Takeover Highlights from Dr. Tyler Nelson

Everything Finger Training, Testing, and Rehab!

with Dr. Tyler Nelson (owner and Founder of Camp 4 Human Performance)

1. Isolating the Finger Flexors with Testing

If you are testing finger strength on a hangboard for example, you are actually testing eccentric muscle contractions. These contractions can handle your 1RM load + 35%. The fact that you can hang this large amount of weight on a fingerboard is not the best representation of pure "Finger Strength", for that reason. Pulling on a board and trying to flex your fingers is a better representation of actual finger strength.

It is best to isolate finger flexion as a gauge of finger strength to gain metrics for proper loading during different phases of training. 

For example, Tyler's strength to weight ratio on a fingerboard pull down is 2. However, his actual finger strength to weight ratio is 1.36 when isolated to his finger flexors. 

2. Sample Video/ Setup for Testing the Finger Flexors

Finger Recruitment levels are important to measure, so you can choose the appropriate load to get the most out of your training for a specific goal. 

NOTES: Half crimp position, cue to pull your body down, and the gauge right between your shoulders with your legs in a wide base. 

3. Instagram Live Q and A Highlights 

Questions: 

1. Recruitment training over fingerboard?? 

Tyler suggests performing recruitment training all the time especially heading into the climbing season. And you should save your strength protocols like, Max Strength for off-season training as it is highly fatiguing. 

2. To keep In-season recruitment levels high - Perform overcoming isometrics with fingers, or feet-on campusboard moves a couple times a week. The key part of using recruitment training over heavy fingerboard loading in-season is the fatigue level accrued from the session. The majority of your training should be climbing itself!

3. How does endurance training fit into your program for single pitch sport climbing? 3-4 Weeks before your trip begins, but it also depends on your training age. The higher your training age, the faster you should be able to rev up your capacity. 

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Great Highlights, Notes and Reminders:

Capacity Training 

The Campusboard is incredibly useful tool for building capacity, because there are a lot of the same hold. It is easy to track the distance and make the move slightly easier and slightly harder. The problem with doing capacity training on the climbing wall, using boulder problems, is that the power output used on each lap is highly varied. 

>>The campusboard allows you to keep your focus on your capacity by monitoring your output on each lap.

Contact Strength 

1. Intention Matters - HARD, matches the intensity of the sport) like limit bouldering, max bouldering etc.)

2. Contractional velocity needs to be faster than what we do on the wall, so more than in the 60-90% range. If you are using this range, the evidence shows that this will increase your force capability not your contractional velocity of a muscle group. Feet on campusboard allows you to move faster than your max, so this is a great example for increasing power output. However, any intervention used ultimately needs to be practiced on the wall, because climbing is skills related.

3. Capacity (lots of volume) - Biggest changes to strength and power

Strength Training

Regardless of intervention, the only way strength training with transfer to climbing is if we apply it. Strength training should be used to increase your recruitment as much as you can: be more technical, have more movement options, lasting a greater distance.

REMINDER: The intervention you are using provides a way to track your progress and measure recruitment, has a low level of fatigue, and be sure to take these gains to the climbing wall. 

Watch Tyler's Live Q and A from the Takeover Here!

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Tyler's Favorite PhysiVāntage

FLOW, Crush, Weapons-Grade Whey