Strengthening Fingers and Back

[Jean-Paul]

The single most important thing for a climber should be finger strength. No matter how strong is your back, how good your feet or how great is your endurance... if you can´t hold on to the holds you can´t climb the route. This usually becomes more truthful when you start pulling really hard on small to medium holds in overhangs. Once you are able to hold on to the holds you have to pull on them and if your back and arms are not strong enough you will not climb the route...

Introduction

The best training for climbing is climbing. This article is intended to be used as a tool to strengthen your fingers, back and arms ONLY if you are NOT a novice climber -if you are a novice climber (have climb up to 5.8) the best thing you can do for your fingers is climb-. When you don´t have time to go out and climb the best thing you can do is some finger & back/arm strength training.
To gain finger strength is a very slow process, it may take months, this is because the gain in finger strength occurs when the tendons and pulleys of your fingers get stronger. Now probably you are wondering... what are tendons and pulleys? Well, the tendons are like small flat cords that run from the tip of each of your fingers to the base (knuckles) of the fingers and continue to the wrist and so on... they are the ones that you use to move your fingers. The tendons are useless without the pulleys. The pulleys are the fibers that keep the tendon attached to the bones of your fingers. To better explain what a pulley is try to imagine your hand naked to the bones, then imagine the tendons running from the tip of the finger to the wrist. If you want to bend your index finger to a “C” position you will have to pull on the tendon, but if this tendon is only attached to the knuckles and the finger tip when you pull on it the bones of the finger will make a “C” shape but the tendon will still be running from the tip of the finger to the knuckles making of the whole finger look something like a bow. This does not happen because of the pulleys that are like rings that run beneath the skin, over the bone and over the tendon between every single joint of the fingers.

The tendons and pulleys are not like muscles that can very easily increase of size, they take longer periods of times to strengthen than muscles. If you don´t give yourself and your fingers enough time to build strength you will end up injured. The most efficient way to climb harder is not getting stronger but acquiring a better technique and mental control. The best way to strengthen your fingers as fast as possible is to reduce the quantity of climbing per week so that you are able to increase the quantity of finger training. This may decrease the strength on your back and arms and this is the reason why we are going to mix Finger Strength training with Back and Arm Strength training in this article.


Theoretical Basics


Isometric Strength: This is the type of strength required by your fingers in climbing. This means that you will hold an static position with your tendons and ligaments for a period of time (just like when you grab a hold and hold the position while the other hand goes for the next one.)
Dynamic Strength: This is the type of strength required by your arms, shoulders, back and almost all your body in climbing. When you move a part of your body and at the same time you are supporting a load with this part you are using dynamic strength.
The Different Positions: (This concept is an adaptation of “The joint angle variance theory” by Neil Gresham) When you climb you find a huge variety of holds that each require a different angle on the joint. You have to train every single angle because the strength in one angle does not translate to other angles. This is the reason why some people can pull really hard on pockets but can´t pull in small crimps or slopers.
The Progressive Method: To train your fingers you have to do it in a progressive manner. This is very important, you have to start with big to medium holds (depending on ability) and make them smaller as you get stronger... do not attempt to train on very small ones from the beginning. The correct way to do it is to start with a hold on which you can hang between 3-12 seconds. No more than 12 seconds (the hold is too big if you can hold more than 12 seconds) and no less than 3 seconds (the hold is too small if you can´t hold on it for 3 seconds). As you get stronger you will be able to decrease the size of the holds and still be able to hold on it for at least 3 seconds.
Stronger Fingers = Less Injuries: If you train on the whole variety of holds (Yes... including small crimps and pockets!) you will be less susceptible to injuries. At the beginning of climbing the myth that: “to train on pockets and crimps increases the risk of injuries” perpetuated quite well. This last sentence is not true! What actually happens is that we get injured at the crag on this holds because we do not train on them. If we train on them in a progressive manner we will get stronger and less injure susceptible fingers!
Stronger Back/Arms = Worst technique: Do not fall into this trap. Always try to work your way up the route with your feet. Be smart. Some people thinks that the only way to climb harder is to get stronger. This is only truth for the experienced high level Professional 5.13+ climber because he already has all the technique honed!. For the average climber is really good to train the Finger & Back Strength because once this training is incorporated on his regular training he will be able to start the slow progress of getting stronger Tendons and Pulleys. Supposing that to get stronger tendons and pulleys will take 3-5 years (to do a one finger/only finger tips pull up) you can say that you will also have enough time to build a really good technique. By the end of this time period you may have the tendons, the technique and the mental focus to climb 5.13 but to do this you have to start your finger training now!