   Personally, before driving to a crag I always do a few weighted hangs, say, spend 10 minutes doing 10s hangs on my Transgression fingerboard, a progressive warm-up with +5-10 kg, and then going from 18, 14, 12, 10, 9, 8 mm.  I then find that I can start working my project for the day straight-away on arrival at the crag, even when I have driven 1.5 hrs to Anston etc.  The work-out my fingers have had - probably putting them through comparable stress to any "proper" climbing I will do - seems to set me up better than ambling up a few 6s etc (I also usually do a few squat type exercises to get my legs and hips flexible whilst fingerboarding too).

[shark]

Echoing Pete - warming up on Free and Even Easier has never felt so free and easy - I don’t even get the faintest of pumps.

[teestub]

Try it Will, I bet you’ll notice a marked difference warming up on your board rather than trying to do so on the rock (especially on grit). It’s just so much easier to get properly recruited and reduces the risk or unnecessary skin damage.

[SA Chris]

I've never don it, but neve had the benefit of a home board before, going to start giving it a go too.

[tomtom]

An important Q though is long a delay between the warm up board/fingerboard - and getting on the problem/route negates the effect.

I did this on Tuesday - warmed up on the board then drove to the crag (70 min board to rock) and whilst I may have been a bit more fired up I still had to do a couple of warm ups before jumping on something hard.

I can see it working if it were 10-30 min, but longer?

If its two hours does it really make any difference?

[teestub]

Considering 10-30 mins could be considered a rest time between attempts on a boulder problem, let alone a route, and you don’t need warm up again between attempts, I think there’s good evidence that the effect would last longer than this.

The upper limit is a good question, obviously you’re still not going to be firing on all cylinders after 2 hours sat in the car, but I think there’ll still be a positive effect.

[tomtom]

Considering 10-30 mins could be considered a rest time between attempts on a boulder problem, let alone a route, and you don’t need warm up again between attempts, I think there’s good evidence that the effect would last longer than this.

The upper limit is a good question, obviously you’re still not going to be firing on all cylinders after 2 hours sat in the car, but I think there’ll still be a positive effect.

Yeah - I suspect for fingers or any specific moves that are hard to warm up on easier/other problems if would help.

Your points about saving skin/cuts/tweaks are good...

[SA Chris]

It's about a 20 min walk to probs I'm working on right now, so definitely useful, especially with cold weather and limited daylight in evenings.

[nai]

The effects seem to last quite some time.  When I've experimented with split sessions it's taken no time whatsoever to get warm for the second session, despite being 4-6 hours after the first ended.

I generally warm up before heading out but you do need to spend a while getting going again and adjusting to the rock.  but saves time overall, much quicker to get warm at home.

[SA Chris]

it would be straight out the door and a brisk walk, not like i'm sitting in the car, so hopefully won't lose much. Worth a shot anyway.

[Sasquatch]

I'm a fan of the home warm up if you're time constrained, have skin issues, or are 100% project focused.  Otherwise, you're going climbing, so climb...  I frequently warm up for project by bringing the portable board.

[Ged]

I think it's particularly useful if you've had a couple of rest days. I always feel like it gets me recruited, even if I'll still need yo climb about a bit on arrival to get some blood pumping.

+1 for the saving skin too.

[andy_e]

you're going climbing, so climb...  I frequently warm up for project by bringing the portable board.

 

[andy_e]

On a similar note, is there any evidence on fingerboarding the day before a session being beneficial? I often feel like it is, like I'm more recruited the next day even after just an hour of light dangling.

[User deactivated.]

I'm a very slow starter and it's not just for injury prevention - I literally can't pull anywhere near my max for around half an hour of climbing. Half an hour on the board followed by a 2 hour drive to climb means I can give a max effort on the 2nd or 3rd try.

[teestub]

I'm a very slow starter and it's not just for injury prevention - I literally can't pull anywhere near my max for around half an hour of climbing.

I’d characterise that as a pretty normal warm up time, assuming that’s duration rather than time on the rock. I know people who would maybe be getting on their second warm up after half an hour at the crag!

[JohnM]

I will sometimes warm up at home even if am going to drive 1.5-2 hours. For example, last week I did some shoulder recruitment stuff and a bit of core on the bar and then fingerboarded even with one two arm max. hang to fully recruit all the fibres + some crimps to replicate the boulder project. As the boulder is a 3 move crimp problem without much skin friendly stuff to warm up nearby it worked well and I still felt recruited and warmed up when I arrived at the boulder after 2 hours. As others have said I sometimes feel recruited second day on or in an evening session after a morning session, both in terms of fingers and also no getting so pumped if doing routes. 

[gme]

I'm a very slow starter and it's not just for injury prevention - I literally can't pull anywhere near my max for around half an hour of climbing. Half an hour on the board followed by a 2 hour drive to climb means I can give a max effort on the 2nd or 3rd try.

Wish I could warm up that quickly.

[M1V0]

I frequently warm up for project by bringing the portable board.

Seconded. Thankfully the freestanding moon board is perfectly for wheeling out to the crag and doing a couple of benchmark problems before getting on to the rock.

But seriously, yeah, a portable fingerboard is perfect for getting recruited in my opinion.

[Nibile]

I only climb at my home board.
Should I go to the crag to warm up?

[andy_e]

Only if you can get back to your board in < 2 hours. Best take the motorbike...

[Nibile]

Only if you can get back to your board in < 2 hours. Best take the motorbike...

Won't the gloves ruin my skin?
 

[SA Chris]

Duncan Disorderly - bumped for you based on post in Power Club.

[Duncan Disorderly]

Duncan Disorderly - bumped for you based on post in Power Club.

Cheers!

[tomtom]

I find this works really well too...10-20 min on the board at home - then even after an hours drive/walk in the fingers are still feeling ready to work hard. Also good for shoulders/arms as when its really cold/windy they can be hard to get going too.

[SA Chris]

It's not much warmer in the garage than out at the moment though! At present, warm up involves some pressups and running on the spot in the warmth of house, do a couple of easy loops on jugs until fingers get sore and / or numb, go back into house until they warm up, then a couple of harder shouldery probs, then the hard crimp loop until I get tired and fall off. Then down jacket and gloves on and head out.