Hangboarding 101: Where to Start

Hangboarding 101 includes where to start, how to perform different grips, and other exercises to improve finger strength and comfortability when climbing on small holds.

Have you ever encountered a crimp on the wall and thought, “I’m not sure how long I can hang on this?” With hangboarding 101, you’ll learn how strong your fingers are and how to use different grip types to help you climb stronger and longer.

What is a Hangboard?

A hangboard, also known as a “fingerboard,” is a piece of equipment designed to improve a climber’s finger strength on different holds and hold depths. Many hangboards feature various holds, from jugs to slopers to pockets to crimps. A loaded hangboard will have each hold type, plus smaller crimps and pockets, so you have something to keep training when you’ve mastered the larger ones. 

Most hangboards are made from wood, but you can also find plastic ones made of polyurethane or polyester resin. The benefit of a wood hangboard is that it’s an excellent option for saving the skin during an intense hanging session. A plastic hangboard typically has more grip to help you hang on longer but can rip your skin more easily.

How to Use a Hangboard

Using a hangboard is straightforward. Reach up, grab on, and let your feet dangle. But there are a few crucial things to remember when using a hangboard to keep you safe and healthy. 

  • Keep your shoulders relaxed and away from your ears, engage your shoulder blades, and slightly bend your elbows. Suppose you choose to add weight to your hangs. In that case, it’s recommended that you attach it to the belay loop of your harness rather than wearing a weight vest; a weight vest can alter your body’s orientation during a regular hang and strain muscles you’re not intending to use.
  • Learn when to let go. If you feel your fingers slipping, try to stay on for a bit, but understand when to release and return to the ground. Besides, you don’t want to have to tell people you got a finger injury from hanging, do you?

“When Can I Start Hangboarding?”

There’s an age-old saying that you shouldn’t start hangboarding until you can climb V4 or until you’ve been climbing for at least two years, whichever comes first. However, the benefits of hangboarding can be reaped by climbers at any skill level. Whether you’re a beginner looking to build a solid foundation or an intermediate climber aiming to push your limits, hangboarding can be a valuable addition to your training routine.

You should only start hangboarding if you really want to. But you must realize that you must start slow and perform ‘no-hangs’ (hangboarding with your feet on the ground while lightly releasing your weight into your fingers) for a while. This technique allows you to gradually introduce your fingers to the stress of hangboarding without risking injury. Remember to reduce your climbing sessions to let your fingers rest.

Hangboarding, while incredibly stressful on the ligaments and tendons in the fingers, is safe if done with caution. They hold their strength for a long time, but they take a long time to get there. Just take extra rest and skip some climbing sessions if you plan to start hangboarding early in your climbing journey.

A good tip for beginners who want to hangboard is to seek out crimpy climbs. Start with finding and ‘sending’ all the crimpy climbs at the gym and see how your fingers feel. ‘Sending’ a climb means successfully completing it without falling. No, you won’t hang, but you’ll strengthen your fingers!

Effective Finger Strength Exercises

Okay, I’m sure you’re ready to learn what workouts to do on a hangboard, so here you go. But first, before performing your hangboard workout, warm your fingers by light climbing or hanging on jugs and moving to smaller holds. As you feel your fingers warming up, keep hanging until you feel ready to do a workout. Only you will know when you’re warm.

Begin with six sets of hangs on five different holds. For your first time, start with larger holds and gradually progress to smaller ones until you find the depth you should be working on. Here are a few different hangboard workouts that you can perform.

  • Max Hangs: Aimed to help you hang onto smaller edges longer.

Hang for 7-10 seconds on the smallest hold you can. Rest for 3 minutes before hopping back on.

  • Repeaters: This hang imitates reaching for that next hold.

Hang for 7 seconds, then rest for 3. Aim to complete this cycle for 4 minutes or until failure. If you can’t finish the four minutes, use a pulley-and-rope setup to reduce the weight until you can effectively complete the workout or use a larger hold.

  • Long Duration: Increase your endurance with these long hangs.

Hold on for 30-60 seconds, trying to reach the minute mark each time. This hang simulates the sustained grip required for extended periods and helps build the necessary stamina for tackling longer climbs.

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