# Why Do We Train Half Crimp? Have you ever scrolled through your training plan and thought "why is it always half crimp"?. If so, you're not alone. It's one of the most common questions as coaches, that we receive. The answer lies in both the data and the training philosophy behind it. --- We analysed over 460,000 fingerboard exercise logs from Lattice clients. The data is clear: 98% of all prescribed hangboard sessions use half crimp or a standard edge position. Looking at other finger strength training, pinch workouts account for just 1.1% and open hand, slopers and pockets are almost entirely absent from the training data at this scale at <1%. Now, this isn't lazy coaching or an oversight, this is a deliberate periodisation strategy that our coaches use across all climbing levels and when climbers mostly train with us - the base season. Half crimp, is the ideal base training grip. It loads the forearms more broadly than any other grip position. Unlike a full crimp, it doesn't place excessive stress on the DIP joints and unlike open hand, it doesn't bias toward the longer finger flexors at the expense of the intrinsic hand muscles. It's the grip that builds the widest foundation of finger strength with the lowest injury risk. This matters because of how periodisation works. In a base phase, the goal is to build general capacity, developing the raw strength and tissue resilience that everything else depends on. Half crimp is perfectly suited to this. It tolerates higher volumes (relatively), responds well to progressive overload, and transfers to virtually every other grip position. As athletes/clients move toward a peak or performance phase, training should then become more specific. This is where full crimps, pockets, slopers, and pinch work enter the plan - targeted to the demands of the individual climber's goals. A limestone sport climber might see pocket-specific hangs, a competition boulderer might get sloper and pinch work and a granite trad climber might train wider cracks and full crimps. Our assessment data validates this approach. We tested 3,484 climbers - 71% on half crimp and 29% on open hand. At lower grades, open hand testers recorded higher loads (+22.5kg vs +14.5kg at V1-V4). But by V12+, both grip types converged to near-identical loads (+55.5kg vs +55.3kg). The strongest climbers equalise their grip positions. Why? Because they built a broad base first with half crimp, then specialised. The takeaway here is clear: training half crimp is a strategy that works. It is laying a solid foundation, that makes specificity possible later on in your training. So, trust the process, load your half crimp, and be confident that targeted grip work will come later in your training plan, when you're ready. --- ## FAQ's **Q1: "If 98% is half crimp, does that mean Lattice never prescribes other grip types?"** The 98% reflects the overall training log data, which is heavily weighted toward base phase work - and that's where most climbers spend the majority of their training time. During peak or performance phases, coaches do prescribe other grip types - full crimps, pockets, pinch, slopers - targeted to the climber's specific goals and weaknesses. Those exercises are relatively rare in the overall dataset because base phases are longer and more volume-heavy. Think of it as: 80% of your training year is building the engine, 20% is tuning it for race day. **Q2: "I climb on slopers and pockets all the time. Shouldn't I train those specifically?"** There's an important distinction between climbing on holds and training grip positions on a hangboard. When you climb, you're already using slopers, pockets, and every other grip type - you're getting specific grip stimulus every time you touch the wall. The hangboard is where you build raw strength, and half crimp is the most efficient way to do that broadly. Specific grip training on the board is reserved for when you have a clear, targeted need - like a project with a specific crux hold type. For most climbers most of the time, half crimp on the board plus varied climbing on the wall covers all your bases. **Q3: "Isn't training the same grip all the time going to create an imbalance?"** This is a common concern but the data actually shows the opposite. By V12+, climbers who've spent years building a half crimp base end up with nearly identical strength scores across grip types. Half crimp doesn't just train "half crimp strength" - it loads the full finger flexor chain and builds tissue resilience that transfers to other positions. The base it creates actually prevents imbalances rather than causing them. **Q4: "I'm a beginner - should I be doing half crimp hangboard work?"** It depends on your training history. Lattice generally recommends that climbers have at least 6-12 months of consistent climbing under their belt before starting easier hangboard training. Your tendons and connective tissue need time to adapt to climbing loads before you add the concentrated stress of hangs. If you're brand new, focus on climbing volume and technique. When you're ready for the hangboard, half crimp on a comfortable edge is exactly where you'll start - and a [LatticePlan](https://latticetraining.com/l) will tell you when that time is right. ---