Making moves at the very limit of my abilities is what excites me in climbing. And where am I most limited? My fingers. The 8 digits at the extremities of my body have to work in concert to maintain contact with the rock so the bigger muscles in my body can propel me upwards (or sideways, I'm not adverse to a traverse.)
I love fingerboarding. The gains in strength are so clear, a hold that you could barely grip two weeks ago becomes a hold you can hang for a few seconds, becomes a hold you can pull on, becomes a rest. To me, as my fingers get stronger the holds feel physically bigger!
The routine I follow on the fingerboard lasts about an hour and is a combination of the thoughts of Rich Simpson (see here ) and the Beastmaker lads (see here). The Simpson plan I followed in the summer and after a couple of weeks was climbing Font7b fairly consistently (then I sprained my ankle!) and the Beastmaker advice on 4, 3 and 2 finger pairings I was following when I climbed the Terrace in November.
Here's my routine:
Each set= Three, 6 second hangs. Resting two minutes between each.
Each set= Three, 6 second hangs. Resting two minutes between each.
Dead hang on front three fingers open handed. (Hold 3)
Dead hang on back three fingers open handed. (Hold 5)
Dead hang on front two fingers open handed. (Hold 2)
Dead hang on middle two fingers open handed. (Hold 5)
Dead hang on back 2 fingers open handed. (Hold 2)
Dead hang on small sloper.
Rest 5 Mins.
Dead hang open handed. (Hold 4)
Single arm hang on 1st joint edge, decrease resistance if required until hang can be completed. (Hold 2)
Hang for 6 seconds; repeat 3 sets for each arm, resting 1 minute between hangs on alternative arms.
Splitting my digits is particularly relevant to my current goals as the routes in Mallorca I aspire to climb will undoubtedly feature some variations of pockets. Thanks to the Beastmaker lads for opening my eyes to the joys of back two dead hangs. I might even buy one of their boards!
A few more weeks of this session and I'll feel confident slapping to the shallowest of pockets knowing that, if my feet lose contact, I can hang in there, chalk up and pull through to a bigger hold! Or kick my legs desperately at the wall until I actually shake myself off. Either way, I'm going to be loving the pockets.
A few more weeks of this session and I'll feel confident slapping to the shallowest of pockets knowing that, if my feet lose contact, I can hang in there, chalk up and pull through to a bigger hold! Or kick my legs desperately at the wall until I actually shake myself off. Either way, I'm going to be loving the pockets.
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