Finger rolls

Who it's for

Warm-ups, rest-day tendon work and the tail end of a comeback. It's cheap, low-risk movement through a full range that climbing itself never gives you. Finger rolls won't make you hang smaller edges, so treat them as upkeep for the fingers and forearms.

Anyone can do them, from a first-year climber to someone deep into hangboard training. If you're working around a current finger injury, get a physio to look at it before you add them.

Common mistakes

• Too heavy. If your forearm is burning, the weight is wrong. You should be able to talk through the set.
• Rushing the roll out. The slow open, letting the weight travel down to the fingertips, is the part that matters.
• Clamping with the thumb. Let the dumbbell roll onto the fingers. A thumb wrapped round the handle takes the load off them.
• Bracing the wrist. Keep the forearm resting on the thigh so only the fingers work.
• Stopping short of the fingertips. Let the weight travel right to the ends of the fingers before you curl it back. Stopping halfway skips the range the exercise is there for.

How to progress

Add a small amount of weight over a few weeks, or add a fourth round. Keep the tempo slow as the weight goes up. If the roll starts getting faster, the weight's too much.

How to make it easier

Use a lighter dumbbell, or swap it for a small plate or a full water bottle. You can also let the weight roll only as far as the middle of the fingers for the first week, then take it further once that feels easy.

Where it fits in your week

Finger rolls fit in any training period, deload weeks included. The easiest place is at the start of a session, as part of the warm-up before easy climbing. They also work on a rest day, or after climbing as light extra work for the fingers. They take about six minutes, so they sit around anything else you're doing.

Questions

What are finger rolls good for?

Finger rolls move your fingers slowly through their full range under a light load, from open fingertips to a closed fist. Climbing mostly holds the fingers half bent, so this gives the tendons and pulleys easy work at the ends of the range. They're a warm-up and upkeep exercise, and they won't raise your strength on an edge.

How do you do the finger rolls exercise?

Sit with your forearm resting on your thigh, palm up, holding a light dumbbell. Open your fingers slowly so it rolls down to your fingertips, then curl it back into a tight fist. Keep that going for 30 seconds, rest 30 seconds, switch hands, and do three rounds on each hand.

How heavy should finger rolls be?

Light enough that you could talk through the whole 30-second set. If your forearm burns or the roll speeds up, go lighter. You're better off starting too light and adding a little weight over weeks than starting heavy and turning a slow tendon exercise into a forearm pump.

Do finger rolls help climbing?

They help as preparation. Finger rolls warm the fingers and forearms before you climb and give your tendons easy, regular work through a range that climbing skips. They won't make you hang smaller edges on their own, so pair them with climbing and, once you're ready for it, a proper finger strength exercise.