End of Strength phase - injury prevention

[mclay]

I've been searching old threads, but haven't found a specific answer to my problem. 

The RCTM states that novice trainees will likely have the sweet spot of 5-7 hangboard sessions to see their maximal gains. I've done 5, but was aiming for 7 this cycle. Previous cycles I have done 5 workouts. Since completing HB 5, two full days ago, I've had a nagging little twinge in the A2 on my ring finger. Normally I would chalk this up to physiological adaptation, but it is in the same spot that I had a finger injury in the Strength phase 3 cycles ago. However, that injury was the direct result of throwing in a bunch of unplanned indoor bouldering!

At this point I see my options as:

• Push through the last two workouts and monitor it closely, being more cautious about adding more weight
• Call it quits after 5 successful workouts and monitor closely as I move on to boulder ladders
• Take an extra rest day or two (on top of the 72 hours I've already rested) and reevaluate before deciding whether to finish the scheduled HB workouts

I'm pretty anxious about it. This is the best Strength phase I've had since I started training and to push too far with a climbing trip just a few weeks away would be a pretty bogus way to end 2016!

[daustin]

When in doubt, scale it back. The downside of an injury setting you back is much worse than the upside of an extra 1-2 HB sessions, in my opinion. I'd think about getting an extra day of rest before moving onto the power phase, and like you said -- be cautious and mindful when bouldering, and avoid using tweaky grips as much as possible. I might even add some low intensity ARCing to either start or finish sessions, to help make sure you're very warmed up before bouldering and to encourage more blood flow through the fingers which could theoretically help speed recovery.

If you REALLY, REALLY want to get in a couple more HBs, perhaps only stick to grips that don't feel tweaky on the affected finger -- e.g. open handed edges, pinches, sloper. But I'm hesitant to even suggest this, I'd just call it quits for the strength phase.

[MarkAnderson]

I agree that the upside of more HB workouts pales compared to the downside of a pulley injury.

However, Limit Bouldering and Campusing are far more threatening activities than HBing. I would be reluctant to move into the Power Phase if I thought I was on the verge of a serious injury. I would take an extra rest day, then do at least one more HB workout, but scale back the intensity on whichever grips you think are threatening (probably MR and closed crimp if you're doing them). See how you respond to a less intense HB6 and then go from there.

[mclay]

So I opted for extra rest and doing one more HB with reduced intensity. I cut out the MR pocket and wide pinch and didn't add weight unless the first set was a cake walk. I also added an extra minute of rest in between sets as a way of possibly monitoring the problem finger more closely. It went really well, except that I noticed I had a lot less strength/determination towards the end of the workout. I have a feeling this was more mental than physical though, as I've recently been realizing that the limiting factor on getting the last few reps in is just the willingness to endure the skin pain. But with a concern over potential structural damage, it is hard to distinguish between the types of pain in the moment.

The great news is that the dodgy finger has felt great since the workout. Upon reflection I think that I possibly irritated the old injury spot when I heavily taped the area for HB4. At the end of HB3 I opened up a gnarly flapper on the 2nd pad of the finger. So the irritation of the tape constriction on top of an old tissue injury flared up on HB5? Further reasons I think this might have been the case - I used to heavily tape my middle and ring fingers and they were often sore. After the injury early this year I stopped taping completely and the soreness subsided. Also the most painful grip in the recent reduced intensity HB workout was actually on the warm-up jug, when there was direct pressure/friction on the trouble spot.

[MarkAnderson]

Seems plausible. Good job exercising restraint (the hardest exercise to master).