If you've ever climbed a climbing wall for a few moments, you've probably already felt your forearms stiffen under the strain. Climbing requires, among other things, strength, precision and endurance. To reach new heights and climb harder, training on a Climbing hangboard can quickly become essential. THE hangboardClimbing boards, also called climbing training boards or bars, allow you to improve your strengths and weaknesses, and progress faster while reducing the risk of injury. Here's what you'll learn in this article:
  • The Benefits of Climbing Specific Training
  • How to choose the right training exercise according to my goals?
  • Why train on a Climbing hangboard ?
  • How to train on a Climbing hangboard to climb better?
  • Is there a miracle exercise to progress very quickly in climbing?

    The Benefits of Climbing Specific Training

    Climbing-specific training involves performing targeted, deliberate exercises to improve key skills needed for climbing. This can include improving strength, endurance, technique, mobility, mental strength, or even specific muscles. These exercises can be made by climbing or using tools such as hangboards climbing and keeping your feet on the ground.

    Not everyone needs to train, it depends on your practice. Training is not a goal in itself, it is a powerful tool for progression. If you have long-term climbing goals, if you want to be a good climber in all styles or if you If you want to prevent injuries more easily, specific training may be the solution.

    The benefits of targeted training are multiple. First, it offers measurable results, because you focus on specific areas of your physical condition. This allows you to track your progress and see concrete improvements.
    Another advantage is the time saving. Unlike climbing sessions that follow one another and are similar, a targeted training session can be short but effective, which also leaves you more time for fun climbing. A person who does 4 big sessions per week with the same goal of chaining harder blocks in each session, can progress less quickly in strength than you who only do 2 sessions per week but with in parallel a precise, short and effective training. This also avoids the fatigue of long sessions and allows you to maintain a better life balance.
    Finally, targeted training reduces the risk of injury by working on specific areas that may be weak points, such as the shoulders, elbows or wrists. This allows you to improve your strength and endurance with less risk of injury, which is crucial for sustainable progress.

    To summarize:

    • Training works! The training specific to climbing allows you to measure progress and target specific skills.
    • Training can be a time saver: Short but effective workouts allow you to climb more for fun.
    • Reduced risk of injury: By strengthening weak areas, you reduce the risk of fatigue-related injuries.


    How to choose the right training exercise according to my goals?

    To choose the right training exercise for your goals, it is important to understand the key elements that define each exercise. These are the type of exercise, the volume, and the intensity. These three criteria help determine whether this exercise will help you achieve your goals, whether it's improving your strength, endurance, mobility or climbing technique.
    • Type of exercise : Think about what you want to improve. If you want to improve your pulling strength, it is better to do low repetitions with maximum weight and a lot of rest time. If it is rather endurance that you are aiming for, there will be more repetitions and less rest time but you will also have to be less weighted. Flexibility and technique can also be types of exercises to work on for your goals.
    • Volume: Volume refers to the total number of reps, sets, or time spent training. High volume may indicate an emphasis on endurance, while lower volume with heavier weights may be focused on strength.
    • Intensity: Intensity measures the level difficulty of each exercise. To build strength, you can add weight. To increase endurance, you maintain a medium intensity but lengthen the exercise time.
    When choosing exercises, keep your goals in mind. To progress, find the balance between these three elements and try to integrate these exercises into a thoughtful and balanced routine. This is called a training program or plan. A good program must be adaptable, taking into account your level, your current fitness level and your aspirations.


    Why train on a Climbing hangboard ?

    There Climbing hangboard is a real Swiss Army knife for any climber because it is an excellent way to develop all the physical qualities of what keeps you attached to the walls: your fingers, arms and back. Here are some reasons why training on a hangboard may be beneficial:
    • Best in all respects: The hangboard allows you to work on finger strength, but also on endurance and resistance. It is one of the most effective tools for this and you just have to hang on them.
    • Targeting weaknesses: The hangboard allows you to work on different types of grip which can help you be a better climber in different climbing styles, but also to reduce the risk of injury.
    • Intensity Control: You can adjust the difficulty of the exercises according to your progress by using elastic bands or a pulley system. This also makes the training more hangboard accessible to all levelx.
    • Practicality: With a hangboard At home, you can train anytime and easily.
    Overall, training on a Climbing hangboard helps you effectively improve the majority of skills that keep you hanging. Plus, you can be really specific in your exercises and progress at your own pace.

    How to train on a Climbing hangboard to climb better?

    Below are some exercise ideas. depending on your level and your goals, but first some basic rules to train as best as possible on a Climbing hangboard:

    • Warm-up: Before you begin, make sure you warm up properly, just like you would before a climbing session. Just tighten different holds with full hands without hanging on them is a good start. Then gradually intensify your suspensions by taking your time. This prepares your muscles and joints and reduces the risk of injury.
    • Avoid arches: It is advisable to stay on holds stretched or semi-arched to protect the finger joints.
    • Start easy: Don't rush into the most difficult exercises. Start with hanging with your feet on the floor or using a chair to take some of your weight off.
    • Using elastic bands: To lighten the weight supported by your fingers and increase the duration of the suspensions without overloading, use elastic bands. This allows you to adapt the resistance and progress at your own pace without risking injury.
    • Recovery: After each session, take some time to recover. This can include light stretching or simply resting to allow your muscles to regenerate.

    Exercise ideas on hangboard

    • For beginners

    If you are starting climbing, what you need most is to learn and understand the gestures related to the practice: proprioception, foot placement, resting positions, clipping quickdraws. Climbing efficiently will make you progress very quickly at first! But at some point the progress on this point will be slower and you can then think about starting to improve your physique. Here is a simple exercise that allows you to gradually improve your level climbing:
        1. Choice of holds: Choose some holds wide enough to hold comfortably for at least 10 seconds. Feel free to take the weight off with an elastic band if needed.
        2. Exercise Execution: Do 3-5 repetitions of 10-second hangs with 1 minute of rest between each.
        3. Progression: Increase the hang time or decrease the size of the holds. You can perform this exercise 1 to 2 times a week.
      • For experienced climbers

      Exercise "Max Finger Strength":

        1. Choice of holds: Choose a 10 to 20 mm deep strip on which you can hang for about 10 seconds. If you can hold on longer, you can add ballast. The closer the strip is to 10 mm, the more we will work specifically on the holding of small holdsThe closer it is to 20mm, the more it will work. Grip strength on a wider variety of holds.
        2. Exercise Execution: Perform 4 to 8 holds of 6 to 8 seconds each, taking at least 3 minutes of rest between each hold to allow your muscles to recover.
        3. Do this exercise at most twice a week.


      Exercise "Max Force Pull-ups"

      Do three to five sets of weighted pull-ups for maximum 6 to 8 repetitions before progressing in load. Perform this exercise a maximum of 2 times per week.

      Exercise Forearm endurance work:

      1. Choice of holds : Select some holds which allow you to hold comfortably for more than 20 seconds with both hands.
      2. Execution of the exercise: Alternate 20 seconds of two-handed hanging with 40 seconds of rest. Repeat this sequence as many times as possible, not to exceed 6 to 7 minutes in total.
      3. Organization of the session: Do 2-3 rounds of this sequence, with a long break of 5-7 minutes between each round. The effective work volume should be between 2-7 minutes.
      4. Progress: To increase the intensity, move to 30 seconds of hanging followed by 30 seconds of rest. For the more experienced, try 40 seconds of hanging followed by 20 seconds of rest to increase forearm pump.

          Is there a miracle exercise to progress very quickly in climbing?

          There is no miracle exercise to progress very quickly in climbing. What works for some will not necessarily be effective for others. The key is a balanced and diversified approach. It is important to understand your own needs and limitations, and to have a training that matches your goals. Effective climbing training is based on perseverance, variety of exercises, and adaptation to your own abilities and weaknesses.

          Conclusion

          To optimize your climbing performance, training on hangboard is a key tool. The variety of exercises allows you to target specific skills like finger strength, upper body power, and endurance. By following a thoughtful and structured training, you can measure your progress and adjust your exercises according to your goals.
          To get the most out of training on hangboard, plan your sessions carefully and focus on quality over quantity. Adapt the exercises to your needs and alternate routines to progress in a balanced way. This way, you will optimize your performance while reducing the risk of injuries.