Changing Leverage Isn't "Better"

Increasing Perception Usually = Reduced Recruitment

There are no good and bad exercises.

My critique of the finger extensor exercise is a mechanical one, not a personal one. I don't understand why the 'f' people think I'm attacking them and their love for this exercise. It's confusing.

A bit on hand anatomy:

The muscles that extend the fingers have tendons that flatten at the MCP joints (first knuckles) and wrap around the fingers with a multi-directional tissue called the extensor hood. The job is to allow movement in all directions (to the sides and in extension). The extensor hood is also controlled by the hand's lumbrical and interossei muscles, not just the extensors.

In addition to extending the fingers, these muscles extend the wrist (in addition to others that attach to the wrist properly). My critique is this. If your goal is to increase extensor muscle strength, both the finger extensors and wrist extensors (you can't separate them), there are better ways to increase the intensity than lengthening the lever arm.

Extending the fingers, we put the resistance away from the muscle force, making it more challenging but not necessarily more intense. Because of this, there's a huge coordination adaptation that happens. In addition, trying to put force through more joints (mcp, pip and dip), creates a loss of stiffness, further reducing recruitment gains.

Takeaways

• Putting a load at the wrist (with some extension) will load the finger extensor muscles at a higher intensity.

• By loading at the fingertips, you are changing the leverage, and it will limit/restrict recruitment.

• Getting coordinated at finger extension exercises will never transfer to rock climbing. We want recruitment, not random skills.