Hang Boards

[selkirk]

Ok, who use them? who hates them? are they helpful? And which ones do you like?

 

Thanks in advance!

[foraker]

Good timing on this question. I'd like to hear too.

[Lionel_Hutz]

I have a metolius slim gym

 

 

I wish I would have gotten a bigger model on account of this one is too limited. A larger board would be better because of the greater variety of grips and the ability to adjust the width of your hands. I feel that the slim gym is too narrow. Still, hanging off the slopers gives me a good pump and has increased my contact strength. Plus its good for doing ab routines.

 

This time of year, I like to hook my tools on it and pull...

[Matt_Anderson]

Hang boards are effective for building grip strength, but you need to be REALLY motivated to use them regularly. Otherwise, they just sit there. If you get one, make sure that you put it in the most pleasant, accessible, entertaining area of you house (you know, the window that looks out at the strip bars) or you will never use it.

 

I use the Synrock tiles, A whole bunch of grips and good texture are the pluses.

[Kevin_Matlock]

I like to hook my tools on it and pull...

 

Is it me, or do we have the gayest sounding sport ever???

[CPOly]

Another idea would be to buy a chunk of plywood, drill holes, insert t-nuts, and use gym holds. This would be much more versatile but probably wouldn't look as pretty.

[sexual_chocolate]

You can build your own from a backing of 3/4" ply and screw on different width strips of whatever. Get creative. Small edges, pockets and pinches. Then get psyched to used it, and develop a training plan that psyches you.

 

It seems that the prefab ones that I see at friends' houses are chosen more for aesthetics, adding lovely colors to their living-rooms, chosen by their interior decorators.

[layton]

if you find hangboards unbelievably boring, try holding your weights isotonically in different positions to mix up your weight training (i.e. just hold the weight in one place and count to 30). the only thing you can't do is isolate specific fingers, which for me is good, cuz i'd hurt myself if i tried to do that.

 

a good ice screw training system is to grease up a locked doornob, and try to open it hanging off one arm with someone pointing a loaded gun to your head...in case you were wondering.

[icegirl]

LOL!

 

Layton, you are always good for a laugh

[Distel32]

Metolius Pure Force

 

 

I only use it during the summer and climb in our gym during the winter. Really good for building up crimp strength

[gearheart]

I recently bought a Metolius Simulator - the most varied-looking board I could find. It is excellent and as it is in my garage it is far more convenient than driving to a climbing gym and I am using it almost every second day.

The fact that a decent fingerboard work-out takes less than half an hour is a factor huge if time is in short supply.

I can't believe I didn't buy one sooner.

[ClipStick]

After using my board, Franklin brand, for a few month and getting rather bored with the configuration, I placed plywood on either side of the doorway to add a bunch of screw-in jibs. This let me vary my weight and do a lot of different pulls and hangs. This then evolved into a small, but fun climbing wall in my hallway. Now I can do a full body workout in my apartment. You have to be creative and use what you've got to the fullest.

[solfuego]

i tried the 'build one from a chunk of wood' version and i thought it was a big pain in the arse! but it was cheap... in the end we bought a 'real' one and it made a huge difference better callouses, stronger, but I agree about putting it in front of the strip-club or at the very least in front of comedy central because it's just not that exciting!

[gosolo]

Which one to get? I have had three different ones and they all had their advantages. I have a pure force now and it works fine. There have been various workouts printed in mags over the years that are good. Stick with it regularly and you will definitely see results. There was a 10 minute workout that was published and it was killer. My ex gave me a fingerboard when she went off to europe to school for a few months. Her note said something like "it is not as warm or wet as me but I hope you enjoy...." hence, the problem with fingerboards...they are boring.

[catbirdseat]

I just took the plunge and bought a Metolius simulator. I plan to give it ten minutes on the days I don't have time to get into the gym. We'll see what happens.

[Distel32]

when you factor in breaks to that ten minutes, it isn't enough. I would suggest doing 15-20

[John Frieh]

Metolius Rock Rings. Doesn't put force on your wrists.

[billcoe]

Hang boards are effective for building grip strength, but you need to be REALLY motivated to use them regularly. Otherwise, they just sit there. If you get one, make sure that you put it in the most pleasant, accessible, entertaining area of you house (you know, the window that looks out at the strip bars) or you will never use it.

 

I use the Synrock tiles, A whole bunch of grips and good texture are the pluses.

 

Nice post Matt: and I'll second what you say. I have a Metolius taking up space and it's generally ignored.

[catbirdseat]

For the time being, I think I am highly motivated to use this hangboard, because I am tired of sucking hind teat. I want to get stronger, dammit!

 

Anyway, it's not like a gym membership where you keep paying even when you don't use it. I figure that if I use the thing a few dozen times, it would not have been a wasted investment.

[mountainmatt]

I use the Manta which seems to give the best variety of holds. I couple this with a few screw in holds and jibs to play with different foot arrangements while pulling.

 

http://www.stoneageclimbing.com/hang.html

[Figger_Eight]

 

I've thought about getting the Metolius one. When it's not being used, at least it doesn't look nearly as ugly.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

 

I've thought about getting the Metolius one. When it's not being used, at least it doesn't look nearly as ugly.

 

There's one of those over a doorway in the casa del Amazing, and, while it has seen shamefully little use, it does, indeed, look rather nice when the Doctor happens to glance up on his way into the kitchen for an ESB. Fabulous piece of training equipment. Five stars.