Are Most Climbers Getting Fingerboard Training Wrong? (Part II)

Reading online training forums can be confusing and frustrating for both the trained and untrained climber. There’s a wide range of opinions (some more informed than others) about optimal surfaces, edge depths, work/rest ratios, weight progressions, workout timing, and whether beginners should even be pursuing finger training. However, the biggest problem I see in these discussions is the assumption that “finger training” means one thing.

For most climbers, certainly the trained ones, finger training has tended to mean doing weighted hangs on a 20mm edge for either 7 or 10 seconds. But most finger strength training research uses 22-25mm edges, and these edge depths, especially the 25mm, make more sense for recruitment than smaller edges. But does being able to complete some monumental hang weight—regardless of edge size—justify its use? I don’t think so. By focusing purely on adding more weight to their weighted hangs, most climbers put too much value on the exercise instead of the adaptation that will actually improve their climbing.

Furthermore, many of these fingerboard loyalists also shout as loud as possible online about how their type of finger training is dangerous for beginners. Of course, using a fingerboard like they use it might be. But their statements betray a limited understanding of how strength training creates adaptations. (Don’t know what that means? Check out part 1 of this series.) 

The fact is: 

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