Achieving Symmetry

Advance Your Training By Doing Things The Same.

- Neil Gresham

You’re already experienced in training through bouldering, campus boarding and hang boarding. What next, then, to raise your strength to the next level? Try symmetrical training.

The concept is to address weaknesses by training on a steep woody board or wall on holds arranged in a symmetrical pattern, working the same combinations of muscle groups on both sides of the body.

Symmetrical training has two main subsets: use of a system wall with problems made of one type of hold, such as all underclings; and use of a symmetrical wall (somewhat confusingly, this has the name as the overall training type, but means a particular setup on a wall), each side of which contains all of the same holds as the other, in reverse orientation. Both provide great options for home-training facilities.

Symmetrical training is geared largely toward those climbing in the mid V-grades and above; hence the suggested wall-angle range is 30 to 50 degrees. Those climbing in the lower grades are advised to stick with conventional bouldering until you feel you are no longer progressing.

1. System Wall

System training was developed in the mid-1990s by the German legend Alex Huber in preparation for a string of 8c+ /9a (5.14c/d) first ascents such as Om, Open Air and