Hangboard Training Timer
Repeaters, max hangs, min-edge and density protocols with audio cues and added-weight percentages — plus who should not be using one yet.
Read this before your first session
- Do not hangboard until you have been climbing regularly for a year or two. Fingers adapt far more slowly than muscle, and the tendons and pulleys are what fail.
- Warm up properly first — fifteen minutes minimum, ending with easy climbing or easy hangs. A cold hangboard session is the single most reliable way to hurt yourself.
- Use an open or half-crimp grip. Full crimping on a board loads the pulleys hardest for the least training benefit.
- Never train through finger pain. A pulley injury announces itself quietly and then stops your season, and the warning sign is usually mild.
- Stop the set if your form breaks. Falling off the board is where the acute injuries happen, so the last rep should be hard and never a failure.
The protocols
| Protocol | Structure | Session | Hanging |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repeaters (7:3) Strength endurance in the fingers | 7s on, 3s off × 6 × 6 sets 180s between sets | 20:42 | 4:12 |
| Max hangs Maximum finger strength | 10s on × 1 × 5 sets 180s between sets | 12:50 | 0:50 |
| Minimum edge Strength on small holds | 10s on × 1 × 5 sets 180s between sets | 12:50 | 0:50 |
| Density hangs Tissue conditioning and volume | 30s on, 30s off × 3 × 4 sets 150s between sets | 17:30 | 6:00 |
Loading it correctly
The right load is one where the last rep of each set is genuinely hard and you never actually fail. Falling off the board is where the acute injuries happen, so a set that ends in a slip is worse than a set that was slightly too easy.
If body weight alone is too much, take weight off with a pulley or a foot on a chair — the slider goes negative for exactly that. Assisted hanging is not a lesser version of the exercise, it is how you make the protocol land at the right intensity, and most people starting out need it.
Progress slowly, in small increments, and expect fingers to improve on a timescale of months rather than weeks. The strength arrives long before the tendons and pulleys have caught up, which is precisely the trap — the sessions feel easy right at the point where the connective tissue is the thing lagging behind.
How to use
- Warm up thoroughly before touching the board.
- Pick a protocol and set your edge and weight.
- Follow the audio cues rather than watching a clock.
- Stop the session at the first sign of tendon pain.
Frequently asked questions
Should beginners use a hangboard?
Generally not, and this is the most important thing on the page. Finger tendons and pulleys adapt far more slowly than muscle, and hangboarding loads them hard in isolation. Common advice is at least a year or two of regular climbing before starting, because climbing itself builds finger strength with less injury risk.
What is the difference between repeaters and max hangs?
Repeaters use submaximal loads with short rests, building endurance and capacity. Max hangs use near-maximal loads for short durations with long rests, building peak strength. They train different qualities and are usually run in separate phases rather than mixed.
What is min-edge training?
Hanging bodyweight on progressively smaller edges rather than adding weight to a larger one. It suits climbers who find added weight awkward and trains a slightly different quality, though very small edges concentrate load and carry their own injury risk.
How often should I hangboard?
Two sessions a week is a common recommendation, with full recovery between and never on consecutive days. Tendons recover more slowly than muscle, so the temptation to add sessions when it feels easy is exactly the mistake that produces injury.
What does finger pain mean?
Stop. Sharp pain, a pop, or pain that persists after warming up are all reasons to end the session and rest, not to push through. Finger injuries in climbing are common, slow to heal, and frequently become chronic when trained through.
Is this a training plan?
No — it is a timer for protocols you have already chosen. Structuring training, progressing load and managing recovery are what a coach or a proper programme provides, and nothing here is training or medical advice.
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