Affiliations: [a] Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Handsurgery,
Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland | [b] Turntillburn GmbH, Zürich, Switzerland | [c] Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital
Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Note: [] Address for correspondence: A. Schweizer, Department of Plastic,
Reconstructive and Handsurgery, Kantonsspital Aarau, Tellstrasse, CH-5001
Aarau, Switzerland. Tel.: +41 62 838 47 41; E-mail: ankaluz@active.ch
Abstract: The aim of this pilot study was to investigate whether dynamic
eccentric-concentric strength training of the finger flexors may improve the
performance of rock climbers. A device was developed for training the finger
flexors in a dynamic eccentric and concentric fashion. Forty seven rock
climbers participated in the retrospective study and answered an online
questionnaire. The duration of the training averaged 19 months (SD 16, range
1–60) with 40 minutes per week (SD 38, range 5–210) and constituted 15% of
the whole climbing training (range 5–100). The difficulty of climbing redpoint
style (known route) improved significantly on average from 12.1 to 14.4
(numeric scale of difficulty 1–24, in relation to the French scale grade
3–9a), on sight style (unknown route) from 9.5 to 11.4 and boulder (short
routes) from 8.7 to 11.8. In comparison improvement of climbing performance
during the 12 months before the start of the dynamic training was significantly
less averaging redpoint 11.6 to 12.1, on sight 9.3 to 9.5 and boulder 7.9 to
8.7. Dynamic eccentric-concentric strength training of the finger flexors in
rock climbers may improve climbing performance and may be of value in addition
to the static strength training.
Keywords: Rock climbing, dynamic, eccentric-concentric, strength training, finger flexor musculature
