UKC

I only get to the wall once a week due to work, and so my Beastmaker 1000 has become my best friend over last couple of years. I use it 2-3 times per week depending on how much I actually get to climb. I use the app and seem to have consolidated on 6c session (did manage the 7a once - **** me!), and have come up with my own custom sessions of similar difficulty. 

Anyway, my question is: to crimp or not to crimp?

lots of the harder app sessions involve crimps (half or full) but there seems to be conflicting advice online; some saying you have to do it because it emulates real climbing, others saying it’s a short cut to injury.

I find crimps on  Beastmaker desperate but do them anyway. Should I persevere? 

Thanks 

Yes I’d say so. Personally I train half crimps and openhanded grip, have been on the fingerboard a lot recently due to a knee injury.

Why not train a half crimp grip when it’s the most effective on many real holds?

From what I’ve read the injury inducing factors are not merely using the crimp grip, but things like a finger slipping and shock loading the others, or people jumping up to make the initial hang seem easier.

Thanks. Yes, trying to focus on half crimp. Can just about get through 7x7sec hangs on the shallow edges; just worried about injury. Usually alternate between half crimp and chisel. Considering a different approach: doing increasing length hangs with longer rests. I’ll stick with it. Thanks again. 

whats the difference between half crimp an chisel?

Hi there, it doesn’t have your age on your profile. From my perspective at 58, I am trying to avoid injury, so I perservered with open handed. I’ve been on the 1000 for a few years and am trying to transition to the 2000.

it’s had two outcomes. First, I haven’t picked up any injuries fingerboarding. Second, the big advantage has been transfering open handed climbing to the outdoors, which i’ve found to be really positive. 

If however you’re loads younger, ignore all of the above (except the bit about climbing open-handed)

Hmm, now you ask, i’m not sure. The app does differentiate between chisel and half crimp. Assume the chisel is more open hand on those shallow lower edges. 

I’m 46 and no fingerboard injuries so far. Want to keep it that way. Using the 1000 has been such a positive experience and I actually look forward to using it. 

Except when a set of crimps is looming :-/

I think the full crimp is the one to avoid. The reason is twofold. First the first joint is being held not by strength but by the fact the you've reached that joint's end range of extension. Even more force is applied to the forefinger if you wrap your thumb over it. Secondly there is more strain your pulleys so there's more chance of rupturing one with repeated training in such a position.

With isometric training the best gains are closest the joint angle (or angles) trained. American climber Steve Maish reckons training in the open crimp is best because there should be some carry over to both open hand and closed crimp positions. Theoretically this makes sense though I don't know what, if any, research has been conducted to test this.

Most climbers tend to find full crimp a stronger position. But because of the potential for injury it's really good to train oneself to be strong open handed. If you can climb open handed for the most part I think that will be pretty beneficial and less likely to result in injury.

Personally I've always trained open handed on fingerboards. When my strength goes up on the fingerboard I feel stronger on rock generally and can climb harder, regardless of hold type. Though admittedly I combine fingerboard with other climbing like bouldering.

Thanks so much for taking time to reply; your advice is very much appreciated. Will avoid full crimp and train the half/open crimp in future. I note that that half crimp is used in the harder app sessions anyway. For now I will alternate between open hand and half crimp until I feel strong enough to do a full set. 

Yes. Crimps train crimps.
Open hand trains open hand.

You can't open hand everything and likewise you cannot crimp everything. In my experience the realisation of training both has been important and has had great benefit to both grip types. Afterall, you are training your finger strength (though obviously it helps condition the whole chain of anatomy connected to it), and both place distinctively different stresses on your fingers.