Climb Stronger: Must-Have Training Tools for Every Climber

Climb Stronger: Must-Have Training Tools for Every Climber

Whether you're just starting your climbing journey or pushing through plateaus on your hardest projects, training off the wall plays a huge role in long-term progression. From finger strength to warm-up tools, the right gear can help you climb stronger, move better, and stay injury-free. At Boulder Planet Showroom, we carry some of the best tools for climbers looking to train smarter. Here are three standout picks worth checking out.

Why Train Off the Wall?

Climbing is a full-body sport that demands strength, technique, coordination, and mental focus. While climbing more is often the best way to improve, supplemental training can:

• Build finger and upper body strength
• Improve contact strength and power
• Reduce injury risk with proper warm-up and antagonist exercises

Off-the-wall training is especially helpful if you have limited time at the gym or want to target specific weaknesses.

When Should You Start Training?

If you’re new to climbing, focus first on movement skills, body awareness, and technique. But if you’ve been climbing for a while and are:

• Trying to break through a grade plateau
• Feeling held back by finger strength
• Looking to train more efficiently between sessions

...then it might be time to introduce structured training tools into your routine.

Finger Strength First: Beastmaker 1000

Finger strength is one of the most limiting factors in climbing, especially on steeper or smaller holds. The Beastmaker 1000 is a classic wooden hangboard designed to help you safely build this critical foundation.

Made from skin-friendly tulipwood, the board features a range of edges, slopers, and pockets that cater to beginner and intermediate climbers. It’s ideal for:

• Hangboard repeater sessions
• Finger recruitment before climbs
• Tracking measurable strength gains over time

Just be sure to ease in — 2–3 hang sessions a week, with plenty of rest, is more than enough to see results.

Ideal for beginner to intermediate climbers, the Beastmaker 1000 combines comfort and challenge with its skin-friendly wooden holds and thoughtful edge selection.

Versatile Power: So iLL Split Palm

The So iLL Split Palm hangboard adds variety to your grip training. Designed by Jason Kehl, it emphasizes open-handed strength with:

• Slopers
• Pinches, pockets, and edges
• An organic shape that mimics real rock

It’s a great complement to the Beastmaker, targeting grip types not easily trained with edges alone. Plus, it looks like art on your wall. If you’re already climbing regularly and want more comprehensive grip strength, the Split Palm is a fantastic upgrade.

The Split Palm hangboard by So iLL offers a wide range of grips—from slopers to pinches—designed to level up your finger strength and open-handed power.

Warm Up & Rehab: Strength Trainer 3-Pack

Training isn’t just about pulling hard — it’s about staying healthy. The Strength Trainer 3-Pack includes three different resistance levels of hand grippers, perfect for:

• Warming up fingers and forearms before a session
• Training antagonist muscles to avoid imbalances
• Low-effort rehab work or rest day recovery

They’re small, easy to carry, and useful at any stage of your climbing journey.

How to Combine These Tools

A well-rounded training plan could look like this:

• Before climbing: Use Strength Trainers to warm up.
• On rest days: Do light fingerboard sessions with the Beastmaker.
• 2–3x per week: Add Split Palm sloper or pinch sessions to balance grip development.

Remember: quality over quantity, and always prioritise rest when needed.

So iLL Strength Trainer 3 Pack - This portable trio of resistance tools lets you train your grip, pinch strength, and forearm endurance anytime, anywhere—no wall required.

Visit Boulder Planet Showroom

Want to see these tools up close? Visit the Boulder Planet Showroom to try out the Beastmaker 1000, get a feel for the Split Palm, or test the grip trainers. Our team can help you build a personalised training setup that fits your level, goals, and space.

Start training smart and climb stronger — your next breakthrough could be just a hangboard session away.