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How do you get arms and fingers of steel?


Jimbo

7-Nov-2003
12:26:24 PM

For all of us city based deskbound HB wannabes.

What have people found the best method of improving forarm endurance and most importantly finger strength for those little finger edges typically found on higher grades and up ie Thomas the Crank Engine at Werribee, Diazapam Summerday Valley etc

I find that any climb that does not contain these edges are reasonably easy to climb BUT I just cannot stick on those bloody little edges and then, as always, gravity takes over!

Training like climbing one night a week, opening many beer bottles etc probably does not help things so there has gotta be something else I can do to work on forearm endurance and most importantly finger strength.


alrob

7-Nov-2003
12:36:11 PM

On 7/11/2003 Jimbo wrote:

>Training like climbing one night a week, opening many beer bottles etc
>probably does not help things so there has gotta be something else I can
>do to work on forearm endurance and most importantly finger strength.

try training more often. once a week climbing in the gym will help you a little bit, but you'll start to plateu, as i did, around 19/20. try getting into the gym more then once a week, ans that should be a good start

dodgy

7-Nov-2003
12:59:56 PM

Hey Jimbo,
ever tried the downstairs traverse wall at Vic Ranges, a couple of laps a night should do it...
Also Eric Horst's "How to Climb 5.12" includes some horror ideas for finger strength training, and hours of up,down,up,down on easy top rope problems in the gym. After doing a few weeks of this you will be amazed what you can hold, and for how long...


vwills

7-Nov-2003
1:26:40 PM

Consider "cross training" to improve stamina. It also helps keep things interesting and doesn't stress the same tendons/ ligaments and muscles too repetitively. Personally I've found surfing has always helped endurance but it doesn't necessarily help with crimpy holds. Obviously its a bit hard to do in Melbourne but swimming or rowing etc would probably have the same effect. The only down side to that is your finger tips will soften in the water


..::- Chris -::..

7-Nov-2003
1:29:58 PM

OK guaranteed Climbing Strength - read on
What you will need !!! :-

A leg from a funnel web spider
The tail of a cobra snake
some hundreds & thousands
a finger from a dead relative
a block of ice from than Antarctic
455g jar of vegemite
and about 5kg of the steroid THG
5 litres of water from the yarra (preferably from around docklands.

Preheat coldren to around 160'
Add the 5 litres of Water from the yarra river. Bring this to a boil, you'll
know its ready when the purple'y green colours fade from the top
of the water. Next add the vegemite, be sure to stir constantly as the
vegemite is a bitch to clean from the side of the coldren. Next add the Ice,
Spiders leg, Cobra's tail, relatives finger, keep stirring constantly.

Turn temperature down, allow to simmer lightly. After the muscle mix has
simmered for around 15 mins poor the contents into a large mixing bowl and
place on the dinner table.

Take the 5kg of THG and place it in a bowl on the dinner table.
Now grab 2 soup ladle's. The is extremely important.

Just before we begin this process you may want to swallow an anti nausea tablet.
Rotation is important here, take soup ladle one and gather a spoon of THG and
swallow (be sure not to spill any) next grab the other soup ladle and swallow a
spoon of muscle mix, repeat these steps till all is finished.

Lick both bowls completely clean and FEEL the POWER.....
Drive straight to Taipan wall and solo serpentine......

SIDE AFFECTS: Can cause mutations, if repeated vomiting persists please see a doctor or just take more.... If skins starts to have a green glow please avoid high levels of stress. Please avoid all contact with the substance kryptonite.

DISCLAIMER:- I will take no responsibility for Strength gained or lost from the exercise, with super human strength comes responsibility so please be cautious.
If you are under 18 please get your parents permission.

No spiders or snakes were killed in the making of this post.


haskell

7-Nov-2003
1:56:00 PM

On 7/11/2003 ..::- Chris -::.. wrote:
>OK guaranteed Climbing Strength - read on
>What you will need !!! :-
>
>A leg from a funnel web spider
>The tail of a cobra snake
>some hundreds & thousands
>a finger from a dead relative

Now I'm just plain scared to go home. Remind me to say no to seconds next time you cook.

Matty

7-Nov-2003
2:22:37 PM

Sounds like u are a witch...Burn Him!!!


Rupert

7-Nov-2003
3:20:18 PM

I find that pushing the mouse around everyday has given me one mighty bulging forearm. To balance this out I get a pretty regular workout for my other arm pushing the reset button everytime the crappy windows box gets the "Blue Screen of Death" which is about every second mouse click. But Friday night after work drinks are approaching, so as long as I remember to transfer my beer frequently from hand to hand while I shuffle nervously on the spot and try to summon the courage to ask out one of the girls from accounts, I'll get a pretty balanced workout. Bring on the weekend.


..::- Chris -::..

7-Nov-2003
3:52:23 PM

Rupert,
Actually as luck has it I have another formulae for picking up any girl(s), I'll email it to you off-line, but you'll have to gather the following ingredients

1 kg of Rohypnol
1 kg of THG power
1 kg of MDMA powder.

There is a good friendly chemist open all night in the ammusment parlor near the corner of Russel and Bourke. hehehe

Side effects:- happiness love desire, dilation of pupils and invincibility.
hehehehe
I'm very stressed at the moment, please excuse my posts.
I hate carrots !!!

climbingjac

7-Nov-2003
4:28:44 PM

Hey Rupert, I thought you had a live-in chickie?! What are you doing shopping for more??


GG

7-Nov-2003
4:36:33 PM

Steroids................

dodgy

7-Nov-2003
4:54:17 PM

Grab a copy of the A-K Yellow Pages and "let your fingers do the walking" from cover to cover, next week L-Z...
Would this be the climbing training equivelent of Cliffy running from Sydney to Melbourne?


Phil Box

8-Nov-2003
9:40:46 AM

I`ve heard that knitting and quilting will give you fingers of steel. Now be very careful when reading my first sentence and note well that I said that I heard this.

That witches brew was too funny, well done, I like it, I like it a lot.


Jimbo

10-Nov-2003
8:12:10 AM

Cool....so the shopping list will consist of...huge cauldron to make the new brew...a couple of volumes of yellow pages, quilting bits and bobs and of course knitting needles. What a thought...knitting little individual tea cosie thingies for all my pro AND use a doiley to protect them further when placing them!

I think some lunchtime bluestone bouldering action on the city would be better.

Any out of the way bluestone walls in the city anyone can think of?

deadpoint

10-Nov-2003
9:07:54 AM

Drugs are bad, Mmkay

dodgy

10-Nov-2003
10:08:19 AM

The best city bluestone methinks is under the now missing "Pick-Up-Sticks" federation memorial arch under St Kilda Rd at the arts centre.
Sadly as part of the environmentally sound redecoration campaign, the re-introduction of pigeons/rats with wings has taken place, so the bouldering is now SHIT.
Does Ratsak work?


tmarsh

10-Nov-2003
10:42:41 AM

On 10/11/2003 dodgy wrote:
>Does Ratsak work?

Yes. Warferin (sp?) causes massive internal haemmoraging and they die quickly and painfully. Shown being used to great effect in the opening scenes of the recent film '24 Hour Party People'.

It's not a particularly nice way to kill things, but then nor is being displaced from your habitat and starving to death coz winged vermin have decided to take over your environment.

tim

dodgy

10-Nov-2003
10:49:36 AM

It must be my sadistic streak but I found the dive bomb scene most amusing, but I dunno if bluestone walls are my "habitat", and if I will starve to death...

earwig

10-Nov-2003
3:15:13 PM

I've got a friend who's kinda medical - he's into taxidermy actually - but he reckons plactic surgery isn't that hard and if you like, he could organise it so you're something like Edward Scissorhands, but with climbing gear, your fingers and thumbs all wired nuts and cams and stuff. Should be able to hang onto the rock then.

dodgy

10-Nov-2003
3:30:32 PM

On 10/11/2003 earwig wrote:
>I've got a friend who's kinda medical - he's into taxidermy actually -

Isn't taxidermy a bit late to be medical, more equivelent to calling an undertaker?

There are 81 messages in this topic.