Crusher Holds Fingerboards Climbing Blog: December 2012

So to kick off your 2013 training fest with a bit of wooden inspiration, why not enter the Win a Crusher Holds Matrix Fingerboard Competition. All you have to do is go to the Crusher Holds Facebook Gear Page and 'Like' it... dead simple!
When we get to 1000, someone will be drawn from a hat and bobs your uncle, you'll Win our Top of the Range Fingerboard... a serious bit of kit for some serious finger strength training. Ask Stevie!

Crusher Holds facebook Gear Page Competition just click 'Like'

So what else has been happening in the Crusher Holds world. Well its only taken me 9 months to write on here, so here's a rare treat for ya. As of 10am today there has been zero nicotine breathed and the fat controller upsatirs is currently stomping about changing the points as and when he wishes... with no appreciation for the fact that I would actually like to concentrate on any said task for more than 30 seconds. So yep its come to this narcissism... in some attempt to stay on track, Grsh, hopefully I'll stay with it this time.

So..

Well its been busy busy busy with the lead up to Xmas, which fortunately hasn't affected climbing to much, 'cause this dear little island with its a damp problem hasn't been very giving this year and I struggle to piece together a handful of climbing highlights.. so I won't. Bollocks to it, you can be as disinterested and bored reading this as I am with British climbing.

Cellars on the other hand are definitely in Vogue and currently providing a life line to the depleted psych reserve. The recently established Boulder Nelson and the self established Boulder Darwen giving 50 and 60 degrees of core busting, joint wrecking wood therapy. Boulder Nelson with its endless crimps and tiny foot holds give the fingers and locks a great workout and my place, a bit easier on the fingers but systematically able to destroy shoulders and work core to death. Handy, very handy, and spending some good time stuck under these things you'd have thought I'd be getting strong. Well may be.. may be it might pay off next year, or may be I might just getting good at climbing 4 metres of wood..
They are great resources and all of us that have been using them, have commented on the benefits of board training, nothing new in that in the slightest but everyone seems to just go down the wall these days and its easy to forget, so yep clear improvements have been seen all round. Dedicated training in late 30s improvement shocker! Definitely a worth while investment knocking one up if you've got the space and the time and will to use one.
Its also been really handy as we've got fingerboards up at both venues, obviously I've stuck Crushers up, a Megarail at mine and a Matrix at Pete's... this means sticking in a few hangs in the middle and at the end of sessions has been effortless, no need for seperately warming up etc. and it again confirmed the benefits of a board, and actually pulling a finger out and getting on them. The finger injury of last year now gone and my mono strength is probably the best its been in 15 years.

Anyhow away from the happy sunny northwest training venues to some dungeon in the south of france, and some good news in that an ex pat got hold of a Matrix board and did a review... being rather handy and one of the most in the know blokes when it comes to all matters of climbing... with much dedication to grunt, grrrr, squeezzze and hoiyykke.
...a few weeks in and he'd boshed out 1500 pullups in a sesh on it. Nice.

Here's what he had to say about the board..

http://steviehaston.blogspot.fr/2012/11/crusher-matrix-board-by-stevie-un-bored.html
&
http://steviehaston.blogspot.fr/2012/12/crusher-matrix-board-training-by-stevie.html

So thats that, I may be back soon with more vital crusher information for your needs... but here's a few highlights of the dry days for you..

right where's me skins gone...