Climbing Finger Strength Analyzer

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Climbing Finger Strength Analyzer

The Climbing Finger Strength Analyzer will allow you to see how strong your fingers truly are. This will give you a basic idea of how hard you should be able to boulder and how much time you should invest in strength training to progress. It will also allow you to determine whether it’s strength or technique that is potentially holding you back! So get your weight belt on, or a bucket full of sand, and hop on the hangboard, to see if you’re the next Alex Megos! Let me know in the comments, if the result was accurate for you!

Input
kg lbs

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

5

10

15

20

25

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45

50

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60

Results

Climbing Finger Strength Analyzer Instructions

Pick an edge between 10 – 20 mm deep, and hang for as long as you can. You can add or subtract weight, or simply hang at your body weight. Use any grip position you like, although the half crimp is preferred. Input your body weight, the total hang load and time, and see the result!

Note: Shorter hang times at higher loads produce more accurate results. This is only a rough finger strength estimation – remember that in bouldering technique is also very important!

The Climbing Finger Strength Analyzer uses a conversion algorithm between hang time and edge depth, which is based on my personal research. The hang time to maximum strength calculation is based on a variation of the Rohmert’s curve [1]. You can find more information on the Rohmert’s curve and other hang time mathematical models in [2].

The bouldering level prediction is based on the results of the survey published at [3].

References

  1. Rohmert, W., 1960. Ermittlung von Erholungspausen für statische Arbeit des Menschen. Internationale Zeitschrift für Angewandte Physiologie Einschliesslich Arbeitsphysiologie 18, 123–164. (link)
  2. J. Banaszczyk, StrengthClimbing – Steve Bechtel’s 3-6-9 Ladders Hangboard Finger Strength Training, May 18, 2019. (link)
  3. https://toclimb8a.shinyapps.io/maxtograde/ (link)
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6 thoughts on “Climbing Finger Strength Analyzer”

    1. Hi Anna!
      I never tried the tension hangboard, but the beastmakers usually work well with these tests – it’s becoming a standard. There will always be differences between hangboards – it’s inevitable – but they’re not very big. I once compared the Lattice Edge with the Zlagboard – they have completely different edge radius and the difference in the results was less than 5%, which is normally considered negligible.

  1. You never actually address if this is two hand hang or a 1 hand hang…maybe I missed it. I am assuming two based on results but just wanted to double check.

    My body weight was 213 lbs test day and was able to add 80 lbs. Says V6-V7 which is where I would like think I will and would mean added a grade during quarantine…but quarantine is first time I have ever really trained fingers hard consistently and seen big improvements in numbers…won’t have anyway to verify until gyms open back up in my area

    1. Hi Johan!

      Yes, the calculator is calibrated for two-arm hangs. I do my best to keep everything thoroughly explained, but I sometimes miss a spot, so thank you for this comment!:) I’m currently working on a highly improved version, so I will rewrite the post and make sure that it clearly says “two arms.”

      I double-checked your numbers with the new algorithm. It takes into account your height and how often you train on the hangboard. I assumed that you’re 190 cm and that you train at least twice a week, a mix between MaxHangs and Repeaters. With that data, you should indeed currently be between low V6 and high-end V7, depending on your current hangboarding focus (strength or hypertrophy). Did I get the input right?

  2. Wow, I thought my fingers were okay… apparently they are very weak! I boulder up to V5 but can only hang at bodyweight for 5seconds on the 15mm edge.

    1. Hi Tom!
      Thank you very much for your comment! What type of formation/area do you climb? Slopers? Crimps? Unfortunately, 5 seconds at bodyweight on a 15 mm edge is not a lot, but the good news is that there is ample room for improvement!

      There are a lot of training methods that can get your finger strength up to par! Have you done any hangboarding before? If not, then you will find it extremely helpful, just take it slow!

      If you need help setting up an effective hangboard training plan, write me an email with some more details about your climbing history and goals, and I will try to help you to the best of my ability.

      Kind regards,
      Jędrzej

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