Beginner hangboard protocol on simple/minimalist hangboard

[jbyrd]

After spraining my knee and ankle in a lead fall a couple weeks ago, I've started hangboarding to get stronger while I can't climb. I had been doing 369 ladders, but have a pulley set up now, and want to do a repeater workout. I was looking at the beginner hangboard workout here, which calls for 8-10 different grips, but I only have three edges on my hangboard setup, a 38mm incut jug, a 20mm edge, and 15mm edge. I suppose I can still train all pocket-type grips by just removing fingers, and I really just won't be able to train pinches or slopers. I climb at the RRG, NRG, and a couple local crags, and most of the holds I use are crimps, edges, and jugs anyway. I climb around 10+. Max redpoint was 11a (3 tries), max onsight: 10c. M26, 6'0", 170 lbs, started climbing 6-7 years ago, but only off and on a few months at a time until the past year.

I was thinking of doing something like:

1. Warm-up set on jug

2. 2 sets half crimp on 20mm

3. 1 set open hand on 20mm

4. 1 set open hand on jug

However, this is half the volume of the program. Should I add more sets to those grips, or maybe add IMR and MR in the mix? I have to take a LOT of weight off the pulley to do the repeaters on the 20mm. Doing 6 sets 10s on 5s off was difficult with -70lbs, I was unable to do finish second set at that weight when I tried. I can only hang bodyweight off the 20mm for a couple seconds when fresh

What would you suggest as a hangboard protocol with this setup?

Thanks for the help!

[jetjackson]

Consider regular hangboarding cycles as an investment in your climbing for this year, but also years from now.

TBH, if you are pulling 70 pounds off for a 20mm edge, you probably could just do with a couple of simple cycles like what you have described, until you are bodyweight on the 20mm edge. Then look at removing fingers after that.

Given that it's fairly low weight and you are not doing that much volume. Probably wouldn't hurt to do 2 sets of each of those above-mentioned grips.

If you are consistently climbing, that should translate into more finger strength than you currently have. You will probably find that you are doing BW repeaters on the 20mm edge fairly quickly after a hangboard cycle, and you will be able to up the intensity on the next cycle.

[jbyrd]

Thanks for the reply. I'll try 2 sets each on 20mm half crimp, 20mm open, and jug open for a while then. Would definitely be sick if I could BW repeaters on 20mm after a cycle!

[jetjackson]

Hangboard progress has 'noob gains' - you should see pretty fast progression across the first couple of cycles, so long as you are getting adequate rest between sessions and recovering properly.

[jbyrd]

So I have been following this protocol for the past 2 months. I ended up doing 2 sets half crimp, 1 set open hand on small edge, 2 sets open on mini-jug. I was staying with family when I began the hangboard program, and ended up switching hangboards when I moved back. I switched to the metolius light rail, which has the same 38mm mini-jug and an 18mm edge instead of the 20mm one. However, the pulley setup I have now is suboptimal, and I think it has extra friction so takes off a little more weight than I add to the other side (I was able to hang my entire bodyweight no hands with only 75lbs taken off). I adjusted weight a little when I switched to the new setup, and progressed pretty steadily until 3 or 4 weeks ago when I started getting stuck. The best I've done for each grip:

-30 lbs half crimp on 18mm, 2 sets
-30 lbs open hand on 18mm, 1 set
+5 lbs open hand on 38mm mini-jug, 2 sets


Unfortunately, my knee has taken a lot longer to heal than expected. I still get some soreness when doing high steps, rockovers, and sometimes other moves. I have only top-roped a few times since the injury, but I'm considering quitting hangboarding to top-rope in the gym regularly instead. MRI came back this week showing only swelling in the knee and no tendon/ligament/meniscus damage.

Anyway, just thought I'd share my progress. Once I get back outside I'll update with any progress grade-wise. My fingers have definitely gotten stronger at the hangboard though. Not only did I increase the repeaters weight considerably, but I went from barely able to hang bodyweight on to the 20mm on a good day to being able to hang the 18mm for 5s (and probably could get several more seconds) today. I wasn't able to 18mm at all a month ago. Haven't made it to bodyweight repeaters yet though.

[jetjackson]

Where did you start on those grips originally?

That's good news on the knee. You don't want meniscus damage.

You might find it will take a couple of weeks for you to learn to use the new found finger strength, but I'm sure you will find it helpful in your climbing.

[jbyrd]

I initially tried to start at -50 for the half crimp on 20mm, but that was too heavy. Went up to -70 and couldn't quite finish the second set, so I started at -90 lbs. -70 felt easy by the time I got to it. started at -90 lbs for the open hand on 20mm and -50 for the mini-jug. But I did switch hangboards to a 18mm edge after the first 3 weeks or so. My pulley system after that also ran over the hangboard and pulled on the pulleys at a light angle, so I think it had extra friction as well.

Yeah, I'm excited to see what I can do once I get back outside.

[jetjackson]

So you gained 60 pounds of strength on the half-crimp - that's fantastic!

The system isn't always perfect, sometime there is friction in the pulleys. At the end of the day, you're just trying to strengthen those forearms and condition your connective tissue over time, so all that really matters is that you see improvement while the other variables remain fixed.