Finger Strength Tests for Climbers

Why test finger strength?

Because it tells you where you stand, whether your training works, and when you are ready to push harder after a break or an injury. Finger strength is also the main physical predictor of climbing ability: in a 2025 study of 307 climbers it accounted for about two thirds of the variance the tests explained.

What predicts climbing grade covers what studies of hundreds of climbers say about strength, endurance and speed of force.

How do you test maximum finger force?

Warm up, do two submaximal pulls at about 50% and 80% effort, then pull as hard as you can for about 5 seconds. Rest 3 minutes, and do three attempts and keep the best. Record it in newtons or kilograms, and as a percentage of bodyweight.

Without a force sensor, find the heaviest load you can hang for 7 seconds on the same edge, and add it to your bodyweight. Compare yourself with yourself first. The full protocol is in How to test your finger strength.

How do you make a test repeatable?

Keep everything the same. A 2025 review of 15 studies found maximal finger strength tests highly reliable and recommended edges of about 20 to 23 mm. Keep these fixed:

a 20 mm edge in a half crimp,
the same device each time,
the same 10 to 15 minute warm-up,
rested fingers, the same time of day, no hard climbing the day before,
your bodyweight, so you can use a percentage.

What is the critical force test?

It is a 4-minute all-out test: one hand on a 20 mm edge, 7 seconds of maximal pull and 3 seconds of rest, 24 times, all-out every time. Critical force is the average force of your last few pulls. It averages about 41% of maximum in trained climbers.

Trust it for tracking change, not for setting loads. A 2026 study found it very consistent but higher than the classic method (122 N against 98 N), so set endurance loads a bit below what it reports. See The critical force test.

What is rate of force development, and how do you test it?

It is how quickly you reach high force. Start relaxed on the edge, then pull as hard and as fast as you can. The device records how steeply force rises at the start of the pull.

It matters on dynamic moves and catches. It needs a device that samples quickly and shows the force curve: research setups record at 200 samples per second or more. See Rate of force development.

How often should you test?

Every 4 to 8 weeks, ideally at the end of a training block and after a rest day. Testing more often mostly measures day-to-day variation. Log the date, edge, grip, bodyweight and device with each result.

Which tool do you need?

A crane scale is enough for a max pull number every month or two, if you are happy to rig a hold. For live feedback, the critical force test or rate of force development, you need a device that records every pull fast: an inline load cell or a force plate. The Tindeq Progressor and the Entralpi plate were both compared with a laboratory force platform. See Crane scale, Tindeq or force plate.

Train it with Entralpi

The Entralpi plate measures what leaves it when you hang from your own hangboard. The app has three tests: max strength, endurance and finger strength, one finger at a time. Take a test shows how to start one.

What each test measures explains the numbers. The app compares each skill with your own best, not with other climbers.