Are you an avid climber looking to improve your crimping skills at the gym? It’s no secret that crimping requires strength and technique, but did you know that the type of holds you use can make a significant difference in your training? In this article, we will explore the various types of holds that are best for practicing crimping in climbing gyms. From small edges to slopers, we’ll uncover the secrets to enhancing your crimping prowess and taking your climbing to new heights.
Crimping Holds
When it comes to practicing crimping in climbing gyms, there are several types of holds that can help you improve your grip strength and technique. Crimping holds are known for their narrow and precise grip, where the fingers are positioned on a small edge or lip of the hold.
Small Crimps
Small crimps are one of the most common types of crimping holds. These holds typically feature a thin edge that requires you to exert a significant amount of pressure with your fingertips. By training on small crimps, you can develop stronger finger strength and enhance your ability to hold onto smaller edges during climbs.
Incuts
Incut holds provide a slight depression or recessed area for your fingers to grip. These holds offer a more secure grip compared to small crimps, as the shape allows your fingers to dig into the hold. Incuts are excellent for practicing crimping technique while still maintaining some level of comfort and stability.
Sloping Crimps
Sloping crimps add an additional challenge to crimping training. These holds have a downward-slanting edge, making it more difficult to maintain a secure grip. By practicing on sloping crimps, you can improve your finger strength and learn to adapt to different grip angles, which is essential for tackling various climbing routes.
Pocket Holds
Pocket holds are characterized by their concave shape, where your fingers fit into small cavities within the hold. These holds require a different type of grip strength compared to crimping holds.
Two-Finger Pockets
Two-finger pockets are an excellent choice for training finger strength and precision. These holds require you to use only two fingers to grip the pocket, making it essential to develop strong hand and finger coordination. By training on two-finger pockets, you can improve your finger strength and dexterity, allowing you to tackle routes with smaller and shallower pockets.
Three-Finger Pockets
Three-finger pockets provide a slightly larger grip area compared to two-finger pockets. These holds allow you to use an extra finger, providing more stability and reducing the strain on individual fingers. By practicing on three-finger pockets, you can develop a stronger grip and enhance your ability to hold onto different pocket sizes.
Deep Pockets
Deep pockets offer a larger grip area and provide more space for your fingers to fit comfortably. These holds are great for training endurance and forearm strength. Deep pockets allow you to engage multiple fingers and maintain a stronger grip for more extended periods. By incorporating deep pocket holds into your training routine, you can improve your stamina and overall climbing performance.
Pinch Holds
Pinch holds require you to grip the hold between your thumb and fingers, similar to pinching an object between your fingers. These holds focus on developing thumb and forearm strength.
Wide Pinches
Wide pinch holds offer a wider grip area, allowing you to engage multiple fingers and distribute the load more evenly. These holds are excellent for improving hand and finger coordination, as well as developing strength in your thumb muscles.
Narrow Pinches
Narrow pinch holds, on the other hand, require you to grip the hold with a narrower pinch. These holds are more challenging and focus on isolating the thumb muscles. Training on narrow pinch holds can significantly enhance your thumb strength and dexterity, enabling you to tackle routes with narrower pinch holds.
Sloping Pinches
Sloping pinch holds combine the challenge of pinches with sloping features. These holds usually have a rounded or sloping surface, making it more difficult to maintain a secure grip. Training on sloping pinch holds can help you develop greater forearm and finger strength, as well as improve your ability to hold onto holds with varying angles.
Sloper Holds
Sloper holds are characterized by their smooth and rounded surfaces, which require you to use open-hand grip technique rather than crimping. These holds focus on improving your grip strength on sloping surfaces.
Large Sloping Holds
Large sloping holds provide a broad grip area, allowing you to engage multiple fingers. These holds are excellent for training open-hand grip strength and forearm endurance. By practicing on large sloping holds, you can develop the strength and technique required to tackle routes with larger slopers.
Small Sloping Holds
Small sloping holds pose a greater challenge, as they offer a smaller surface area for your fingers to grip. These holds demand precise finger placement and a greater level of finger strength. By incorporating small sloping holds into your training regimen, you can improve your finger accuracy and overall grip strength.
Crimpy Slopers
Crimpy slopers combine the difficulty of slopers with the narrow grip of crimps. These holds have small edges or lips that require you to exert pressure with your fingertips while maintaining an open-hand grip. By training on crimpy slopers, you can develop a stronger grip on sloping surfaces and improve your ability to crimp on smaller holds.
Edge Holds
Edge holds are characterized by their thin and narrow surface, which requires you to grip the edge of the hold with your fingertips. These holds are excellent for developing finger strength and precision.
Positive Edges
Positive edges offer a larger surface area and a more secure grip compared to smaller crimps. These holds are perfect for training finger strength and accuracy. By practicing on positive edges, you can build stronger fingers and develop the technique required to grip larger holds with confidence.
Micro Edges
Micro edges are extremely thin and require precise finger placement and control. These holds challenge your finger strength and require you to exert maximum pressure on a small surface area. Training on micro edges can help you develop greater finger strength and enhance your ability to hold onto even the smallest holds.
Pocket Edges
Pocket edges combine the challenge of edges with the concave shape of pockets. These holds require you to grip the edge while also fitting your fingers into small cavities within the hold. By training on pocket edges, you can improve both your finger strength and pocket grip technique, allowing you to tackle routes with a combination of edge and pocket holds.
Crack Holds
Crack holds simulate cracks found in actual rock climbing, requiring you to use specific hand and finger techniques to navigate the holds.
Finger Crack
Finger crack holds mimic thin cracks that require finger jams. These holds demand precise finger placement and the ability to exert pressure on the crack to maintain a secure grip. Training on finger crack holds can improve your finger strength and technique for crack climbing.
Hand Crack
Hand crack holds simulate wider cracks that require jamming your hand into the crack. These holds focus on developing hand strength and endurance, as well as improving your ability to jam your hand securely into a crack. By training on hand crack holds, you can improve your overall crack climbing skills and hand strength.
Offwidth Crack
Offwidth crack holds replicate wider cracks that are challenging to grip and require unique techniques. These holds test your ability to squeeze your body into the crack while maintaining a secure grip. By training on offwidth crack holds, you can develop the strength and technique necessary to tackle wider cracks and improve your overall climbing versatility.
Screw-On Holds
Screw-on holds are versatile and can be easily attached and removed from climbing walls. These holds come in a variety of shapes and sizes, offering a wide range of training options.
Flat Edge Crimps
Flat edge crimps resemble small crimps but are flat on the top rather than sloping. These holds are excellent for practicing finger strength and accuracy. By training on flat edge crimps, you can develop a strong grip on flat surfaces, enhancing your ability to tackle routes with similar holds.
Incuts
Incut screw-on holds offer a recessed area for your fingers to grip, similar to their fixed counterparts. These holds are useful for practicing crimping technique and increasing finger strength. By incorporating incut screw-on holds into your training routine, you can improve your ability to grip incut holds during climbs.
Sloping Edges
Sloping edge screw-on holds mimic the challenge of sloping crimps and slopers. These holds have a smooth and sloping surface, making it difficult to maintain a secure grip. Training on sloping edge screw-on holds can help you develop greater forearm and finger strength, as well as improve your ability to grip holds with varying angles.
Tension Board Holds
Tension board holds are specifically designed for training finger, hand, and forearm strength. These holds offer a variety of shapes and sizes to challenge different muscle groups.
Pinches
Tension board pinch holds are designed to target your thumb muscles and improve pinch grip strength. These holds vary in width and shape, providing a range of difficulty levels. By training on pinch holds, you can develop a stronger pinch grip and enhance your overall climbing performance.
Edges
Tension board edge holds focus on improving finger strength and accuracy. These holds are characterized by their thin and narrow surface, requiring precise finger placement and control. By practicing on tension board edge holds, you can develop greater finger strength and dexterity, improving your ability to grip smaller holds.
Slopers
Tension board sloper holds are designed to simulate the challenge of sloping holds. These holds have a smooth and rounded surface, requiring you to use open-hand grip technique. By training on tension board slopers, you can develop a stronger grip on sloping surfaces and improve your ability to hold onto sloping holds during climbs.
Campus Board Holds
Campus board holds are specifically designed for explosive, dynamic movements and focus on developing upper body and finger power.
Small Campus Rungs
Small campus rungs offer a narrow surface area and require explosive movements to traverse. These holds are usually spaced further apart, challenging your upper body strength and finger power. By training on small campus rungs, you can develop explosive speed and power for dynamic climbing moves.
Large Campus Rungs
Large campus rungs provide a wider surface area and allow for more intermediate movements. These holds are ideal for training upper body strength and grip endurance. By incorporating large campus rungs into your training routine, you can develop greater finger and arm strength, enhancing your ability to tackle powerful climbing sequences.
Offset Rungs
Offset campus rungs offer various levels of difficulty by combining larger and smaller holds. These holds require precise hand and finger placement, as well as the ability to generate power from different grip positions. Training on offset rungs can improve your finger strength, accuracy, and dynamic climbing abilities.
System Board Holds
System board holds are designed for specific training exercises to improve overall climbing skills, including finger strength, pinch strength, and sloper grip.
Finger Buckets
System board finger bucket holds mimic the shape of a bucket, requiring you to hook your fingers into the hold. These holds focus on finger and forearm endurance and improve your ability to grip larger holds. By training on finger bucket holds, you can develop greater finger strength and stamina, enabling you to tackle longer routes.
Pinches
System board pinch holds emphasize developing pinch grip strength and accuracy. These holds come in different sizes and shapes, providing a range of difficulty levels. By training on system board pinch holds, you can enhance your pinch grip strength and improve your ability to perform dynamic movements that require pinching holds.
Sloper Crimps
System board sloper crimp holds combine the challenge of sloping holds with the precision required for crimping. These holds have a small edge or lip that demands pressure with your fingertips while maintaining an open-hand grip. Training on sloper crimp holds can improve your grip on sloping surfaces and enhance your ability to crimp on smaller holds.
In conclusion, practicing crimping in climbing gyms requires a variety of holds to target different muscle groups and improve overall climbing skills. Incorporating small crimps, incuts, sloping crimps, pocket holds, pinch holds, sloper holds, edge holds, crack holds, screw-on holds, tension board holds, campus board holds, and system board holds into your training routine can help develop finger, hand, forearm, and upper body strength, as well as improve grip technique and endurance. By regularly training on these different types of holds, you can enhance your climbing performance and tackle routes with confidence and precision.
