BETA NEWS

Should You Full Crimp While Hangboarding?

The Honest Answer: It Depends on How You Do It

Ask ten climbers whether you should full crimp on a hangboard, and you’ll get ten different answers, usually delivered with total confidence.

Some will tell you to never do it. Others train it every session. So who’s right?

The honest answer is that both camps have a point, and the truth sits in the middle. Here’s what’s actually going on.

What Are the Three Grip Positions?

Before the debate makes sense, it helps to know the three grips you’ll use on a hangboard.

Open hand: your fingers drape over the edge with very little curl. It’s the most tendon-friendly position and great for building a base.

Half crimp: your fingers bend to roughly ninety degrees at the middle knuckle, but your thumb stays relaxed and off to the side. Strong, effective, and manageable on the fingers.

Full crimp: the same curled finger position as a half crimp, but now your thumb locks over the top of your index finger. That thumb lock is the defining feature. It braces the hand and lets you generate maximum force on tiny edges. It’s the strongest grip there is, and every climber uses it on the wall.

Why Half Crimp Is the Default for Hangboarding

For most hangboard training, the half crimp is home base.

It produces a lot of force while keeping the stress on your tendons and pulleys at a manageable level. That combination — strong output, controllable risk — is why the overwhelming majority of hangboard protocols are built around it. Half crimp on a 20mm edge is probably the single most common training combination in climbing, and for good reason.

If you’re not sure which grip to train, the answer is almost always half crimp. Build your base here first.

Is Full Crimping on a Hangboard Actually Dangerous?

This is where the “never do it” crowd comes from, and they’re not wrong to be cautious.

The full crimp puts a high amount of stress on the tendons and pulleys in your fingers, and it carries a real risk of injuries like pulley strains or tears, which can take months to heal.

But there’s a specific mechanical reason it deserves extra respect: because your thumb locks the grip in place, your fingers can’t simply straighten out and bail if the load gets too high. With an open hand or half crimp, slipping off an edge lets your fingers uncurl safely. In a full crimp, they’re locked. That’s why the golden rule is: never train a full crimp to failure, and never at maximum load. The risk isn’t the grip existing; it’s an untrained grip taken to its limit.

So Should You Train It At All?

Here’s the case the “avoid it entirely” advice misses.

You use the full crimp on real climbs. Constantly. Small edges, hard projects, powerful moves: they often demand it. And as climbing coach Ned Feehally has pointed out, only ever training half crimp or open hand and then expecting to full crimp at your limit on a project is asking for trouble. Your fingers meet a position they’ve never been prepared for, at the worst possible moment.

Trained gradually and carefully, the full crimp becomes a grip your fingers are ready for rather than one they’re ambushed by. Prepared fingers are resilient fingers.

How to Full Crimp Safely (If You Choose To)

If you want to add it to your training, do it with respect:

Build a half-crimp base first. Full crimp is not a beginner move. If you can’t yet hang comfortably in a half-crimp, you’re not ready for it.

Keep the loads submaximal. This is the non-negotiable one. Light to moderate loads only, never grinding out a max-effort full-crimp hang.

Never train it to failure. Because of the thumb lock, there’s no safe bail. Stop with plenty in the tank.

Warm up thoroughly and progress slowly over weeks, not sessions. If anything feels sharp or tweaky in a finger, stop immediately.

Finger health is only one piece of injury prevention, and our flexibility training guide covers another.

The Bottom Line

Half crimp is your default. Open hand builds a base and adds volume. Full crimp is a real, useful grip and worth training deliberately and carefully; it’s never something to jump into or push to your limit on the board.

Treat it with respect, and it’ll make you a stronger, more prepared climber. Rush it, and it’s one of the fastest ways to get injured.

If you’d rather learn this stuff hands-on, our classes cover finger strength and safe training with coaches who can watch your form. You know, the part a hangboard can’t do for you.

PS: If your fingers ever feel sharp pain (not just fatigue) during a hang, stop for the day. Pulleys don’t forgive being pushed through pain.

Thanks for reading! For more training tips and news about the climbing world, stay tuned to our blog!

Become part of our community

Bouldering isn’t just about pushing yourself – it’s also about having fun with friends. Check out our membership offers and find a membership that suits you!

We have a recurring membership, prepaid membership and multi–pass to suit everyone’s needs.

Take a look at our classes

Bouldering can be challenging. You might feel stuck on a grade or that you’ve reached a plateau, no matter how hard you train. Or maybe you see all the training equipment but you don’t know how to use it. Sounds familiar?

We have multiple classes to choose from, aiming to have just the right one for you!