DRY ICE Tools (DIT)– are made by Furnace Industries. With these gadgets your workout is cool as ice and really nice! Originally these tools were invented to give you the most realistic possible experience of ice climbing indoors, without having to use sharp and harmful ice picks.
But, guess what, you can also use them in a regular (non climbing) gym for a great variety of different exercises. In this article you’ll learn more in depth about these cool tools and I’ll show you how you can integrate them into your training, not only to boost your climbing (grip)strength but also overall power using them in a structured sport specific training circle.
The article is also featuring actor, friend and my client Luciano Christobal Gassman Ferrada, presenting the DRY ICE Tools! You can also see Luciano in the 2018 Movie „The Happy Prince“ by Rupert Evert, starring Colin Firth and Emily Watson!
DRY ICE Tools – Hooked on a Feeling
Hooked on a Feeling is a Song by “Blue Swede” (which was used in Guardians of the Galaxy btw) but it also describes the experience of using DRY ICE Tools as a training tool.
Special thanks to Ben Carlson from Furnace Industries for supporting me with a pair of test DRY ICE Tools!
“If you only have a hammer, everything looks like a nail” (Proverb)
So, if you only use the same training tools you will eventually stick to training plateaus. Integrating new tools with different angles and grip positions will not only increase your (grip)strength but also enrich your workout enabling constant progression and bursting plateaus.
What makes the DRY ICE Tools really “cool tools” (#ItsAlwaysIceSeason) is the fact that they’re almost made entirely out of wood (except for the rubber lashes and their attachments).
When I first saw these tools I immediately wanted to have them – although I’m not a climber – as useful add on for my Personal -Training Gym. The first question that struck my mind was: “will they withstand heavy training, like e.g. weighted pull-ups?”.
Don’t worry, they will!! According to the manufacturer the strength of the DRY ICE Tools and ICICLES (a smaller version for kids) was tested at the Westmoreland Mechanical Testing & Research, Inc. of Youngstown, PA.
After the destruction of several tools, the average results showed that the tools can hold 3.8 Kn, or about 860lbs (390kg). So, even if you’d be a 150kg Athlete made out of pure rock hard solid muscle mass you could add (theoretically) another 240kg ;). Considering this the DIT are almost indestructible!
But even in the unlikely case that something might happen you could replace the rubber lashes without having to buy a complete new pair of DIT.
DRY ICE Tools – Sport specific training vs. transfer to every day life
The Grip Edge (see photos) gives you a kind of “cutting edge” as – in some exercises – it’ll reduce the need of gripping power but enhances your pulling movements, recruiting more muscle fibers in your back.
This is an advantage if you want to focus on developing your back muscles and not your grip strength which gives the DIT a wider application and not only a sport specific use for ice climbers.
The Edge enables a smooth pulling movement while also reducing the possibility of slipping out of the grip (due to the edge). This works incredibly well for all kinds of pulling movements, like cable pull downs, cable rows, face pulls and so on.
Due to the design of the grips your wrist won’t stay in a neutral position but in a slightly abducted (ulnar flexion) positon (see photo).
Some might argue now that the DIT’s grips are too ergonomically designed which eliminates a transfer to every day life. But keep in mind that they were originally designed to resemble their outdoor counterparts (see photo).
Furthermore, pulling with a slight ulnar flexion shouldn’t be a problem as it also resembles every day life’s movements, like e.g. using a computer keyboard or driving in a car, grabbing the steering wheel.
Of course these might be one-sided movements, but these are not the only ones you should do…you should always train to keep your overall body structural balance in mind!
Would be the same as only doing chest training & biceps curls – to look cool in the club – while holding your drink and neglecting the other muscles 😉
DRY ICE Tools – A Training, best served cold
If you’re looking for a cool and of course structured way of integrating the DIT into your workout follow my “cold as ice circle” either to just get in shape and/or to improve your sport (climbing) specific performance, it’s always ice season 😉
Cold as Ice Circle
To get a rock hard body follow the instructions. The following plan is an example for climbers who want to integrate their DIT for a sport specific training:
Time under Tension (TUT) = certain amount of time you perform the exercise, e.g. 4010 means: you lower the weight 4 seconds, you remain 0 seconds in the turning point and you lift it within 1 second, again 0 seconds at the top of the exercise, and so on.
The letters, stand for the different exercises, all performed in a row, at the end of one circle you rest for 120 Seconds and start again. Repeat this circle for 4-6 times. The abbreviation for “as many as possible” is “AMAP”. The letter “X” in the TUT stands for “eXplosive” (yet controlled), BB = Barbell, DB = Dumbbell
Upper Body DRY ICE CIRCLE for STRENGTH
A – 45° DB (BAMBOO BENCH®) Bench Press; 6-8 reps; TUT: 4010, Rest: 0 Sec.
B – DIT Pull-Ups, neutral position; 6-8 reps; TUT: 4010, Rest: 0 Sec.
C – Standing Barbell behind the neck press; 4-6 reps; TUT: 4010; Rest; 0 Sec.
D-DIT-Facepulls; 8-10 reps; TUT: 3110; Rest: 0 Sec.
E – DIT Crunches; AMAP, TUT: 2010; Rest: 0 Sec.
REST: 120 Seconds.
Lower Body DRY ICE CIRCLE for STRENGTH
A – DIT Cable Lunges: 6-8 reps; TUT: 5010; Rest: 0 Sec.
B – 45° Back extension, Reverse Snatch Grip with BB: 8-12 reps; TUT: 30X0; Rest: 0Sec.
C – Reverse Hyper: 10-12 reps; TUT: 20X0; Rest: 0 Sec. (Alternative Exercise: Glute Ham Raise)
D – DIT-Deadlifts: 5 reps; TUT: 4010; Rest: 0 Sec
E – DIT Abs
DRY ICE TOOLS – Additional Exercises
Of course the above Strength Circles are only an example of useful exercises you can perform by using the DRY ICE Tools. To give you more input I’ll show you some more stuff you can either use with a Cablecross or different Bars/Loading Pins.
All these exercises are just a small view of what you can do. So just think of other stuff an be creative. Let me know about the exercises you came up with in the comments!
DRY ICE Pull-Up Variations:
Narrow Pull-Ups, neutral grip position, shoulder with grip.
Wide Pull-Ups variation.
Of course these are not the only Pull-Up variations! Just like other exercises with the DIT these could also be performed single handed.
DRY ICE Rowing Variations:
Face-Pulls. Keep your shoulder blades puled back during the whole exercise. Perform an internal rotation with your hands and keep this position! pull back (using a cablecross), hands over shoulders, elbows above the ears.
Seated rows in a squatting position. Can either performed double- or single handed! The squat position is superior to common seated positions, e.g. normally done on a Lat Pulldown.
Narrow (shoulder with) grip, performed in a power rack, using a Barbell. Place the DIT in the Barbell and rack the BB. You can use different widths to do your rows. Be creative.
DIT deficit rows, using a Barbell. Just like normal Barbell Rows, but with a changed strength curve due to lower center of mass.
DRY ICE Grip Training/Shoulder/Shrugs
Shrugs performed with the DIT. Much more convenient. The grips enable you a more comfortable way of working your traps.
Conclusion
As the famous song by Foreigner goes: “(…) You’re as cold as ice, you’re willing to sacrifice (…)” I’d add not “our love” but: “to gain more strength” 😉 That motto fits perfectly for the DRY ICE Tools!
These cool tools are absolutely worth the investment of only 119€ (sold as pair)! You can apply them for their originally designed purpose (simulating Ice Climbing indoors) and also take them to your (non climbing) gym!
The DIY are easily stored in pretty much every Gym Bag and are almost indestructible! What gives them a really nice touch is that they’re made out of wood. So you don’t have to touch some plastic stuff but nice smooth wood!
Don’t finish when you’re tired. Finish when you’re done! Strength is never a weakness!
My recommendation as an internationally well known strength coach is to get a pair of these to put more special tools into your “tool box”. There’s even a smaller version (e.g. for smaller hands or kids) called “Icicles”.
Get your hands on a pair of these. You’ll find them on: https://furnace-industries.com
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