[Muenchener]

I have a trip to the Frankenjura planned for early October, so have added some system board exercises on two-finger pockets to my training activities. Have done them precisely twice so far though, so they can't possibly have had any measurable physical effect.

But, last night I was on a route at my limit at the wall, and there was a slightly overhanging section with a couple of pocket moves that I would previously have found intimidating. Instead I thought "I know I can use these", rearranged my wrist/arm/body position to ensure I was directly below them, as open-handed as possible, not over-gripping etc., and moved on through. Only to fall higher up but hey ...

Is there a deep question about training physiology/psychology etc. here? I suspect not. I just find it interesting - and encouraging - that technique and confidence gains can some so quickly from a bit of specific targeted training.

[heelhookofglory]

I had a similar thing happen to me just after my first few Beastmaker sessions. I put it down to having 'tried' similar holds on the BM gave me the knowledge that I could hold them. I think it's a knowledge (confidence?) thing.

[Johnny Brown]

Instead I thought "I know I can use these", rearranged my wrist/arm/body position to ensure I was directly below them, as open-handed as possible, not over-gripping etc., and moved on through

You've improved your technique. Simple. Always the quickest route to improvement.

[shark]

I have a trip to the Frankenjura planned for early October, so have added some system board exercises on two-finger pockets to my training activities. Have done them precisely twice so far though, so they can't possibly have had any measurable physical effect.

Hard to tell whether pulling the move off was psychological, physical or as Adam says technical or a combionation of all three. However, a couple of sessions can have a measurable more in neural activation than muscle development. IIRC Moffatt  used to do a an easy campus session the evening before a redpoint day to get his muscles recruited and ready. I did some deadhanging when in Mallorca and was surprised at the quick gains from just a few very brief sessions.

[ghisino]

as shark just said, neural gains.

simply put you might already have all the necessary muscle fibers but to hold a new kind of grip/make new move etc, but your brain/neural system needs to learn/remember how to properly fire them.

However it really works, that's the quickest gained training adaptation, requiring very little stimulus and very little time to supercompensate (hours).
It is also the quickest lost and that is why after 3-4 full rest days you are never at your 100% in terms of sheer power/strenght and so you might want to pull very few very hard moves the evening before.

so, in your case as you've probably never done 2-fingers specific stuff it is nothing weird that you have a sudden gain in the first 2-3 sessions. It would be the same for any "new" high-intensity exercise, and it's the same when you try a new crux move.
Just don't expect it to last forever!!!

[Muenchener]

Interesting. There's a pattern I first noticed when I started circuit training regularly at university: the first few sessions of a new activity see rapid gains. I always assumed these were largely in the mind, especially for endurance-type activities: learning pacing, technique etc. Then there's a plateau. Then there's slow progress again as the physical adaptation starts.

Bt htis is the first time I've epxerienced it so clearly for a purely power-related exercise.

[Pantontino]

a purely power-related exercise.

Is there such a thing? Even the most basic movement will have an element of technique and subtle trickery.

for example: when I first tried campussing I was amazed at how much subtlety was involved.

[a dense loner]

this will have nothing to do with power, you will have looked at the hold knew you could hold it and then climbed. your body positioning will have been vital to making the move/hold feel easy, you probably weren't even thinking about this making the move feel even easier. you won't have any power / nueromuscular gains whatsoever from 2 sessions hanging 2 finger pockets on a systems board. this can be found quite easily from putting your body in different positions on the board and listening to the audible snap that will inevitably follow
good stuff though and good preparation for the jura

[ghisino]

 

eg. the stuff described here http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,18571.0.html  is a neuromuscular adaptation in my dictionary.

and it happens in a few minutes.

(of course it is small, temporary, probably irrelevant. But my point is, the current explanation of "how" it happens is that it is a neuromuscular effect)


btw
disagreement on "how" does not imply disagrement on "what" 

[slackline]

you will have looked at the hold knew you could hold it and then climbed

This sounds exactly like a "psychological" effect to me. 

[a dense loner]

my point being that it had nothing to do with power gains, this could be seen from my opening of "this will have nothing to do with power"

[slackline]

my point being that it had nothing to do with power gains, this could be seen from my opening of "this will have nothing to do with power"

My point being the thread is titled about rapid gains being psychological not power.