Pick-ups
5 pick-ups of 8 s per hand on a lifting edge, 3 s to switch hands, 3 min rest. Track the weight.
- Slot
- Strength
- Focus
- Finger strength
- Time
- 14 min
- Intensity
- High
- Injury risk
- Moderate
- Intervals
- 5 × 8s on, 3:00 off
- Equipment
- Lifting edge, Edge 20mm, Added weight
How to do it
A pick-up is lifting a weight off the floor with one hand on a small edge (a lifting edge or no-hang device) instead of hanging from it. Standing, take the edge in a half crimp and lift the weight just off the floor, holding for 8 seconds with your shoulder still. Take 3 seconds to switch hands and hold 8 seconds with the other hand. Rest 3 minutes, and do 5 rounds. Write down the weight for each hand so you can track progress.
Who it’s for
Anyone who wants finger strength without hanging their whole bodyweight, which includes climbers with shoulder or elbow problems, and anyone who wants a number to track. Standing on the floor means you control the load precisely.
Common mistakes
- Ripping the weight off the floor. Build the pull over a second, then hold. A snatch loads the pulleys hard and tells you nothing.
- Moving the shoulder. The arm stays still. If your shoulder is doing the lifting, the fingers aren’t.
- Different hand positions per side. Same position both hands, or the numbers aren’t comparable.
- Not writing the weight down. Tracking is most of the value. Log both hands separately, because they’ll differ.
How to progress
Add a small amount of weight when all five rounds feel controlled on both hands. Because the load is precise, this is the easiest finger protocol to progress honestly, and the easiest to overreach on if you chase numbers.
When it fits
The training periods this exercise fits into in Blok Sessions.
- Strength Stronger fingers and pulling, with weight you control.
- Power Explosive moves, momentum and coordination.
- Performance Peak for a trip or a comp: focus, reading problems, trying hard.
Related blocks
Start with a ready-made block
A six-week strength plan with a deload, as a file for the app, and seven short emails on how to run it.