These tools can help you on your path to Continuous Improvement:
THE ROCK CLIMBER’S TRAINING MANUAL
“THE MAKING OF A ‘ROCKPRODIGY'”
RCTM.com Articles related to Tools:
- Adjustable Mount 2.0 for the Rock Prodigy Training Center …In a previous article, we showed you how to build an Adjustable Mount for your Rock Prodigy Training Center so that you can take maximum advantage of the built in ergonomics of the most innovative fingerboard on the market. While it gets the job done, the French Cleat technique described in that article is difficult to execute, and the result is bulky. We’ll show you an alternate method here that can be built for about $20 in parts and an hour of work. Read more…
- Use Video to Dial-in your Beta …The advent of inexpensive, compact digital imaging technology has been a boon to outdoor sports. Now, nearly everyone can get Galen Rowell-worthy images of their adventures in the wildest of places; and products like the Go Pro allow for first-person videos that required a professional camera crew in the past. I’m surprised and a little confused that more sport climbers don’t take advantage of this technology to boost their climbing performance. Modern digital point and shoot cameras can easily record high definition video that can help you remember those complex sequences. Though I’ve climbed all over the country, I’ve only ever seen Mark and I recording our attempts at the crag in this way. Read more…
- The Bubble …After moving from high, humidity Florida to dry, arid Colorado; we thought we were in the clear for hangboard workouts. We were going to have crisp, dry mountain air and every workout would be just perfect, right?! Well, our basement proved to be a wonderful little humidity hoarder during the monsoon summer experienced here in Colorado Springs. After our first hangboard workouts, it was quickly apparent that we needed to do something about it. It was at this point that Mike revealed to me one of his long-held fantasies (ooh, still some excitement after almost 12 years of marriage)! Apparently, ever since we moved to Dayton, OH back in 2008, Mike has suppressed urges to create a hermetically sealed hangboarding bubble in which climate could be easily and precisely controlled. Well, apparently, Colorado’s humid air was the “last straw,” and Mike had snapped. Clearly he had put some thought into this, because once the decision was made, there was no pause for planning or analysis, just a fury of activity. Read more…
- How to Build a Campus Board …Previously we described how to install a hangboard, even in tight spaces. In this article, we’ll expand these approaches to Campus boards. Campus training is important to the Rock Prodigy method, but it’s often the first training activity to be skipped because it requires unique equipment. This is unfortunate because; as described in the Rock Climber’s Training Manual, campus training develops several vital attributes for climbing: Read more…
- How’s Your Hang …After experimenting with many different configurations over the years, we’ve found the best method for mounting a hangboard is that shown in the adjacent photo, because it can be installed in any room with a corner (most rooms). It doesn’t require tall ceilings or special geometry, and it permits maximum clearance around/behind the board, and plenty of room to mount multiple training tools (the mount pictured has a pull-up bar mounted on the back side of it, but it could house additional hangboards). You will need to be able to drill holes in the wall, which could be a show stopper in some scenarios. To mount a hangboard with this method, you’ll need to locate studs approximately 2-4 feet from the corner of the wall, then attach two base mounting boards that the main beam will be strung between. Read more…
- Comparing Campus Board Configurations …over the past year or so I’ve been contemplating the two competing standards for rung spacing. These are ‘Metolius spacing’, with small rungs placed every 4″ from top edge to top edge, and ‘Moon Spacing’, with rungs spaced every 22-cm (approximately 8.66 inches). In my estimation, Moon spacing is far more prolific. Metolius spacing is only used in America as far as I can tell, and even here it’s much less popular than Moon spacing. For the last few seasons I found myself constantly “translating” my Metolius-spaced board into Moon units for the sake of comparison. I got tired of my head hurting during all these workouts, so I decided to make the switch since I was re-building my board anyway. Read more…
- Bouldering for Power …For those that set their own problems, below are a few recommendations of some of my favorite hold sets. If your local gym is lacking, consider recommending some of these sets to the routesetters. One general piece of advice: invest in high quality holds, especially if you have a small climbing wall. Good holds will keep you psyched much longer, and allow you to make the most of your training time. You’ll get far more mileage out of 10 good holds than you will out of 20 low-quality holds. Read more…
- Adjustable Mount for the RPTC Ever since I first conceived of the Rock Prodigy Training Center, I’ve been pondering a cheap and simple mounting system that would allow for instantaneous spacing adjustments. Once the RPTC was unveiled I got a number of great ideas from other climbers. Julian Marks suggested a “French Cleat” system in this Mountain Project thread, which uses two pieces of angled lumber to create an integrated hook on the mounting structure that slides along a fixed receptacle. Read more…
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The Rock Climber's Training Manual 