This post describes a portable finger board that allows to adjust each finger's crimp position up and down to adapt to each finger's length. For hands with notable length delta between fingers, this removes a considerable amount of mechanical stress on the finger joints.
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| High angle asymmetry between fingers. Creates large mechanical stress on joints & hand |
Depending on your morphology and physiology, this might help train crimping power, and do it injury free. 'Crimping hell' summarized my climbing experience back then. For years, fingerboard sessions, or crimpy climbs, were always followed by acute pain & cracking noises in the finger joints for the next couple of days. Mostly in the middle fingers. But no issue whatsoever after hard sessions without crimps.
After 4 years with little progress, repeated injuries, and many ineffective adjustments (massage, warm up, reps / sets, hold types, recovery, etc) I developed the adjustable system below that compensates for finger length differences (1.5" btwn my longest & shortest fingers). This eliminates extreme differences in crimping angle between fingers. Maybe this would finally make a difference ?
It was designed with the free Fusion 360 CAD software, and printed by i.materialise.com in MJF material (multi jet fusion). Warping due to high-heat zones is an issue with MJF, hence the nesting strategy used for some of the parts to cancel out bowing on large surfaces. You will want to adapt the quantities, STL package, object nesting, sacrificial structures, etc, depending on your 3D printing provider and material of choice.
- Fingerboard hanger
- can be hanged on regular fingerboards found across gyms, as long as they have a "jug" hold like in the 1st picture
- Github link in the works
- Wall hanger: can be screwed permanently on any structure (not designed yet. Easy copy / split / drill of the fingerboard Hanger's CAD model)
- Flexible, interchangeable, toolless installation on the base Hanger. Swap Hold plates to change your finger training type in a matter of seconds
- Crimp Holds plate
- Individually adjustable finger positions
- 4 crimp hold depths to choose from (25,20,15,10mm)
- Github link in the works
- Other plates in development
- Angled Crimp Ledges plate
- Bolted Holds plate (can bolt on regular climbing holds)
- Toolless installation on the base Hanger
- Swap Hold plates to change your finger training type in a matter of seconds
Results
So, was this a successful creation ? Yes and No !
Yes, it allowed me to train for the 1st time in a full open hand position on all fingers comfortably, develop an unprecedented level of strength in that position, including building up to weighted exercises in less than 3 months, and to enjoy continuous progress over a 9 months period. Transformed my climbing, that's a keeper. Boop !
However, the half crimp position (90o angle) still resulted in painful lengthy recovery with little strength increase. But, long story short, this was due to a slow rate of collagen synthesis, attributable to my non-controlled veggie diet. Not enough protein, and too much climbing (3-5 sessions / week).
Joint tissues could not recover properly due to low levels of amino acids (bricks to build proteins). After trying the collagen promoting mix from Eric Horst, most of the post-exercise pain is now gone, and my crimp training has improved dramatically. 4 years of joints deterioration for no reason...
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