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Hangboard Hold Selection

Original Post
Optimistic · · New Paltz · Joined Aug 2007 · Points: 450

Hi all...

I'm attempting to make hangboarding a more regular part of my routine, and working on developing the list of holds/grips I'll use. I'm using the Rock Climber's Training Manual as a reference point (beginner's hangboard routine) but my question is:

Here in the Gunks it seems like a significant portion of the time the crux move involves hanging on some small edge (1/3-1/2 pad) while getting your feet into position to balance your way through to some nice big jug.

So instead of doing all the various holds with pinches and slopers and two-pad edges and pockets, why not just do a hangboard routine consisting (after a couple of warmup sets) of the smallest edges on my board? Since those are the holds that are giving me problems, shouldn't I just focus on those?

Optimistic · · New Paltz · Joined Aug 2007 · Points: 450

No takers?

Mark E Dixon · · Possunt, nec posse videntur · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 974

I'm no expert, but in general, you can expect to get strongest on the holds you train. So if small edges are what you need to grab, then go ahead and train them.
But don't some Gunks cruxes involve holding larger edges over a roof, stabilizing, then pulling up, maybe with a heel hook? If so, training some larger edges with more weight might be useful.
Finally, I have reincorporated some 2 finger edge holds in my regimen because I find them helpful training for fragmented holds. Not sure that's an issue at the Gunks.
Training any hold is potentially useful, but tailoring the grips to your specific interest (or weakness) has some obvious advantages.

Highlander · · Ouray, CO · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 256

Definitely focus or put more emphasis on the holds you are weak on and the types of hold you encounter the most.
I feel it's beneficial to train on the other holds such as slopers, pinches, pockets, so that you are not weak on those holds and if you happen to encounter those holds on a route or travel to other climbing areas that have those holds you will have some strength base and less likely to get hurt. The hang board is useful tool for building good strength on all the different holds and also a good means to get strong so you are less likely to get hurt.

Optimistic · · New Paltz · Joined Aug 2007 · Points: 450

Thanks guys...

Mark, you are right about the "big hold over the roof" scenario, but I almost never have a problem latching those holds or pulling through on them. If I do have an issue on the bigger holds it might be more that I get pumped out on them if I'm messing around with gear, but that feels more like I just need to move a little quicker at getting the gear in. This can come up if I'm on a jug for a minute or two...would the 10-second hangs in my current protocol (presumably with weight some weight added) be an effective way to train for these much longer hangs on the rock?

(Edit: Also, most of the time it feels like the reason I'm pumping out is because I burned up a lot of gas on some little hold prior to getting to the big jug!)

Mark E Dixon · · Possunt, nec posse videntur · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 974
Optimistic wrote:Thanks guys... Mark, you are right about the "big hold over the roof" scenario, but I almost never have a problem latching those holds or pulling through on them. If I do have an issue on the bigger holds it might be more that I get pumped out on them if I'm messing around with gear, but that feels more like I just need to move a little quicker at getting the gear in. This can come up if I'm on a jug for a minute or two...would the 10-second hangs in my current protocol (presumably with weight some weight added) be an effective way to train for these much longer hangs on the rock? (Edit: Also, most of the time it feels like the reason I'm pumping out is because I burned up a lot of gas on some little hold prior to getting to the big jug!)
A couple of points-

increasing your strength on any particular hold should also increase your endurance on the same hold, since you will be recruiting a smaller fraction of your strength to produce the same effect and thereby should be able to continue longer. So 10 second training hangs ought to improve 1-2 minute performance hangs.

But I'll bet your 1-2 minute hangs are more like 10 second hangs on one hand, then switch hands, hang 10 seconds, switch hands again...till the 2 minutes have passed. If you are actually hanging continuously from both hands for 2 minutes I'd be pretty surprised.

By big training holds, I'm talking midsize metolius rungs, 25mm or so.
Optimistic · · New Paltz · Joined Aug 2007 · Points: 450
Mark E Dixon wrote: A couple of points- increasing your strength on any particular hold should also increase your endurance on the same hold, since you will be recruiting a smaller fraction of your strength to produce the same effect and thereby should be able to continue longer. So 10 second training hangs ought to improve 1-2 minute performance hangs. But I'll bet your 1-2 minute hangs are more like 10 second hangs on one hand, then switch hands, hang 10 seconds, switch hands again...till the 2 minutes have passed. If you are actually hanging continuously from both hands for 2 minutes I'd be pretty surprised. By big training holds, I'm talking midsize metolius rungs, 25mm or so.
That's probably right about the alternating, although I think (will have to pay closer attention!) the intervals are in the 20 second range.

Thanks again!
kenr · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 16,608
Optimistic wrote:would the 10-second hangs in my current protocol (presumably with weight some weight added) be an effective way to train for these much longer hangs on the rock?
There might be a fundamental trade-off to be made between which type of finger/forearm muscle fibers to build -- Slow Oxidative (type I) or Fast Glycolytive (type II). SO fibers are good for endurance, but not much strong for a single hard move. FG are way stronger for launching or latching a single move, but run out of gas quickly and need time to "re-charge".

Some leading English-language training books seem to feel that for climbing hard (especially Sport or bouldering) you want to make sure you target hypertrophy of Fast Glycolytive fibers. There is a concern that static hanging tends to develop SO fibers, so some books don't recommend it in training. One book recommends not hanging statically for longer than 5 seconds at a time (if doing it at all).

I don't claim to understand these complexities. Since I find myself doing very little Trad leading where I need to hang out and place protection in strenuous situations, I don't worry about my static-hanging endurance.

Ken

P.S. If you're just going to hang from a simple edge, seems like don't need to own a "hangboard" at all -- just a piece of hardwood (filed and sanded for a finger-friendly grip) and some screws. Recommended by a couple of leading books.
(Could add some shims of different thicknesses to vary the depth of the edge.)

P.P.S. One recent European book says that hanging from two grips at the same horizontal level is not very climbing-specific, so if you're going to train static hanging, have one edge at least 20 cm / 8 inches higher than the other. (with an extra benefit of simultaneously training arm lock-off strength).
Implementing this is much less expensive if just use pieces of hardwood. If you already own a fingerboard, could place one or more wood pieces below (or above) it, to get uneven grips. Can also use them for uneven-hand pull-ups.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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