Finger strength measurements for rock climbers - Introduction
If you’re serious about training for climbing, monitoring your progress, and making the most out of your hangboard training, you need to have a clear finger strength benchmark. Just as you would measure the 5RM or 1RM load for your bench press or pull-ups, you can measure the maximum load for your fingerboard hangs. There are a few different methods for determining maximum finger strength, or Maximum Voluntary Contraction (MVC), as it is often called. In this article, I focus on the first and most basic method: measurement using two-handed weighted hangs. Then, I will explain other techniques in separate posts, including one-arm hang and dynamometer measurements.
In principle, it all sounds straightforward. Just add load to your harness, grab a stopwatch, choose an edge and hang away. In fact, it truly isn’t difficult. However, a few nuances and factors need to be considered if you want to perform the perfect finger strength measurement. In this article, you’ll find all you need to make accurate and reliable maximum finger strength tests that can later serve as a solid benchmark for designing your own finger strength and forearm endurance training drills and in-depth climbing data analysis.
Below, you’ll also find my MVC-7 calculator allowing you to convert any 5 – 20-second weighted or unloaded hang to MVC-7. Here you’ll find detailed instructions on how to use the program.
I also made a short video to guide you through the MVC-7 measurement process to ensure that your measurements are perfect every time.