Campus Board — Introduction

Full session

1. 0. Read this first Campus boarding is the highest finger-injury-risk tool in the gym and earns its place only for experienced climbers (4+ years of consistent climbing, established fingerboard history, zero current finger issues). If any of that isn't you, limit bouldering delivers most of the benefit at a fraction of the risk — genuinely.
2. 1. Warm-up (15 min — as if for a max session) Pulse-raiser, full shoulder prep (scap pull-ups, T/Y raises), progressive fingerboard hangs to a near-working intensity, 2-3 moderate boulder problems. Warm is the minimum; primed is the standard.
3. 2. Ladders on the LARGEST rungs — 4-6 sets Matched hands start, ladder up alternating leads (1-2-3 pattern, or smaller reaches if the board is tall), step off at the top — no down-campusing yet, ever, in an introduction. One ladder = one set. Rest 2-3 min between sets, full intent every time.
4. 3. Feet-on option If feet-off ladders feel > RPE 8, run the same pattern with feet on a rail/holds — the explosive hand timing is the training; bodyweight percentage is negotiable.
5. 4. Session cap 15 minutes of actual campus work, maximum, however good it feels. Power quality decays silently and tendon risk climbs as it does.
6. 5. Stop rule (absolute) ANY finger or elbow sensation beyond muscle effort = stop instantly and end finger training for the week. Campus 1×/week maximum, never within 48h of fingerboard or limit-boulder days, and skip entirely during high outdoor-volume weeks.