Building Power on a Hangboard: Advanced Workouts for Rock Climbers
Hangboarding is a staple in the training regimen of serious rock climbers, especially for those aiming to build finger strength, grip endurance, and upper body power. Once you've developed a strong foundation through basic hangboard workouts, it’s time to step up to more advanced routines that challenge your strength, precision, and mental focus. In this article, we'll explore how to build power using advanced hangboard exercises and techniques, helping you climb stronger and push your limits on the wall.
### Why Focus on Power?
In climbing, power refers to the ability to generate maximum force quickly. This is critical for explosive movements like dynamic jumps, powerful crimps, and sustained efforts on overhanging routes. When you focus on building power, you're training your muscles and tendons to generate intense force in a short amount of time—crucial for difficult moves like deadpoints, lock-offs, and campus board work.
While finger strength alone is essential, combining strength with power gives you the ability to execute high-intensity moves on demand. Advanced hangboard workouts help you build the explosive power needed for more demanding routes and boulder problems.
### Prerequisites for Advanced Hangboarding
Before diving into advanced hangboard workouts, it’s important to have a solid base of finger strength and hangboard experience. If you're still new to hangboarding or recovering from an injury, it's best to focus on foundational techniques like repeaters, max hangs, and proper grip training. Advanced routines place significant stress on the tendons, so having built tendon strength through consistent, progressive training is critical for injury prevention.
For most climbers, it’s recommended to have at least 6-12 months of basic hangboard experience before transitioning into more advanced power workouts.
### Advanced Hangboard Techniques for Building Power
#### 1. **Max Hangs with Added Weight**
Max hangs are a powerful technique that trains the ability to exert maximum force on the smallest holds. To take this exercise to the next level, advanced climbers can incorporate added weight to progressively increase the load on their fingers and forearms.
**How to perform max hangs with added weight:**
- Warm up thoroughly with light hangs and stretching.
- Choose a challenging hold size, like a small edge or crimp, where you can hang for about 5-10 seconds.
- Attach weight using a harness or a weight belt. Start with 5-10% of your body weight and gradually increase as you progress.
- Hang from the chosen hold for 5-10 seconds, maintaining proper form (shoulders engaged, core tight, and fingers strong but relaxed).
- Rest for 2-3 minutes between sets.
- Perform 3-5 sets, adding more weight as you feel comfortable.
By progressively increasing the weight, you’re overloading the tendons and muscles, helping to build maximum power. This advanced technique also conditions your tendons to withstand higher forces, making it especially useful for climbers working on small crimps or steep, powerful routes.
#### 2. **One-Armed Hangs**
One-armed hangs are a challenging progression that builds immense finger and upper body strength. By using only one hand, you significantly increase the load on your fingers, shoulders, and back, training your muscles to handle more demanding grips and pull positions.
**How to perform one-armed hangs:**
- Choose a larger edge or jug if you’re new to one-arm hangs.
- Use your non-hanging hand for support (either by grabbing a loop, rope, or by placing it on the board) to help control the load as you transition into one-arm hangs.
- Engage your core and shoulder to stabilize your body as you hang from one arm.
- Aim to hold the hang for 5-8 seconds. If it’s too difficult, reduce the intensity by providing assistance with your other hand.
- Rest for 2-3 minutes between attempts.
- Perform 3-4 sets on each arm.
Once you master one-armed hangs with larger holds, progress to smaller edges or pockets, gradually increasing the intensity. This technique not only builds finger strength but also enhances body tension and control, which are crucial for high-level climbing.
#### 3. **Power Pulls on the Hangboard**
Power pulls simulate explosive movements in climbing, like deadpoints and dynos. By incorporating dynamic pulling motions, you can train your muscles to generate fast, powerful bursts of energy. Power pulls are great for improving campus board-style moves and lock-offs on the wall.
**How to perform power pulls:**
- Select a medium to large hold (edges or jugs).
- Start with both hands gripping the hold, and perform an explosive pull-up.
- At the top of the pull, quickly remove one hand and reach for an adjacent hold (or simply let go with one hand).
- Lower yourself in a controlled manner, then repeat with the opposite hand.
- Perform 3-4 repetitions per set, aiming for maximum explosiveness with each pull.
- Rest for 2-3 minutes between sets, completing 3-5 sets.
Power pulls train your fast-twitch muscle fibers, increasing your ability to generate quick, dynamic movements, which are often required during powerful sequences or boulder problems.
#### 4. **Intermittent Max Hangs (Repeaters)**
Intermittent max hangs, or repeaters, are an excellent way to combine power with endurance. In this advanced technique, climbers perform repeated max-effort hangs with short rest intervals in between, simulating the demands of sustained climbing sequences that require high power output.
**How to perform intermittent max hangs:**
- Choose a challenging hold size, such as a small edge.
- Hang from the hold for 7 seconds at maximum effort, using added weight if necessary.
- Rest for 3 seconds, then repeat the hang for another 7 seconds.
- Perform 6-8 repetitions per set.
- Rest for 3-5 minutes between sets and complete 2-4 sets.
This technique forces your muscles to repeatedly produce high levels of power while maintaining strength throughout each set, improving both your endurance and ability to recover during climbs.
#### 5. **Offset Hangs**
Offset hangs are an advanced variation of one-armed hangs, where you reduce the load on your non-dominant arm while gradually building strength in your dominant arm. This method is great for climbers transitioning to full one-armed hangs.
**How to perform offset hangs:**
- Choose a medium to large edge or pocket.
- Place one hand on the main hold and the other on a lower hold (the lower hold should be 6-12 inches below the main hold).
- Hang with most of your weight on the hand that’s gripping the main hold.
- Engage your core and shoulders, and hold for 5-10 seconds.
- Rest for 2-3 minutes between sets, performing 3-5 sets on each side.
As you gain strength, you can progressively lower the position of the offset hand until you can perform a full one-armed hang.
### Incorporating Advanced Hangboard Workouts into Your Routine
When transitioning to advanced hangboard workouts, it's essential to maintain a balance between training intensity and recovery. Due to the increased load on your tendons and muscles, advanced hangboarding should be done 1-2 times per week, allowing adequate recovery time to avoid overuse injuries like tendinitis or pulley tears.
Always prioritize a thorough warm-up before starting, including general mobility exercises, finger stretches, and light hangs. Additionally, listening to your body is key—back off immediately if you feel pain or discomfort, especially in the tendons or joints.
### Conclusion
Advanced hangboard training can be a game-changer for experienced climbers looking to build explosive power, improve endurance, and tackle more challenging routes. Incorporating max hangs with added weight, one-armed hangs, power pulls, and other advanced techniques into your routine will help you generate the strength and control needed for demanding climbs. By training smart, focusing on recovery, and progressing gradually, you’ll see tangible improvements in your climbing performance and power output, giving you the edge to conquer your next project.