UKC

Been slowly phasing in some fingerboard training on a Beastmaker recently. Keeping it relativly easy to start and planing to build it up. (2or3 sets of repeaters twice a week)

However, noticed a bit of a twinge around my right elbow when deadhanging on the 35deg slopers.

Anyone had any experience with this? Is it a case of just getting stronger on the hold or does it indicate a bigger problem. Never had any climbing injurys before and plan to avoid one if possible.

Any advice appriciated,

Pete

In reply to Pete-West88:

I would be very, very cautious if you're experiencing any elbow pain and would suggest backing off that hold immediately. Search this site for elbows and you'll see how they can turn into a long-term inflammation and hold you back a lot more than relative weakness on the 35s.

There was a good recent article on UKC for antagonist exercises for elbows - worth searching it out and doing some of them as precautionary measures.

Fingerboarding is highly repetitive so if your arm position is wrong or tweaking your tendons, it will do it repeatedly.
Twice a week maybe seems a bit much if it's your first experience of fingerboarding. Maybe you've been building up too fast, even though your perception is that it's gradual. Back off to once a week, make sure you only do a few weeks at a time. Fingerboard for a few weeks, climb normally for a while, fingerboard again.

Don't want to be overly negative, but you definitely want to avoid any elbow problems. Listen to your body or you end up plagued with injuries like me and lots of other climbers I know!

In reply to RockSteady:

Thanks for the advice man. kind of confirmed my own thoughts. Its not full on pain but I can feel it tweeking, so as you say the repetative nature could turn it into a problem. Perhaps I need to sort my form out a bit.

Know the article you mean so will have a look at that.

I used to be an advocate of training for climbing by climbing. But a plateau made want to try out some specific stuff. Not the best start eh

In reply to Pete-West88:

Hi Pete,

apart from @RockSteady already said (antagonists) I would add that stretching the "hurting spot" might be helpful. A friend of mine completely sorted out his elbow pain by proper stretching the elbow/+surrounding tendons/+surrounding muscles ... mostly after the training (some people say immediately after the training, some say half an hour later) and generally during the day.

adam

Hey Pete,

I also discovered pain in elbows while trainning. I purchased the Flexbar, and do lot of cold-hot treatment, it helps but you need to be careful, ontherwise you will destroy your elbows. Warm up is the key aswell.

Hope this helps:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=6156

In reply to Pete-West88:

i do a thorough warm up first which amongst others, includes lots of press ups, and a complete 5a or 5b set (on the beast maker 1000) of repeaters before heading on to the harder circuits or the 2000. i've also worked on shoulder and elbow position for each hold to make sure no joints are ever stretched out straight. Hard to do when you're getting tired, but well worth it.
the 35 degree sloper is nails to hold, so its important not to over-grip which can cause problems (esp to us over 50s!)
Hope the elbow prob clears up. When i had it, I found press ups sorted the issue, can't guarantee for you, but worth a try.

In reply to Pete-West88:
PS, at least 30-40 mins for the warm up at this time of year

In reply to paul_in_cumbria:

Compared to your warm up mine looks as useful as sticking my hands in the freezer! I've only been doing a few hangs on the big slots and a few token squeezes of a gripmaster.

Thanks for all the good advice guys, looks like the problem can be adressed with a propper warm up, better form and more after training care/stretching.

Glad I consulted the UKC brain trust after the first niggle, should hopefully be able to avoid any real problem developing.

As others have suggested, I would stop with the finger board, get the injury diagnosed properly, then treat it accordingly. I've had both tennis and golfers elbow on the same arm and it's taken about 10 months to sort it out, and by all accounts that's quick.
My feeling is when it does start improving to just rely on your regular climbing to improve the strength, until all signs of pain or twinges have gone, before you start on the finger board again.

In reply to Pete-West88:

Listen to Rocksteady's advice. Having had numerous tendon injuries to the inside and outside of both elbows, and keyhole surgery on my left, I am now unable to straighten my left arm fully. This reduces my reach and is also annoying. I did used to train on a fingerboard regularly.

I can't be certain that the fingerboard caused the injuries, but I'm 99% sure that the gain in finger strength was not worth the damage done in the long term.

If you are gonna use it then I would do so with expert guidance.