If you are looking for a way to diversify your strength and power training, systems wall and symmetrical training are a great option.  The benefit of these training techniques is that unlike hangboarding and campus boarding they involve actual climbing movement while still being more structured and systematic than a standard bouldering session.

To highlight exactly how these styles of training work, here’s an article from Rock and Ice by British climber, trainer, and coach Neil Gresham where he describes exactly how to effectively use both a systems and a symmetrical training wall.

“You’re already experienced in training through bouldering, campus boarding and hangboarding. 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.” – Neil Gresham

Systems Wall and Symmetrical Training Tips

The real benefit of both a systems wall and symmetrical training is that they let you directly target any specific weaknesses and then work them on both sides of your body.  In other words, if you struggle on side pulls, you can use one of these boards to work them equally on both sides of your body.

To help you get started, Gresham gives you a bunch of tips that cover everything you’ll need to know about training on a systems or symmetrical wall.  Here’s what the article talks about:

• The difference between systems wall and symmetrical wall training
• Setting up these boards
• Tips for both types of training

Click through below to read all about these training techniques.  While you do need to have access to either a systems wall or a symmetrical wall to follow Gresham’s advice, they are becoming more and more common in gyms everywhere.  So give it a shot.  Targeting weaknesses in a structured way like this may just be exactly what you are missing in your training.

Full Article: Neil Gresham – Systems Wall and Symmetrical Training

(photo courtesy of rockandice.com)

Other Articles You Might Like:

• Alex Johnson – Systems Training
• Intro to System Board Training
• TBP 048 :: Neil Gresham on Training for 5.11 and 5.12
• Neil Gresham Training for Freakshow