UKC

Been climbing for about a year, mostly indoors and about once a week (work & family permitting...). Leading 5+ easily, 6a sometimes, and a very rare 6b (unless it's on a slab, when I usually succeed)

Finger and grip strength seems to be the biggest weakness at the moment. What's the best way to build up this area? (other than climbing more often)

In reply to steveliput:

bouldering.
bouldering will give you power and strength you want for fingers.
don't stick to the holds you like eg pinch,slopers.
train your weakest holds but when you put it in a boulder problem you will really notice the results

In reply to steveliput:
Getting a fingerboard and using it will increase finger strength.

More importantly, technique is probably a lot more important than anything else until you are at least in the 7's. Its likely that a few hours with a coach to work on movement will do more for your climbing than buying a fingerboard!

In reply to ilovetoclimb:

technique can certainly improve, but I also think the fingers are just a bit weak as some holds I just have no chance on

guess I need to try and fit in a few extra bouldering sessions

In reply to ilovetoclimb:
Failing strength of the fingers is often the reason of falling off, thus it's often blamed for why you fell off. But in a lot of cases it was the last straw in a series of events that led to falling. So I'm inclined to agree with ilovetoclimb here.

Bouldering will only help if you can do it more than the once a week you climb. Get a fingerboard and use it - ehphasis on the last bit, so many people buy one and never use it, look up on the net to find structured exercises.

On the other hand it's known that grip strength takes a long time to develop - sometimes frustratingly long. Use your situation as a way to turn things round and ask "how hard can I climb with my present level of finger strength?" Look to tactics and technique, they'll be of more benefit at your current grades.

In reply to steveliput:

At the grades you are climbing strength should not be a major issue and you will get more benefit by trying to climb in a better style. As your technique develops so will your strength but at a slower rate which is good for your muscles. Finger boards, campus boards and to some extent serious bouldering will increase the chance of injury unless you take it very steady.

In reply to steveliput:

This worked for me . . .

youtube.com/watch?v=7b05pf9Dqnw&

In reply to LaMentalist:



just so wrong and yet hilarious.

In reply to steveliput:

Ignore the people telling you to get a fingerboard. After climbing for only one year you will most likely just get injured and the time would be better spent climbing. The gains from an additional session bouldering each week would be much more plentiful than the gains from fingerboarding.

Think about the smallest hold you need to pull on at 6a+, generally they're all pretty big and positive. Even at 6b+ the holds are generally good (particularly on steep walls). Fingerboarding might improve your ability to hold tiny crimps, and will certainly help you get injured, but the improvements in technique from bouldering will be far more beneficial.

After climbing a year your footwork is probably not the best, you may not understand use of momentum and body positioning, or your route tactics may not be up to much, and a combination of these things is much more likely to hold you back so I suggest you concentrate on these first before trying to supplement your training with tools such as fingerboards.