How Finger Strength Training Affects Climbing Performance and Injury Prevention
As a climber and coach, I've spent countless hours talking with athletes about finger strength training.
(Check out my episode on The Testpiece Climbing Podcast: How Personal Morphology Affects Climbing Performance, Specificity, Unlevel Edges, Talon Grip, and Tim Gabbett’s Paradox.)
While it’s a critical aspect of climbing performance, finger strength is often misunderstood and overemphasized.
Today, I want to dive into the balance between strength, injury prevention, and performance, and share how we can use training to climb smarter and stay injury-free.
The Finger Strength Myth
For years, climbers have focused on training finger strength through methods like hangboarding on small edges (20mm or less), believing that this would directly translate to better performance on the wall. But here's the truth: using a standard 20mm edge for training isn't the best choice for everyone. Finger morphology plays a huge role in how much force your joints can handle. Not every climber's fingers are built to safely hang on small edges without risking injury. If you find your fingers consistently sore after training, you might be overloading your joints in a way that isn’t productive.
Instead of fixating on the "ideal" edge size, it’s critical to recognize that what works for one climber might not work for another. For instance, if you’ve been training on 20mm edges and repeatedly end up with finger pain, it’s time to consider training on a larger edge, such as 30mm. Finger strength isn't a one-size-fits-all concept; it needs to be personalized to the climber’s unique anatomy and recovery capacity.
The Role of Morphology in Training
Climbing-specific finger strength depends heavily on individual finger and joint anatomy. Climbers who start training at a young age tend to develop larger, stronger fingers with thicker tendons and ligaments. But even adult climbers can see adaptive changes in their finger structure over time if training is properly managed.
The key is understanding that your personal physiology should dictate how you train. For example, if you're prone to finger injuries, using a grip that fits your anatomy—whether that's a full crimp, half crimp, or a more open grip—is crucial to both performance and longevity. What’s more, there’s no one “best” grip for everyone. Your grip choice depends on the type of climbing you do and your own anatomical makeup.
Balancing Strength and Injury Prevention
Injury prevention should always be top of mind in any training regimen, particularly for finger-intensive sports like climbing. Overloading your fingers with too much intensity, without allowing time for recovery, is a surefire way to increase injury risk. Finger joints are small but bear heavy loads while climbing, making them particularly susceptible to overuse injuries.
The solution? Prioritize variation in training. This means incorporating not just finger strength exercises, but also training that targets the intrinsic muscles of the hand and wrist, such as grip strength exercises like the talon grip (imagine squeezing a round object like a bird's talons). By strengthening these often-overlooked areas, you can balance the load across your hands and fingers and reduce injury risk.
The Importance of Periodization in Climbing
One of the biggest mistakes I see is climbers who focus too much on finger strength training year-round. While it’s essential, it shouldn't dominate your program at all times. Instead, think about periodization: focusing on strength during the off-season and gradually shifting toward endurance and power as your climbing season approaches. This approach ensures that you peak at the right time, without overloading your joints during high-intensity periods.
In the off-season, I recommend regular, low-volume strength training for the fingers. This can be done in your warm-up before every session. Whether it’s lifting with an unlevel edge or doing open-hand grips like the wrist wrench, this exposure to strength training helps maintain tissue quality without putting unnecessary strain on your joints.
As the climbing season nears, the balance shifts. Strength training should taper slightly, making room for more climbing-specific training to boost your endurance and power. This way, you’ll be fully prepared to tackle your projects when the season starts.
Strength Isn’t Everything: Focus on Coordination and Body Positioning
While finger strength is important, it’s not the only factor in climbing success. Many climbers get stuck thinking that if they can increase their finger strength numbers on a hangboard, they'll automatically perform better on the wall. This mindset misses a crucial point: body positioning and coordination are just as important—if not more so—in many climbing scenarios.
In climbing, holding onto small holds often has more to do with how you position your body than how much force you apply. Strong fingers can’t compensate for poor technique or stiff hips. This is why technical skills, flexibility, and body awareness should be integral parts of your training routine.
tAKEAWAYS
Finger strength training is vital, but it needs to be balanced with technical climbing practice and injury prevention strategies.
The idea isn’t to push your strength to the max all the time but to train smart, understand your anatomy, and adjust your program accordingly. By incorporating strength training into your routine in a thoughtful, periodized way, you'll not only climb harder but climb longer, with fewer injuries and more consistent progress.
If you’re looking for a personalized approach to finger strength training, feel free to reach out. I work with climbers of all levels to develop plans that suit their physiology and performance goals.