Hangboard Training Plan: How to Climb Better Fast

Hangboarding is a powerful tool to develop finger strength, an essential component for advancing in climbing. But it’s also an intense exercise that requires careful planning, especially for beginners, due to the risk of finger and tendon injuries. This guide provides a comprehensive plan for beginners and advanced climbers, complete with training routines, progression tips, and injury prevention techniques.

Understanding Hangboarding

Hangboarding, also known as fingerboard training, involves hanging from a range of holds on a hangboard, a specialized training tool with various grips that simulate climbing holds. The goal is to improve the strength and endurance of the tendons, ligaments, and muscles in your fingers, forearms, and shoulders, areas crucial for climbing.

Why Train with a Hangboard?

Hangboard training isolates and strengthens the muscles and tendons in the hands and fingers, often more effectively than regular climbing. When done properly, hangboarding offers benefits such as:

• Increased Finger Strength: Essential for maintaining grip on small holds and challenging routes.
• Targeted Training: Works on specific muscles that regular climbing may not fully engage.
• Controlled Progression: Allows you to measure and track progress in a structured environment, essential for breaking through plateaus.

However, because of the intense focus on finger strength, hangboarding is recommended only for climbers with at least six months of regular climbing experience.

Beginner Hangboard Training Plan

For beginners, the priority is building a strong foundation safely and gradually. Starting with basic holds and structured rest periods helps prevent injuries while building endurance and strength over time.

Key Principles

• Grip Selection: Stick to open-hand or half-crimp grips, avoiding the full-crimp position, which places more strain on the tendons.
• Load Management: Start with larger holds that allow you to hang for around 10 seconds comfortably but not exceed 15 seconds.
• Frequency: Limit training to two sessions per week, allowing ample recovery time between workouts.

Beginner Hangboard Routine

Warm-Up (15-20 minutes)

1. Cardio: 5-10 minutes of light cardio, like jogging or jumping jacks, to increase blood flow and warm up the body.
2. Dynamic Stretches: Focus on wrist, finger, and shoulder mobility with exercises like wrist circles, arm swings, and finger flicks.
3. Light Climbing or Hangs: Engage in easy bouldering problems or hang on large jugs to prepare your muscles and tendons for hangboarding.

Main Workout (2x per week)

• Hold: Choose a comfortable edge, typically around 20mm, or use larger jugs if needed.
• Exercise: Perform 10-second hangs.
• Rest: Rest for 30 seconds between each hang.
• Reps: Complete 4 reps per set.
• Sets: Aim for 3 sets, with 2 minutes of rest between sets.

Progression: After 2-4 weeks, either reduce the hold size slightly or increase the hang time by a couple of seconds as you feel stronger.

Cooldown (10-15 minutes)

1. Light Climbing or Jug Hangs: End with some easy climbing or hangs on jugs to allow muscles to gradually cool down.
2. Static Stretching: Stretch the forearms, fingers, and shoulders to promote flexibility and aid recovery.

Tips for Beginners

1. Stick to Two Sessions per Week: Begin with two sessions, gradually increasing to three as your fingers adapt. Overuse is a common cause of tendon injuries, so give your fingers time to strengthen.
2. Form Matters: Keep shoulders engaged and your core tight during hangs. Good form helps prevent shoulder strain and stabilizes your entire body, making the exercise more effective.
3. Avoid Full-Crimp Grip: Until your tendons are well-conditioned, avoid full crimps to reduce the risk of pulley injuries.

Advanced Hangboard Training Plan

Advanced climbers need a higher level of intensity to break through plateaus and achieve gains in finger strength and endurance. The advanced plan involves using smaller holds, adding weight, and incorporating varied grips.

Key Principles

• Grip Variety: Incorporate open-hand, half-crimp, and occasionally full-crimp grips (use caution here). Consider challenging holds like slopers, pinches, and monos for targeted strength development.
• Progressive Overload: Introduce weight using a harness or weight vest to increase intensity.
• Frequency: Train 3-4 times per week, allowing sufficient recovery and using periodization to avoid overtraining.

Advanced Hangboard Routine

Warm-Up (20-30 minutes)

1. Comprehensive Cardio: 10 minutes of light cardio (running or cycling) to increase blood flow.
2. Dynamic and Specific Stretches: Perform advanced stretches like shoulder band work, eccentric wrist curls, and shoulder activation exercises.
3. Light Bouldering: Focus on easy, efficient movements on simple problems to prepare the body for intense hangs.

Main Workout (3-4x per week)

• Hold: Use challenging edges, slopers, or pockets.
• Weighted Hangs: Hang for 7 seconds with added weight (5-10% of body weight to start).
• Rest: Take a 3-second micro-rest between hangs.
• Reps: Complete 5 reps per set.
• Sets: Do 5 sets, resting for 2-3 minutes between sets.

Progression: Gradually add more weight or reduce hold size. For slopers, you can increase hang time or incorporate subtle movements to simulate real climbing holds.

Cooldown (15-20 minutes)

1. Stretching and Mobility: Emphasize stretching fingers, forearms, and shoulders.
2. Recovery Techniques: Use contrast baths/sauna (alternating between hot and cold temperatures) or massage to speed up recovery and reduce inflammation.

Tips for Advanced Hangboard Training

1. Listen to Your Body: Advanced training carries a higher risk of injury. If you feel pain or discomfort, reduce intensity or switch to a lighter routine.
2. Periodization: Incorporate phases of high intensity followed by “deload” weeks with reduced volume to prevent overtraining.
3. Use Micro-Rests: Short rests between hangs help preserve grip strength and allow for slight recovery without compromising intensity.

Hangboard Routines for Endurance

Endurance is key for longer routes, and hangboarding can help develop the finger endurance needed for sustained climbs.

Endurance Routine Structure

• Hold: Use a comfortable medium-sized edge (around 20mm).
• Exercise: Hang for 15 seconds, rest for 5 seconds, then repeat for 3 minutes.
• Reps: 1-2 reps of this sequence.
• Progression: Gradually increase hang time or reduce rest intervals as you build endurance.

This routine trains your forearm muscles to sustain grip over longer periods, ideal for endurance-focused climbing.

Injury Prevention and Recovery

Because hangboarding targets the fingers’ small muscles and tendons, it’s essential to include recovery practices to minimize injury risk.

• Stretch Regularly: Stretch your fingers, forearms, and shoulders after each session to prevent tightness.
• Rest Days: Ensure at least one day of rest between hangboard sessions, especially for beginners.
• Use Recovery Techniques: Techniques like contrast baths, ice therapy, or massages help reduce inflammation and speed up tendon recovery.

Final Thoughts

Hangboard training is an effective method for improving climbing performance, but it must be tailored to the climber’s experience level. Beginners should focus on building a foundation of strength through larger holds and fewer sessions, while advanced climbers can adopt specific routines with added weight and challenging grips. With consistency, patience, and disciplined form, hangboard training will strengthen finger tendons, enhance endurance, and improve climbing ability over time.

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FAQs

How often should I do hangboard training?
Beginners should start with two sessions per week, while advanced climbers can work up to 3-4 sessions, with periodization for recovery.

What are the best grips to start with on a hangboard?
Begin with open-hand and half-crimp grips, as these are safer for beginners. Avoid full-crimp grips until tendons are conditioned.

Can I use a hangboard if I’m new to climbing?
Hangboarding is generally recommended for climbers with at least six months of experience. It requires tendon strength that beginners may not yet have developed.

What’s the difference between finger strength and finger endurance?
Finger strength is the ability to hold onto challenging holds briefly, while finger endurance is the ability to sustain a grip over longer periods, crucial for endurance climbing.

How long will it take to see results from hangboarding?
Results vary, but most climbers see improvements in grip strength and endurance after 6-8 weeks of consistent training.

Is it safe to do hangboard training every day?
No, daily hangboarding increases the risk of overuse injuries. Recovery days between sessions are essential for strength and tendon health.