How to train your fingers
What the research says, and how to put it into a session: strength, endurance and pump, testing, planning, injuries.
-
Finger strength
11 articles
Finger strength is the biggest physical predictor of climbing ability. The best-studied way to build it is max hangs: about 10 seconds at a load you could hold roughly 3 seconds longer, with long rests, twice a week. Add weight on a medium edge before you move to smaller edges.
- Abrahangs: Do Daily Low-Load Hangs Work?
- Density Hangs: What They Are and Do They Work
- How Long Should You Hang on a Hangboard?
-
Endurance and pump
4 articles
The pump comes from a mismatch between how hard your forearms work and how much oxygen they can use. Train it with intermittent hangs at the right intensity: low loads, around or below critical force, build the aerobic base, and heavier ones build strength-endurance. The load you pick decides the adaptation you get.
- Blood Flow Restriction for Climbers
- Finger Endurance Training for Climbing
- Repeaters for Climbing Endurance
-
Testing
4 articles
Test three things: maximum finger force, critical force (endurance) and rate of force development (speed). Use the same edge, grip, device and warm-up each time so results compare, and retest every 4 to 8 weeks. Maximum force is the one to start with.
See all -
Plan your training
8 articles
Start hangboarding once you have climbed regularly for at least a year, with no pain and no growth left. Plan two hard sessions a week, warm up first, and test every 4 to 8 weeks to see if the plan works. Very light finger work can be done more often.
See all -
Mind and goals
3 articles
Start by finding out what you want from your climbing over the next 6 to 12 months, then sort those goals and compare them to where you are now. On the wall, climb for yourself, focus on the task rather than the result, and learn what causes your stress.
- How to Set Climbing Goals and Plan Training
- Trad Climbing Safety: Avoiding Ground Falls
- Mental Training for Climbing: 5 Lessons
