But Don't Give Up on Your Hangboard Just Yet
There is a near-pathological belief that circulates in the climbing community: "Never give up."
You've seen that person. Fingers swollen like carrots. Elbow wrapped in tape. Grunting on the hang board, fighting for two more seconds. Maybe you are that person. I used to be.
We believe that quitting is shameful. Persistence is a virtue. Until my body pressed the pause button for me.
Back then, staring at the hanging board on my wall, I finally asked myself seriously: What exactly am I persisting for?
1. When "Persistence" Becomes Self-Punishment
Like many of you, I started hangboarding with burning enthusiasm. 20mm edge. Repeaters. Max hangs. I pinned my training plan to the wall, checked in every day, never skipped a session.
If my fingers ached slightly, I told myself: "No pain, no gain."
If my elbow started to feel tender, I told myself: "One more week, you'll adapt."
If my sleep worsened, my mood dipped, and I felt dread every time I stepped up to the board — I still stepped up.
Because giving up? That's not what climbers do.
And the result? I didn't get stronger. I only got more tired, more sore, more frustrated. A minor finger pulley strain forced me to stop training completely for two months. In those two months, I couldn't even hold a V2.
That's when I realized: Not all persistence pays off. Some persistence is just dragging a mistake out longer.
2. The First Lesson My Hangboard Taught Me: Let Go Selectively
During my recovery, I read a lot of sports science and talked to experienced climbing coaches. They all told me the same thing:
The smartest trainers aren't the ones who can suffer the most. They're the ones who know how to "let go" the best.
Here, "letting go" does not mean giving up on the climbing hang board. It means letting go of these specific things:
1. Let go of training through pain
If you feel clear discomfort in your fingers, elbows, or shoulders (not just muscle soreness), let go of that set immediately. The rock climbing hangboard isn't going anywhere. Your tendons, however, can snap.
2. Let go of the "must improve every session" mindset
Not every session will make you stronger. Some days you'll hang two seconds longer. Some days you'll regress. That's completely normal. Let go of the illusion of linear progress, and you'll stay in the game for years.
3. Let go of comparing yourself to others
Someone else hangs +20kg on a 20mm edge. You're just barely holding bodyweight. It doesn't matter. Let go of the ego-driven "if they can do it, I must do it too." That's when your climbing training board truly becomes yours.
Once I started "letting go" of these things, something magical happened — I was actually able to keep using the hangboard.
3. The Hangboard Is Still One of the Best Tools — We Just Need to Let Go of Stupid Usage Patterns
Please don't misunderstand me. I still strongly recommend that every intermediate to advanced climber own a rock climbing training board. It's efficient. Controllable. Time-saving. Rainy days, freezing winters, late nights at the office — you can still get a high-quality finger strength session at home.
The problem is: A wooden hangboard used the wrong way is an injury machine. A two stones hangboard used the right way is your best long-term partner.
So what does "the right way" mean?
Very simple — learn to let go at the right time.
Let go of the "all-out-every-set" myth
Beginners and advanced climbers alike don't need to train to failure every time. Research shows that leaving 1–2 repetitions in reserve leads to better long-term results and a much lower injury risk.
Let go of the urge to train every day
Finger tendons are among the slowest-recovering tissues in your body. After a quality hangboard session, you need 48 hours or even more to recover. Learn to let go of "high-frequency persistence," and you'll gain real progress.
Let go of the belief that "pain equals gain"
Real effective training doesn't cause persistent pain. If you feel joint discomfort after every hangboard session, that's not strength — that's a signal to adjust. Letting go of that belief is the greatest kindness you can show yourself.
4. Real Persistence Means Staying in the Game Long-Term
After recovering from my injury, I changed how I approach the hangboard.
I stopped tracking "consecutive training days." Instead, I focus on "months of injury-free training."
I stopped forcing myself to push through bad days. Instead, I peacefully let go of that day's session and went to sleep.
I stopped treating the hangboard as an "exam of willpower." Instead, I see it as an old friend — sometimes we meet, sometimes we don't, and when we do meet, we treat each other well.
The result?
Two years later, I haven't had a single finger injury. My max hang weight has steadily increased. More importantly, I no longer feel dread when I step up to the board. I know: if today isn't my day, I'll let go of this attempt and come back tomorrow.
That kind of "letting go" has actually helped me persist longer.
Final Words
If you're using a hangboard, or thinking about getting one, here's what I want to say to you:
Please, do keep using the climbing hangboard. It is a genuinely effective tool.
But at the same time, learn to let go at the right moments — let go of blind stubbornness, let go of ego-driven comparisons, let go of training through pain, let go of fake "grit."
Because not all persistence pays off.
Sometimes, choosing to let go (of the wrong approaches)
is the truest form of persistence you can offer yourself.
The hangboard will still be there. It will wait for you.
And you — you need to learn when to hold on, and when to open your hand.
That is real strength.