Hangboard workouts are a great addition to a climbing session. You can utilize them to achieve various training goals, most commonly improving finger strength. If you are at the point in your climbing where you are thinking of adding in hangboarding sessions to help progress your finger strength, then you might be wondering when the ideal time to work in a hangboard session is.
Ideally, you want to use a hangboard before climbing. The biggest reason is injury prevention. Hangboards are fantastic for improving finger strength because they isolate the load on the fingers. However, if you wait until after you've climbed for hours and then try to hang, you could ask too much of tired tendons. The last thing you want is a ruptured or strained pulley.
Likewise, you don't want to start a hangboarding workout before you've warmed up your fingers.
Many professional climbers utilize one or multiple hang boards to warm up before a climbing session because it provides a controlled manner to load the finger tendons. However, it is essential to note that using a hangboard for warming up and hangboarding to build finger strength are two different applications. The former often includes using the deepest edges of the pull-up jugs and keeping your feet on the ground to lessen the weight. The latter application entails using smaller edges and your entire body weight or adding extra weight. While you can use a hangboard to warm up for a climbing session, it is equally essential to warm up for a hangboarding workout. Below is a sample warm-up.
Example Warm-up for Hangboarding
● Shoulder Shrugs: Hanging from a bar or jugs on a board, perform three sets of 10 shoulder shrugs. Focus on engaging your shoulder blades by elevating and depressing them without involving excessive movement from your arms. This exercise effectively targets the trapezius muscles, helping to improve shoulder stability and posture. Ensure proper form throughout the movement, keeping your core engaged and your shoulders relaxed. Gradually increase the intensity by adding weights or adjusting the grip width to challenge your muscles further. Remember to breathe steadily and listen to your body's feedback to prevent overstraining. Consistent practice of shoulder shrugs can lead to enhanced upper body strength and better overall shoulder mobility.
● Finger Flicks: Start by extending your arms straight in front of you at shoulder height. Imagine your hand as a talking mouth by touching your thumb to your fingers. From this position, open and close your fingers as if you were flicking them. This movement engages the muscles in your hands, wrists, and forearms, promoting flexibility and dexterity. Repeat this action for a total of 20 to 30 times to enhance coordination and fine motor skills. Finger Flicks are a simple yet effective exercise that can be done anywhere, making them a convenient way to improve hand mobility and strength. Incorporating this exercise into your daily routine can also help prevent stiffness and discomfort in your hands and fingers, especially if you spend long hours typing or performing repetitive tasks. Remember to maintain proper form and control throughout the exercise to maximize its benefits.
● Progressive Loads: These are an essential aspect of hangboard training, a popular method climbers use to improve finger strength and endurance. To start, position yourself on a large edge on the hangboard, ensuring that your feet remain on the ground. By using your feet to support a portion of your weight, typically around 50-60%, you can focus on gradually building up the strength in your fingers. The goal is to hang for approximately 10 seconds, allowing your muscles to adapt and grow stronger.
After each hang, resting briefly or engaging in a different warm-up exercise is beneficial before proceeding to the next set. As you progress through the routine, you have the flexibility to modify the difficulty level. This can involve staying on the large edge while offsetting less weight through your feet or transitioning to a smaller edge to increase the challenge.
Repeating this sequence five times allows for a structured approach to gradually intensifying the workout. Each repetition aims to elevate the difficulty level incrementally, pushing your limits while maintaining proper form and technique. By adhering to this progressive approach, climbers can effectively enhance their finger strength over time, ultimately leading to improved performance on the rock wall.
● Finger Pushups: This challenging exercise targets your finger strength and wrist stability. By assuming a tabletop position and pressing your fingers into the floor, you engage the muscles in your hands and forearms. This movement helps strengthen your fingers and improves your grip strength and overall hand dexterity. As you raise your wrists and palms off the ground while keeping your fingers touching the floor, you are increasing the demand on your finger muscles, which can lead to improved coordination and control. Moving your hands closer to your knees provides a modification that reduces the intensity of the exercise, making it more accessible for beginners or those with limited hand strength. Performing 20-25 repetitions of finger pushups challenges finger and wrist endurance, helping build resilience in these often neglected areas. Over time, consistent practice of this exercise can lead to increased finger flexibility, reduced risk of hand injuries, and enhanced performance in activities that require strong hands, such as rock climbing or playing musical instruments.
Once warmed up, fingers included, it is then safe to use a hangboard for training purposes. There are many hangboard protocols for all levels across the internet. It’s also worth noting that you can hangboard on a day you don’t climb. The two are not synonymous with each other, and while you want to hang before climbing for safety purposes, you don’t have to plan on climbing afterward to reap the benefits of hangboarding. Your fingers will likely get more out of the session if you hangboard on an off day. Remember that if your tendons are tired, achy, or slightly painful, it’s better to back off than push through. Your fingers are precious as a climber, and training smart is essential.
Have fun hanging out, but when you opt to hangboard, warm up thoroughly and do it before climbing. There’s a lot of versatility to a hangboard, and adding it to your routine will help improve your finger strength. If you have any other questions related to this topic that you would like answered, drop them below!
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