How to train your fingers
What the research says, and how to put it into a session: no-hangs, finger strength, endurance and pump, testing, planning, mind and goals.
-
No-hangs
1 article
A no-hang is a pull on a hangboard edge with your feet on the floor, to a load you choose, such as 40% of your maximum. Choosing the load lets you dose it precisely, repeat it often and change it mid-set. The evidence is thin: one 2024 study found a small gain from the Abrahangs protocol, not significant against climbing alone.
All No-hangs articles -
Finger strength
8 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. Adding weight on a medium edge is the easier way to progress, though the evidence that it beats smaller edges is weak.
- How Long Should You Hang on a Hangboard?
- Max Hangs: How to Do Them Right
- Min Edge or Added Weight 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 below critical force (30 to 40% of max) build the aerobic base, and heavier ones build strength-endurance. The load you pick decides the adaptation you get.
- Finger Endurance Training for Climbing
- Aerobic Endurance Training on the Hangboard
- 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.
- What Predicts Your Climbing Grade?
- How to Test Finger Strength
- Crane Scale vs Force Plate for Climbing
-
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.
- Does Hangboarding Work?
- Hangboarding for Beginners: First 8 Weeks
- Hangboard Warm-Up Routine for Climbers
-
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
- Mental Training for Climbing: 5 Lessons
- Start Trad Climbing Without a Ground Fall
