New rock-climbing wall at the gym Published Feb. 3, 2017 By Senior Airman Harrison Withrow 434th ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- The Air Force is always encouraging Airmen to “Aim High”, and recently Grissom Airmen found another way to do just that.The 434th Services Flight recently added a new rock-climbing wall to its arsenal of fitness equipment at Grissom’s fitness center.Will Somers, 434th SVF director of recreation, feels that offering a wide variety of ways for people to stay in shape is important for the overall fitness of the wing.“We like to diversify the things the gym has to offer, and we thought a rock wall would be a good fit,” said Somers.The rock wall is a high-intensity exercise for several muscle groups, said Zac Holmes, 434th SVS fitness technician. “It’s a full-body workout, particularly for arms and shoulders, as well as engaging the cardiovascular system,” said Holmes.The rock wall is relatively small, and requires no harnesses or supervision to use. It functions like a vertical treadmill, and is powered by the user’s own weight.“The individual’s body weight is a factor in how fast the wall moves,” said Holmes. “There is a lever on the right side that can adjust the speed from zero, which is not moving, to ten. The steering wheel on the right can adjust the angle of the wall.”Anyone attempting to use the rock wall should not hesitate to ask for assistance if they need it, he said.“If you have any issues adjusting the equipment, please see gym staff for help,” said Holmes.Although they ultimately decided on a small, gravity-powered wall, other options had initially been considered, said Somers.“We wanted a full-sized, wall-mounted rock wall,” said Somers. “There were too many regulations and supervision requirements with that. However, we found this option that gives the same workout without any of that. This way we don’t need to have someone constantly monitoring it, and no safety gear is required.”Despite concerns some may have about injury, the rock wall presents minimal danger for even inexperienced users, said Somers.“It’s completely safe,” he said. “The thing about this rock wall compared to a full-size one is that even if you do fall, you’re only a couple feet off the ground. You’re typically just going to fall back and step onto the mat.”The rock wall is just the latest addition in an ongoing search for fun and engaging workout equipment, said Somers.“We’re always looking for different ideas,” he said. “Every year we go to the Athletic Business Conference. It’s a big trade show with all the newest equipment. We try to get ideas for what we could use and what would work well around here.”“The rock wall is a great supplement to a workout,” said Cory Walters, 434th Civil Engineer Squadron biological scientist. “I usually climb the wall at the end of my workout to get my heartrate up or to have a little friendly competition. It is a great way to show you where your traditional workout needs to improve.”The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. Men and women from the Hoosier Wing routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Force mission.Stay connected with the 434th ARW on Facebook and Twitter.
