Two-arm max hangs on 20mm edge
5 hangs of 10 s on a 20 mm edge at near-max load, 3 min rest.
- Slot
- Strength
- Focus
- Finger strength
- Time
- 13 min
- Intensity
- Max
- Injury risk
- High
- Intervals
- 5 × 10s on, 3:00 off
- Equipment
- Edge 20mm, Added weight, Timer
How to do it
Only after a complete warm-up. On a 20 mm edge, hang with both hands for 10 seconds at a load close to your max - you should be able to hold on for only 2-3 seconds longer. Add weight with a harness, or take weight off with a pulley or a foot on a chair. Rest 3 minutes and do 5 hangs. Every hang should feel crisp; stop if one feels off.
High injury risk. Only do this fully warmed up, rested and injury-free, and stop at the first sign of pain in your fingers or elbows. Training is at your own risk.
Who it’s for
Climbers with a year or two of steady volume who want finger strength on a standard edge. Twenty millimetres is the size most protocols and most benchmarks use, which makes your numbers comparable over time.
Common mistakes
- Hanging to failure. Ten seconds at a load you could hold for twelve or thirteen. Failing hangs add injury risk and no extra stimulus.
- Changing hand position between hangs. Pick half crimp or open hand and keep it for the whole session, or the numbers mean nothing.
- Shoulders passive. Engaged shoulders, slight bend in the elbows. Never hang dead off the joint.
- Adding weight every session. Load goes up when five hangs feel controlled twice in a row, not when you feel good.
How to progress
Add weight in small steps, two kilos at a time, and keep the edge and hand position fixed. Twice a week at most, at least forty-eight hours apart, and always fresh rather than at the end of a climbing day.
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.