Test — Finger Strength: Block Lift (how to)

Full session

1. 0. Is this test for you yet? For climbers with 2+ years of consistent climbing and no current finger niggles. If that's not you, skip it — your finger strength is built by climbing itself at this stage, and a max finger test is risk without benefit. It'll still be here in a year.
2. 1. What it measures Maximum finger strength, isometric, one hand at a time — the block-lift instrument used by the 'Finger Strength' log mode. Monthly, on a fresh 'try-hard' day, 48h clear of hard finger work. Weigh yourself the same morning (bodyweight is only the %BW denominator — never a target).
3. 2. Warm-up (8-10 min — non-negotiable) Pulse-raiser, wrist/finger mobility, forearm massage, then 3 progressive lifts per hand building from very light to moderate (roughly 50% / 70% / 85% of a recent max if known), ~90 s between. Never load fingers hard cold.
4. 3. Work up to the max — ~5 s lifts, 3 min rests Add load in the smallest increments you have. Each attempt: lift the block clear of the floor with a clean half-crimp, arm by your side, elbow soft, and hold dead-still ~5 s. Rest 3 min between attempts. Test EACH hand; note any big left/right gap.
5. 4. The result MAX per hand = the heaviest clean, still ~5 s lift (grip creeping toward full-crimp, or an early drop = not clean, doesn't count). This is a true max test — you're allowed to fail; one failed attempt past your max confirms you found it. Record per hand: kg + bodyweight + edge size.
6. 5. Log your result Training → benchmarks → Finger Strength mode. Logging at a FIXED edge every month is what makes the trend mean anything — the number going up is the win, not any absolute figure.
7. 6. Stop rules (absolute) Sharp pain, click, or single-finger twinge = test over instantly, that week. Skin thin or readiness poor = postpone (a bad-day max poisons the trend). One max test per session; nothing else hard on fingers that day or the next.