Summer climbing season is here and most climbers are psyched to be spending time on real rock. Unfortunately, while climbing outside is infinitely more engaging than pulling on plastic, most of us can’t spend more than a few days at the crag before dealing with the realities of work and adult life. To make sure you’re squeezing the most performance out of those precious crag days, check out these training and recovery tools to keep you in top shape for the season.

Popularized by the legendary Wolfgang Gullich, who used it as part of his preparation for sending the iconic route Action Direct 5.14d in 1991, campussing is now a core component in any serious climbing training regime. And like many climbing training tools, Metolius was the first North American company to produce campus rungs (as well as hangboards and climbing holds). Unfortunately, the original campus rungs are perhaps too small for many new, intermediate and older climbers. Realizing this, Metolius now offers campus rungs in XL, 2XL and 3XL sizes that are about 15 mm – 20 mm larger (depending on the size) than the original rungs. These larger sizes, combined with smooth radii and skin-friendly texture, expand the reach of this valuable training tool to sub-elite climbers while minimizing the risk of finger injuries. Anyone looking to top up their training and improve their dynamic movement should consider the new Metolius Campus Rungs. www.metoliusclimbing.com

System training (climbing on identical left and right handholds), while lacking the parkour-style shenanigans frequently encountered at climbing gyms, yields real-world benefits and allows climbers to identify and correct strength imbalances. Realizing these wins, Metolius has now released its new System Climbing Holds. Consisting of a range of classic climbing shapes (edges, pockets, slopers and pinches), the System Climbing Holds are constructed from skin-friendly wood, are available in different depths and are optimized for various wall angles. Choosing the appropriate holds for your wall is simple. Start by determining the steepness of your wall, then get the line of holds designated for that angle. You can tweak the difficulty by choosing larger or smaller holds. If you’re feeling particularly burly, you can even use the holds on a steeper-than-recommended wall. I’ve been playing with these system holds for the last few weeks and I’m thoroughly impressed. The wood texture allows for extended workouts without shredding your skin, and the index marking (10° intervals) around the base ensures that you can set perfectly symmetrical problems. It’s worth noting that the holds, while optimized for system training, are also ideal for more conventional setting – especially in a home gym. This versatility and the ability to set perfectly symmetrical movement makes these system holds a top pick in my book. Add them to your training program and enjoy the gains. www.metoliusclimbing.com

Let’s face it, home walls are great for building and maintaining fitness, but after spending a few months climbing on the same problems, things can get a bit boring. An easy way to regain some psyche for the plastic is to add new holds to your wall. This season Metolius has introduced its new line of Basalt holds, and these shapes are perfect for any home wall. The line features holds suitable for various angles, and their relatively small footprint is ideal for home walls with limited space. The mildly grippy texture offers solid friction without tearing up your skin and the nicely radiused edges ensure comfort during extended training sessions. Finally, and this is my favourite feature, these holds are highly directional allowing for the creation of very specific movement. www.metoliusclimbing.com

Up to this point, the products in this article have focused on building strength and fitness. With the one20percent R120 Natural Recovery Cream, we’re going to look at improving your recovery after those long climbing sessions. Made in Canada by a small team of dedicated high-level cyclists, R120 was created for competitive bike racers (you know, those people that can race over 200 km in a day) to reduce inflammation in muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons. To me, that sounds like it’s also the ideal formula for climbers. The cream consists of a blend of analgesic and anti-inflammatory natural and essential oils that climbers can use to soothe aching forearms and sore hands. As an added bonus, the formula also aids in moisturizing dry skin and helps speed the healing of minor cuts and abrasions. I’ve been using the cream for the last few weeks after particularly challenging training sessions and found that I’m waking up with less muscle soreness and hand stiffness the next day. The cream has a non-greasy feel, features a pleasant menthol aroma and the unique formula has kept my skin in top shape for the next training session. With these benefits, this is a great alternative to conventional stomach-shredding NSAIDs for minor aches while also relieving dry, cracked skin. Add it to your regular recovery routine to help get the most out of your training. www.one20percent.com

Climbers are notorious for not training their antagonist muscle groups. This frequently results in the infamous hunched-over climbing body or worse, chronic injuries. Gymnastic ring training has recently gained popularity in climbing as it requires the activation of multiple stabilizing muscle groups and can effectively create a more balanced and less injury-prone climbing physique. Duonamic, known for its portable pull-up holds (Eleviia) and portable climbing holds (Powrholds), has now introduced a similarly portable ring training system. Like many rings on the market, Duonamic starts with a pair of smooth, skin-friendly wooden rings. Where Duonamic diverges from the pack is with its innovative suspension system. Consisting of a nylon strap with numbered sewn pockets and a custom-made carabiner, the Duonamic rings can be quickly, easily and most importantly, symmetrically adjusted to suit the height of any climber. This enables climbers to use the Duonamic rings in various exercises including push-ups, dips, rows, L-sits and other more traditional ring exercises. When paired with the Duonamic Eleviia, these rings provide a portable and highly effective way of staying fit and injury-free. This is very likely the best ring training system on the market. Just get them. www.duonamic.com

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