Hanging On

In the movie Hellraiser, they design personal torture devices for each sinner.  Like this.

This week completes the 4-week strength phase of my training program.  The downside to this entire month has been dealing with the fact that i’m climbing very little.  The focus is increasing localized strength in my forearms and fingers (aka hanging on the hangboards!).  What little climbing I get in is some warmup ARC’ing before my hangboard routine.  I’ve been doing lock-off laps, dips, shoulder presses, and pullups as well.  Just not alot of climbing.

However…yesterday I came in to the gym a little unprepared to hangboard.  I forgot to bring my pulley, which helps keep my big-boned self on the hangboard for the prerequisite hang time.  I didn’t want the session to be a complete failure, so I decided to just climb.

Even though I hadn’t done any moderate or hard climbing in 3 weeks I found myself giving all the 5.10 level routes an easy go.  After 5 routes at 5.10, I nearly onsighted a 5.11a.  This route was just one small crimp after another.  Maybe there is something to this hangboard thing after all.  Though, for the first time in my climbing career I had to tap out on a route because of hip pain.  Old age is creeping.

Needless to say I found some new stoke finishing up my last couple of board sessions.  Next week is my power phase, filled some quite curious exercises like limit bouldering.  But i’ll get in to that next time.  Cheers.

The Moon Board on the left is for skinny people, but really they all are.