UKC

Has anyone used one before who's able to comment on it's pros and cons?

I've access to a gym in my work building which is very limited in it's equipment (no bar etc) but it does have a lat pull down machine. Obviously you're limited to the weights it has (5/10kg) increments but something like the problem solver fingerboard could be attached and used for dead hang type exercises.

It wouldn't be ideal but I could pop down to use it at lunch or whenever I'm feeling like a break for work really. It would to be supplement additional sessions rather than a standalone training item but I'd be interested to hear if anyone has used this method before?

https://www.problemsolver.rocks/hanzo-hangboard/

In reply to James Malloch:

Having both a hanzo and use a lat pull down machine and gym I would avoid combining both.

Do your deadhangs, inclined rows, reverse curls and lat pull-downs separately. The lat pull down gets the top half of the pull-up movement for the lat, the inclined row gets the bottom half of the lat movement, the reverse curl gets the bicep and brachialis and other small elbow muscles that contract the elbow joint (bringing forearm to upper arm).

If you have free weights, you could lie on your back and wave these around to get the anterior deltoid. Do weighted scap push ups to target the anterior serratus.

In reply to alx:

Hi Alx - thanks for the reply. I was intending to use it purely as a finger strength exercise rather than for Lats/other muscles if possible. I.e. put 80kg (bodyweight +10kg) on the machine and pull a little and then hold as if I was doing a dead hang.

I hoped this would be comparable to using a normal fingerboard and just hanging off it.

In reply to James Malloch:

Core and posture would be different from a regular deadhang. Interestingly you could go less weight and work one hand at a time and work up to being able to do a one armed deadhang with body weight.

The hanzo is quite narrow and a bit awkward to use for regular two handed use.

In reply to James Malloch:

I tried this at the gym last night as an experiment. I conclude that in the absence of being able to hang off an edge or put up the hanzo as normal, using this with a lat pull down machine is better than nothing.

To be frank, unless your a midget or choose to lie down when doing the exercise it was awkward, all the angles and positions are wrong.

In reply to alx:

I had wondered about that - thanks for giving it a go though! I'm still undecided as to what to go for.

I thought it could be okay for the one arm hangs as they're something I'd like to work on this year. However you would likely encounter the same problem...

In reply to James Malloch:
Back in the day of the old poly gym in Sheffield. There was a board with two first joint size blocks of wood screwed on. You would hang it on the lat machine. Do 10 reps at 50k your mate would move the pin to 45k, 10 more reps, 40k 10 more and so down to 20k. Or you could do it the other way round

In reply to James Malloch:


Oh yes. The office gym where I once worked had a lat machine with a non-detachable handle, below which I attached a one handed grip on a sling. For comfortable one-arming rather than finger training. I needed stitches when the main handle spun and I pulled it down onto the top of my head as hard as I could.

This might not happen to you if you're mainly going to use if for static holds. But a better bet if you've got access to enough free weights, kettlebells or whatever is to make a little "no hang" rig. Bit of wood with a hole drilled in it, crimp screwed onto to it, sling or bit of rope through the hole - and use this to one-arm deadlift some weights. Easier on the shoulders too. A small campus rung doesn't cost much and makes a good training crimp - good size, nicely rounded etc.

Or just hang your portable fingerboard from a fixed object such as a pull-up bar?

In reply to James Malloch:

Used one many years ago and have to say I was not into it. I think pull ups are just loads better. I think it's something about the eccentric part. When you lower back down the resistance drops right off because of all the friction in the machine. When you pull up it's just not as smooth either. With a fingerboard it was a little weird too because of the instability hanging from a single point and rotating. Also found that lat pull downs with a bar were pretty unsatisfying compared to regular pull ups for the same reasons.

Have they not got a pull up bar in the gym? If so hanging some blocks off that would be better.

Pull ups are more specific to climbing. In pull ups you move your body - the same as climbing. With lat pull downs you just move your arms. The static part of the exercise also seems easier on a pull down machine. That is when you lock off at the top of the movement. I think both this and the eccentric part of the movement are valuable and both more intense with pull ups.

Also if you want to use more than body weight it's awkward on a lat machine as you have to strap yourself down some how. With pull ups you just add a bit of weight from a harness or weight belt and it's less complicated.

In reply to webbo:

Yes, remember that small fingerboard with the memorable inscription 'beef it porky!' inked across the top. The poly gym was a crucible for training ideas back in the 80's. Traversing across the two walls plugged in to a sony walkman or watching people trying to emulate Dawes's double/treble? dynos whilst avoiding landing on the sticking out pieces of natural rock seemed to be the order of the day.