Training for Climbing, 2nd: The Definitive Guide to Improving Your Performance (How To Climb Series)

recovery period. Select a different pair of holds and begin a second set of Repeaters. You may need a different amount of weight around your waist for this new grip position. Rest again for three to five minutes, and then begin a third set of Repeaters using a different set of holds. Continue alternating sets of Repeaters with rest periods for a total of five to ten sets.

     
    Table 7.3 Sample Fingerboard Repeater Workout
     

     
    Figure 7.1 Fingerboard Pyramid Training
     

FINGERBOARD PYRAMIDS
     
    According to the Principle of Variation, it’s beneficial to regularly vary your fingerboard training. The pyramid method is a good alternative for training maximum grip strength. Using the same pair of holds, progress through the full seven-step pyramid shown in figure 7.1. After a three-minute rest, perform another pyramid on a different set of holds. Ideally, you want to work all the primary grip positions (as in doing repeaters) over the course of seven to fifteen full pyramid sets. Limit yourself to only a three-minute rest between sets. Use smaller holds or add weight to your body if this regimen seems less than maximum (the last few steps of each pyramid should be difficult to execute).
HEAVY FINGER ROLLS
     
    Todd Skinner turned me on to this exercise back in 1990, and I’ve since become a true believer. Muscular gains from this exercise are reasonably quick and obvious, and they seem to translate fairly well to climbing despite the obvious lack of specificity to climbing. Todd credited these finger rolls for some of his most significant gains in finger strength since he first picked up on this exercise from a couple of Soviet climbers he met on the World Cup circuit in 1987.
    The Soviet climbers claimed that heavy finger rolls produce measurable gains in forearm circumference (a sign of muscle hypertrophy), whereas strength gains from fingerboard or campus training are primarily the result of neurological adaptations. This statement seems reasonable, because the heavy finger rolls cause repeated, high-intensity eccentric and concentric contractions of the forearm muscles. Therefore, pairing up heavy finger rolls with a reactive training exercise may produce the synergistic gains that have been shown to result from such complex training (see page 92).
    Performing these heavy finger rolls is quite simple and requires twenty to thirty minutes. You will need access to a set of free weights and a bench-press bar with ball-bearing sleeves—maybe the only good reason for a climber to join a health club. A squat rack is also essential as your “spotter.”
    The body position for this exercise is critical to reduce strain on the lower back, elbows, and wrists. Stand with good posture and hold the bar (palms away) in front of your thighs. Focus on keeping a slight bend at your knees, elbows, and hips. The motion of the finger curl is only the few inches from the open-hand position to the closed-hand position. Ideally you want to lower the bar as far as possible without it falling from your hand—perform the exercise over a squat rack so that it will catch the weight should it slip from your fingers.
    As far as weight is concerned, it must be heavy! Maximum-strength training demands the use of an appropriately heavy weight that only allows you three to ten very intense repetitions. While finger rolls with a “light” weight (such as thirty- or forty-pound dumbbells) may pump you up, they are ineffective for developing maximum finger strength. After a warm-up set with the bar weighted to about 50 percent of your body weight, the goal is three to six heavy sets with a rest of at least three minutes between sets. A weight about equal to your body weight is a good first guess for a working weight. Add more weight if you can do more than six reps; remove it if you can’t do at least three repetitions per set. With practice, you should be able to build to 150 percent of body weight.

     
    Performing heavy finger rolls with squat rack as “spotter.”
     

    A few other suggestions: Never train the heavy finger rolls more than twice a week and, in accordance with the Principle of Variation, cycle on and off this exercise every few weeks. Also, tape the base of your fingers and consider placing a few turns of 1.5-inch tape around your wrist when your working weight is greater than your body weight. Focus on keeping your wrists nearly straight throughout—you are not doing wrist curls! Finally, take a week or two off at