Repeaters vs elbows

[Rocksteady]

I want to improve my strength/anaerobic capacity - fingerboard repeaters (7:3 x 6 = 1 set) seems to be an efficient and allegedly low risk way of doing so. I wanted to roughly follow the Anderson hangs routine.

I have experience with max hangs, density hangs and in the past learned to fingerboard with sets of repeaters at work 5:rest 5 x 5 reps. No problems with elbows then.

But now every time I try a session of repeaters I get sore elbows - on the outside of the forearm, tennis elbow. The pain last time lasted over a week then faded, after a session on Tuesday I'm sore again.

I always try to keep tension through the shoulder and elbow, but I'm wondering if I'm hanging with arms too straight? Or if over the set I get fatigued and end up shock-loading when I take the tension after a short rest?

Any technique or posture tips to keep this at bay? Or would modifying the workout help so it's work 6:4 rest or 5:5? Or are there other workouts that would give a similar benefit?

Thanks!

 

[SA Chris]

Have you done any exercises to try and fix the tennis elbow? It might just be there grumbling along until these exercises trigger it.

 

[spidermonkey09]

I think its more likely that the repeaters are stressing your elbows out. If this was happening to me I would drop off the intensity of the repeaters whilst also doing some general tennis elbow preventative/rehab stuff. I've found negative bicep curls very effective; not a heavy weight, maybe 7kg.

 

[SA Chris]

Whenever i feel it potentially becoming an issue again I roll out the area with a foam roller or armaid, especially at the trigger point, and do some brachioradialis stretches.

 

[jwi]

I think its more likely that the repeaters are stressing your elbows out. If this was happening to me I would drop off the intensity of the repeaters [...]

I agree. Almost all injuries are caused by sudden increase in load or volume...

 

[duncan]

I think its more likely that the repeaters are stressing your elbows out. If this was happening to me I would drop off the intensity of the repeaters [...]

I agree. Almost all injuries are caused by sudden increase in load or volume...

Also agree. Most likely too much too quickly. Since you've managed repeaters with 5s on/5 s rest in the past you could try these instead for now then gradually progress to 6/4s then 7/3s.

You've not said how many sets you do. Alternatively, you could stay with 7/3s but halve the number of sets and, assuming this isn't painful, gradually increase the number from there.

 

[spidermonkey09]

Or, presuming you're doing the Anderson hangs protocol which involves adding weight, sack these off for a few weeks and just do bodyweight repeaters.

 

[Dac]

As many others have said the easy answer is to ease off on either the volume or intensity of exercises; find a level that doesn’t cause elbow issues, then (very progressively) increase things from there. It is better to be weak with functional elbows than have fingers of steel and be unable to climb.

When I found my self suffering from busted elbows a few years back (in my case caused by changing from 2 armed to 1 armed fingerboarding) I found the various articles on the Rock and Ice website to be very useful, both for diagnosis and treatment. Sadly Rock and Ice magazine is no more, and has been swallowed up by Outside magazine, who like paywalling the articles. However some are still free to view, and many can be found on the website of their original author, Dr Julian Saunders.

Like this one: http://drjuliansaunders.com/ask-dr-j-issue-223-dodgy-elbows-revisited/

 

[Rocksteady]

Thanks all.

In answer to the questions upthread: I did 4 warm up sets then 2 sets at bodyweight and that caused me problems. I thought actually this was because I did another session this week doing up-down-up routes training.

Later session I did lots of warm up then 5 sets at bodyweight. This left me sore as before showing the trigger is the repeaters session.

I thought doing other style fingerboarding, max hangs, volume of aerocap work before starting this would have insulated me, but clearly I have tweaky elbows and need to strengthen up, start with 1 set or different rest:work protocol as suggested.

 

[cowboyhat]

Just wondering why you're set on being able to do repeaters? What the benefit will be you cant get elsewhere?

Having had long term elbow knack in the past, now a few years clear, and also being au fait with all types of finger dangles; the only thing in the world of training for rock climbing I definitely can't do is 7:3 repeaters.

Immediate elbow throb. Even just two arm bodyweight on a big edge. I've made peace with this fact and don't do them. Nor do i think that it is the one missing piece that would propel me into becoming a really good rock climber.

 

[SA Chris]

Plenty of other things to blame for that

 

[Fultonius]

It is an excellent point from Cowboyhat. Obviously if you can't get access to a wall it's more difficult, but arguably PE training is better done on the wall?

 

[Adam Lincoln]

Have you tried repeater pickups instead? Less harsh on elbows.

 

[skelf]

Have you tried repeater pickups instead?

What are they and how do they differ from a standard 7:3 repeater ?

 

[csl]

Have you tried repeater pickups instead?

What are they and how do they differ from a standard 7:3 repeater ?

You pick up weights using a portable fingerboard/edge instead of hanging off a board. See this topic https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php?topic=31821.0

 

[skelf]

:great: :thumbsup:

 

[Rocksteady]

Just wondering why you're set on being able to do repeaters? What the benefit will be you cant get elsewhere?

Having had long term elbow knack in the past, now a few years clear, and also being au fait with all types of finger dangles; the only thing in the world of training for rock climbing I definitely can't do is 7:3 repeaters.

Immediate elbow throb. Even just two arm bodyweight on a big edge. I've made peace with this fact and don't do them. Nor do i think that it is the one missing piece that would propel me into becoming a really good rock climber.

Sorry just coming back to this. For me repeaters seem a particularly simple and good way of anaerobic capacity training, which I also find really hard to work out how to train at the wall. The recommendations are always for hard circuits etc but none of the walls I have near me are well set up for that.
I've been trying boulder triples on a Moonboard to try to achieve same results, so do a boulder prob at about flash level, rest 1 min, repeat x 3.

Think repeaters are a steer clear for me for now on too tbh. Risk vs return not stacking up!