Home Climbing Wall setup

Tim asked in my my previous post about December Blues about what the home wall setup was so here's the full-picture and description:



Just to clarify some points:
  • I didn't build the wall, it was there when I moved in. Nice!
  • It's a Moon fingerboard, which I've mixed opinions on - the crimps are too small for regualar use and range of holds is a bit awkward. There's a definite benefit to a board having loads of hold shapes if you've never used a fingerboard before to get you using the different hold variations. I've used one long enough to be able to be creative but it's still not as good as a lot of others.
  • The actual climbing wall is about 45-ish (maybe more) degrees in angle meaning it's desperate. No hold is larger than a single joint. There's a large emphasis on pinches. The wooden beam across the wall in the middle has some screw-on holds also. I've now managed two problems on the wall :)
  • Free weights get mixed amount of use - the bar with no weights for working the opposing muscles of climbing, helps reduce injury potential. I don't use them often, maybe once a week.
    • Regarding Free weights, I've about 30kg in weight to play with. Using the back of a chair as a lever, I use them for some bicep curls, I suck at this! I'll also do some wrist curls and rows for variation.
  • Behind the magazine on the ground is a Petzl pulley, at some point that will end up underneath the board for doing one-arm work. At present, I just use my old reliable method for one-arm work: Grab hold of choice on board in varying positions (pocket, crimp, 2/3/4 fingers, etc.), lower hand goes onto a hold on the woodie (ideal as the woodie tapers away so it doesn't get in the way). As I get stronger, reduce the number of holds on the lower hand until only using one finger. Then cycle through each finger in order of strength support until one-arm hang completed - i.e. primary mono, ring finger, index finger, pinkie (some people prefer index before ring finger). Also try this doing a pull-ups, it transfers directly to one-armers and more importantly, REAL power on real rock. Let me know if more explanation required of this.
  • Liquid chalk only in the room as I have to live/sleep here :) Keeps the dust content down.
  • Bouldering mat obviously goes underneath wall when trying problems.
  • Training calendar is very un-exciting. Basically, I have any planned trips marked on it, then mark off each day as I get closer to the trip - for example, I know as of beginning of this week, I currently have 70 days to my trip to Turkey (interested in coming along, let me know!). Can help give you focus for working towards improving. I intermittently log any training to it but am pretty crap at it :)

Now that I've given you all the blurb, the important part of all these tools is to actually USE them! it's all well and good having them right in your house but you have to use them regularly. I'm currently doing routes once a week, but the main focus for me right now is strength work. Not for actual boulder problems but for extra strength/power for next years goals (and that'll be next post Tim :). So, I'm bouldering a fair bit, campusing once a week, and using this home setup 2-3 times a week.Will see how it goes in a few months :)

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Comments

  1. Nice, look forward to the next post as well. do you just use the bar with no weight for the opposing muscles? does that give enough resistance?

    Love the idea of a finger board, new holds in the coop have shown a real weakness for single joint pockets. not sure I'd use one at home though
    or weather i have the space.

    happy training.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cheers for the comment Tim, this feels like your own personal advice
    website now ;)

    Bar with no weight is for my gammy wrist - it was so problematic it
    required no extra weight to give it issues. Interestingly, I've found it quite hard with only an extra 2kg on the bar so my opposing muscles are obviously terrible. Amazed I've never had any major problems with tendonitis, etc.
    I also do wrist rotations - 2kgs on one end of the bar, hold the bar
    up straight from the empty end and control the drop (e.g. right hand,
    sit it on your knee, drop clockwise). When the bar goes horizontal, lift it back up with other hand and repeat 10-15 times.

    If you're weak on pockets, just work them at the Co-Op, see if you can put two side by side and just work pull-ups on them.....worked for me :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nice set-up man - and nice bit of writing lately too - always good to see pictures of what you're talking about - the foundry looks sweet! See you in a few days...

    Dave

    ReplyDelete
  4. @Dave, cheers buddy, keep meaning to write more but never happens.

    Foundry is ace, good workout every time! Home about 4pm on Saturday, see you that evening :)

    Nice set-up man - and nice bit of writing lately too - always good to see pictures of what you're talking about - the foundry looks sweet! See you in a few days...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nice, going to set my own up in the new year, not much rock where I am though. Well there is but its small outcrops scattered afar. I'm sure with some exploring I'll find a nice spot.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hey Phil, great to hear from you! if it helps, I found bouldering and chalk marks (?!?!) while in Hawaii last year :) happy hunting :)

    ReplyDelete
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