Forearm/grip strength

Hi guys,

I need some training work for my forearms, is a hangboard or hanging the only way to go?

I focus on keeping straight arms, hips close to the wall and over my feet, But i still feels as if i am pulling myself up the wall sometimes, whats a good way to eliminate the pulling?

Thanks!

Colin 

Try getting on an easy slab climb and use the lightest grip possible for balance only. Trust your feet and use your legs for all upward progress. Remember that feeling when you transition to more verticle climbs. Light grip will prevent you from pulling hard with your hands and save forearm strength.

If you want big ass forearm, sledgehammer swings are pretty effective?

I always tell people, your arms are for holding yourself on the wall, never for pulling yourself up. Focus on getting your feet up the wall and stand up with it. Keeping your hips close to the wall keeps you from hanging with your hands, and keeping the weight over your feet. 

Keeping the hips close to the wall will sometimes make it harder, unless you're on a steep steep overhang... This is because you have to move your hips in an extremely externally rotated position. One solution is to lock off every move, I.e., not use straight arms. You have to pull hard with your hands to move up. The other solution, on slabs/vertical terrain, sag your hips away from the wall. This will actually require more forearm strength to hold on to the holds but make it a lot easier to get your feet high and that will make it easier to make moves. You pull hard with your large muscle groups to move up, but the holds will feel a little worse/slopier.

Hips in -> easy to rest (if you can keep arms straight, which requires the right feet)  and easy to hang on, but hard to move up

Hips out -> harder to hold the holds but easier to position the feet with straight arms and therefore move up.

You are a new climber correct? You should focus on climbing as much as possible on a variety of wall angles, climbing easy easy routes as flawlessly as you can. Don't worry about the hang board.

Eric Chabot wrote: Keeping the hips close to the wall will sometimes make it harder, unless you're on a steep steep overhang... This is because you have to move your hips in an extremely externally rotated position. One solution is to lock off every move, I.e., not use straight arms. You have to pull hard with your hands to move up. The other solution, on slabs/vertical terrain, sag your hips away from the wall. This will actually require more forearm strength to hold on to the holds but make it a lot easier to get your feet high and that will make it easier to make moves. You pull hard with your large muscle groups to move up, but the holds will feel a little worse/slopier.

Hips in -> easy to rest (if you can keep arms straight, which requires the right feet)  and easy to hang on, but hard to move up

Hips out -> harder to hold the holds but easier to position the feet with straight arms and therefore move up.

You are a new climber correct? You should focus on climbing as much as possible on a variety of wall angles, climbing easy easy routes as flawlessly as you can. Don't worry about the hang board.

I have been working on 2 grades lower than my capability, by climbing up and then down the wall, repeating the process. My only question is, how do i know or judge that i am climbing a route “flawlessly”, being able to climb it at a certain  speed? 

Thanks for the feedback everyone! 

You need a 18 inch long x 2 inch thick wooden dowel (cut it out from your closet) a 24 inch long sling (in a loop) and a gallon water bottle.
Tie sling to jug, adjust weight by changing amt of water in jug. You hold Dowell two ways: 1 full grip... hands are like a fist and #2 fingers out... only fingertips hold dowell. Hold your arms straight out from you and rotate dowell one direction for 30 seconds... arms down rest for 15 seconds then back up and do opposite rotation for 15 seconds... rest. You can do these sets over and over till you make your forearms pump. Do this with your back against a wall.
A bass player showed me this one a long time ago. It really helps climbing when you can crush things with your grip... you face climb on toes and fingers.... you climb cracks with your forearms.

Keep working on it, this pays off. 

I guess a new thread a day keeps the doctor away... 

Teddy B wrote: I guess a new thread a day keeps the doctor away... 

New thread a day keeps the flow of information my way and from experienced climbers, id say, is beneficial anyday so I can progress in some way with my climbing, anchors, and belay, I have many questions still to relay but MP lets me post only a few a day. 

North Col wrote:

New thread a day keeps the flow of information my way and from experienced climbers, id say, is beneficial anyday so I can progress in some way with my climbing, anchors, and belay, I have many questions still to relay but MP lets me post only a few a day. 

Maybe so, but a simple google or forum search should suffice rather than a new post.

I think endurance and recovery are more important than strength for new climbers.
To better your footwork, just simply stop at any given position and think "is this efficient, could I rest here". If not look, experiment and find a great rest. Chances are a more stable position could be had and when you learn to climb to a great position instead of through them.
Also, get those hips facing out and you will unlock much better holds that a flat climber would completely skip.

Neil Gresham Climbing Masterclass - Crux Films
on youtube,  has a few good clips,  they are really old but still pertinent, and im pretty sure they are exactly what your looking for..

specifically videos 5 to 10
twistlock
outside edge
drop knee
flagging

https://www.youtube.com/user/Cruxfilmsclimbing/videos

also best way to develop forearm strength for climbing is climbing,  or finger board and or weighted pull ups

Tapawingo Markey wrote:

Maybe so, but a simple google or forum search should suffice rather than a new post.

I see. Well i guess i should apologize for my post popping up every time you log into your new threads on MP. Must be very annoying for you. I guess my simple questions should be asked to google with all of her climbing experince.

Ive learned alot of diffrent opinions and points of view, ive elaborated on questions ive asked, and received amazing feedback so far and created discussions on my topics. if thats not the point of these threads than what is?
Thanks for posting

North Col wrote:

I see. Well i guess i should apologize for my post popping up every time you log into your new threads on MP. Must be very annoying for you. I guess my simple questions should be asked to google with all of her climbing experince.

Ive learned alot of diffrent opinions and points of view, ive elaborated on questions ive asked, and received amazing feedback so far and created discussions on my topics. if thats not the point of these threads than what is?
Thanks for posting

No apologizes needed, you come and ask away all you wish. It’s still a free country.

Climbers come in all stripes- aloof, self absorbed, cocky, arrogant, grumpy, angry, know it all, mean, hateful, passive aggressive, combative, spiteful, helpful, cool, and sometimes nice. 
But all that goes to hell as soon as they get online.

Guy Keesee wrote:

No apologizes needed, you come and ask away all you wish. It’s still a free country.

Climbers come in all stripes- aloof, self absorbed, cocky, arrogant, grumpy, angry, know it all, mean, hateful, passive aggressive, combative, spiteful, helpful, cool, and sometimes nice. 
But all that goes to hell as soon as they get online.

I know - I was waiting for this type of response to come my way! But I'm not worried, I have lots of questions, a new one everyday basically and the feedback I've received has been overwhelmingly positive and useful! 

North Col wrote: Hi guys,

I need some training work for my forearms, is a hangboard or hanging the only way to go?

To circle back to your question. You wish to build up your forearms and grip strength? 
As most have said- climb. When strength is holding you back- get stronger by training. 
Be most careful not to injure yourself. Many of my young friends end up sidelined after a few seasons, mostly elbow, wrist and fingers. I have a theory about it. When I started- Precambrian era- nobody climbed really hard and it took a few years to get to the reality stressful grades so your bod had some time to get climbing strength. Now rank beginners get to get on 5.10s almost from day one and it’s common for some to be leading 12s first year! 
Eric Horst wrote a book “Training for Climbing”Get it, besides a bunch of work out stuff he has a quiz you take. The results of the quiz point to your weakness. Andhe has good recommendations on how to conquer that weakness be it your head, strength or technique. 
Have fun, climb as much as you can.

s.price wrote:

Don't forget to eat your spinach.

Popeye was a crusher :)

I am what I am! 

Good to see ya posting 

Tapawingo Markey wrote:

Maybe so, but a simple google or forum search should suffice rather than a new post.

I have seen posts like this many times on here and I don't understand why everyone is so eager to shoot down creation of a new forum? Like if it really bothers you so much that people are posting, just don't look at it...

North Col wrote: Hi guys,

I need some training work for my forearms, is a hangboard or hanging the only way to go?

I focus on keeping straight arms, hips close to the wall and over my feet, But i still feels as if i am pulling myself up the wall sometimes, whats a good way to eliminate the pulling?

Thanks!

Colin 

Sex can wait.  Masturbate!

If you are really serious about getting good, indoor bouldering should be the absolute base of your climbing you should be doing it every damn day and then if your not bouldering indoors your outside sport climbing, this is IMO the absolute best way to get good and become a well rounded climber, trad climbing really isn't that difficult as far as the technical side of things go and from what I have found you really just have to drill into your brain that try hard instinct to be get anywhere with hard trad you can get this with sport climbing.
Hangboarding is the way to train if you have only 30 minutes to an hour a day spare.
Bare in mind comp style bouldering really wont help you at all outside, maybe if you go to font or have an area with tons of slopers, but for 99% of outdoor climbing big moves between big holds really isn't super helpful.

North Col wrote: Hi guys,

I need some training work for my forearms, is a hangboard or hanging the only way to go?

I focus on keeping straight arms, hips close to the wall and over my feet, But i still feels as if i am pulling myself up the wall sometimes, whats a good way to eliminate the pulling?

Thanks!

Colin 

First thing first. Are able to stand on your toes?

To my experience nobody needs forearms strength training to send up to 7b/b+ (YDS 5.12b/c). It is all about footwork and body positioning.

Basic exercise. You need a Crocs Classic shoe and a buddy. Your goal is to take away the shoe using your toes only. Your buddy's goal is to keep the shoe.

I mean, sticking to the basics is always a good idea in the beginning. For example if you cant do a 2 min straight bar hold build up progressive until you can master this

I would recommend following technique for the beginner:
20 sec hold
20 sec relax
20 sec hold
20 sec relax
x 8 sets in total

And week after week you can increase the hold or decrease the relax and have the goal to be doing 2 min hold maybe after 4-6 weeks! utmärkt