[Nibile]

OK then, I'm going crazy here.
The other day I did some tests and I managed to set a new PB for one armers.
The fact is, I never train one armers, I don't do weighted pull ups and I generally don't do any isolation pulling excercise.
So I've never been so strong on pull ups as I'm now, and when I used to train one armers with all the usual stuff, excentrics etc, I was miles away from where I'm now.
So, where the pulling power comes from?
I regularly do dead hangs.
I do some system training (mainly lock offs, but with at least one foot on; and some footless bouldering, but just one or two moves, and you always start the pull with two arms).
I mainly boulder on my board. I tend to climb rather static and precise  (because I have poor foot holds and otherwise I cut loose and fall), concentrating on core tension a lot.

Searching the forum, I bumped again into this article
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_interviews/all_muscle_no_iron;jsessionid=234CC3B42AB9623B7AAEBD03A55E64AE-mcd02.hydra

and I was wondering if there could be some connection between the "straight arm excercises" of gymnasts and - maybe - the way I climb, or even with the tension needed to dead hang hard holds.
I think this is very important, because finding good pulling power as a spin-off result of completely different training is a great discovery to me, and I think could be beneficial to many who spend - or have spent - hours under the pull up bar.
Thanks a lot.

[Nibile]

Presumably a lot of your deadhanging is 1-arm hangs - is that right?

Sadly not!!! I think one arm hangs are 25% of my fingerboarding. But I'm fairly sure that the tension from deadhanging at the limit has something to do with the pulling ability.
Or maybe not.

[gibbonsd]

Ive had the same experience with 1 arms improving after not training them or anything similar.  I think for me I was doing a lot of steep bouldering in the gym.

[gibbonsd]

I've worked those front lever progressions from Coach Sommer a lot also.  I found myself needing to "skip ahead" to the next progression.  As in, I kept hitting the wall at maybe 40-45 seconds on the advanced tuck lever, but when I tried the straddle lever I could do it for 10-15 seconds.  Then I hit a wall with the straddle at 20-25 seconds, and worked the actual front lever and I could do 4-5 seconds.  Those walls felt pretty tough to get through.  I cant imagine how long it would have taken me to get to 60 seconds in the straddle lever.  Maybe theres something weird about my physiology/fast twitch vs slow twitch..etc, or maybe he just wants you to be COMPLETELY solid in each progression before moving on to guard against injury.

[Paul B]

Searching the forum, I bumped again into this article
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_interviews/all_muscle_no_iron;jsessionid=234CC3B42AB9623B7AAEBD03A55E64AE-mcd02.hydra

Ok. So its confirmed; Rings are awesome. Its a shame the only set I have access to also comes with a idiot spectators (let me shake uncontrollably in solitude please).

[Sasquatch]

I'm with you on this.  I haven't been training "pull" strength at all, just doing the lopez stuff. As I was warming up the other day, I found I could actually do most of a 1-arm pull-up( I could break the shoulder pull at the bottom, but from a slight bend could pull the rest of the way up).  Before this year I could never even do a 1-arm lock-off. 

[measles23]

Nibs you seem to have developed amnesia about all the deadlifting you've been doing - surely more likely to explain the PB than some wyrd science crossover from deadhangs??

I certainly found after just 5 sessions of lifting that one armers suddenly felt easy, and changed from being an exercise I've always done statically to something I had the power to generate momentum with..

Er.. although there was the confounding variable of the fact I was doing fuck loads of deadhanging at the same time!

Back to all muscle, all iron methinks

[Falling Down]

Deadlifts?

We climbers tend to think of our core as being abs and stomach but theres a whole posterior chain from neck to ankles that we neglect.  Strengthening the posterior chain is bound to increase stability and power especially in one handed exercises where we are lifting our entire body from the wrist and shoulder.

Just a thought, no evidence to suggest otherwise but my  PBs came on the back of a few months of Deadlifts, Snatches and C&Js. 

[Nibile]

I had thought about the deadlifts, but I only did two sessions in four months!!!

[Nibile]

Nibs you seem to have developed amnesia about all the deadlifting you've been...
[/quote
... Writing about on here?
Talk is cheap you know!!! 

[rodma]

Just watched the video of you on your board and it looks like you're pulling exceptionally hard to try and keep your feet on 

Surely this is the most likely culprit for your magic gains

[Nibile]

Yes, I think you're right, because I don't do big locks or pulls. Trying to hold the positions in order to get the next hold without cutting loose, perhaps generates that sort of effort that the article speaks of.
Yesterday I again did 4 sets of 5 straight arm pulls, and despite feeling better than after the first time, today I still feel worked. From just 20 moves.
I think that these, teamed with deadlifts, could pay dividends during the summer. Shame the gym will soon close...
Anyway, other ideas?

[rodma]

Yes, I think you're right, because I don't do big locks or pulls. Trying to hold the positions in order to get the next hold without cutting loose, perhaps generates that sort of effort that the article speaks of.
Yesterday I again did 4 sets of 5 straight arm pulls, and despite feeling better than after the first time, today I still feel worked. From just 20 moves.
I think that these, teamed with deadlifts, could pay dividends during the summer. Shame the gym will soon close...
Anyway, other ideas?

Other ideas? I'd love to be able to do even 1 good one-armer, but unfortunately i stall at my chin. Please post more training videos, I'd love to see footage of the one-armers etc.

I certainly like the deadlifts, combined with a decent campusing/fingerboarding/rings routine. Makes me feel  when i pull on plastic/rock

[Nibile]

On my Vimeo page there are basically ONLY training videos... 
Glad you find them useful anyway!

[rodma]

On my Vimeo page there are basically ONLY training videos... 
Glad you find them useful anyway!

Those are the best sort of videos, especially during this crap weather, I need to be inspired by feats of strength, not jealous of someone that found a bit of dry rock.

[rodma]

Fuck yeah 

[runt]

Jesus Nibile, impressive! I might have to get off the sofa and go train in the rain!

[finbarrr]

 
 
very impressive
but

Yes, I think you're right, because I don't do big locks or pulls. Trying to hold the positions in order to get the next hold without cutting loose, perhaps generates that sort of effort that the article speaks of.
Yesterday I again did 4 sets of 5 straight arm pulls, and despite feeling better than after the first time, today I still feel worked. From just 20 moves.
I think that these, teamed with deadlifts, could pay dividends during the summer. Shame the gym will soon close...
Anyway, other ideas?

 
you've gained all this strength by climbing, i mean specific training on your wall, but still climbing.
and your goal is climbing.
why would you do less climbing and more lifting and pulling?

[Nibile]

Fair enough, good question!
Mainly to change a bit, but also because it's often too hot now to have a decent board session; also, my left wrist is still injured and although it's fine when straight, many other positions and movements are very painful.
Things won't change much really, I'll only fit the lever pulls in the deadhanging sessions, and maybe add one lifting gym session a week.
In the last years I've always done weights in the Summer.

[finbarrr]

fair enough

though i suspect the sheer awesomeness of one-armers may have something to do with it
(something i can only suspect since i can't do any)

[Nibile]

I've managed to ask this question about the one armers to Eva Lopez, together with another question about fingerboarding. This second question is in the comments here
http://en-eva-lopez.blogspot.it/2012/06/lock-off-strength-training-i-does.html

She said she'll reply.