Climbing is a pretty good exercise for the upper body and heaps of fun. Much more fun than chinups or pullups for the sake of them . Presumably humans who could climb had a survival advantage over those that couldn't. Whether climbing rocks or trees , the activity calls for a variety of skills.
Most of all good climbing technique requires engagement of the brain. Most beginners use very clumsy technique , especially males who rely on arm strength. Hip flexibility is also extremely valuable. Grip strength (& especially finger strength) is heavily worked , as is grip endurance.

Climbing is an excellent counterfoil to kettlebell training and vice versa.

The idea for a climbing gym at home came partly from the cost of attending a commercial gym and partly from watching a children's playhouse fall into disuse. With appropriate bracing , sheets of exterior grade 12mm plywood were screwed over the existing structure and later new posts and framework enabled expansion into more interesting dimensions. It remains a work in evolution.

It is vital to construct these with a "what can go wrong will" attitude. You don't want a hold falling off , or a sheet of ply detaching or worse , the whole structure collapsing (especially an overhang). If in any doubt , an experienced carpenter should be used. Furthermore some kind of soft surface must exist - foam/mattresses are good but tend to rot in an outdoor setting. I use a thick layer of bark chips. Even so , you would not want to fall very far. It is easy to break a limb or get concussed and that could be an issue for oneself , one's children and also visitors.

Our gym has holds ranging from very easy to extremely challenging. I have constructed angles , inclines and an overhang.The aim is to challenge climbers of all ability and prepare them for the commercial gym where there are ropes and high , difficult routes on offer.

The best thing about a home gym is that it is so accessible. Each time I walk past there is the option of a couple of minutes play , or more. Physical play is important for adults of all ages , as well as children. Society tends to forget this. Frank Forencich has written an excellent book "Play as if Your Life Depends Upon it" and a second complimentary volume "The Exuberant Animal". I can highly recommend them as a source of inspiration and ideas.  You can find them here http://www.exuberantanimal.com/pubs/

And now , onto the gym as it stands at present.


  < This shows the ceiling & finishing wall - a nice place to hang. Below right , I have attached some rope chains threaded with pipe for pushup purposes. These are so much harder than standard ones.