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Finger recruitment warm-up

After a general warm-up, 4-6 hangs of 5-10 s building to about 80% effort, 2 min rest.

Warm-up
Finger strength
7 min
Moderate intensity
Moderate injury risk
20 mm edge, Timer

A 20 mm edge is a hangboard edge about as deep as the pad of your fingertip.

How to do it

Warm up first: easy climbing, or on a gym day some easy cardio and a few hangs with your feet on the floor. Then do 4-6 hangs of 5-10 seconds on a hangboard or board, starting easy and getting a bit harder each time, up to about 80% of your max. Rest 2 minutes between hangs. Stop while each hang still feels snappy and strong.

Run it now

The same timer as the app: a five-second get-ready, then every round and rest counted down with a beep. Keep this page open while you train.

Finger recruitment warm-up

0:00 / 6:25

Ready

6:25

4 rounds

After a general warm-up, 4-6 hangs of 5-10 s building to about 80% effort, 2 min rest.

4
rounds
5s
work
2:00
rest
6:25
total

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Who it's for

Waking the fingers up before hard climbing or a hangboard session, so the first hard hold isn't the first hard load.

Common mistakes

  • Doing it cold. Some easy climbing first, or on a gym day easy cardio and a few hangs with your feet on the floor.
  • Going to max. Around eighty per cent on the last hang. If you're straining, you've overshot.
  • Cutting the rests. Two minutes between hangs, even at the easy end.

How to progress

Stop while every hang still feels snappy. The point is arriving strong, so if you finish this feeling worked, do less next time.

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.