UKC

I use the Beastmaker on average once a week, doing 9 sets of deadhangs (each set is 6 reps of 7 secs on 3 secs off) on different holds. I am usually wasted by the end. Trouble is I've been doing this about a year, and not improving much. If I have any break from climbing i then really struggle to do this exercise.

Any tips what i'm doiing wrong, how to improve faster or other good exercises? Particularly interested how to use BM to improve stamina?

Thanks

Mark

In reply to Mark Warnett:

Hey there

I got mine recently. No expert by any means, just read all the online stuff and experimenting myself. But perhaps you can try upping the amount of nights per week you're on it. Once a week doesn't seem a lot. I've heard the 'little and often' motto with regards to finger strength. Might be worth taking down the intensity of each session and doing it some/most nights instead.

As for endurance, I guess you can simulate hanging onto a juggy route by moving around the holds till failure. I would just go and clip bolts or do bouldering traverses/circuits to gain this. Keeping in mind that while finger strength takes a long time to build, stamina comes in weeks with regular training.

God I've been reading too much Dave Mac :o :o Best of luck

In reply to Mark Warnett:

Download there app or digit trainer from the app store. all the help you need

In reply to Mark Warnett:

Digit trainer is a great app

Also vary the holds you use rather and do pull ups as well as all kinds of hangs.

In reply to Mark Warnett: so your doing repeaters then?? I have never seen much improvement with regards to strength with repeaters its a much more stamina focused exercise in my eyes, ive found dead hangs, or pullups with added weight have helped hugely! max weight so its a struggle to hang the holds for 10 seconds! or if doing pullups, no more than 4. adding weight when it becomes easier! have found my fingerstrength has increased dramatically!

In reply to sihills:

Thanks for tips. Sihills that sounds promising. What is the difference between a dead hang and repeater? Deadhang is for as long as long can hang on?

In reply to Mark Warnett: a deadhang is litterally just hanging the hold, what your doing are repeaters, so hanging the same hold, over and over again for a certain amount of time with a small amout of rests for a certain amount of reps! i tend to deadhang for maximum amount of time and then have a longish rest, or do pullups to failure, and by adding weight means i limit the amount of each I can do, stressing the fingers more and hopefully forcing them to imrpove quicker.

In reply to sihills: That sounds like a good excuse to get my rack out for training! cheers

In reply to Mark Warnett:

"I've been doing this about a year, and not improving much."

How are you measuring 'improvement'? Your grades aren't improving? You can't dead hang more than previously?

Why do you fall off when climbing?

Maybe finger strength/endurance is not your limiting factor?

In reply to Mark Warnett: Hey there...

Iv'e used the beastmakers alot especially recently and as mentioned before once a week might not be enough. Once a week may keep you at a stable level where you don't decrease in strength, but you certainly wont improve at a great and noticeable rate. Instead I'd recommend using the fingerboard a minimum of two times a week.
However you may also be becoming conditioned to the usual sets of repeaters you do too, so mixing up what you do will also be important. Give changing the degree your arms ago as this will increase the intensity. (Good tips for this can be found on the beastmaker website.) You can also change around the fingers you use while dead hanging e.g. If your hanging off your middlefinger and ring finger try you index and middle finger.

Furthermore you could do deadhangs one session and do a more personalised session the next time you use the board. Here is a basic 20 minute workout for individuals are around beginner/intermediate level. However this is for the Metolius fingerboard so just change it up so your using the holds on the beastmaker 1000 or 2000 to make it harder.

Hope this is some sort of help and I haven't chatted to much shit!

Links:
Metolius: http://www.metoliusclimbing.com/training_giude_simulator.html (Also has good info you may find useful)

Beastmaker: http://www.beastmaker.co.uk/pages/training

http://www.trainingforclimbing.com/new/articles.shtml
(Good website for fingerboard training and general climbing aspects! E.g. It mentions pyramid schemes etc.)

Jim.

Thanks all; i'll try upping the intensity and frequency + reduce session length