Hangboard for noob climber with no rock access 5 months/year

I've been climbing for about 9 months total, and feel strong in low 10s, inside and out, with some 11s and an 11c on toprope. Done many v3s, and came close on a few 4s. Generally injury free up til this point, climbing has brought out the best in my left elbow, which has given me trouble for years, and sometimes the day after climbing my fingers don't feel great, but it's never been bad enough I'd call it pain. I know at this point, both at my skill level and total time climbing, the general recommendation is to avoid sport specific training all together.

My problem - For the foreseeable future, my time is split between coasts. 1 month on the west coast where I have time to climb 12-15 days a month easy, then one month on the east coast, where I might be lucky to get 2 gym sessions in a month, and not much outdoor climbing to speak of.

Building anything bigger than a handboard isn't really possible. Taking a month off, every month, is going to suck. Feel like I'll lose a good deal of strength each time, and probably hurt myself trying to jump back straight back into climbing where I left off, after no finger work for the past month.

My thoughts: lift weights, do cardio/general fitness work, and develop a safe(r) hangboard routine to use during the time, and really ease into it (maybe 2 days a week for 6 months) before increasing intensity/resistance/smaller holds/etc. Looks like I'll be doing this east/west routine for the next 2 or 3 years, so I'm looking for a long term solution.

Thoughts? How should I program this thing? Longer hangs instead of repeaters? Am I gonna die?

With your ability you should have no issue doing some hangboard routine. In fact I'm pretty sure Mono said at one point that he should have started earlier and there is no reason to to wait until you climb a certain grade to get the benefits of training.

Certainly you would want to be careful about how you go about starting and probably stay away from things like max hangs since your connective tissue takes longer to strengthen than your muscles do. However hangboards provide a very controlled situation in which to apply incrementally higher forces.

In general I would think doing something like 3 weeks of hangboarding at a time then climbing on your WEST months could be effective. I would certainly work in a week off either before or after each block of hangboarding.

I hear that the Brothers Anderson might even be coming out with a training book.

Hijack!

Is there any real word on that book? I've only seen the rumors popping around the forum.

Lee's got it right.

There's no harm in you doing some hangboarding now. I wouldn't go for big gains (max hangs etc) and other hard activities, just 8-10 sets of repeaters on relatively easy holds.

Although not perfect, the Metolius workouts listed here might do well for you because they combine strength and endurance, which would make for good upkeep in your climbing ability even while you're not climbing. Look at it as more of maintenance than training.

For more ordinary training, if you have access to a Metolius Simulator, I would look at holds like the deepest 3 finger pocket, large edge, and round sloper. Maybe work in some endurance on the jugs and large edge. Mostly stay away from 2 finger pockets and crimps, they're not necessary in the early stages, and most likely will give you trouble.

Consider doing some opposition training for your elbows to help them out while you hangboard, some easy work could take away that nagging feeling. Check this out: Dodgy Elbows - Dr Julian Saunders

Do you have an iPhone? If so you should look into getting the App "ClimbCoach." I believe it's only $5. I love this App for hangboard and campus board workouts. There are (3) exercises for Resistance and (2) exercises for Max Strength for the hangboard alone (lots of other exercises for campus board, bouldering and route climbing). Each will have different levels of difficulty for Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.

What I like about it is that it keeps me honest when I'm doing each exercise. Hit Start, choose your level of difficulty and then just do what it tells you. For Example: There's a visual display and timer which tells you to hold Sloper 7 secs...BING...rest 3 secs...BING...Hold sloper 7 secs...etc... Then it'll move through the different hand/finger configurations.

I'm sure between this App, any # of workouts on the internet, climbing training books, and the plethra of opinions held by members of this site you could easily come up with something on your own for the hangboard and keeping fit while your away from the gym, or real rock.

Also, to be somewhat helpful, I would avoid too many pull up exercises on the hangboard. These may lead to more elbow or shoulder pain. A lot of people claim using rock rings for pull ups as the rotation is supposed to reduce strain. I think Lee and BB locked it down.

Rock rings definitely help reduce strain on my bows. I don't have the fancy rings though. I just drilled some holes in two rocks and hang them like they're rock rings. I ain't paying 50 dollars for some glorified pull up bar.

LeeAB wrote:I would certainly work in a week off either before or after each block of hangboarding. I hear that the Brothers Anderson might even be coming out with a training book.

Sound advice, me thinks. I hadn't really considered the week off, probably oughta do that! Thanks

Brendan Blanchard wrote:might do well for you because they combine strength and endurance, which would make for good upkeep in your climbing ability even while you're not climbing. Look at it as more of maintenance than training.

Awesome, that's exactly what I was looking for. As for the link you posted, I'm already pre/rehabbing that left elbow using the listed exercises, and along with a stretch someone showed me, it's doing pretty good. Definitely looking to maintain what I've got, more than gain monstrous crimp strength or anything like that.

I do a lot of pullups... I have for years, since way before I started climbing. Can probably blame them for the angry elbow. Butttt, I enjoy them, and can't stay way! Lately, on a week where I won't be able to climb, I've been doing five sets of 10, two days a week. I used to do them with an additional 45 pounds, but now I'm just doing bodyweight. Between the decrease in intensity, auxiliary elbow exercises, and that stretch I mentioned, my elbow is doing pretty good. I do plan on adding five pounds soon :p I've read enough to know I should be using the hangboard for contact strength, and saving the pullups for a bar.

For $20 more, would a Beastmaker 1000 be a better buy than a Simulator? I've got a 4 foot wide doorway to work with, and a Beastmaker + some stand alone slopers (maybe pinches as well?) is what I have envisioned.

Yall are awesome! Lee and BB locked it down, for sure. Many thanks, everyone.

adamx wrote:For $20 more, would a Beastmaker 1000 be a better buy than a Simulator? I've got a 4 foot wide doorway to work with, and a Beastmaker + some stand alone slopers (maybe pinches as well?) is what I have envisioned.

I don't have any experience with the Beastmaker, but they seem to have a strong following. For larger holds it may well be a better option. The Simulator has a lot of variety for difficulty, but specializes in none, something the 1000/2000's would do better I'm guessing.

As for the Metolius workouts, don't be afraid to make up your own 10-20 minute workout, or come up with a 1 month cycle that swaps between HYP/repeaters and PE or something like that. If you're mainly doing sport route climbing outdoors while you're out west then you may just want to train strength while hangboarding and let the outdoor climbing be your PE. Since you said you'd be doing this for more than a year you'll likely need to change your habits at some point so it wouldn't hurt to experiment with different cycles and approaches to your irregular training needs. Eventually you'll be your own expert for what you need to do given your specific needs. Good luck!

The best thing about the Beastmaker would be that wood will not tear up your skin as much. In addition it will force you keep your fingers bent where as with a typical plastic board you can getaway with letting your fingers uncurl a bit and your skin holds on for you.

That said, all boards have their limitations. When hanging you really want your hands to be shoulder width or so apart (better for your shoulders) making the grips in the center of a board non functional unless you are doing single arm hangs.

Also remember that just because a board does not have the grip you want does not mean it is not there. You could use 2 fingers on an edge or what ever, it is for training, not to send the hold. If you have the time and resources your best bet with that space would be to make your own with holds that you like, and sand the texture down on them a little. Figure out what spacing you need to hang comfortably and get a piece of plywood and drill t-nuts. You might end up with hold #1 at the left edge and near the middle, then hold #2 above that, #3 would be just to the right of it and so on until you reach the right edge of the board with say hold #9 being at the right edge and its pair being just left of hold #1 near the middle. Leaves you with the same comfortable shoulder spacing on all grips and you get to choose your holds (or you have to choose them depending on how you view it).

LeeAB wrote:I hear that the Brothers Anderson might even be coming out with a training book.

This might be old news for some, but the Andersons and Trango are coming out with a hangboard next year (I think).

trango.com/New/Rock_Prodigy

I would seriously consider laying off the pullups, I used to do a lot of pullups and lockoffs and it really limited by climbing due to elbow tendentious. Now I don't do them and I can climb as much as my time, fingers, and skin allow. Heck I can even train on campus board, but every time I work in any lock training the elbows flare up...

I actually think if you are able to train 3 weeks on finger board, then climb 12-15 days in month, take 1 week off and repeat, you will make gains fast. Provided you take it slow on the finger board and don't get hurt.