What you’ll learn
Working out just to work out isn’t the best motivation, and since I’m a sucker for gadgets and new toys, here’s a few of my all time favorites. They’re worth their cost, are effective, and aren’t superlifous.
An Actually Good Grip Strength Trainer
A++ compared to those donuts. You can adjust from 20-90lb resistance. Keep one at your desk. Give it a few squeezes in each hand every time you go to the bathroom. It adds up!
Suspension trainer on a pulley
Get your stability on with a pulley suspension trainer. This $40 version is made on 10mm rope with a pulley. You have to stabilize both sides of your body. It’s a climber’s training dream! The price is right, and literally all of their products have 4.8 stars on Amazon.
Forearm curler
Attach weights to the bottom, get a burn rolling up and down. Or make your own out of a broom handle.
Fitnotes App
Simple and practical. I’ve gone through a dozen apps and this is by far the best. You can customize it to climbing-specific routines and it acts like a to-do list you check off, and it tracks your weights/time/reps/etc.
Tabata Timer App
Another app that’s so complicated to get simple. Practical minimalism, down to each stopwatch digit being a separate slider. You don’t have to type your time or scroll from 1 to 60. It’s the small things.
Wahoo heart rate monitor
I do all my HIIT interval workouts based on heartrate, not time. I survive a workout and I can see small improvements in recovery time or max HR, which is more motivating week over week. Don’t start the next set until your heartrate is back down into the 150’s. After a little bit, you’ll know your range and can figure it out without the monitor.
Kettlebells
High-quality, sturdy kettlebells from Kettlebells USA. These are the Metrixx Elite version.
Check out my series on kettlebell training for climbing–it’s about the best cross-training for rock climbing to mimic falling (posterior chain eccentric loading in the kettlebell swing) and to train shoulder stability. It’s one of the few exercises done with a weight above the head.
If you’re interested in more, here’s my guide on training for slopers, pinches, and forearms. My husband’s grip strength is near legendary, and while I don’t have that innate skill, I’ve trialed enough things to know what works.
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