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Intermittent hangs

Based on The science of climbing training: An evidence-based guide to improving your climbing performance by Sergio Consuegra.

Intermittent hangs are a great way to build finger strength. They involve short hangs with quick rests in between, and can be adjusted depending on your level and goals. Below are a few evidence based protocols.

Equipment

To perform these exercises you need a hangboard.

Hangboard training protocols

Eva López (2017)

The meaning behind this protocol is the following. The hanging time, is designed to allow the work for high-intensity contractions. As for the micropause, in tough sections of a climb, there's often a 1–5 second gap between holds, clipping takes about 3 seconds on average, and 3–5 seconds for the oxidation to kick in. When it comes to the rest between sets, 1 minute isn’t enough for full recovery, which is great to work on endurance.

  • Sets × Hangs: 3–5 sets of 4–5 hangs
  • Hang : Rest (in set): 10 seconds hang : 5 seconds rest
  • Rest between sets: 1 minute

Anderson Brothers (2014)

Each set should use a different grip on the hangboard. They recommend around 70 hours of recovery between sessions. Also, it's good to do training cycles of 6–9 workouts, and then switch up the type of training.

  • Sets × Hangs: 9 sets of 6 hangs
  • Hang : Rest (in set): 10s : 5s (or 7s : 3s for advanced climbers)
  • Rest between sets: 3 minutes

Eric Hörst (2016)

This protocol combines strength and endurance. It requires to use the maximum grip depth (minimum 14mm) that the climber is able to hold themselves for 10 seconds even though the hang is 7 seconds. The effort should be 9–9.5/10 without reaching failure.

  • Sets × Hangs: 2–5 sets of 3 hangs
  • Hang : Rest (in set): 7s hang : 53s rest
  • Rest between sets: 5 minutes