TBP 225 :: Dr. Tyler Nelson on Unlevel Grips for Finger Injuries and Training

The TrainingBeta Podcast: A Climbing Training Podcast

In this episode, Dr. Tyler Nelson talks about a small but very effective change to make in your finger training protocol to help you get stronger and avoid injuries.

Last year, Tyler saw over 600 patients with finger injuries, and he believes that using unlevel edges that are bigger than what we’ve been told to use could have, in part, prevented those injuries while still making the climber stronger.

This interview was really fascinating to me. I didn’t even know what an unlevel edge could possibly look like, but Tension Climbing has created a board with them and it’s called the Whetstone Board.

Here’s part of the description of it from Tension:

The top jug on the Whetstone is something new. The edge profile was designed to promote a more “active” grip and reduce “over-wrapping” the wrist. A series of “ergo-bumps” was included to both improve the comfort of the grip and also to act as an edge that can be draped in an open-handed grip to more evenly distribute force between each finger as an aid for rehabilitating some finger tweaks.

This is not meant to be a Whetstone advertisement and I have zero affiliation with them, just fyi. But what Tyler is talking about in the episode are those “ergo-bumps” you see in the photo above.

As always, I learned a lot from this episode and now I kinda want to get a Whetstone board…

About Tyler

Tyler owns and operates Camp 4 Human Performance, a chiropractic sports medicine clinic and strength & conditioning business in Salt Lake City. While earning his doctoral degree, he completed a dual program Master’s degree in exercise science at the University Of Missouri. While in graduate school he worked with the University of Missouri athletics department and currently is employed through two colleges in Utah.

He is certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and spends any extra time in his life with his wife and 4 kids or trad climbing or bouldering.

You can find Tyler in Salt Lake City at his clinic or online, Camp 4 Human Performance, where he tests athletes, creates training programs, and treats all kinds of athletes for injuries.

Other Episodes with Tyler

• TBP 212: Dr. Tyler Nelson’s New Insights on the Limits of Fingerboard Training
• TBP 202: Dr. Tyler Nelson on Finger Injuries in Youth Climbers
• TBP 168: New Insights on Finger Training
• TBP 162: Dr. Tyler Nelson on Endurance Training for Fingers
• TBP 155: Dr. Tyler Nelson on High Volume Power Training
• TBP 149: The Different Roles of Stretching for Climbing
• TBP 133: The Simplest Finger Training Protocol with Dr. Tyler Nelson
• TBP 084: Injury Rehab and Blood Flow Restriction Training
• TBP 098: Isometric Movements to Prime and Test Your Body
• TBP 108: Bood Flow Restriction for Injury Healing and Performance
• TBP 118: Latest Technology for Finger Training and Performance Testing
• TBP 128: Surprising Methods for Healing Tendon Injuries
• TBP 186 :: Dr. Tyler Nelson’s New Injury Prevention and Warm-Up Protocol

Episode Links

• Personal website: camp4humanperformance.com
• Take an online class with Tyler: camp4humanperformance.com/store
• Do a consultation with Tyler
• Instagram: @c4hp
• Facebook: @camp4chiropractic