Training for Climbing without Equipment, in My Apartment

Heres my dilemma. I'm a college student with a ton of work on my plate and no quick way to the climbing gym. I was out at the gym 5 days a week this summer training and now its taken a back seat (which is tough because, well, I kind of work at the gym...). I've been toying with the idea of putting a hangboard up, and I still might this fall, but living in an apartment has me spooked on that idea. So heres your task:

What can I do to keep in shape in my apartment? I'm hesitant to throw running in to the routine, but I just might have to (I have bad knees and asthma though). I find that I have a ton of time at night before going to bed and a lot of energy, so what exercises can I do with zero equipment?

Throw anything out there. I do sit ups, push ups, and now strengthen my hip flexors after a sports hernia. What else can I do?

Ever try studying at the climbing gym? I find that it's nice because you can work problems until you are pumped, then study for an hour, and then get back on that problem that just spit you off.

I've actually tried that, usually when I'm too tired to climb at the end of the night. The thing about going to the gym is the bus ride and walk from the bus stop, just feels like it takes time from studying, even if it probably doesn't. I might try that again, I just need to keep focused there.

Yoga or Pilates. Something that is isometric, and will also improve flexibility and balance.

Use the moulding around the base of your apartment walls as footholds and never touch the floor.

Mike Lane wrote:Use the moulding around the base of your apartment walls as footholds and never touch the floor.

+1 for Chase's idea. If you've already got access to a facility that is probably way better for climbing than anything you're going to build in you apt, why not try and figure out a way to make your schedule work so that you can simply train at the gym?

you can mount a hangboard above a doorway. doorways are one of the more structurally sound areas in a building and you should be able to find studs to mount it securely.

i've had mine up over a doorway for years and never had any problems.

I have a hangboard back home, but I don't have to worry about losing a security deposit at home, and do at the apartment.

I like the idea of using the trim and moulding. Pretty good stuff there. Yoga is good, and I've considered getting into that...

And well... laps on the coeds. Heh.

Good stuff all around. Keep it coming.

YOGA!

I'm in your same boat. I barely have time to climb at the gym. Usually I just make it outside on weekends. However, I do yoga 2-3 times a week and I feel that it makes me stronger mentally and physically than climbing in the gym. In my opinion, nothing translates to climbing better than yoga. Try it!

JLP wrote:Buildering. I had 2-3 nice routes out the livingroom window of my college apartment.

I'm in the same boat (although I don't work at a gym) and I'v got to agree with the yoga idea, my climbing has improved drastically since I started doing yoga regularly. Also, I bought a stud finder and screwed a couple of beefy hooks into my ceiling so I could hang my rock rings. These two combined keep me in good enough shape to shred on a wall even when I haven't done any real climbing in a few weeks.