Long-duration density hangs

Who it's for

Building tendon capacity without maximum load. Long, moderate hangs suit climbers coming back from a quiet spell, or anyone who wants finger work in a base period.

You need some hangboard time behind you: 30 seconds on a medium edge with your shoulders engaged should feel moderate. If it doesn't, start with the easier version below. If a finger hurts, get a physio to look at it before you hang.

Common mistakes

• Making it hard. Thirty seconds at an effort you could hold for forty or more. If you're failing hangs, the load is wrong for this protocol.
• Adding weight instead of time. Time first. Longer hangs are the progression here.
• A tiny edge. Use a medium edge. Small edges concentrate load in exactly the way this protocol is trying to avoid.
• Hanging passively for thirty seconds. Shoulders stay engaged the whole time, which is harder than it sounds at that duration.
• Short-changing the rest. Two minutes feels long after a moderate hang. Take all of it, or the last few hangs turn into a pump session.

How to progress

Extend the hangs before you touch the load, then add hangs, and only then add weight. It sits well early in a training block, with max hangs later once the capacity is there.

How to make it easier

Put your feet on a chair or box in front of the board and take some weight through them. You still hang for the full 30 seconds, only lighter. As it gets comfortable, use less of your feet until you can hang with them off.

Where it fits in your week

Density hangs belong in a Base, Strength or Endurance period, and they're gentle enough for a deload week. Do them at the start of a session after a warm-up, or on their own on a day you don't climb hard. Keep them away from the end of a hard session, when tired fingers make the effort hard to judge.

Questions

What are density hangs?

Density hangs are long, moderate hangboard hangs. In this version you hang 30 seconds on a medium edge at an effort you could keep up for at least 10 seconds more, eight times, with 2 minutes' rest between. The long time under a moderate load gives your fingers work without the peak load of max hangs.

Are density hangs good for tendons?

That's what they're for. Long hangs at a moderate effort give the tendons steady load over a long time without the peak forces of a max hang, which is why they suit a base period or a return after time off. Keep the effort moderate, since hard hangs take away the reason to do them.

How long should density hangs be?

In this version each hang lasts 30 seconds. To progress, make the hangs longer before adding more of them, and add weight only after that. Each hang should still end with at least 10 seconds left in you, so if a longer hang means failing, it's too long for now.

Should you do density hangs or max hangs?

Density hangs first if you're building up or coming back, and max hangs later once the capacity is there. Density hangs are long and moderate. Max hangs are short, close to your limit and need a year or two of regular climbing behind you. A common order is density hangs in a base period, then max hangs in a strength period.