Our Modular Board; the Seeing Stars Training System. 

When we launched the Seeing Stars Training System, we have been promting the hashtag #notahangboard.

Why?

The Seeing Stars Training System was developed to fill a gap in the climbing training equipment market. Prior to Seeing Stars, the home training options available to climbers were a fingerboard / hangboard or to build a woodie or a systems board. While these are very relevant and recognised methods, there are those who want to train more than finger strength and those who do not have the space to build a woodie or systems board.

Our key intention was to develop a home climbing training product with more versatility than those available in the market. We wanted to create the opportunity to train with different hand positions and angles of pull, with the option to choose the edge type or depth desired by the user. This in turn would give a greater range of options to get movements similar to those found during climbing routes or bouldering problems, but without taking up much more space than a hangboard.

The result of our development has been to achieve just that.

The Seeing Stars Training System provides the opportunity for the user to train the shoulders, chest, back and core as well as arms and fingers. The simple action of rotating the Modules or changing their position provides a very broad range of options which, in turn, works a broader range of muscles.

During and since the product development stage, we met with various Physical Trainers, Sports Scientists and Physiotherapists all advocating a movement-based training approach rather than static hangs. This maximises the benefits of training by using a wide range of muscle groups through the full range of movement.

It is our aim to help climbers to improve shoulder stability and develop greater strength and control at the broadest ranges of movement, with a variety of grip types.

So, coming back to the initial point: #notahangboard. While it fits in the space envelope of a hangboard and, if you really want, you can use it for deadhangs on a horizontal edge, that really is not what it was developed to provide.

The Seeing Stars Training System is much more than a hangboard; it is a Modular Board.

Rotating the asymmetric Modules enables both side-pull and reverse side pull (gaston) actions which, when combined with a variety of vertical, horizontal and diagonal movements, not only reaches a greater number of muscle groups, but can provide a more fluid, through range, upper body workout.

We thought should come up with some alternative hashtags; #notjustahangboard #morethanahangboard #smallerthanasystemboard #fitsthegapinthemarketbetweenahangboardandasystemboard!

Instead, we decided on #ModularBoard