UKBouldering.com
the shizzle => diet, training and injuries => Topic started by: rjtrials on July 05, 2015, 06:31:39 pm
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There is plenty of information available about periodizing ones climbing training for maximum benefit. I have been wondering if anybody has done the same with their fingerboarding ? Either on its own or in conjunction with the movement and energy system trainging?
Strength phase would be the Maisch or Lopez method.
10s max weight 3-5 min rest
Strength Endurance
5s on 10s off
Endurance
7s on 3s off
or
Hangboard Ladders - http://www.climbstrong.com/articles/20130716 (http://www.climbstrong.com/articles/20130716)
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I remember trying something like this ages ago and not finishing it.
The protocol was:
- Strength - 3 weeks of building up to 15 to 25 second hangs on a set of holds that you can only hang for 10-odd seconds (in some cases, this would require adding weight), followed by a rest week
- Power - 3 weeks of adding weight to max out the hangs at 6 to 8 seconds on the same holds, followed by a rest week
- Power endurance - 3 weeks of repeaters on the same holds, followed by crushing
I didn't get to the crushing bit because I got bored.
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My understanding was that was most of the gains from finger boarding are neurological, and that's why it's cycled into a program for 4 weeks, as gains trail off once you have mined the pot of gold. What with how slowly tendons develop and get stronger I'm not sure what hang boarding for 9 weeks would really achieve? Maybe I'm completely wrong and someone will chime in with a better response, but that's the justification I've seen in most training programmes that include a hangboard phase
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The neurological gains are the nice quick gains but maybe for long lasting improvement the other hyper trophy sort is more desirable. Plenty of people fingerboard for most of the year though fresh stimulus through varying routines is worth experimenting with. For a periodised programme get hold of a copy of the Eva Lopez chart that comes with her fingerboard.
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Still mind-boggled how people pull these training regimens off while still trying hard on the wall or rock and not injure themselves to pieces.
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This is a fairly strange question. Are you competing in fingerboarding? Most climbers would perhaps apply perodisation to training for climbing and then figure where fingerboarding sit in the programme
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Most of the plans I have seen sacrifice climbing for fingerboarding. Perhaps 2 fingerboard sessions a week and one climbing. Thats obviously dependant on what sort of climbing you are doing as you can climb as much as you like really as long as its low enough intensity.
Once my A2 is fully better I am going to start a fingerboard plan and knock my climbing down to once session a week of max bouldering.
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I have found the best way to fingerboard is after a good bouldering session. I find that this warms me up far more effectively than the fingerboard, and I get a good hour or more of hard bouldering. Really it seems to me that sacrificing bouldering on a steep board for fingerboarding is silly. Case in point, for the past couple weeks I haven't fingerboarded at all, and only bouldered on my board a lot. I just did a fb session after 90 minutes of bouldering, and I smashed my old PBs out of the water. FB is helpful for seeing how strong you are, and for just perfecting raw one arm hanging ability, but its useless without bouldering. I also don't see why so many advocate long fingerboard sessions - if you're training for bouldering it seems to me that 3 max one arm hangs on each arm with a pulley, and a couple hard max hangs on slopey pockets with front, middle and back 2 is all you need. If you do 45 minute or longer fb sessions the likelihood for injury is higher, and by that point you will be training endurance, not strength.
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Most of the plans I have seen sacrifice climbing for fingerboarding. Perhaps 2 fingerboard sessions a week and one climbing.
Anyone who sacrifices two climbing sessions a week for finger boarding doesn't want to become better at climbing.
(Or is doing more than 5 sessions of climbing/week anyway)
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Anyone who sacrifices two climbing sessions a week for finger boarding doesn't want to become better at climbing.
(Or is doing more than 5 sessions of climbing/week anyway)
What do you mean? I have seen plenty of top climbers say that they saw the biggest gains in finger strength when they completed a fingerboard focussed training plan. The ones that go into more detail quite often explain that they don't climb hard as much during that phase either due to the intensity of fingerboarding they are doing and the requirements of more rest.
They may have a light session more times a week but max hangs twice a week and 2 max bouldering sessions would kill me. I would simply be unable to perform well in all 4 activities.
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Most of the plans I have seen sacrifice climbing for fingerboarding. Perhaps 2 fingerboard sessions a week and one climbing.
Anyone who sacrifices two climbing sessions a week for finger boarding doesn't want to become better at climbing.
(Or is doing more than 5 sessions of climbing/week anyway)
One of the stupider things i've read on here.
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If you are a top climber that isn't getting much better at climbing, concentrating on one arming everything on the BM at the expense of bouldering would probably help, but I doubt many of us plebs are finding themselves in a strength bottleneck that limits their climbing.
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One of the stupider things i've read on here.
I'm guessing you don't read your own posts? :clown:
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One of the stupider things i've read on here.
I'm guessing you don't read your own posts? :clown:
:'(
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:oops:
If you are a top climber that isn't getting much better at climbing, concentrating on one arming everything on the BM at the expense of bouldering would probably help, but I doubt many of us plebs are finding themselves in a strength bottleneck that limits their climbing.
Finger strength is something almos every climber is held back by. I have seen plenty of weak as kittens climbers that are crushing because their fingers are strong. You don't see it the other way round.
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On the other hand, I've seen plenty of really strong climbers that aren't crushing anything because they're shit at climbing rocks... (Not saying that fingerboarding is bad, just pointing out that strength isn't everything.)
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On the other hand, I've seen plenty of really strong climbers that aren't crushing anything because they're shit at climbing rocks... (Not saying that fingerboarding is bad, just pointing out that strength isn't everything.)
Oh for sure but we are talking about fingerboard periodisation and discussing how you can manage it alongside climbing. If you want to see the greatest finger strength improvement you probably won't want to climb as regularly as if you weren't focussing on fingers.
It's obviously a completely personal thing and yes, some people would benefit more from simply climbing.
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On the other hand, I've seen plenty of really strong climbers that aren't crushing anything because they're shit at climbing rocks... (Not saying that fingerboarding is bad, just pointing out that strength isn't everything.)
Oh for sure but we are talking about fingerboard periodisation and discussing how you can manage it alongside climbing. If you want to see the greatest finger strength improvement you probably won't want to climb as regularly as if you weren't focussing on fingers.
It's obviously a completely personal thing and yes, some people would benefit more from simply climbing.
obviously, its worth binning climbing for a fingerboard if it effectively targets a weakness more effectively (and measureably) than climbing. If its because you love fingerboarding and aren't bothered about climbing rocks, great, do loads of it. If you do masses of it because you feel better on a fingerboard than actually climbing, but are bothered about rocks, then burn it and go climbing. Unless you are Shark, in which case all sources of ignition are probably best avoided
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I also find that my finger strength (as in the duration of time I can one arm hang an edge on the beastmaker) increases far more when I boulder 4 times a week and sporadically fingerboard, rather than when I fingerboard more and climb less.
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Pako, what type of bouldering do you focus on? My gym sets lots of throws to jugs and so my finger strength tanks if I boulder too much at my gym. On the other hand, my woody is a bunch of small crimps so I find my finger strength improves when time is spent on the woody. Go figure...
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I only boulder on my woody, which is a bunch of small wooden crimps and pinches - 2 jugs. The dream.
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Thats not entirely surprising if you are bouldering on small crimps on a home board. That is probably the best way to get stronger fingers alongside fingerboarding. I don't have access to a wall that has a board with loads of small crimps on it unless I get on a 50deg board which is just too overhung to be that useful for pure finger strength.
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I only boulder on a 50 degree board. I don't see why people say that less steep boards are better for developing better finger strength. On a less steep board you are putting more weight through your feet, so your fingers are bearing less weight, even though the holds are worse. You can put bad holds on a 50, you just need to be strong enough to use them. You get strong enough by climbing on a 50 with better holds. I mean if you use a slopey pinch on a 30, and an incut pinch on a 50, then theoretically you would be pinching with the same strength on both angles, taking into account the weight put through your feet. A little logical pseudo-science never hurt anyone I suppose. Old mate Johnny G trained on a 50 in his bouldering days, and I'd wager that his finger strength could be considered pretty good. So yeah just get a 50 mate.
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I'd question the original idea. The way I understood things is it's all about strength for fingers and fitness for forearms but happy to be shown wrong. What the O.P. seems to be suggesting is that the finger structure suffers from an energy-system type failure mechanism during hard climbing.
The forearm muscles suffer from an energy-system failure, i.e. the mass of forearm muscle not being able to efficiently contract due to its inability to clear away waste product built up during anerobic muscle contractions (and depletion of limited store of ATP etc. etc.).
The finger's role in failure is the tendons not being strong enough to exert sufficient force (force produced by forearm muscle contractions) onto small holds.
Different reasons for failure = different training emphasis.
So I'd question the usefullness of training fingers like forearms i.e. endurance-strength-strength endurance.
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I don't have any experience with periodizing my hangboarding beyond switching out grips or types of workout (repeater vs. maximum). I tend to do this just to avoid plateauing. So after doing ~5 workouts of a specific grip type and workout protocol I swap it out for a different grip or protocol.
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I always got the impression that 40 degrees was considered the best angle because once you go past that you need to have holds that are bigger in order to hold them which results in less finger strength improvement than smaller holds on a shallower angle.
I'm sure the truth is that climbing on crimps on any angle board will probably improve your finger strength. The real question that everyone wants to know however is what produces the best gains. Doing any fingerboard routine is quite likely to produce results up to a point but if routine A results in a 10% increase in finger strength and routine B gives a 15% increase I want to be doing B.
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However if routine A also increases core, contact strength, weaknesses on a wider variety of holds and gives you only slightly smaller finger strength gains, then it could be seen to be more useful in improving overall.
I do think for targetting specific weaknesses in finger strength though, nothing beats the fingerboard
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I'd question the original idea. The way I understood things is it's all about strength for fingers and fitness for forearms but happy to be shown wrong. What the O.P. seems to be suggesting is that the finger structure suffers from an energy-system type failure mechanism during hard climbing.
The forearm muscles suffer from an energy-system failure, i.e. the mass of forearm muscle not being able to efficiently contract due to its inability to clear away waste product built up during anerobic muscle contractions (and depletion of limited store of ATP etc. etc.).
The finger's role in failure is the tendons not being strong enough to exert sufficient force (force produced by forearm muscle contractions) onto small holds.
Different reasons for failure = different training emphasis.
So I'd question the usefullness of training fingers like forearms i.e. endurance-strength-strength endurance.
Interesting, my impression is that finger's role in failure is equally a result of muscle not being strong enough. I don't have any evidence other than the commonly stated position that finger injuries occur because muscle strength develops faster than tendon strength. On this basis: muscle exerts force and tendons transmit it but sometimes fail by tearing rather than letting go. Interested to hear what people know/think about this.
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Most of the plans I have seen sacrifice climbing for fingerboarding. Perhaps 2 fingerboard sessions a week and one climbing.
Anyone who sacrifices two climbing sessions a week for finger boarding doesn't want to become better at climbing.
(Or is doing more than 5 sessions of climbing/week anyway)
I have limited time to boulder and a fingerboard at home so I often fingerboard after bouldering to target finger strength specifically.
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I don't quite understand your post Pete. If I do a long set of repeaters with short rests I fail because the finger flexors are pumped to buggery. It's definitely possible to train all types of things on fingerboards (inc. aerocap, aero pow etc), even if it's not ideal (because it's boring, it doesn't teach you to climb when pumped, the suty cycle is going to be a bit different etc). I've done quite a lot of it before when struggling with injuries and then had my best ever onsight trip on the back of it...
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I always got the impression that 40 degrees was considered the best angle because once you go past that you need to have holds that are bigger in order to hold them which results in less finger strength improvement than smaller holds on a shallower angle.
I think optimal angle is going to be a combination of current strength and goals. If your goals are all vert and off vert stuff, thenobviously a 50 isn't really what you need. Also, I'd say you should be able to reasonably ladder up the board on something in the 1 pad size. If you're on two pads its a jug and not finger training.
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Alex - yeah I know you can successfully train the different facets of fitness, as well as strength, on a fingerboard - at a push and perhaps as a second-best option like you say. That wasn't really what I meant.
But what I thought the OP means/was asking (?) is: why don't people break down the finger-strength phase of the training plan into a periodised series itself, like mini periodised phases within a phase. So you'd do finger 'endurance', finger 'strength', finger 'power' etc. all on the fingerboard.
When I'm training 'endurance' (at whatever intensity) I'm foremost training my forearms' ability to contract strongly and efficiently under various different workloads depending on the type of endurance/PE; not my fingers' ability to transmit force. When I'm training strength vice-versa. So it seems to me ineffective to try to train finger 'endurance' instead of pure finger strength.
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I would like to know the difference between fingers' strength and fingers' power.
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I would like to know the difference between fingers' strength and fingers' power.
This is strength
(http://www.nicros.com/wp-content/gallery/training-articles/physical-two-finger-hangboard.jpg)
This is finger power
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u4L1MqeRamU/U5hZMEDaItI/AAAAAAAAIwk/o7b_41n_Tg4/s1600/middle-finger-emoticon.png)
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That picture is interesting. Maybe it is just me, or the angle of the photo, but it looks like your right side is over developed. I struggle with having a slightly over developed left side. Do you notice a difference in one-arm hangs (if you do them)?
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Would finger power be where you hit a hold and go from open to crimp? Always wondered about that one
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Personally I think that the value of fingerboarding is for max strength training and finger endurance work are better worked elsewhere by climbing at the wall or crag on routes or long boulder problems or systems board. If you dont have easy access to wall / crag then periodising on the fingerboard does make sense as a poor alternative.
My take on fingerboarding periodisation is the following:
1. Hypertrophy phase followed by max strength recruitment phase as endorsed by Stu Littlefair
2. Max hangs with weight followed by minimum edge without weight as illustrated by Eva Lopez
3. Max hangs with weight till progress flattens or other activities / trips get in the way as followed by me
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Personally I think that the value of fingerboarding is for max strength training and finger endurance work are better worked elsewhere by climbing at the wall or crag on routes or long boulder problems or systems board. If you dont have easy access to wall / crag then periodising on the fingerboard does make sense as a poor alternative.
My take on fingerboarding periodisation is the following:
1. Hypertrophy phase followed by max strength recruitment phase as endorsed by Stu Littlefair
2. Max hangs with weight followed by minimum edge without weight as illustrated by Eva Lopez
3. Max hangs with weight till progress flattens or other activities / trips get in the way as followed by me
Seeing as I have no interest in doing the Oak, I reckon 3 would be ideal for me. Fuelled by some between-meals museli with honey and yoghurt.
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But what I thought the OP means/was asking (?) is: why don't people break down the finger-strength phase of the training plan into a periodised series itself, like mini periodised phases within a phase. So you'd do finger 'endurance', finger 'strength', finger 'power' etc. all on the fingerboard.
Ah right, I misunderstood. Yeah, there's no point breaking a strength training program down into bits with endurance in.
As a slight aside, I've tried using the Anderson's fingerboard routine once per week recently. I liked it, although it's quite submaximal for a strength workout. Very ancapy, for those that ancap.
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A guy once gave me the finger on the internet. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.
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I have to admit that I really struggle in understanding what this topic is about, and judging from all the random replies it's had, I think I'm not alone.
What the OP refers to, in my opinion is more related to cycling the training of different qualities.
I've always thought that periodization revolvs around the idea of setting the load/deload/supercompensation phases of a single quality, in order to peak that quality at a certain moment (competition, roadtrip, project in conditions, etc).
I don't think it's a good idea to break a strength phase to mix it up with endurance, etc.
On a side note.
I get the impression that many posts about fingerboarding are looking for a quick fix, a hat trick to fight a plateau or tick a problem, to then stop fingerboarding as soon as possible. The small programs that have been listed in this discussion, are about 9 weeks long, with 3 weeks of strength phase.
Are you kidding me?
3 weeks are nothing, the gains will be just nervous adaption and they will be gone in 3 weeks.
One serious fingerboarding session per month year after year, will do much more than small cycles whose gains are going to be lost in exactly the same time of the cycle.
Every climber who doesn't want to fingerboard is missing out an important aspect of climbing ability. It's a matter of potential. Being able to one arm small edges will always represent a higher potential than being not. As for every ability (core tension, big muscles, technique, PE, endurance, mind games, etc.) there's no reason to suck at it.
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its like the great man said. Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder, but nobody wants to lift no heavy ass weights.
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;D
"I'll do it though."
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On a side note.
I get the impression that many posts about fingerboarding are looking for a quick fix, a hat trick to fight a plateau or tick a problem, to then stop fingerboarding as soon as possible. The small programs that have been listed in this discussion, are about 9 weeks long, with 3 weeks of strength phase.
Are you kidding me?
3 weeks are nothing, the gains will be just nervous adaption and they will be gone in 3 weeks.
One serious fingerboarding session per month year after year, will do much more than small cycles whose gains are going to be lost in exactly the same time of the cycle.
Every climber who doesn't want to fingerboard is missing out an important aspect of climbing ability. It's a matter of potential. Being able to one arm small edges will always represent a higher potential than being not. As for every ability (core tension, big muscles, technique, PE, endurance, mind games, etc.) there's no reason to suck at it.
That's why we aren't all beasting 9a+s and font 8Cs - because time and energy are finite and projects are varied and you can't be good at every aspect at all times like some quantum wad-particle.
I think if you've naturally got good finger tendon strength (I have, relatively) then a 3-4 week top-up every 10-12 weeks is more than adequate for mid-8 sport climbing. If your weakness is being weak then yeah like you say the strength gains need a longer time to accumulate.
Luckily fitness is piss to gain :)
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Luckily fitness is piss to gain :)
::)
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I have to admit that I really struggle in understanding what this topic is about, and judging from all the random replies it's had, I think I'm not alone.
What the OP refers to, in my opinion is more related to cycling the training of different qualities.
I've always thought that periodization revolvs around the idea of setting the load/deload/supercompensation phases of a single quality, in order to peak that quality at a certain moment (competition, roadtrip, project in conditions, etc).
I don't think it's a good idea to break a strength phase to mix it up with endurance, etc.
It seems most people reach a plateau in their fingerboarding between 6-10 sessions. It isnt that difficult to squeeze one quality session in per week, even if you are climbing on rocks 5 or 6 days. So roughly six weeks till a plateau. My thought was to try the different approaches to fingerboarding in cadence with the natural power->endurance cycles that the body goes through.
It doesnt seem that there is information with this approach, which is surprising, and since this is the best forum for real climber talk, i thought it would be interesting to let everyone here hash it out...
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It's a limit of mine, I admit it, but I struggle with the concept of training other qualities than pure strength on a fingerboard. Or on any other training tool.
Thanks for the clarification.
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It seems most people reach a plateau in their fingerboarding between 6-10 sessions.
Is that a recruitment plateau though after which you work towards small incremental "proper" strength gains
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I have to admit that I really struggle in understanding what this topic is about, and judging from all the random replies it's had, I think I'm not alone.
What the OP refers to, in my opinion is more related to cycling the training of different qualities.
I've always thought that periodization revolvs around the idea of setting the load/deload/supercompensation phases of a single quality, in order to peak that quality at a certain moment (competition, roadtrip, project in conditions, etc).
I don't think it's a good idea to break a strength phase to mix it up with endurance, etc.
On a side note.
I get the impression that many posts about fingerboarding are looking for a quick fix, a hat trick to fight a plateau or tick a problem, to then stop fingerboarding as soon as possible. The small programs that have been listed in this discussion, are about 9 weeks long, with 3 weeks of strength phase.
Are you kidding me?
3 weeks are nothing, the gains will be just nervous adaption and they will be gone in 3 weeks.
One serious fingerboarding session per month year after year, will do much more than small cycles whose gains are going to be lost in exactly the same time of the cycle.
Every climber who doesn't want to fingerboard is missing out an important aspect of climbing ability. It's a matter of potential. Being able to one arm small edges will always represent a higher potential than being not. As for every ability (core tension, big muscles, technique, PE, endurance, mind games, etc.) there's no reason to suck at it.
:clap2: Spot on
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its like the great man said. Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder, but nobody wants to lift no heavy ass weights.
Ditto :yes:
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OK, opening up this old thread. I've never fingerboarded with any kind of dedication before this winter and need some advice.
I've now completed the exact same fingerboard routine once a week for twelve weeks :ang: - 6 reps of 6 seconds on, 4 seconds off repeaters on most of the paired holds on my Beastmaker 1000 from biggest to smallest with two minutes rest between each.
My fingers are weak (not really anything to do with my accident, I've always had very weak fingers) and I can't do a set on most of the holds unassisted so after the three pairs of deep slots are done I kneel on a set of mechanical scales (with books on them to bring the height up) and record what the scales are reading.
I can feel that it's working when I climb and, looking at the weights I've noted down now (first time I've looked back on them) I am slowly increasing the amount of weight I'm pulling.
I remember reading (can't remember where though :-[ ) that twelve weeks is the optimum period for this sort of thing. Another twelve weeks will take me 'til mid-May, by which time weekday evening daylight will allow me to be either having a proper rock climbing session, recovering from a proper rock climbing session or doing something fun a long way from a fingerboard, so another twelve weeks of fingerboarding seems like a good idea whether or not it's a magic number or not.
The question is, what do people think is the best thing for me to do in them?
-Not worry about periodisation and keep doing what I'm doing every week?
-Tweak it (ie. more time on, less time off in each rep, using different holds or finger combinations etc.)?
-Do something totally different like max hangs or something?
-Accept that fingery climbing just isn't for me and just climb cracks and jugs forever? ;)
Cheers :thumbsup:
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If you've been doing that for 12 weeks, I'd switch to power (hard bouldering, campussing) for say 6 weeks, and then start crushing
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To completely contradict the previous post, I'd have a rest week from fingerboarding and then switch to a different protocol for the next 12 sessions, max hangs would seem to be a good fit for you. You can also do the other power bits on other days if you require, but I think fingerboarding should be done regularly throughout the year.
If possible I would also try and keep to one session per 10 days or so during your fun rock climbing time of the year. This doesn't necessarily have to be as comprehensive as your non rock climbing sessions, but consider it 'greasing the groove' so when the nights draw in again you won't be back to square one on the fingerboard.
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Thanks for resurrecting this discussion, good topic but I’ve more questions than answers.
I am aiming to increase my finger strength and have started a twelve week finger board programme. (essentially the Eva Lopez protocol for max hangs but one set of six reps after warm up and recruitment phase). I’m fitting in two sessions a week for three weeks and then having a week off hangs.
I am using the bottom slots on BM1000 and in week one was at +20kg, last night was +27.5kg. So that’s nice.
After the Max Hangs I usually have energy left to boulder and have noticed bench mark problems which were close to my limit feeling noticeably easier.
Anyhow few questions;
I’m only doing one set of six hangs and have plenty left should I do more? A second set of six (or two sets of five?)
For the third cycle (weeks eight to twelve) should I keep going with adding weight or switch to trying smaller holds (15mm and 10mm edges?)
Once the twelve weeks are up what next? Do I just do one Max Hang session a week for maintenance or would it be worth doing another twelve week cycle and if I do is it Max Hangs again or Smaller holds?
:punk:
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This is in no way a helpful answer, but most FB threads boil down to people asking - what protocol should I use?
The problem is, this is a question without an answer, or with no one answer, as it will be different for everyone.
There are “standard” protocols such as the Anderson hangs, the Lettuce FB sessions on their crampd app; and max hangs either Eva Lopez or CWP style. All of these allow you to track your progress in terms of what weight you can add.
Unless you want to get totally into the nerdy side, just pick one of these and stick with it for as long as you are making good gains. When the gains stop, pick another one.
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Thanks you more or less confirmed my gut feeling.
Think I am going to move on to two sets on the basis I generally feel quite fresh afterward and keep repeating the four week cycle till I plateau then might drop to once a week for maintenance and see what happens.
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Cheers for the replies. I should have added that since suffering the climbing accident from hell I can’t boulder any more. I guess I could campus if I had a burly personal trainer-type spotter to lift me down after every rep but as funny as it would be to turn up to the Foundry with a huge silent Russian bloke to help me train that’s not an option either.
Unless you want to get totally into the nerdy side, just pick one of these and stick with it for as long as you are making good gains. When the gains stop, pick another one.
Cheers Stu. No interest in the nerdy side of training (although I did spend yesterday evening going through my training diaries and recording what my pre-accident PBs in all sorts of training stuff were...) so I’ll take your advice.
I have the Anderson Brother’s book so I’ll get working on the routine they recommend. That falls under the “max hangs” category right?
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I have the Anderson Brother’s book so I’ll get working on the routine they recommend. That falls under the “max hangs” category right?
No, the typical Anderson hangs are repeaters with resistance varied through adding weight / removing weight with pulleys depending on the grip type and hold you're hanging, though there is a different 'power' fingerboard routine in the book which is fewer, shorter reps at higher resistance (typically one-armed with weight removed as necessary).
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OK. What is the definition of max hangs?
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One hang followed by rest, typically 5-15 second hang and 2-3 mins rest. Most protocols have the difficulty set at around 80% of maximum (eg 10 second hangs with added weight/assistance that would lead to failure at 13 secs). Repeat for several sets and then vary grip (with weight/ assistance varied to match).
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The Lopez protocol is that you first spend a session benchmarking yourself. Select hold and grip (18mm'ish half crimp is a good start), and determine the max added load you can take to just about manage a 12-13s hang.
A hang for 10s at that load is then basis for the routine, so you are operating at 80-90% of threshold (the thinking is that operating at your absolute max would increase the injury risk).
First warm-up, then progressively increase the calibre up to the max added load: do a 10s hang at 50% of the max added weight, rest 2-3 mins, then a 10s hang at 80% of the max added weight, rest 2-3 mins, then a 10 hang at 90% of the max added weight.
Then do 10s hangs at 100% max added weight - say 6 with 2-3 minute rests in between.
Lopez recommends resting at least 2 days between sessions (I usually do 1 or 2 midweek so as not to interfere with the weekend's climbing), and bench-marking again every 4 weeks (perhaps change the hold if you are feeling gains have plateaued). It doesn't feel like much - whole routine can be done in 45 min - but you see quantifiable gains fairly quickly (admittedly possibly neurological rather than increases in tendon strength, and how much it translates to actually grabbing real holds is debatable).
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I generally agree with the idea that most people overthink this hangboarding stuff. Stu said it very well I think.
However, due to a very unfortunate accident (torn ACL), I will soon be faced with a sustained period where hangboarding will likely be my only or main training tool. Therefore I am interested in people's opinion on the best ways to make gains in fingerpower over sustained (say 3-4 months) of only/mainly fingerboarding.
Would it be better to:
1. do 4 weeks of max hangs, then switch to 4 weeks of repeaters or
2. alternate between max hangs and repeaters between workouts or
3. Do something else?
At some point I will be able to do 1 foot climbing, but I suspect the fingerboard will be the dominant tool untill at least 4 months after surgery.
Thoughts?
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That depends entirely on what you are good or bad at. You want to do at least 2 of the same session a week, increasing as you adapt, and potentially doing one of the other session. Start any training cycle with strength work as this all leads in to the rest of the training. I usually do blocks of 6 weeks not 4, factoring in bench marking and rest at the end of each period.