Tools for climbing training

Questions are often asked about what climbing training equipment I should buy if I want to practice climbing. Although we are not big experts in exercise, that's why there are people like Lattice training, but we know and own a little bit. That's why today, at the invitation, we'll take a look at what resources we have as climbers for training, how much they cost and whether it's worth buying them at all. We will take the topic from consideration of our finances, place and utility to filter our list of things. But we will say right at the beginning - watch out for injury!

Cheapest and lightest

The first easy step that every climber can take on the way to climbing equipment is to buy cheap but useful items "for the pocket" and one small one for the ground.

1. Strengthening rings

Strengthening rings they are a very inexpensive way to start working on finger and wrist strength. They cost only 99 kroner in Decathlon and can be found in different levels of resistance. The beauty of these little things is that they fit very comfortably in your pocket. So there is no reason not to use them.

Their use is quite stupid-defiant. Just press the circle. If you are a beginner, the rings will increase your strength. But if you're a little advanced, it's still a great thing to warm up or maintain strength outside of climbing.

2. Strengthening rubbers

Strength bands are one of the things that allow us to stretch beautifully, start with mobility or start learning pull-ups. It is a very versatile piece of equipment that we as climbers should not miss.

Like training rings, rubber bands can be bought for a few bucks and have different levels of resistance. You can then use them for a lot of things, but if you don't know how to do it, look at some tutorials on YouTube, 100% you will find something!

3. Yoga mother

The last very cheap tool for climbing training is a yoga mat. A small yoga mat is always useful. For just a few hundred, you can get your hands on something that you won't be able to live without later. But why is it so great? It allows you to exercise on the ground without discomfort and pain. 

It is especially useful when combined with applications for yoga or abdominal exercises (even free ones or tutorials on YouTube). Thanks to this "banal" thing, you will be able to get stronger, be more mobile and flexible. Provided, of course, that you don't just lie around at home.

More expensive and more demanding

The second category is a little more "demanding" things, but they are quite cheap. Here, however, we are already dealing with the issue of space and where to put things. We therefore recommend that you at least think about some of them a little, so that you can really use them.

1. Trapeze

As you probably already know, the trapeze is a beautiful universal tool for climbing training! Especially since, as climbers, we dominantly use our back muscles and pulling movements. These are best practiced on the trapeze. Although we often tend to buy a cheap upright bar for the door frame, it is better to invest a little more and buy something stronger. A good trapdoor, whether drilled into a hole or placed on a door frame, is priceless. At the same time, many other tools for climbing training are connected to it.

2. Hangboard

A small hangboard is a golden thing! For under 1000 CZK, you can buy hanging hangboards for strengthening your fingers, both made of wood and plastic. These will allow you to exercise daily on the strength in your fingers and thus progress rapidly in climbing upwards. 

You must be wondering how to fix the hangboard. We have two variants here (we use both). The first is to buy a small hangboard that will hang on the bar and you can take it off. The advantage of this is that you can take it with you to climb outside and warm up properly (see the first photo of the article). It is excellent for this purpose, for example Crimp Travel from the Czech company 2climb (CZK 849).

The second option is to screw screws into the ceiling and have the hangboard (semi) permanently attached like this. It is nice to have something smaller for this purpose, e.g. Llama Atom from Lama holds (CZK 720).

3. TRX

TRX is a suspension system for exercise, often known through crossfit. This expensive-looking but surprisingly affordable exercise system is a sure-fire barbell replacement. Thanks to the adjustable height and pleasant grips, the back, abdomen and chest can be exercised on the TRX. You will need two things to use this gadget. You will need to drill into the ceiling for hanging (if you don't have a crossbar). Along with this, a relatively large amount of space is required to use the TRX, as the movements on it are often from a lying position or included with the arm extended. So it is not a perfect thing for narrow spaces.

3. For "Gourmets"

Here we are dealing with things that are spatially and financially demanding. They can often be DIYed, but it is time and energy consuming. To use these last pieces, a relatively large amount of determination is needed. Definitely compared to the previous categories.

1. Circles

The rings, yes standard gymnastic rings, are a combination of the beauty and practicality of the trapeze and TRX. Unfortunately, there is also a small rule about drilling or an existing trapeze. But if you solve it, you have in your possession a perfect universal training machine (at least according to Megos).

2. Beastmaker

Beastmakers are a category of large hangboards that go into the wall. They are the ones we use on the climbing walls and think "god I want that at home". These hangboards are around 2-4 thousand crowns and honestly, not everyone is worth it. For many of us, the small portable ones are enough. Beastmakers like those made by Woodboards or Gripworks are an investment. They don't take up too much space, but they definitely take you a step further in your climbing training.

3. Campus board

Campus (and home climbing wall) is the pinnacle of climbers' desire for home climbing training. However, it is much easier to make a campus at home and adapt it to your needs and space. As you correctly assume, it's nice to have a little more space on campus than on the trapeze. Not only because it is a large piece of equipment, but also because the exercise on it is often dynamic. If you want to know how to build it at home, continue PULL. But remember that the campus is the last thing you need.

Order of purchase

It's probably clear to you that you don't need everything. For the vast majority of climbers, the first two categories are the main and all they need for climbing training. What do we recommend and do we have? A trapeze, a yoga mat and a small hanging hangboard. This is the golden trifecta of what we have and use. A barbell for most exercises, a mat for stretching and mobility, and a hangboard for toe strengthening and toe warming for outdoor climbing.

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