Hangboard for Beginners: How to Start Fingerboard Training
You've seen the hangboard. Maybe it's mounted in the corner of your climbing gym, or you've been eyeing one online. And now you're asking the question every beginner asks: Should I start hangboarding? The answer is yes. You can start today. Modern protocols like Abrahangs use sub-maximal loading with your feet on the ground, making hangboard training accessible to anyone willing to show up consistently. This guide covers everything you need to know to get started.
Can You Start Hangboarding as a Beginner?
Yes. Full stop.
You'll find plenty of advice online telling beginners to wait, to "just climb" for a year or two first. Some sources recommend reaching V4 or V5 before picking up hangboard training. That advice comes from a good place, but it assumes everyone has regular climbing gym access and ignores how much hangboard training has evolved.
Here's the reality: not everyone lives near a climbing gym. Some people travel for work. Some live in rural areas. Some want to build grip strength for reasons beyond climbing. A hangboard might be your first and only piece of training equipment, and that's completely fine.
Modern beginner protocols are designed for exactly this situation. The Abrahangs method, developed by climbers Emil and Felix Abrahamsson based on Keith Baar's collagen synthesis research, uses no-hangs where your feet stay on the ground and you load your fingers at only 70-80% of what it would take to lift off. There's nothing dangerous about gripping a large wooden edge while standing on the floor. It's controlled, low-intensity finger training that anyone can do on day one.
The board itself is the progression system. A well-designed hangboard like The Hangboard offers six beech wood edges at 40, 30, 25, 20, 15, and 10mm. You start wherever you need to start. If that's a jug, you start on the jug. If you're already comfortable on a 25mm edge, you start there. There's no wrong entry point.
What You Need to Get Started
Hangboard training has a refreshingly short gear list. Here's what you actually need.
Look for progressive edge depths (so you can train for years without outgrowing it), labeled edges (so you can track progression precisely), and quality wood construction. The Hangboard covers all of this with edges from 40mm down to 10mm in beech wood.
Your fingers need to be dry and grippy every time you hang. A chalk bag, chalk ball, or liquid chalk all work. Liquid chalk is great for home training since it creates less mess. Chalk up before every set.
Your phone timer works fine. You'll be timing 10-second hangs and 50-second to 5-minute rest periods. Dedicated interval timer apps help, but the built-in clock app handles it.
Direct wall mount over a doorframe into studs is sturdiest. Pull-up bar mounts work for renters. Get the mounting sorted before your first session.
A notebook, spreadsheet, or notes app. Write down edge depth, grip type, sets, and how it felt. Logging is what turns random hanging into real progression. You'll see exactly how far you've come.
Your First Week on the Hangboard
Your first week uses the Abrahangs protocol, which is the best entry point for beginners. It's low intensity, high frequency, and built around the idea that tendons respond to frequent, gentle loading.
Twice daily, feet on the ground, ~5 minutes per session
The protocol is simple: train twice a day, every day, with at least 6 hours between sessions. Each session takes about 5 minutes. Your feet stay on the ground the entire time.
This is based on Keith Baar's 2017 research showing that connective tissue responds to mechanical loading but becomes refractory (unresponsive) after about 10 minutes and needs roughly 6 hours to respond to new stimulus. Twice-daily sessions maximize your adaptation windows.
The results are well documented. Emil Abrahamsson increased his max load on a 14mm edge from bodyweight +48kg to bodyweight +67kg in 30 days. A 2024 study by Gilmore et al. confirmed that Abrahangs was as effective at improving grip strength as traditional max-effort protocols.
Stand beneath your hangboard, grip the edge with both hands, and keep your feet flat on the floor. Gradually press down through your fingers as if you're trying to pull yourself up, but don't actually lift off. Load your fingers to about 70-80% of what it would take to leave the floor. Hold for 10 seconds. Release. That's one rep.
Week 1 Session Structure
Choose your edge: Pick a hold you can grip comfortably. For most beginners, that's a jug (35-45mm) or a large edge (25-35mm). It should feel easy. That's the point.
| Session | Grip | Sets × Time | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Half crimp on comfortable edge | 3 × 10s | 50s between sets |
| Open hand on large edge | 3 × 10s | 50s between sets | |
| Evening (6+ hrs later) | Half crimp on comfortable edge | 3 × 10s | 50s between sets |
| Open hand on large edge | 3 × 10s | 50s between sets |
That's 6 sets per session, 60 seconds of total hanging time, twice a day. The whole session takes about 5 minutes including rest periods.
The Two Grip Positions You'll Use
- Fingers curled over the edge with fingertip joints flexed inward
- Thumb is not involved — rests naturally alongside your hand
- Default training grip for most hangboard protocols
- Produces the most transferable finger strength for climbing
- Fingers extended and draped over the edge with minimal curl
- Three or four fingers, no thumb involvement
- Lowest-stress grip position
- Great for additional volume and tendon health
Warm-Up for No-Hangs
Because Abrahangs intensity is so low, you don't need an elaborate warm-up. A couple minutes of wrist circles, finger flicks, and one easy set at lighter-than-normal pressure is enough. If you're doing your morning session right after waking up, give yourself a few minutes to move around first.
How to Progress
Progression on a hangboard follows a clear path. Here's how to move forward once your first weeks feel comfortable.
The primary way beginners progress — move to smaller edges over time
| Edge Depth | Description | What It Feels Like |
|---|---|---|
| 35-45mm | Jug rail, two finger pads deep | Comfortable warm-up hold |
| 25-35mm | Large edge, more than one pad | Comfortable training for most beginners |
| 18-22mm | Medium edge, about one finger pad | The standard training edge. 20mm is the benchmark. |
| 14-16mm | Small edge, just under one pad | Challenging. A real milestone. |
| 8-12mm | Tiny edge, fingertip depth | Advanced training territory |
Don't rush this. Moving from 35mm to 20mm might take weeks or months, and that's perfect. The 20mm edge is the standard training depth used by most climbers, so reaching it is a meaningful goal. But there's no timeline pressure.
After 3-4 weeks of no-hangs, start incorporating feet-off-the-ground hangs
After 3-4 weeks of Abrahangs no-hangs, your tendons have built a base of resilience. The Eva Lopez MaxHangs protocol is the natural next step: 3-5 sets of 10-second dead hangs at near-max effort, with 3-5 minutes of rest between sets, 2-3 times per week.
Our Beginner Hangboard Workout lays out a complete 8-week program that transitions from Abrahangs (Weeks 1-4) to MaxHangs (Weeks 5-8).
Once dead hangs on your working edge exceed 12 seconds
Once you can comfortably dead hang your working edge for 12+ seconds, you have two options: move to a smaller edge, or add weight. Adding weight means hanging with a loaded backpack, a weight belt, or a harness with weight clipped to it. Start small (2-5 kg) and increase gradually.
Added weight is particularly useful once you're training on the 20mm edge consistently and want to keep building strength without going smaller.
Add full crimp and pocket training once half crimp and open hand are solid
Full crimp: Same finger position as half crimp, but your thumb locks over the top of your index finger. This is the strongest grip position and one every climber uses on the wall. Start it on a hold size larger than your half crimp working edge.
Pockets: Two-finger and three-finger pocket training, if your board has pocket holds. Start with your strongest finger combinations (typically middle and ring) on large pockets and progress from there.
Beyond Abrahangs and MaxHangs — build endurance and tendon health
Once you're comfortable with Abrahangs and MaxHangs, experiment with repeaters (7 seconds on, 3 seconds off for 6 cycles, building finger endurance) or density hangs (20-45 second holds on moderate edges for sustained grip). The Complete Guide to Hangboard Training covers all of these in depth.
Many climbers run 4-8 week blocks focused on one protocol, then switch. This keeps the stimulus fresh and targets different qualities across a training season.
Common Beginner Mistakes
These are easy to avoid once you know about them.
The Abrahangs protocol should feel easy. If your no-hangs feel like a struggle, you're loading too much or using too small an edge. Drop the intensity. Sub-maximal loading drives tendon adaptation. More effort ≠ more results in Phase 1.
A light session is always better than a skipped session. If you're tired, do your sets at 50% instead of 70%. Frequency is the key driver for Abrahangs. Just show up.
Without a log, you can't track progression. You'll forget which edge you used last week and whether it felt easy or hard. Even a quick note on your phone after each session is enough.
This is why labeled edges matter. "The second hold from the top" is not a training metric. "25mm half crimp" is. Know your numbers.
Normal forearm fatigue is expected. A sharp or unusual sensation in a finger joint is your signal to stop. Missing one session costs you nothing. Pushing through something wrong can set you back weeks.
Jugs and large edges are not beneath you. They're where you build the tendon base that supports everything else. Spend real time on them.
How Long Until You See Results
| Timeline | What to Expect |
|---|---|
| Week 1-2 | Learning the movements and building the habit. Sessions feel easy (they should). The main result is consistency: wiring the twice-a-day routine into your life. |
| Week 3-4 | No-hangs on your starting edge feel noticeably easier. You might be ready to move one edge size smaller or start the transition to dead hangs. Fingers feel more "solid." |
| Week 5-6 | If you've transitioned to dead hangs (MaxHangs), this is where real strength gains appear. Holds that felt insecure a month ago now feel comfortable. |
| Week 8 | Retest time. Hang the same edge you started on and see how long you can hold it. Most people see meaningful improvement. |
| Month 3-6 | Compounding results. Progress through multiple edge depths. Likely reaching the 20mm standard training edge. |
| Month 6-12 | You're now experienced with a solid tendon base. MaxHangs cycles, repeaters, weighted hangs, and smaller edges are all in play. |
The research is clear: the Gilmore et al. study confirmed that both Abrahangs and MaxHangs produce measurable grip strength improvements, with additive benefits when combined. The main variable is consistency. Five minutes twice a day adds up fast.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Start on the biggest holds your board offers (jugs, 35-45mm) using the Abrahangs no-hang technique (feet on the ground, sub-maximal loading). The progression from large holds to small holds works regardless of your climbing background. Many people use hangboards purely for grip strength without climbing at all.
Look for progressive edge depths, labeled edge sizes, and comfortable construction material like beech wood. Avoid boards with only one or two edge sizes. The Hangboard offers six edges from 40mm to 10mm, covering everything from your first session to advanced training. See our best beginner hangboards buyer's guide for a full comparison.
With the Abrahangs protocol, you train twice a day, every day, with at least 6 hours between sessions. Each session is about 5 minutes. When you transition to MaxHangs, the frequency drops to 2-3 times per week with at least 48 hours between sessions. You can run both simultaneously.
A hangboard protocol developed by Emil and Felix Abrahamsson, inspired by Keith Baar's collagen synthesis research. Twice-daily no-hang sessions (feet stay on the ground), sub-maximal loading at roughly 70-80% effort, with at least 6 hours between sessions. Sessions total only 1-2 minutes of actual hanging time. Emil's results: a 19kg increase in max load on a 14mm crimp in 30 days.
Whatever feels comfortable. For no-hangs, that's typically a 25-40mm edge. If that's a jug, use the jug. For dead hangs, you want an edge where you can hang for about 10-12 seconds at your limit, usually 20-30mm. There's no wrong starting point.
Both. Half crimp is the default training grip because it produces the most transferable finger strength for climbing. Open hand is a great complementary grip that loads your tendons at lower stress. Use both, starting with half crimp for your primary working sets and open hand for additional volume.
With Abrahangs, yes. The protocol is designed for daily use because the intensity is sub-maximal and sessions are very short. For MaxHangs and other high-intensity protocols, you need 48+ hours between sessions for recovery.
Hangboarding with your feet on the ground at sub-maximal effort is about as low-risk as finger training gets. You control the load completely. Start on big holds, progress gradually, and listen to your body. If something sharp or unusual happens in a finger joint, stop and reassess. Normal forearm fatigue is completely expected.
Ready to start training?
Six progressive edges. 40mm to 10mm. Beech wood. Labeled. $89.99.
Shop The Hangboard- Abrahamsson, E. & Abrahamsson, F. "A Staggeringly Successful New Hangboard Routine." Gripped Magazine, 2021. grfropes.com
- Baar, K. (2017). "Minimizing Injury and Maximizing Return to Play: Lessons from Engineered Ligaments." Sports Medicine, 47(Suppl 1), 5-11. PMC5371618
- Gilmore, K. et al. (2024). Retrospective analysis of hangboard training protocols via the Crimpd app dataset.
- Lopez-Rivera, E. & González-Badillo, J.J. (2012, 2019). Research on progressive dead hang protocols for finger strength in sport climbers. Journal of Human Kinetics, 66, 183-195.
- Anderson, M. & Anderson, M. (2014). The Rock Climber's Training Manual. Fixed Pin Publishing.
- Hooper's Beta (2023). "ULTIMATE Revised Breakdown" of the Abrahangs protocol. hoopersbeta.com
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6 edge depths from 40mm to 10mm. European beech wood. One board that grows with your climbing.