They include hanging lock-offs, steep-wall twist-locks, straight-arm fingerboard hangs, and dumbbell wrist curls. He then shares 4 long-duration isometric exercises he recommends. “ In LDI grip training you want to target the open hand, pinch, and half crimp positions, while in lock-off training it would be wise to train both on a vertical plane and in steep-wall position (which fires the back and shoulder muscles a little differently).” When climbing you may not actually hold a position for said 30 seconds, but in training it can be a good way to make gains. Long-duration isometric exercises involve holding a strenuous position that you want to strengthen, for 30 seconds or more. In climbing, this happens all the time: when you hold a grip for two seconds before doing the next hard move or do a lock-off move. Isometrics are when the muscles contract without actually moving anywhere (aka static contractions).
This article from, written by Eric Hörst, is about long-duration isometrics and includes how to use this technique to train for climbing. It’s a training technique that has been proven to help shock the muscles in ways they aren’t used to in order to overcome plateaus.
“ In terms of the physical aspect of climbing, the key to breaking new ground is tricking your body with a new exercise and novel regimen that imparts a training stimulus the body is not accustomed to.” -Eric Hörst
