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Homebrew dry tool training setup

Original Post
Bang Nhan · · Charlottesville, VA · Joined Dec 2010 · Points: 35

Do you guys hang chain link and other objects to practice dry tooling at home? Can you show us pictures of your setup?

alpinejason · · Minneapolis · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 176

I have 4x8 sheets of plywood with t-nuts mounted to the joists in my basement. Mounted an eye bolt at each t-nut and hung 2 quicklinks off of each eye bolt.

I stole my idea from another MP user and occasional climbing partner Dave Rone. He has a similar setup but uses hardware store swivels instead of quicklink. His is definitely nicer by the swivels are like $8/each and my quicklinks are like $0.50/each.

Bang Nhan · · Charlottesville, VA · Joined Dec 2010 · Points: 35

Any picture, Jason?

alpinejason · · Minneapolis · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 176

It's functional. Couple hours and $50.

basement dry tooling

Jack C · · Green River, UT · Joined Mar 2013 · Points: 325

Do you find that the quicklinks, or anything metal for that matter, wrecks havoc on your picks? I've just been hanging off of chunks of wood and the like for fear that metal will really mess them up.

alpinejason · · Minneapolis · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 176
Jack C. wrote:Do you find that the quicklinks, or anything metal for that matter, wrecks havoc on your picks?
Meh.
kevino · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 0

You just doing lots of figure 4's with that?

Zac St Jules · · New Hampshire · Joined Dec 2013 · Points: 1,188

Id be interested to see other folks home setups aswell...

alpinejason · · Minneapolis · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 176
kevino wrote:You just doing lots of figure 4's with that?
Yup.

Training is better than you think. I've done exactly zero figure fours while climbing. But the training builds core and grip strength, both of which help immensely.
alpinejason · · Minneapolis · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 176

and it's more fun than hanging from your tools and doing sit-ups. blah.

Derek DeBruin · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 1,039

I basically use a pull up bar, a couple slings, and two old biners. I fit the tools with some old picks and go to town. Lots of potential exercise options with specificity to mixed/ice climbing. All that needs adjusted is the length of the sling hanging off the bar.

Squat/stand/swing: Will Gadd's classic ice climbing exercise. Hang one carabiner low enough so that when in a full squat, one arm is fully extended with the tool hooked through the biner. Stand up from squat and pull up. You should now be standing with the pulling arm in a full lock-off. Swing a tool/hammer/weight in the opposite arm. It can be nice to have a target of some kind above (could just be a mark on the wall) to aim for. Can add weight to the swing arm and/or weight vest. Fairly good simulation of vertical ice climbing.

Shoulder roll-ups: Hang a carabiner low enough that you can comfortably hang with a straight arm off one tool with feet well in front and body straight. The position should be similar to that of the inverted row/Australian pull-up. Roll up, pull up, and lock off on the tool while rolling shoulder and reaching up with opposite arm. Can use another tool or a small weight in this hand and/or add a weight vest.

Adjusting the weight and pacing, this exercise can be used to train maximum strength (high weight, low reps) for shoulders/back. Can also be used for lock-off training by pausing at the top of each rep for 3 to 5 seconds. Adding the second sling and carabiner, you can alternate arms and use lower weight/higher reps to build a very good forearm pump. This also helps with pick precision as with each rep you need to insert the pick into a carabiner that is gently swinging. Greater core engagement can be attained by elevating the feet or placing them on an exercise ball.

"Figures": Hang both carabiners so that with arms fully extended while hanging on tools the feet are just barely above the ground. Figure 4s/9s can be combined for grip/core strength training. This also helps with leg precision. If hanging in a door frame or under a ceiling, holds or other targets can be placed on the door frame or ceiling to help with footwork precision or different uses of the core.

Matching exercise: variations on the shoulder roll-up or figures exercises can be used for hand matching exercises using the additional grips on the tool, tool drapes, holding the second tool by the pick, etc. A nice circuit can be done from the shoulder roll up position (or free hanging combined with figure 9s and figure 4s for the very strong):

Start with left tool on left carabiner, right tool on right carabiner.
Match left tool to right hand.
Position left hand on upper grip of right tool.
Remove right hand from right tool and position on lower grip of the now available "left tool."
Cross over right hand to left carabiner.
Match left hand again and repeat process.

Do a few cycles, then switch directions of the cycle to practice matching the other direction.

N Mil · · Philadelphia, PA · Joined Aug 2021 · Points: 11
Jack C wrote: Do you find that the quicklinks, or anything metal for that matter, wrecks havoc on your picks? I've just been hanging off of chunks of wood and the like for fear that metal will really mess them up.

I've got a pair of picks for ice (Pur'Ice), a pair for training (Dry and/or Escape Climbing picks), and a pair for dry tooling (Pur'Dry). I'm a bigger dude (6'3", and between 230-240 lbs) and my picks have lasted a few seasons of consistent training, even on metal. I think the big difference is that you're not necessarily hitting the metal, but resting it as gently as humanly possible, so it's not like knives or swords, where if you go metal to metal, you ding it up pretty badly. But, I'm no expert or guide or anything like that... just an idiot who tries to climb as much as possible. So, my limited and anecdotal experience says it's fine.   

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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