Do’s and Don’ts of Finger Strength Training

The foundation of any good climber’s skillset is strong fingers. Whether you are pushing the limits of climbing or just bouldering at your local spot, finger strength will always be the limiting factor. While climbing regularly is the best way to improve your finger strength, there are a number of ways to train your fingers while away from the wall. As with any type of training, there are right ways and wrong ways to do things. Fingers are a delicate group of muscles, tendons, and bones and must be treated as such. Here is our guide to help you build those delicate muscles.

Isotonic versus Isometric Exercises – Which one should you use?

Most general strength and conditioning training plans are composed of isotonic exercises. Isotonic exercises utilize the muscle or muscle groups normal contractions. Pull-ups are a great example of an isotonic exercise. Each muscle used while doing a pull up goes through a range of motion to strengthen it at different angles. This sort of exercise focuses on building up the muscle specifically for that type of motion.

Finger strength training for climbing requires isometric exercises. When climbing, fingers remain static while on a hold. Where isotonic exercises focus on building up muscles for movement, isometric exercises build up the muscles that help hold your body in place for extended periods of time. Strong fingers are ones that can hold weight for 5-10 seconds. It doesn’t sound like much, but 10 seconds with your entire body weight on a small crimp hundreds of feet off the ground is quite a feat. Training your fingers to be up to the task is a crucial part of being a climber of any skill level.

Truth About Grip Trainers

Grip trainers are a very convenient tool to help build finger strength but are not necessarily the best choice for climbers. Most grip trainers out there focus on isotonic exercises, which help build general strength, but are not as helpful when trying to build strength for long, static holds. When it comes to building strength for climbers, grip trainers are hit or miss.

There are lots of grip training devices available for purchase, but climbers can generally look past them. Things like the GripMaster or PowerFingers are great for injury prevention or rehab but won’t help build the strength necessary for climbers as they focus more on building strength in the lower forearms, rather than the finger themselves.

Best Ways to Build Your Finger Strength

One of the best and cheapest (dirtbags rejoice!) option to help build grip strength is a bucket filled with rice. The rice provides enough resistance to make hand movements difficult. There are a ton of exercises to do, including the Screaming Talon, where the hand is plunged into the bucket, then opened as wide as possible. Do a little research for more information on specific rice bucket workouts as there are a ton of exercise plans out there. YouTube is also a great source for how-to videos.

Outside of climbing as much as possible, the next best way to build up finger strength for climbing is a hangboard. Hangboards have a variety of differently sized holds to cater to levels of all abilities. They have been a crucial part of the climber’s training toolbox for many years and can easily be had for the monthly admission fee to your local gym.

Hangboards allow for climbers to train in a variety of hand positions. Full crimp (where the 2nd knuckle is above the first), half-crimp (where the 2nd knuckle is even with the first) and open hand (where the 2nd knuckle is below the first) can all be utilized when training with a hangboard.

Hangboards are an amazing tool for building finger strength. It is important to use proper technique and never train when injured. If anything feels off, stop immediately. Another major point to remember about hangboard training is to never overdo it. Overtraining can lead to chronic ailments like carpal tunnel and tendonitis. Improper use of a hangboard can very easily cause injury!

A proper beginner hangboard workout regiment is two days a week, with 48-72 hours of rest between sessions. Once you have developed a solid routine and feel good, it can be upped to three days per week. The best warmup for a hangboard workout is 10-15 minutes of easy bouldering or climbing, but that is not always an option. Some cardio, pull-ups, and stretching can easily take the place of a climbing based work out, however. As with most things, it’s always great to mix things up. Using different forms of fitness will only benefit your finger strength. Our bodies easily adjust to our daily workout routines.

For starters, begin your workout by with some pull-ups on a big, easy hold. Start with some basic pull-ups, then do several long, easy hangs. When ready, move on to shorter hangs on the most difficult holds. Once you have built up your strength, move on to a more difficult workout. There are tons of options out there, so make sure to pick one that best fits the type of climbing you do. Training for climbing in Utah is very different than training for the giant granite walls of Yosemite.

—

With a little focus, variety, and hard work your finger strength will build in no time. Stay active and ambitious. As always, happy climbing!