Min Edge or Added Weight on a Hangboard
Adding weight to the same edge tends to work better than moving to smaller edges. In a small study of nine elite climbers, starting with added weight and then moving to small edges gave larger gains than the reverse, though not statistically significant; in a randomized trial, added weight improved grip strength more than climbing alone, and smaller edges did not. Smaller edges make sense for specificity or when you have no weights.
Once bodyweight hangs on a 20 mm edge feel easy, you have two ways to keep progressing: hang from a smaller edge, or add weight to the same edge. They do not train quite the same thing.
What did the studies find?
López-Rivera and González-Badillo, 2012. Nine elite climbers trained dead hangs for 8 weeks, either on the minimum edge depth they could hold (MED) or on an 18 mm edge with maximum added weight (MAW), switching methods halfway. The group that started with added weight and then moved to small edges improved grip strength and endurance more than the group that did the reverse. With only nine climbers the differences were not statistically significant, so treat this as a direction, not a verdict.
Mundry and colleagues, 2021. In a randomized trial with climbers who had never used a hangboard, one group added 1.25 kg every week while another reduced edge size every week, both for 8 weeks and 2 to 3 sessions a week. The added-weight group improved grip strength significantly more than climbing alone; the smaller-edge group did not.
Both studies point the same way: for building strength, add weight on a medium edge first.
Why does added weight tend to work better?
- Small, measurable steps. You can add 1 kg. Edge sizes usually jump by 2 to 5 mm, which can be a big change in difficulty.
- Load on the tissue you want. On tiny edges, skin, fingertip pain and precise finger position often limit you before the flexors and tendons do.
- Consistency. The same edge, same grip and same position every session makes progress easy to see.
When do smaller edges make sense?
- Specificity. If your project has tiny crimps, some time on small edges trains the skin, finger position and confidence you need there. López’s preferred sequence also ends with small edges.
- No weights available. Travelling with a portable board, smaller edges are the easiest way to add difficulty.
- Very light climbers, for whom a few kilograms is a large percentage of bodyweight.
What does a practical progression look like?
- Weeks 1 to 4: max hangs on an 18 to 20 mm edge, adding weight in 1 to 2 kg steps as hangs get easier.
- Weeks 5 to 8: keep bodyweight and move to a smaller edge you can hold for 10 seconds with a few seconds in reserve.
- Retest on your standard 20 mm edge so you can compare blocks. See our testing guide.
One number for both
Weight and edge size are two different dials, which makes sessions hard to compare: is +10 kg on 20 mm harder than bodyweight on 14 mm? A force sensor answers that directly by measuring the force your fingers produce, whatever the edge. On a ground force plate like Entralpi, you stand on the plate under your hangboard and the app shows the force you are holding, so you can compare edges and loads on one scale.
More on finger strength: no-hangs and how long to hang.
Do this in Entralpi
A workout in the app writes its loads in one way: kg, % bw or % max, and the app converts them when you change it (Build your own workout). The max strength test measures your max (Take a test). Type it in Settings (Profile, then Settings, under Physical profile) and a workout in % max is a share of that number.
Sources
- López-Rivera E, González-Badillo JJ (2012). The effects of two maximum grip strength training methods using the same effort duration and different edge depth on grip endurance in elite climbers. Sports Technology, 5(3–4).
- Mundry S, et al. (2021). Hangboard training in advanced climbers: a randomized controlled trial. Scientific Reports.
