UKC

I got spanked, seriously the app took my trousers down and tanned my behind.
I don't boulder much, I climb at about 6c indoors and about the same ish on outside sport (I also climb trad but that seems less relevant) my best outdoor boulder is V4.

I tried the F5a program, there were at least two hangs I could not hold for more than a couple of seconds and couldn't repeat. I tried modifying them by adding a finger here or there or changing the hold but still didn't complete the program.

Crikey, I'm looking forward to being able to complete it and don't mind an aspirational program but had expected to fly through the 5A program as a bit of a sighter.

Not sure if I'm asking a question or simply sharing my experience; maybe I'm looking for reassurance or similar experiences.

In reply to puppythedog:
Surely the worst case scenario here is that you're pretty good at climbing despite having feeble fingers? In which case, having a fingerboard and a training programme means that before long you'll be pretty good at climbing and have fingers of steel...

If anything, it'd be more worrying to cruise through all the fingerboard routines, because then you'd have to go back to the drawing board and figure out some other way of getting better...

In reply to Ramblin dave: Cheers for the post Dave. I am not worried about being week in the fingers nice reframe that I must be alright at climbing.

I would be gutted if I spent £1.49 and could do it all so I guess I get more than my money's worth.

In reply to puppythedog: Is it Android?

In reply to weakdave: I've got the iOs one, I don't know if it is android.

In reply to puppythedog:

I climb at the same level as you mate and found the exact same thing with the beastmaker app.

I know I have pretty weak fingers but I think the app is largely to blame, take a look at the F6C level and the workout is largely the same as the F5A.

The problem being is how do you progress if you can't hang the holds for more than a second or two? What I've decided to do is use a pulley to take some weight off. Starting at 18kg off with the aim of reducing the weight by 1kg each week.

Monday is the start of the programme, would love to hear from you to see how you are progressing, if only for a bit of competitive motivation!

In reply to Tru:

I had heard that hanging the holds for a couple of seconds is enough to provoke a training response?

In reply to joel182:

I don't have a sources to back this up but my fear would be that this approach would lead to injury.

In reply to joel182:

Needs to be longer than 1 though!

In reply to Tru:
I must be looking at a different beastmaker app if the 5A and the 6C level looks largely the same.
Beastmaker 1000
5A, jugs, 4 finger shallow open hand, 3 finger deep, mid 2 finger deep, 4 finger medium in half crimp, sloper (20 degree)
6C, sloper (one hand on 20, one on 40), 4 finger medium in half crimp, 3 finger shallow, mid 2 finger (one hand deep, the other shallow), 4 finger crimp, front 2 finger deep.

I have to admit that I get my backside kicked everytime that I do the beastmaker workout, but I do what I have to do to improve each time.

In reply to puppythedog:
I've found this as well I boulder at about 6C and can barely do the 5a one. I cant say I know anyone climbing 5A that can do a two finger hang...

In reply to puppythedog:
Just persevere mate. I use/used a short step ladder when I first started using the app but kept to the program and could only just complete it. Assuming you are keen and train a couple of times a week you will notice big gains initially and can then do start to do away with the assistance. The ladder is still useful once you progress as the two digit hangs on shallow pockets are a real step up.
On the plus side once you can complete the 5a program without assistance you will probably be capable of climbing 7b.
cheers

In reply to puppythedog: haven't got an iphone so could someone post up the training plan on here please. I'd like to have a try

Cheers

In reply to puppythedog:

Is the app just a list of hangs to do? Or do you get some extra value/feedback? e.g. can you tell it which ones you were successful/failed on, how much weight you added/subtracted and have it tailor your next session to that? I suspect not the latter but that would be a really great tool!

Unfortunately I don't have an iphone or android so can't try it. Any idea if there's a windows phone version in the pipeline? Or just a web-based version? My pc is near my board so that would work fine for me. I'm happy to pay/subscribe if it turns out to be useful...

In reply to ashley1_scott:

4 finger hang on a 10mm edge for a Font 5A climber! It's hardly a gradual progression curve between 5A to 6C is it?

Maybe I am just really weak?

In reply to puppythedog: Looks like there's only an IOS version at the moment. May have to grab the wife's ipod and give it a go.

Depending on how long the hangs are I could probably do both of those (The 5A and 6C) and I climb about the same grades as you.

My technique is clearly just horrendous.

In reply to Kieran_John: There are about 18 sets in the first program, hangs for 7 seconds with 3 seconds recover. Six different hands done three times.

I cannot hang the small edge repeatedly, can maybe hang it a couple of times for a couple of seconds but as part of the exercise regime in it's totality. I find thte two finger pockets tough too.

On a climbing wall i can use mono's and I'm happy on two finger pockets on overhanging ground but it is beasting me at present. I am being super careful thought because of having had tweeks in the past nad having amild soreness in a couple of fingers.

In reply to puppythedog: It might be related to your weight maybe? I think I am at about the same level as you are but have no problem with the deadhangs you describe. But I am at 10 stones, that probably helps.

In reply to drolex: I'm only 11 stone for my 5'9" hight. I think I'm just weak

In reply to puppythedog: I'm about 11 stone at 5'5" (Ok, just under, 10stone 12 at the moment). Keep at them and you'll get better.

Ok, you'll get better at fingerboarding but if you're still a clumsy bugger with no balance it might not help much on the wall

In reply to Kieran_John:

>My technique is clearly just horrendous.

If you can hang a doorframe one-handed (which is what I'm gathering the 5a app amounts to) and you can only climb French 6b+ then yes, either your technique is absolutely appalling or you have an absolute maximum of only one leg, which you would probably have mentioned. Either way I can assure you that working your finger strength is not going to be addressing your weakness!

jcm

In reply to johncoxmysteriously: half a doorframe edge with both hands, all four fingers per hand. maybe a bit less than half a doorframe.

In reply to puppythedog: I can hang a dorframe comfortabley and can't hang the edge on the Beastmaker.

In reply to puppythedog: Another thing I have noticed yesterday: I am apparently a lot stronger when I do things without thinking about them. I suddenly realized I was able to stick with one hand on a sloper while climbing although I was sure I couldn't do the same thing hovering only 4 feet above the ground when training (too afraid of falling!). I then tried again during the pull-up session, and miracle, I could do it.

Funny how your (and I mean "my") brain works.