Simple in its design and visually appealing in almost any room, the Pullboard Original Hangboard is the latest innovation in hangboard design to come out of Canada over the last year. Built on the foundation of a training philosophy, the Pullboard features three hanging rails, one for warming up, one for training, and one for testing your progress.
We had a chance to test out on the Pullboard for a six week period and here is what we thought.
Pullboard Original Hangboard
To understand the simplicity of the Pullboard Original hangboard, you first need to understand the philosophy behind its design. Based on the research of Eva Lopez and the original campus board by Wolfgang Guilrich, the Pullboard features a training edge between 15mm-19mm (middle rail) with a smaller rail on the bottom for testing benchmark hangs at the beginning of a training cycle between 12mm and approximately 8mm. Integral to its design is also the ability to maintain the same width between hands when hanging to maximize effectiveness and allowing the user to adjust according to their specific dimensions.
As seen above, the philosophy above resulted in a design that is minimalist in nature as far as hangboard go. Admittedly, when first testing the Pullboard, we initially thought that it would not offer us enough diversity to be an effect training tool compared to other boards such as the Beastmaker 1000 and 2000 or the Metolius Wooden Hangboard. However, after using this board side by side the other wooden boards on the market, we found ourselves gravitating towards its design and preferring it for both max weight hangs and repeater sessions.
One of the biggest strengths of the Pullboard Original is its flexibility. Because it does not feature any pocket size or inset edges, the Pullboard allows the user to choose how far apart their hands are going to be when training. At first, the difference in hand stance did not seem to be a big deal but after weeks of using the Pullboard with heavy weights, it soon because apparent that the flexibility in the distance between our hands allowed us to maximize out effort during weighted hangs.
After using the Pullboard for a number of weeks, we found that the simplicity in its hold diversity was an asset. Because the Pullboard only offers four different hold sets, we found there were less choices to make when training and that simplicity allowed us to focus on pure strength training rather than jumping back and forth from different types of holds and different depths. After training on the Pullboard for a six week period, we found it ideal for both max weight and repeater sessions. Overall, wee also found that the Pullboard was ideal for four and three finger pulls but we did miss the mental aspect of pulling on two finger pockets in comparison to pulling on two fingers using a flat edge. Nonetheless, we found that the Pullboard became an effective tool both physically and mentally, to push our training to the next level.
We also forund that the texture of the Pullboard was ideal for training and seemed stronger or more dense than comparison boards. Made from Red Oak wood that is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified and sourced, the Pullboard has a smooth finish and a strong feel. Largely unnoticeable if you only have one hangboard, we soon got used to the smooth finish of the Pullboard, preferring it to some of the major competitors on the market. We also found, after extended use and hangs, the Pullboard Original finish seemed to last longer than other boards on the market.
Overall, the Pullboard Original Hangboard is a welcome edition to a market that seems flooded by new and innovative designs. By building a board based on a training program philosophy, the Pullboard Original is a highly flexible and functional training tool that will allow high end climbers to get the most out of their training program. The strength of the Pullboard Original is in its simplicity, with only four training holds to choose from, and in its flexibility when it comes to adjusting the spacing between your hands. We found that the Pullboard Original was a very quality board, using materials sourced from Red Oak wood that is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified. We also noticed that the board held up over time, making it a very solid product from start to finish. Because of the relatively small hold selection, we would not recommend the Pullboard Original for the beginner climber or a climber just getting used to hang boarding on a regular basis. Rather, the Pullboard is designed for climbers who have had some initial experience with hangboarding and want to make the biggest gains from their training intervals throughout the year.
The Pullboard Original is available at pullclimbing.com and retails for $169.00 CAD.
