If you are like any of the woodworkers at Rockstar Volumes, you are perpetually psyched on climbing. The reality is, though, we don’t always have time to visit the crag or the gym, especially during the work week. Lucky for us, there are plenty of ways to stay strong and work on climbing drills without having to leave the house.
Hangboard
The hangboard is probably one of the most popular home training tools. Not only are they small, easy to mount, and relatively inexpensive, but they are very effective. The hangboard lends itself to customization, and you can easily control your workout difficulty by using different sized edges, adding or removing resistance, and exploring different hand grips. Here are a few hang board workouts to incorporate into your climbing training routine:
Hangboard Climbing Simulation: Place a chair—or something to put your feet on—behind the hangboard, on the ground. Grab a set of jugs or large holds on the hangboard, place your feet on the chair, then climb on the hangboard as you would a climbing wall. Try to mimic the movement of climbing as best as possible. Do sets of 10 moves, with several minutes of rest in between. Work your way up to 60 minutes total for the session. Density Hangs: Find an edge that you can hang from for 20-40 seconds. Use this edge and hang until failure. Complete 2-4 reps per set with 3-5 minutes of rest in between. If you can do the edge easily for 30 seconds, bump to a small edge or add weight. Minimum Edge: Do some experimental hangs to find what edge you can hang on for about 15 seconds until failure. Use this edge to perform the exercise. You will want to do a 12-second hang with a 3-minute rest. Complete this 5 times and then rest for 5-10 minutes before doing a second set of 5 hangs. Lock-Off Repeaters: Grab the jug on your hangboard with your right hand and engage your shoulders and core. Pull-up until your elbow is bent at 90 degrees. Hold for 5 seconds and then lower slowly. Repeat pulling to 120 degrees. If it is too difficult, use a band to help take some weight off your arms. Do each arm, rest for 1-3 minutes and repeat for five sets.
Home Climbing Wall
For those of us with the room to spare, a home climbing wall is the way to go. From a freestanding home climbing wall to a mounted woody, home wall designs are only limited to your imagination. One of the most important components are the holds. They should be varied shapes and sizes for increased diversity.
Deadpoints: Start on low hand holds with good feet. Make a big move to a high hold with your right hand, hold for a second and then move it back to the start. Repeat with your left hand. This movement should not be dynamic, and you should aim for holds that are challenging but that you will hit the majority of the time. Pick 2-3 different holds and perform one minute on the wall, alternating your hands, followed by one minute of rest. Bumps : Start again on low hands with good feet. Do a series of bumps with your right hand until you have reached your max extension on the wall. Bump your way back down and repeat on the left side. Do this exercise for one minute on and one-minute rest. Weakness Training: If you know that you have a weakness when it comes to particular moves or certain holds, the home wall is a great arena to work on getting better. The beauty of your wall is that you can set it however you want, so take advantage and test your weaknesses.
Lucky for you, there are endless possibilities when it comes to climbing drills that can be performed on your hangboard and home climbing wall. Those listed above just scratch the surface! Have fun and keep getting after it!
Featured Climbing Training Gear
*NEW* The Rocketeer Wall: our free-standing adjustable solution for those who can’t mount a hangboard anywhere in their home or apartment—or who are limited on space. The Rocketeer gives climbers the additional option to set specific climbing holds. Recreate the crux holds of your proj and get ready to send, bruh.
The Rocket Wall: Available in 6’ and 8’ widths, it’s been tough for us to keep up with the demand for this innovative home climbing wall solution. Slightly overhanging, the Rocket Wall is big enough to set routes on, or to build a systems board.
The Rock-Stah: Our handcrafted version of a traditional hangboard, with curving crimp rails to help alleviate unnecessary strain on your pulleys. Because ain’t no one got time for a finger injury…