Static hold with grip trainers for hand strength

So, I have a problem with endurance. The common answer for this is climb more, climb longer. Good advice, normally.

Except I live nowhere near a climbing gym or a convenient crag. The nearest crag is about an hour away, with a twenty minutes approach. The nearest gym is two and a half hours away.

I do have a handful of boulders relatively close. But the region is undeveloped, for the most part. So when I find a boulder I have to clean it, prep the landing area, figure out the moves etc etc. It's fun, but not easy to do a lot.

Now, when I actually do get to climb I get pumped so so fast. It's hard to build that endurance. I think it part I'm over gripping on the cliff, so I'm working on that. Hit coupled with it I've started "training.' I have a hangboard. I've increased my finger strength I do believe. But that still doesn't help with a weakish grip. So I bought a squeeze grip trainer. Only, I underestimated my existing strength. I didn't want to be cocky so I bought a lighter one from the captains of crush brand. I thought maybe it's be able to close it like, five times. Turns out I can close it (not exaggerating) nearly 60 times with my right and 45 with my left. Oops.

So, because of budget reasons I can't just buy another right now. So I figured I could simply close it once, and then hold for as long as I can. That seems closer to what I'd do on the rock anyways.

So, do we know if this is a good method? I'd heard that grip training isn't the greatest for rock climbing anyways. Dunno, just asking for thoughts and opinions.

I found this routine awhile back.

All you need is bucket filled with rice

Rice Bucket, The way of the iron fist.

1 Iron Fist - Stab your fingers deep into the rice and then make a fist. Retract. Repeat. This is my hand. I want it strong."
2 Screaming Talon – Stab your fingers deep into the rice and then open your hand wide. Retract, palms away from you. Repeat. Your hand is afraid of the rice. The rice should be afraid of your hand."
3 Fists of Fury – Embed fists deep in rice. Rotate one direction. Don’t worry that you can’t see. Fear is the only darkness. Breathe.
4 Fists of Fury, Part II – Embed fist deep in rice. Rotate other direction. Seek not to know the answers, but to understand the questions.
5 Wax on, Wax off – Embed fists deep in rice. Move fists side to side. Don’t think. Feel. Focus on the art of climbing without climbing.
6 Paint the Fence – Embed fists deep in rice.  Move fists up and down. Patience, Grasshopper.
7 Snatch the Pebble – On the surface, snatch rice quickly with your fingers over and over.  Keep your form. The rice has only images and illusions behind which it hides its true motives.  Destroy the image and you will break the rice.  Do not spill rice on floor.
8 Magic Palm – On surface push rice away with fingers. Stay under control while you reflect on life failures. Spill rice on floor at your own peril.
9 Gouge the Eye – Dig you thumbs deep into the rice repeatedly. Remember that you learn most about life from your greatest enemies.
10 Eagle Claw – Stab rice with fingers together and claw at it. Don’t be tender. An eagle can break a wolf’s back with one strike.
11 Crush the Pebble – Grab handfuls of rice and attempt to make gruel out of it, quickly and repeatedly. Only the undisciplined spill rice on the floor. Control the rice. It is your destiny.
12 Essence Absorbing Stance – Lightly caress handfuls of rice, move into your most powerful stance, then squeeze. In time you will learn to absorb the essence of the rice. It is only then that you will be truly powerful.

Super Fluke wrote:Absorb the essence of the rice. It is only then that you will be truly powerful.

The essence of rice? Empty calories devoid of protein and micronutrients? 

You need to climb more, plain and simple. Either build a woody or move closer to climbing. Trying to get better at climbing without actually climbing will lead to disappointing results. Guaranteed.

Daniel Winder wrote: You need to climb more, plain and simple. Either build a woody or move closer to climbing. Trying to get better at climbing without actually climbing will lead to disappointing results. Guaranteed.

Yeah, if you want to get better at X then doing X is the beat way., Barring that you can train for certain things.

I guarantee that the best athletes do other work outs besides whatever they do.

Hell, we can even see some of the top climbers doing additional training that's not climbing. There has to be workouts that a person can do that help. 

"To climbing hard you must climbing hard often"  Read that from the little paper slip in my fortune cookie one time. I believe Confucius' himself was recorded saying it.

Ryan Pfleger wrote:

The essence of rice? Empty calories devoid of protein and micronutrients? 

Climbing friend, rice is important for adding meat to neck. 

Brian Shaw recommends OP do lower intensity hangs on hangboard with reduced rest between reps in order to target endurance, also eat more meat.

I bought a set of these to use in conjunction with the hangboard.  I just use an old sling and biner to attach to weight plates.  ​Crimpwerks​​​

Wes C wrote: I bought a set of these to use in conjunction with the hangboard.  I just use an old sling and biner to attach to weight plates.  Crimpwerks

Oh, today are interesting. I bet I could make some actually. Nice.

Also, as an update. I do feel myself getting stronger on the hangboard, and with the number of pullups I'm able to do. Unfortunately I've been too busy to go climbing. Tomorrow I'll see if I've improved at all by trying to climb my little project at the crag.

Finger pyramids have worked for me. A Google search will point you in the right direction. I give myself at least 48hrs in between workouts to avoid injury. Hope that helps some.

Ryan Bond wrote:  I have a hangboard. I've increased my finger strength I do believe. But that still doesn't help with a weakish grip. 

I don't follow. Your grip is your finger strength. Hangboard more.

Unless you mean pinching strength (thumb utilization). Try "pinch blocks", a search of the forum will yield lots of discussion.