When Should I Start Hangboarding?
Hangboards are a staple in every climbing facility, as much as a climbing wall. From commercial climbing gyms to home wall set-ups, there’s bound to be a hangboard (or two or three) mounted nearby. They are a tried-and-true tool for finger and pull-up training and fantastic for warming up!
Despite their ever-presence, using a hang board can be daunting. Maybe you’ve heard horror stories of pulley injuries arising after a hangboard session, or you’ve only seen the strongest climbers in the gym approach them. Whatever the case, knowing if and when you should start hangboarding can be difficult.
Ask yourself the following questions to start unpacking the best time to incorporate hangboarding. Depending on your answer, follow the corresponding recommendations.
Self-Start Guide to Hangboarding
Q. Do you want to improve finger strength or use it as a warm-up tool?
A. Warm-up
Start at any point, working your way from big to small edges as your fingers warm up. You can use the jugs anytime for pull-ups, dead hangs, or shoulder shrugs.
A. Finger Strength
Q. Have you been climbing regularly for at least a year?
Yes. Your fingers are ready for isolated training. As a good rule of thumb, you’ll want to do your hangboard session before climbing, but after warming up or on a day, you aren’t doing a hard, high-volume climbing session.
No. Keep prioritizing climbing until you’ve consistently climbed for a year. Waiting will allow your tendons time to strengthen without increasing your risk of injury. As a beginner climber, climbing is the best training for improving. After a year, revisit adding in the hangboard routine. In the meantime, feel free to use it as a warm-up tool.
Q. Are you under the age of 15?
A. Yes. It is safe to start hangboarding.
A. No. It is best to minimize isolated loading of your fingers to protect your growth plates, which have yet to fuse completely.
Q. Are you seeing progress in your climbing from your current routine?
A. Yes. Keep at it, and don’t worry about adding a hangboard routine to your training. What you are doing is working. Building finger strength through climbing will also help you progress your technique and overall strength, something hangboarding cannot provide.
If you're not seeing progress in your climbing from your current routine, Don't worry. Introducing a weekly or bi-weekly hangboarding session could be the breakthrough you need. Focus on finding a program designed to overload your tendons gradually. This will help you make gains specific to your finger strength, and you'll be amazed at the progress you can achieve!
If you’ve identified through the Self-Start Q&A that you are ready to start hangboarding, there are some basic safety measures and terminology you should know before beginning.
Safety
1. Warm-up Thoroughly
It's crucial to emphasize the importance of adequately warming up your fingers and forearms before starting a hangboarding routine. This preparation is vital to preventing injuries and ensuring your body is ready for an intense workout.
2. Avoid Monos and Full-Crimping
See ‘Terminology’ below for what these grip positions entail. Using these positions is okay when climbing but can cause injury if not performed correctly or overused.
3. Hangboarding is Training - Don’t Count it as a Rest Day.
As a beginner, hangboarding training will tax your tendons. Don’t count it as a rest day unless you are ready to suffer the consequences of overtraining (read: injury). In many cases, climbing is preferable to hangboarding because you can work on finger strength while progressing in other areas.
4. Don’t be afraid to adjust edge size and weight as needed.
During a hangboard workout, it's essential to listen to your body. If the workout feels too intense, consider reducing the weight by keeping your feet on the ground or using a counterweight. Similarly, adjust the edge size as needed. This self-awareness is crucial in preventing overtraining and potential injury.
Terminology
As you begin hangboarding and combing through hangboard workouts or training plans, you will likely come across various terms for different grip positions. Knowing the difference between grip types will help you complete a hangboarding routine effectively.
Grip Positions
Open-hand: Grip position using the first pad of the middle three fingers (climber may also use their pinky depending upon their anatomy). Climber bends their fingers at the second knuckle.
Half-crimp: Grip position using a thumb lock. Climber starts in an open-hand position but wraps their thumb over their index finger.
Full-crimp: Grip position that mimics the half-crimp but goes one step further to where the climber hyper-extends the DIP joint (the joint closest to the fingertip).
Monos: Pockets that only fit one finger.
Remember when to start hangboarding, and the routines themselves are highly individual. You are unique, and your body will guide you. Adding hangboard sessions can be beneficial, but increasing your climbing sessions' intensity or consistency can yield similar results. If you’re unsure, don’t hesitate to consult a climbing coach or try a routine. Always be mindful of the intensity and your body's signals!