My weekly climbing life has essentially no structure 😂 I climb around 6-7 times a week on the tension board 2  in my home gym for around 3 hours and that’s all the training I do. Yeah literally all I do is just try hard tensionboard climbs.

Sean Houchins-McCallum

claw grip training

 

• 20mm ish edge (comfortable, not max effort)

• Start hanging and pull with the fingertips, imagining “scratching the edge downwards.”
• Hold 5–10s.
• Rest 40–60s.
• 4–6 reps x 3–4 sets.

Hamish Fingertip Pulls” on a Plate or Doorframe

He sometimes practices this between reps while resting:

• Touch a surface with fingertips.
• Apply downward force JUST with DIP joint.
• The forearm flexors near the wrist and the FDP belly should activate strongly.

3–5 second micro-reps

8–12 reps

Very low load—this is activation, not strength work.

• Never overload the DIP with max-weight hangs.
  This is a coordination + recruitment pattern, not a “max strength” protocol.
• Don’t allow DIP hyperextension.
  If the finger collapses backward → stop.

Many climbers (including Aidan and Hamish) combine both:

High-angle crimp

+

Active DIP claw

The strongest, most controlled crimp position for tiny holds.

This produces:

• maximal contact security
• maximal force through the deep flexor (FDP)
• better load distribution along the tendon
• fewer pulley tweaky positions vs. collapsed DIP
• more “precision bite” on micro edges

But high-angle ≠ claw unless the DIP is actively doing work.

🔍 

Think of It Like This

High-angle crimp

= What the middle joint is doing

(PIP flexion)

Claw

= What the fingertip is doing

(DIP flexion)

You can have:

• High-angle + DIP collapsed → classic crimping, risky
• High-angle + DIP clawed → elite crimping, strongest
• Mid-angle + DIP clawed → Hamish semi-crimp claw
• Low-angle + DIP clawed → precision dragging / small holds

⚠️ WHY THE DISTINCTION MATTERS

If you train only 

high angle

:

• Great for PIP strength
• But DIP may collapse → transfers stress to A2/A3
• Less precise hold engagement

If you train 

claw DIP activation

:

• Builds control and force transmission from fingertip
• Protects pulleys by distributing load
• Works across multiple grip angles (not just high-angle)

Best results come from combining both, not confusing them.

🧗‍♂️ 

Elite Examples

Hamish McArthur

Claw = recruitment + precision → DIP control

Aidan Roberts

High-angle = powerful crimping

Often adds DIP flexion, but doesn’t call it “claw grip”

Daniel Woods

High-angle half crimp often without full crimp

Less explicit focus on DIP activation

Still extremely strong because of raw PIP/A2 strength

Source: Chat GPT, The Struggle Podcast

7A+ ⚡️, 7B, 7B+, 7C in a session

Good milestone "postpartum" 

勝

muscle up progress

 7B+ ⚡️

fun pogo on V9

 

 

External Expectations, Internal Validation

 

I feel fulfillment in the midst of a lot going on outside of my immediate agency externally. If I were to play the "metrics game" and fully succumb to psychosoma(n)tics I'd give up right now lol; somehow though yesterday, with two (2) 1.5 hr REM naps in past 24hrs, I managed muscle up on rings (see video), two 7Bs and a 7A+ flash on TB1. Mood follows Action.

I'm in a good place intuition wise. I'm proud of this. Going into session, I knew I didn't feel great; snappiness wasn't there, felt achey and sensitive musculosketal and nervous system, I felt trace fogginess...

 I knew it wasn't going to be limit session and I was okay with that. In giving myself permission to not perform, I inadvertently opened that possibility.

I was patient, non attached to any eventuality, even ending session and packing out. 

Expectations are high right now externally. What further climbs am I capable of with time left before TB1 wall comes down? Will I maintain fitness level given demands of parenting ? Can I push myself given work demands increasing and sleep constraints? Is it possible I improve my dedication to being a good partner, father, and climber or does one always need to be sacrificed?

Answer is Yes. I am capable of future climbs on the TB1 ... will it be PRISM, NEW FREEZER, BENCH 1, LOW CRAB DIET, JEPH LOEB, MAJOR INTERRUPTOR, LUCIFER, HYPOTHENAR, LIONESS etc.,  who cares... time will tell. 

I will arrive at entire process rather than contort my convictions and sense of completion on mere outcome

If the joy I permit myself just with what I've climbed (past tense), do I really enjoy the climbing (present tense)? Carrying this internal logic to next external questions: fitness ebbs and flows, enjoy it. Yes I will experience changes given demands of parenting... 

whatever level I'm at, I will  meet it (not my undoing)        7 RPE is 7 RPE

Becoming a newborn parent again is a rare opportunity, being a supportive partner and pushing oneself is too. We each have one (1) precious temple and life to share build and explore. I view more and more chapters of gratitude to focus on and spheres of entheos, influence rather than sacrifices, sullen sadness.

Choose radness.

N¹M

+1440 parlay to -280 moneyline

 

 I’ve been wrestling my attachment to ambitions (rather than pebbles as of late). Going to focus less on huge “parlays” and start to lock in “moneylines.” The drive is there to have like five (5) outdoor projects (see earlier posts lol) simultaneously but what isn’t is the tactics and execution windows to see it to completion. 

Frequently, climbing is a game of resource management. Skin, limbic friction, stress/hormone cascades, weather windows, fitness peaks (and valleys), time/responsibilities, etc. With this is in mind, I’m minding better; superior visualization/proprioception drills off wall, warm up/cool down/recovery protocols,  allocation of time,  nutrition, attitude with what really matters. 

Couple hard facts:

TB1 is being replaced at gym next year (what left on it do I really want  ✅ done done?)

I got outdoors once this fall because of family obligations (not enough time to reacclimatize and feasibly do multiple projects)…one (1) feasibly  -280 odds I reckon  

Keeping training time in gym 💯… which is dope

With this in mind,

1. fewer lines to project at one time on TB1 resting in between goes, execution on projects and flash/fast sends will be of significance with time remaining on that board

2. Outdoors will be 1 line/area at a time with keen eye on tactics going into winter’25/spring ‘26 

3. gotta get that rings muscle up on film (surprised myself and busted one out again yesterday ;) 

NM

“Pro is ability. Professional is reliability”