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bluemarlin
Jul 29, 2005, 10:46 AM
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Is it normal that new climbers can't even hang from the campus board? I've only been to the rock gym about 5 times now (climbing 5.10's now) and for the life of me I can't even hang from the damn thing. Is there anything I can do to build strengh so I can start using it, or will it just come to me?
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rastafari
Jul 29, 2005, 10:50 AM
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It'll come to you. U gotta get some finger strengh. U don't need campus board if u're climbing 10's.
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mcgivney_nh
Jul 29, 2005, 11:20 AM
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finger strength is key for campus boards, but as a beginner, the best thing to do is try to just climb and cioncentrate on progressing to smaller, and more difficult holds.
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overlord
Jul 29, 2005, 11:20 AM
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dont even tuch the board at this time. youll just injure yourself. youre not strong enough to use it.
dont worry, youll become stronger soon enough.
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rastafari
Jul 29, 2005, 11:51 AM
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It's not smart to campus simply cause u don't wanna risk ligament injuries. Campusing is very difficult and u have to be strong.
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noell
Jul 29, 2005, 1:18 PM
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I am sure that most every single climber will tell you to stay off the campus board til you are stronger. The best thing to do in the beginning is just to climb and climb some more! Strength will come! And btw- I know some people that climb 5.12+ and can't campus, technique and pull will get you a long way!
I have been climbing for over 2 years, which is still newbie status in my opinion, though in that two years I have climbed steadily every single week (outside all seasons, rarely miss a weekend). And I am just now starting to do campus routines, even though I actualy could campus way back when I first started. I want to climb hard and I thought the smartest thing to do was to let my tendons and ligaments get strong and THEN once I had solid base, slowly get into campusing to help with my training to get to that next level. This way, chances of injury are less.
Listen to what people are saying - stay away from the board for a whle! Climb, practice footwork, do pull ups, climb some more! It'll come. :wink:
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bluemarlin
Jul 29, 2005, 8:41 PM
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In reply to: I am sure that most every single climber will tell you to stay off the campus board til you are stronger. The best thing to do in the beginning is just to climb and climb some more! Strength will come! And btw- I know some people that climb 5.12+ and can't campus, technique and pull will get you a long way! I have been climbing for over 2 years, which is still newbie status in my opinion, though in that two years I have climbed steadily every single week (outside all seasons, rarely miss a weekend). And I am just now starting to do campus routines, even though I actualy could campus way back when I first started. I want to climb hard and I thought the smartest thing to do was to let my tendons and ligaments get strong and THEN once I had solid base, slowly get into campusing to help with my training to get to that next level. This way, chances of injury are less. Listen to what people are saying - stay away from the board for a whle! Climb, practice footwork, do pull ups, climb some more! It'll come. :wink:
Yeah, I guess I'll stick to what I'm doing. Thanks for the advice everybody.
It's just, I see these people come in and go like 1 to 5 (rungs) or even further than that (they're always boulderers :) ) and it impresses me so I feel I should learn how to do it too, lol. I don't want to hurt myself though...
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andy_reagan
Jul 30, 2005, 1:35 AM
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Eh, make up your own mind. It seems like you've already got it figured out though. Can't get a workout on a campus board if you can't hang onto the rungs, can you?
Training for climbing is still in its infancy as far as I can tell. The so called "experts" rarely agree with each other and the amount of beginning climbers that are willing to dish out regurgitated information (never quite accurately regurgitated from aforementioned experts) is staggering. This is represented both by internet personae and some dude with his shirt off campusing that V3 boulder problem at the local hang. Both sets may or may not be correct on any one point.
Peace,
Andy
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davidorchard
Jul 30, 2005, 2:00 AM
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gotta spray a bit (since i didn't get to climb yesterday)
I love campusing and i have been able to do it since pretty early on in my climbing career, plus i believe that there is no better way to get super strong than to work the campus board.
that being said, it is also way easy to injure yourself on the things and it really isn't a necessary skill. the guy i regularly climb with weighs 40 lbs less than i do, but can't hag off the biggest campus rung, and still climbs harder than i do (my best climb is 12a)
i don't think it would hurt you to try to hang from the rungs, right now, and possibly do a couple slow chin ups. trying to campus on the board might be too much for your tendons at this point though. to build tendon strength takes time, but i suggest lots of long traverses around the gym if you can.
i am done, and feel better now. good luck
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jt512
Jul 30, 2005, 2:15 AM
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In reply to: I love campusing and i have been able to do it since pretty early on in my climbing career, plus i believe that there is no better way to get super strong than to work the campus board. ... my best climb is 12a
So much for that theory.
-Jay
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jt512
Jul 30, 2005, 2:18 AM
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In reply to: It's not smart to campus simply cause u don't wanna risk ligament injuries. Campusing is very difficult and u have to be strong.
"Campusing" and working a campus board are not the same thing. Campusing means climbing without using your feet. You don't need a campus board to campus. Campusing on big holds shouldn't be too injurious, working a campus board is very injurious.
-Jay
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davidorchard
Jul 30, 2005, 2:39 AM
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In reply to: In reply to: I love campusing and i have been able to do it since pretty early on in my climbing career, plus i believe that there is no better way to get super strong than to work the campus board. ... my best climb is 12a So much for that theory. -Jay
thanks jay, you caught me. i am pretty wimpy, but i am batting above the average at this point.
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jt512
Jul 30, 2005, 2:42 AM
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In reply to: In reply to: In reply to: I love campusing and i have been able to do it since pretty early on in my climbing career, plus i believe that there is no better way to get super strong than to work the campus board. ... my best climb is 12a So much for that theory. -Jay thanks jay, you caught me. i am pretty wimpy, but i am batting above the average at this point.
Honestly, if you can run a campus board, but have only climbed 5.12a, you're making the classic mistake of training your strengths and not your weaknesses. How's your footwork? ;)
-Jay
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davidorchard
Jul 30, 2005, 3:03 AM
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In reply to: How's your footwork? ;) -Jay
sloppy, but getting better. please help me. i am nothing but an upper torso when i climb. :cry:
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jt512
Jul 30, 2005, 3:31 AM
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In reply to: In reply to: How's your footwork? ;) -Jay sloppy, but getting better. please help me. i am nothing but an upper torso when i climb. :cry:
Not much I can do for you from 1000 miles away, and there is currently not much of value in print on the subject. Buy fluxus's book when it comes out in October: The Self-Coached Climber. It'll change the way you think about climbing.
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cracklover
Jul 30, 2005, 3:43 AM
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In reply to: In reply to: In reply to: In reply to: I love campusing and i have been able to do it since pretty early on in my climbing career, plus i believe that there is no better way to get super strong than to work the campus board. ... my best climb is 12a So much for that theory. -Jay thanks jay, you caught me. i am pretty wimpy, but i am batting above the average at this point. Honestly, if you can run a campus board, but have only climbed 5.12a, you're making the classic mistake of training your strengths and not your weaknesses. How's your footwork? ;) -Jay
Okay, so if I have the technique to lead sport 5.11+, and occasionally TR 5.12- cleanly, but have never done any training - would a finger board be of any use to take it to the next level? I guess I have halfway decent technique (though it could always be better). Dunno, really.
GO
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davidorchard
Jul 30, 2005, 4:30 AM
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In reply to: Okay, so if I have the technique to lead sport 5.11+, and occasionally TR 5.12- cleanly, but have never done any training - would a finger board be of any use to take it to the next level? I guess I have halfway decent technique (though it could always be better). Dunno, really. GO
okay, let me state first off that i am not qualified to answer this post. since it has been pointed out that my technique is flawed (my footwork really does suck) and i have only begun to red point baby 12s.
don't train, go climb. make yourself lead some of those 12s you have been top roping. take your time working through the levels. i am guessing climbing 12s gets pretty boring after you are up to 13s and beyond.
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squierbypetzl
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Jul 30, 2005, 5:21 AM
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Ok, when I first read the thread title, I was like: "No... is he really talking about beginning climbers using a campus board???" :shock: .
Then I read your first post and the answer became painfully obvious.
To answer your 1st question:
Yes, it´s perfectly normal for new climbers to not be able to do anything, much less use a c-board.
Then to respond to some of the advice given here, I´ll throw my own hat into the ring and offer some advice:
If you´re starting climbing (10s in the gym or .10´s on rock BTW??), concentrate on using big holds, getting different tecnique on different holds (big and small, focus on big!), getting your balance and positioning your body, learning good footwork, and becoming comfortable with climbing in general.
You may feel strong as hell but trust me (I have experience in this category) you will get hurt eventually if you push yourself too hard. I´m sorry to say that a campus board is WAY out of ANY newcomers league. You shouldn´t even get near a friggin´ board if you´re tempted to use it seriously at this level. Unless you were a Master of Grip or World´s Strongest Man right before you started climbing, you´re risking some really nasty injuries to (for starters) the tendons in your hands, your finger-joint cartilage and tissue, everything in your wrists, everything in your elbows and everything in your shoulders (bone, tendon, cartilage...)...
Look up the history of the campus board. I won´t go into depth about it here (look it up yourselves :wink: ), but basically it was developed by an incredibly strong climber, tip top level in his day, who seemed to plateau.
I could go on and on but I´ll cut to the chase:
A CAMPUS BOARD IS FOR REALLY STRONG CLIMBERS!!!
STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM IT!!!!! 8^)
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squierbypetzl
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Jul 30, 2005, 5:29 AM
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Didn´t mean to sound evil back there, sorry... :roll:
But dang, man...
I know what it´s like to want to push yourself quick but (insert centuries old cliché) "this IS a marathon, not a sprint". You will have to take it nice and easy eventually, whether through choose or injury. I´m just trying to give you all the info. I can so you can decide for yourself...
But heck, this is just an internet post written by some dude you don´t even know, so why listen to me?? After all there must be some moron around here who will tell you to start practicing dynos and monos right away so you can link Flex Luthor come new year´s. And he´ll probably have more posts than I do so of course he knows better, right? :P
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jt512
Jul 30, 2005, 5:30 AM
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In reply to: Okay, so if I have the technique to lead sport 5.11+, and occasionally TR 5.12- cleanly, but have never done any training - would a finger board be of any use to take it to the next level? I guess I have halfway decent technique (though it could always be better). Dunno, really. GO
Campus board training involves making dynamic moves to small edges without the assistance of the legs, so if your routes involve the need for that level of contact strength, then I would say that campus board training would help. I've rp'ed 12d and have never needed that kind of contact strength, but that could be the nature of the routes I've climbed. To my way of thinking campus boarding is for advanced boulderers and elite climbers, not us 5.12 duffers.
You have to analyze why you fall. If you lack finger strength, then there are safer ways to increase finger strength to the level you likely need it than the campus board. Dead hangs are safer and, in my experience, very effective. So is climbing routes that have repetitive moves to holds similar to your project routes. How's your endurance? How are you at finding and exploiting marginal rests? Chances are at 11d/12a concentrating on moving more efficiently, and broadening your base to increase your library of movement schema will payoff most in the long-run.
-Jay
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squierbypetzl
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Jul 30, 2005, 5:33 AM
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Read jay´s last paragraph.
Then imagine I said it and give me all the credit.
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andy_reagan
Jul 30, 2005, 12:47 PM
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Movement is everything! :D
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flipnfall
Jul 30, 2005, 12:58 PM
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In reply to: dont even tuch the board at this time. youll just injure yourself. youre not strong enough to use it. dont worry, youll become stronger soon enough.
I completely agree. You need both tendon and muscle strength for the campus board. Tendons take 5 times longer to become stronger than muscle, so don't push it--even if your muscles are strong enough to campus, it may take 3 to 4 years for tendons to be campus-board ready. A good alternative is pullups or arms-only climbing up a leaning ladder (or Bachar ladder). Canvas boards are hard on the tendons of even the strongest climbers.
Campus boards benefit climbers on crimper climbs with dynamic moves. It allows you to stick a hold while grabbing at it quickly. If you're not climbing 5.10+ climbs with dynamic move, this probably isn't going to benefit you as an exercise. You could practice boudering moves with dynos to get the same effect as a campus board without the major strain it causes.
GT
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cracklover
Jul 30, 2005, 3:23 PM
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First off, thanks for the advice.
In reply to: You have to analyze why you fall.
In reply to: If you lack finger strength, then there are safer ways to increase finger strength to the level you likely need it than the campus board. Dead hangs are safer and, in my experience, very effective.
From a campus board, using an open grip, or one of those metolius rock-thingies, is that what you mean?
And again, how to tell if my hand strength is the weak link in the chain, or one of the stronger ones? If I grab a bathroom scale and squeeze with both hands, I can pull a few pounds below my weight. Perhaps it's time for another one of those silly polls?
In reply to: So is climbing routes that have repetitive moves to holds similar to your project routes. How's your endurance? How are you at finding and exploiting marginal rests?
Well if I get a route wired, I typically can find and exploit lots of rests, so my endurance isn't really taxed. But then hopping on a new hard route without obvious rests, I flame out in about 20-30 feet of climbing. Of course, I can climb a couple numbers down 'til the cows come home - there my endurance is no problem. But on routes that are hard for me, pump city.
In reply to: Chances are at 11d/12a concentrating on moving more efficiently, and broadening your base to increase your library of movement schema will payoff most in the long-run.
MMMV, but got it. Thanks.
Edited to add - for those who don't know me, I am not a "new" climber, I've been at it for six years. So - sorry for the thread drift.
GO
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climbingkidd
Jul 30, 2005, 3:23 PM
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You can climb a 5.10, but can't hang from the campus board?? Hmmmm.....strange. I'm sorry but that just doesn't make sense to me.
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