Advancing weight after incomplete sets, starting weights

[Chris W]

So I tried a bit of an experiment for my transitional summer season. I've noticed that, whatever I do, some of my hangboard sessions are amazing, leaving me feeling like a super hero. Some are pitiful, leaving me feeling despondent and dejected, and some are average/in-between.

Currently, I'm following the Advanced Protocol (though I wouldn't say my numbers qualify for being an advanced climber). I'm doing 9 sessions per hangboard season and set my starting weights so that, if all sets are complete for all 9 sessions, I would end the hangboard season ten pounds better than my PB on that grip. 

On my very first HB session this season (HB 1) I didn't complete several of the grips. I knew that I could hold quite a bit more (30 pounds more at least) so I decided to call a mulligan and advance the weight for HB 2 anyway instead of leaving it the same. I decided I would do this for any incomplete sets for HB 1, 2 and 3, and anything from HB 4 and on would not be advanced if incomplete (hope that makes sense). 

The results? Every grip that I advanced by "cheating" this way felt amazing at the higher weight the next session. The end result? Well... possibly the same as it would have been without cheating. I set two new PB's, the other grips didn't match prior PB's.

There are many potential factors contributing to these results, which I can discuss later. Anyone else experiment with anything like this?

[andreas]

I tried something similar but not as extreme. I decided to advance on a grip once I can do 4/5 complete hangs on the 3rd set. Increment have been 5lb.

This worked well for most grips up to HB6. As you described the session after felt as good and i could almost do +5lb and completing 4 or 5 hangs on the 3rd set.
The picture changed after HB 6. HB7 was difficult to see much progress, HB8 was plateau and on HB9 saw several grips with a sight negative progression. The tweaky grips (MR for me) even failed on the second set.
I decided to call it a day with Strength an move on. Next session I am planning to do it similar but monitoring close what happens after HB6.

[MarkAnderson]

Sometimes I advance after failing if I think I have a good excuse for my poor performance. But it makes me feel dirty. I would say the results are a mixed bag--sometimes I crush then higher weight, sometimes it crushes me. I'd say most of the time I get what I deserve (my ass kicked) when I advance after failing.

[Chris W]

I'll probably try it again in the fall to see what happens. How do you guys set your weights to start your HB season? Do you pick a goal weight for the end of the season? Anything similar to my method of shooting for 10 pounds over?

[andreas]

I do not have enough experience for that. I am planning to take my maximum and reduce it by 10lb (so add 5 lb to the start of the previous cycle) and see what happens.

Too bad that i have to wait 4 months to try these things out!

[tetrault]

Jun 21, 2017 3:16:24 GMT -7 Chris W said:

I'll probably try it again in the fall to see what happens. How do you guys set your weights to start your HB season? Do you pick a goal weight for the end of the season? Anything similar to my method of shooting for 10 pounds over?

For some grips, this is very similar to what I do, except shooting for 5lbs over and assuming 1 or 2 workouts that I don't bump the weight up. But, not for the pinch, as I generally don't bump the weight up very much throughout a phase.

I haven't really improved on the hangboard in a while, so, unfortunately, it's very easy to choose my starting weights