UKC

Inspired by the article on training apps in Summit magazine I down loaded the beastmaker app to my phone last week. I don't climb indoors during the summer and decided that this winter I might make an effort to do some finger boarding as I have a board at home I never use. I don't consider myself to have overly weak fingers having bouldered a few font 7c s now (grit and limestone) plenty of 7bs and loads of 7as (some onsight). With this in mind I selected the 'beasty 7a' level on the app (it goes from 5b to 7c) thinking this would be an injury free and gentle introduction to finger boarding.....I was so wrong! It starts with some 4 finger sloper hangs then the 3 finger drags which were both fine then 2 finger hangs. I felt my fingers were going to snap when I tried these and stopped before I hurt myself. Thinking I'd just made a poor choice I took a look at the 6a then the 5b workouts and these have 2 finger hangs on too!

Would you expect a beginner/font 5 climber to be able to do 2 finger hangs? And if the answer is yes then why do I feel like they are going to break my fingers!?

In reply to Somerset swede basher:

Your fingerz r weak bruv. I can do nuff pinky muscle upz innit.

In reply to Somerset swede basher:

I have had similar issues with the 2 finger hangs on the beastmaker app. I just swap them out for 3 finger pockets. I have also tried doing alternates with 2 fingers one hand and 3 on the other and switching every hang. Still feels pretty strenuous though so tend to shy away from them. Feels like a long slow build up would be necessary to do full 2 finger dead hangs.

In reply to Somerset swede basher:

Yes and no

The routines for the given grades are definitely WAY out. When I was bouldering/climbing 'well' a couple of years ago (7B/7c max), I couldn't complete the 7A routine. I've never been quite sure why it is this way - mainly I think because the BM boys wouldn't notice a 7A if it whacked them over the head. Maybe there's a bit of macho under grading involved too, or savvy marketing. I am convinced however that if you could complete the 7A set you'd be lapping outdoor 7As and reappointing at least 7c in the Peak.

The other issue of course is rapid gains/neuromuscular-adaptation, which BM *might* argue is taken account of in the grading. One definitely adapts quickly after a few sessions.

On the question of 2 finger hangs that depends I think. I can 2 finger dead hang even in a fat and weak state. It depends a lot on your relative finger lengths. For example my weakest pair is front two by miles. My back 2 is stronger.

Finally, the other issue is that the BM routines are power endurance oriented really, i.e. if you are unfit you will struggle relative to finger strength. For that reason Dave Macleod is critical of their routines in terms of maximal strength gains (as I understand it).

In reply to Brian Pollock:

I put my feet on the skirting board if I need to take weight off my fingers. Or hang from a knotted rope wit the other hand.

In reply to Stig:

I don't think I've ever needed the kind of strength you need for a 2 finger hang to do any problem I've done! But then again I've not done any problems that really require you to take your feet off except maybe Power Allowance at Stoney.

In reply to Somerset swede basher:

Yeah finger strength is just one link in the chain. And a relatively smaller one at that on grit. But then it's not exactly in BM's interests to say that!

Have you not tried/done Jerry's Traverse @ Cratcliffe? Pretty campus-y!

Another issue is weight/weight distribution. I am skinny/light but don't have a good ape index and am short. A tall person could have way better reach and levers but a lot more weight in their legs and still be a very good boulderer.

PS, loads of discussion on this on UKB

In reply to Somerset swede basher:

It does say this about the app on the Beastmaker site...

"Please note the grades for the workouts aren't actually meant to relate to anything other than themselves."

In reply to faffergotgunz:


Word.

In reply to Stig:

Fallen off it many times! Maybe I can use it as a measure of whether the finger boarding is making a difference.

In reply to 1poundSOCKS:

Ah, didn't read the website. Just the app

In reply to Somerset swede basher:

Interesting comments. I've fingerboarded once a week using the app since about April, starting on the 5B and have now managed to complete the 7A BM app routine. The hardest hold for me was the half crimp, could chisel easily, had been labouring under false assumptions that half crimping was dangerous. Sorted this out now.

You wouldn't mind suggesting some of the peak 7s that I should be able to lap now, don't often boulder and got a rare weekend in the peak coming up

In reply to Somerset swede basher:

For the relatively little it's worth (other than context), I'm nowhere near doing 7c (more like 6c), am about 20lbs overweight, but still find 2 finger hangs pretty easy, with either front or back 2 fingers. For more context, mostly climb crimpy limestone.

In reply to Willi Crater:

I can only assume that I must have phenomenal footwork then!

In reply to Somerset swede basher:
Or you're just really bad at pockets?

More seriously, if it's the whole session you struggle with then don't worry about it, I think the BM grades are a bit of fun rather than anything else.

If its just hanging pockets that you're bad at then you've found a weakness to get better at

In reply to abarro81:

Yeah, was fine with the rest of it. Its a bit bodged as I have a woodgrips board but I'm pretty sure I'm following roughly the same plan.

I'm amazed at the difference between fingers as well. I found that I'm way stronger front 2 than middle 2. Was also surprised at how much easier things felt by adding the pinky in after doing 3 finger hangs. I didn't think the pinky really added much before.

In reply to Somerset swede basher:

Being strong on front2 rather than middle2 is often a symptom of crimping too much. Training middle2 will make it easier for you to open-hand more holds, thus reducing your risk of injury (open handing puts lots less strain on your tendons), as well as making you beasty on pockets! Woo!

In reply to Somerset swede basher:


If you are trying to suggest that my footwork is abysmal, then I can only say that my wife entirely agrees.

In reply to Somerset swede basher:

I boulder about 6a outside, v4/5 indoor and I can do two finger hangs pretty comfortably.

That's on rock rings though, my beastmaker goes a little underused in a cold garage,don't know if it's a little kinder?

Technique and foot work is where I fall down horribly.

In reply to Kieran_John:


You're doing it wrong.