The advantages of “no hangs” training over beam

‘Why should I use a portable wooden training tool instead of the beam?’

Those of you who are a bit more of a dry training nerd (like us) will probably have asked or heard this question at least once; for everyone else, it could be an interesting insight. Today we will try to clarify, as completely and impartially as possible, the advantages of training called “no hangs”, which is increasingly in vogue in modern climbing.

First of all, by the term “no hangs” (from the English “to hang” = to hang), we mean that training for fingers and forearms which is achieved by lifting a weight from the ground which is hooked onto a piece of equipment. The movement is therefore a classic take-off from the ground, with the back straight, the arm stretched across the body and resting on the pelvis, and the ballast to be lifted at the base of our feet. Depending on the type of implement we are using we will train a different type of prehension (for example, with Murok the grapple, with Patrik and Fat Patrick the open hand position with mono and bi-fingered respectively, while with Bender usually the semi-arched).

Having clarified this, let us now list the main advantages of this training method:

1) Practical and economical

If we don’t have the possibility to drill into the wall of our house for all sorts of reasons, or simply don’t want to spend exorbitant amounts of money on a fixed beam, then “no hangs” training could be for us. With their low cost and the advantage of being able to carry them with us at all times, wooden tools are definitely a good choice for training in all situations!

2) Versatile

With the “no hangs” method, we can carry out a variety of different training protocols, ranging from a simple warm-up, to rehabilitation of an injured finger, to the actual training of different conditional capacities, such as CAL (Local Aerobic Capacity), resistant strength, maximal strength and contact strength. In addition, with the support of a dynamometer, we can carry out tests on our conditional capacities and methodically plan the goals of our training sessions. Finally, as already mentioned, we have devised a wide variety of equipment to train all types of prehensility, even those not normally found on the beam (such as the rapier).

3) Unilateral and precise

This is certainly one of the most important advantages that we find difficult to replicate on the beam; in fact, unilateral lifts allow us to eliminate the classic “strong arm” compensation that inevitably occurs in two-handed suspensions, by stimulating individual limbs or even individual fingers separately. This results in improved neuromuscular recruitment and a greater ability of our brain to focus on a single limb at a time, allowing us to express our full potential! Furthermore, this system allows us to perfectly modulate the load to be lifted per individual hand/finger, a feature that comes in very handy in the post-injury rehabilitation phase when we cannot lift that many kilos, or if we want to train on microscopic notches!

4) Convenient and safe

If we are not yet able to suspend two-handed on the beam, “no hangs” training allows us to train with the right ballast without the need to use an unloading pulley, thus creating less force imbalance between the two limbs. Conversely, if we suspend high loads hooked onto our harness, this training eliminates the excessive load on the hips, back and shoulders, reducing the risk of injury and muscle pain.

Conclusion:

If you are curious to try this type of training, take a look at our portable tools made of recycled and FSC/PEFC certified wood, you are sure to find your future companion!

If you have any questions or would like to exchange views, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@wh-ise.it, or drop by our Instagram page for more super interesting content!

Happy climbing, alé!