ARC training without a climbing wall? (Or something like it?)

Hey ya'll!

I was wondering if anyone knows if ARC training is possible without a climbing wall? The reason I ask is that I am a full time college student, with a part time job, making any time for training very limited.

In order to get around that, I was wondering if it was possible to ARC without a wall, just using common training tools at home. The only tools that I have access to at the moment are a hang board, and a pull up bar. Ideally, it would be something that I could make a part of my morning routine.

I know that I would be sacrificing a part of arc training that I think is very valuable, and that is practicing movement skills. But I would like to keep myself in relatively decent climbing shape until I have more free time.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Timmy

I've done something similar to this as a way of warming up for hangboreding-- it's not ideal, but you can just hang off of different holds on your hangboard, while keeping your feet on a chair that is underneath and behind the hangboard. Obviously, the farther back from the board the chair is, the "steeper" the terrain you're on, and the bigger a pump you'll get.

I've never done this specifically for ARC-ing, but could see it working if it's the only option.

You could always do the old legs under the table, big flat edge reverse plank dealio

Endurance training on a board is tough. I've tried a bunch of different things but end up using this one most frequently, and have felt after doing it reliably my endurance improved even when I wasn't climbing:

Starting on biggest jugs on your board, dead hang either with a pulley system or feet on a chair in front of you, for 60 seconds on and 30 seconds off --> repeat 10x for 10:00 total hang time --> rest 5:00 --> repeat. Use the chair/pulleys to adjust difficulty so you can just barely make it through the 60 second hang each time, maintaining the pump the whole way through. Progress to smaller holds if you're getting close to doing it without the chair/pulleys.

You can find interval timers online that'll make it easy to time. This is boring AF. Watch climbing videos while you do it and get pssyyyched

As you said, you're missing out on movement practice and it's suboptimal because you aren't varying grip on different holds, but it still simulates a muscular endurance load well.

Good luck!

Pnelson wrote: hangboreding

Not sure if that is deliberate spelling or a typo, but that pretty much describes ARCing on s hangboard. Boring, but still effective.

Set up two pulleys with counter weights and use a hold to do interval training at different resistance levels (repetitive pull downs to lock off arm position one arm at a time - if you set up two pulley systems then you can train both arms simultaneously).

You can roughly determine your threshold levels by doing increasing weight time intervals for a specific hand grip until you reach a point that your perceived exertion level is at a 7 to 8 level on a scale of 10. This is your threshold resistance for that hand grip position.

For establishing your threshold pick and interval time of 4 or 5 minutes, increase weight 2 to 5 lbs at a time until you get close to the threshold point, then you might want to increase maybe 1 lbs at a time to fine tune exactly the threshold weight.

For endurance training do intervals of 5 to 10 minutes at the hand grip of interest at around 55% to 87% of your threshold weight. To improve your threshold do intervals of 3 to 5 minutes at 88% to 93% of your threshold weight. To improve your anaerobic capacity train for short durations of 30 to 90 seconds at 120% or 150% of your threshold weight.

Here is a photo of the training hold I developed

I've used the methods previously mentioned with a hangboard, but was able to take it one step further and made a kickplate with some climbing holds on it. I'm not sure I ever used it long enough to make it a true "ARC" session, but I would use it to warm up for hang boarding and do some short power endurance workouts on it.

What exactly do you mean by "ARC training"? Like Rui Ferreira mentioned in this thread, people seem to use that term to mean different things.

I'm in a similar situation for different reasons. I've experimented a lot with different protocols to train for endurance on the hangboard since last June, so I'm very interested in this discussion.

(To the OP) Following up on my response above, you can use a lat-pull down machine at your school's gym to figure out your threshold and train. Remove the bar and attach an appropriate climbing hold.

In case the changes in weight on the lat-pull down machine are too much (5 or 10 lbs weights), you can attach cheap ankle or wrist weights in the range of 1 lbs to 2.5 lbs to increase the weights in a more gradual manner.

I made my own machine at home, but as I travel often for work I use the lat-pull down machine in the hotel gyms to get a workout.

Rui Ferreira wrote:I made my own machine at home, but as I travel often for work I use the lat-pull down machine in the hotel gyms to get a workout.

I really like the idea of your machine, I think it addresses some issues I have with training aerobic capacity on the hangboard. One question though: since your climbing hold seems to be attached by cord, do you have any issue with stability, especially with the smaller holds (like the crimp you show in the photo)? As you get fatigued into the workout, wouldn't any movement in the cord cause you to loose your crimp on the hold unless you pinch the block?

aikibujin wrote: One question though: since your climbing hold seems to be attached by cord, do you have any issue with stability, especially with the smaller holds (like the crimp you show in the photo)? As you get fatigued into the workout, wouldn't any movement in the cord cause you to loose your crimp on the hold unless you pinch the block?

I beveled my crimp rails with an 8-degree (dove tail) router bit so there is an edge to catch the finger tips and minimize slipping off. My rails are 5mm, 8mm, 12mm and 15mm. I am able to hold the 5mm edge when doing endurance intervals of up to 12 minutes regardless of hold type (open hand, half-crimp and full crimp) without losing grip. For high loads I am still able to maintain the grip as my intervals are in the range of 30 to 90 seconds. I also use the very top of the hold as a rounded 22mm edge and I find that at high resistances I am prone to slipping off due to reduced skin friction.

In addition I modified the cord so it hangs from both sides of the hold as opposed to simply looping through on one axis. This minimizes deflection from vertical (there is still some - about 5/10 degrees but it is manageable because of the beveled rail.)

I initial intended for the hold pictured above to be used also as a pinch block, but I found it easier to build a dedicated pinch block with 3-in and 4-inch wide grips.

Thanks for the replies, everyone!

mike zeek wrote:I arc on my RPTC hangboard. It seems to keep me in pretty good shape. I work out of town in remote areas for weeks at a time so this is my only outlet for keeping the fingers strong. I mounted my RPTC to a 1.5" board. I mount the board using 2 C clamps above a door jam. I use a small step stool for my feet which put me arcing at about 20 degrees overhung. It's mindlessly boring, but I'll put some music on, set a 20+ minute timer on, and get a good pump in. Mix this with a few days a week of repeaters, and you can keep in shape without a gym/very few days at the crag!

Interesting. That is such a simplistic method to mount a hangboard, that I never thought of it. What size C-Clamps do you use? This is perfect for me, as I live in a rental.

i have a lat pull down machine at home - i never thought to put a hold/rock ring on it or something like that. great idea. i also like some of the ideas to train endurance on the hangboard, boring as they may be. I get outside a few times a month to climb but training time at the climbing gym is limited but I do have a nice home gym for general workouts. I feel at my level basic endurance is my most limiting factor - not tiny holds but just climbing moderate all day - good thread for me - thanks ;)