Training to strengthen wrist on open holds?

My right wrist just seems to be loose. When I slap a big, round sloper, my wrist has a tendency to pop out of joint, which seems to really reduce my contact strength on the hold.

I've looked around the forums and googled this problem, but I only ever find people talking about this issue as an injury. After having had my wrist pop out on open-hand holds several dozen times over the last couple years, I'm fairly confident I am not "injuring" myself; more likely my tendons are loose or something.

Anyway, I'd like to be able to count on my wrist when climbing through big slopers. Does anyone have an idea why this happens? Has anyone had this issue and been able to fix it? Or does anyone have any ideas how I can strengthen my wrist so this does't happen so frequently?

I have had this same thing happen many times, but it only happens when I'm still warming up. Once I'm properly warmed up, I never have any such issues. I don't really have any ideas to add, but I'm interested in how other's will respond.

shakeweight.

JCM wrote:I have had this same thing happen many times, but it only happens when I'm still warming up. Once I'm properly warmed up, I never have any such issues.

That's interesting. It seems like the issue could possibly be more muscular then. I have the problem regardless of how warm I am, but maybe I just have weak wrists. I guess in general I'm interested to find out if the problem is more tendon based or muscle based because if it really is due to loose tendons, there's probably not a ton I can do about it.

Hi Tanner,
There are some physical, range of motion exams that a doctor could do to locate the instability if you are that worried about it. I have similar symptoms, but probably a different issue for what its worth.

I have been diagnosed with scapholunate instability in my wrist which is a torn ligament between two bones in my wrist. My wrist is unstable, pops sometimes, is sore, and is becoming weaker over time. The acute sprain was probably from a construction injury years ago due to hyperextending my wrist swinging a heavy hammer. It has gotten progressively worse over the years and is now somewhat aggravated by hard crimping and quite aggravated by pinching.

I try to climb/train with an open grip, that at least seems to slow additional damage/pain. I do some static exercises holding a hammer horizontal and also work my opposing forearm muscles which helps as well. My goal is to strengthen as many wrist ligaments as possible and stabilize the wrist a little by also strengthening the surrounding tendons. Perhaps these other exercises would help you as well.

@bkwrm

Thanks. I'll give those exercises a try.