UKC

Spitfire's thread got me thinking (tricky i know)

want to really sort out some training for this year so which should be a better investment ? and which will improve my climbing quicker ?

In reply to diablo: Fingerboard - you can do pullups on the jugs if you want to.

In reply to diablo:

Fingerboard easily.

I've had long periods where my only access to climbing training gear has been a pull-up bar and it's not really helped that much tbh - although kept me looking buff . I'm currently predominantly training only on a fingerboard (lack of time) and my grade is improving once again.

In reply to diablo:

2 different things.

Why not get both ?

Pull up bars are £8 in argos.

Fingerboards can be used for pull up training, lock offs and one arm work. However if space is an issue you can buy a small board and a removable bar as well. Use the bar for pull-ups - not that productive for training - frenchies, lock offs, typewriters etc.

My fingerboard is a metolius rail - but i don't think they make them anymore. Very basic and was only £20.

Lots of people buy a strip of wood about as deep as your first finger joint and screw it above a door.Search on here for making your own.

Rock rings ( again from metolius ) can be hung off a bar and the whole thing then packs away when you've finished.

In reply to diablo:

I'd second getting both as they train different muscle groups. If you're trying to strengthen larger muscles then by doing finger pull-ups on crimpy holds you'll risk injuring your fingers. Similarly if you just use a pull-up bar you won't gain finger strength. If you can only go with one, get a fingerboard with decent sized jugs for rests/pull-ups.

In reply to diablo:

get some rock rings as you can use them for doing dips (and so train antagonists)also. You can hang them from a pull up bar but unless you have very high door frames or a "proper" wall mounted pull up bar it isn't that practical.

In reply to diablo: yep get both. i've got a finger board above my pull up bar in a doorway. its a good set up that allows you to do lots of dynamic movements. it doesn't need to cost much at all. you can get a micro finger board for £20, check out the king kong FR200.

In reply to neilinut: Rock Rings easily clipped into large eye-hooks screwed into garage roof-beam.

PS I tried doing rock ring triceps dips must try again this year!!

In reply to Marc C: yeah I have done that before also - the best solution i had was ring type hooks in the beams and then static cord going to a bolt in the floor tied off there so you can vary the heights easily for doing offset pullups (more like a real climbing shoulder / arm position imo) and lower the rings for dips. When you are really knackered having them near the floor and your legs out straight with heels on the ground is a good train to failure exercise.

In reply to neilinut:

don't want to appear dopey but . . .

(i probably know them as something else)

i live in a listed building so i can't do too much, err, screwing (if you know what i mean ?)

In reply to diablo:

http://www.metoliusclimbing.com/howto-trainrockring.htm

In reply to neilinut:
I got some RockRings for when I have to work away. I got around the lack of height by untying the cords and clove-hitching them straight on to the bar.

In reply to diablo: Just like plastic climbing holds (with - usually - 3 different sized finger slots and a juggy top) each on a length of cord. You then 'hang' these and do pull-ups, deadhangs, lock-offs etc from them. Beter for your elbows than fingerboards, because they allow inward rotation. Theoretically, no need for screwing - could just loop cords over a bar or beam.

In reply to neilinut: Ta for 'bolt in floor' idea. Certainly would save lot of time/strenuosity standing on wobbly kitchen stool adjusting height for off-sets!

Howdy,
We make a chunky 60cm by 40cm wide finerboard which has had excellent feedback.. www.mockrock.co.uk you can also pick any two colour combination you want... or pick a single colour to match a wall colour.
Cheers Ben at Mock Rock...

We also have a few deals on Ebay, user name rockclimbingholds %100 positive feedback.

In reply to jeni222uk:

may i ask ?

do you have a stone obsession ?

In reply to diablo:

I got a doorgym from Ebay for £12.99 which is a removable pull up bar that fits on your door frame then hang my rockrings off it (wife won't let me install anywhere) After I've finished it all packs away under the bed.

Matt

In reply to diablo:

get both.
a board can be pricy but a chin up bar?
a pittance by comparison.
they used to be cheap anyway. can't see their cost
jumping that much in a short erm.....
80 years ; P

In reply to diablo:

As everyone said, get a fingerboard, but don't go mad on it cause you've got a great chance of injuries, once a week is probably plenty to begin with if you're bouldering and climbing in the week as well. I had a pull up bar before I got my fingerboard and never use the bar now.

I would also recommend not doing dynamic moves on one, keep everything static and in control, again for less injuries. The main aim is to train contact strength. I've got a Metolius Simulator and think it's great, lots of variety.

In reply to Matt Vigg:

Perhaps I'm some sort of freak. When I looked at the simulator nearly all the holds seemed to be more than first-joint deep. Did you find this to be a problem?

In reply to i.munro:

The bottom rail is about half of my first pad (ish), don't have it here but think that's about right. I like the worst set of slopers as well. I looked around a bit and didn't see anything that had anywhere near as many hold variations. I suspect it could be improved on as the holds are basically the same on the three main levels just getting smaller but it seemed to be the most varied one I could get at the time.

In reply to Matt Maynard:

That's a good idea! I was wondering how to mount my moonboard, think I might give your method a go.

In reply to Matt Vigg: I certainly wouldn't want the smallest rail on the Simulator to be any smaller, and I've got small hands!

In reply to catt: Probably easier to mount a fingerboard with two pull-up bars screwed (telescopically) into doorway, then simply hang the fingerboard from top bar(using hooks on back of board) and pressing the board against the bottom bar will prevent the board swinging.

In reply to Marc C:

Yep, you can always stick something flat on the back of the board if you want to make the holds smaller.

In reply to Matt Vigg: spaz

In reply to diablo:
Anyone know the cheapest supplier of rock rings?
CHeers
Luke

In reply to diablo:
If you can put it up (ie not in a rented house where the landlord wont want screws or bolts i nthe wall), the nget a fingerbord. You can gdo eveything on the fingerboard jugs that you can on a chin-up bar, and loads more as well on the smaller holds ot train your fingers. I recommend a mMetolius Simulator (although Ive never used any other).

In reply to Marc C:

Relative to some of the newer boards (the Simulator is quite a few years old now), the smallest holds on it are pretty decent - have a look at MoonClimbing's crimps on his latest for an extreme example but having said that, I usually find it leaves skin pressure issues/damage if they're smaller than one joint.
Anyway, if you're looking to make things harder, just add a weight-belt I've a pull-up bar below my Simulator with a loop of rope tied off on itwhich is used for doing off-sets....works well