1. Rock climbing exercises for training at home
http://thetumblrgym.com/workout
Pulls ups and hangs are the simplest exercises to mimic climbing when you cannot actually climb.
Pull-ups should be done palm forward, so that the arms and the back are involved in the pulling
motion. Pull-ups can be done multiple ways to benefit different climbing skills. Start with basic pull-
ups: pull-up in one steady motion and gradually lower yourself down. This is a basic strength
training exercise. Once you have this down, try explosive pull-ups where you pull yourself up rapidly,
as quickly as you can control, and then lower yourself down slowly. These train the quick, explosive
strength required for more difficult bouldering and on-rope climbs. The last type of pull-up is to pull
up on the bar until your arms at in a right angle, then hold that position for as long as possible. This
trains lock-off strength and breathing under pressure. A pull-up bar isn't standard equipment for
every living room, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be. Easy to install and sturdy pull-up bars are
available.
I suggest you put the pull-up bar in a decently well travelled doorway, such as into and out of the
kitchen or your bedroom, and make a pledge to do one pull-up every-time you travel through that
doorway! Mine is mounted in my kitchen which makes me pay a pull-up tax for every snack I grab.
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Don't go overboard with the pull-ups though. A general rule of thumb for climbers is that if you can
do 20 pull-ups in a row, without resting, then you can stop training them. After 20, you'll actually get
more benefit out of hanging and training the muscles and endurance reserves that contribute to grip
strength. Hanging on a bar gets boring though, so I suggest putting up a hang-board in your home!
Hang-boards are cheap, easy to install, and can really help you take your climbing to the next level.
Notice that 2-finger pocket move at the gym is killing you? Train for that move at home! Same with
pinches or slopers, which are traditionally very difficult grips to get used to. If you're interested in
putting a hang-board up in your home, I recommend getting the Metolius Wood Grips Compact
Training Board. It's has a warm wood finish so it fits in a home setting better than a bright plastic
hang-board and comes with training instructions and mounting equipment. Hanging a hang-board in
your home is akin to bringing a small part of the climbing gym home with you.
