Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Okay, here's the deal. I saw a fellow OCR bud with one of these. (Obstacle Course Racing). I had never seen one of these before. And being that I like to run Spartan Races, and I needed to strengthen my grip...it immediately caught my attention. I asked this person what he initially thought of this hanging board, and he pretty much sold me on it within a few minutes. Ten minutes later I made my purchase. (AmazonDotCom - AmazonPrime 2-Day Shipping). While I was waiting for it, I was reading reviews, tips, videos, and instructions. And I knew that I would need to get a backer board. (The backer board gets mounted to the studs in my wall, and then the Metolius 3D Hang Board gets attached to the backer board). So I went to my local home improvement store, and purchased the wood (a 9 1/2" x 47" inch piece of pine) and a few 3" inch #12 screws. They only made one cut to get it to the correct length. (The cut was free). The height of 9 1/2" inches was perfect. So here is what I personally did when I got home, while waiting for the Metolius 3D Hang Board to arrive. (I have some hobby tools at home). 1) I located an area that I would mount the Metolius 3D Hang Board. Remember, you need to leave a little room above the board, so you don't smash your head on the ceiling when doing pull-up's from the #1 grip position. 2) I pulled-out my stud-finder and marked where the "framing members" were. (The wood behind your sheet rock walls). The backer board would get screwed onto these frame members. 3) I got the backer board I purchased from the home improvement store, routed the edges smooth, sanded everything smooth, and painted it white. Then it was just a matter of waiting for the paint to dry, and for the package to arrive the next day. When the package arrived, I saw that the corner of the box was tore open. When I lifted the box, I immediately felt the Metolius 3D Hang Board shifting around inside. Sucky packaging! They just wrapped it in one piece of thin paper, and that was it. It was sloshing around within the box during transport. But the main question, "Was it damaged"? It was not. Phew. *wiping a drip of sweat from above my eyebrow* So I pulled-out the Metolius 3D Hang Board, and laid it on top of the freshly painted backing board. It was the correct fit. Thank goodness I checked on the dimensions...and they were correct. So now I mounted the backing board to the wall where I wanted it. I had already predrilled the holes in the backing board itself, to line up with the "framing members" behind the sheet rock walls. And now that I knew the backing board was the correct size, I got my drill and drill bit, and predrilled the holes from the backing board, and into the framing members themselves. (Predrilling will prevent the wood from splitting. So use a drill bit that is slightly smaller than the screws you will use). NOTE: Make sure you use a good bubble-level to ensure the backing board is level! Once the backing board was fastened to the wall, I mounted the Metolius 3D Hang Board to it. NOTE: Make sure the Metolius 3D Hang Board is as level as possible. If it is crooked/unlevel, your fingers will suffer when in the different holds. One side will be supporting more weight than the other...or you will have funky finger and palm grips. That's it. Not too complicated. I attached my Metolius 3D Hanging Board in my hallway, just before entering into my living-room. You can see if from the hallway, but company/guests cannot see it from the living-room. But, "Hey"...to each their own. Upon first use I was surprised. Not at how good it worked, but at how weak my grip was. I consider myself pretty strong. (Military, martial arts, backpacker, bow hunter, obstacle course racing). But I could not even complete the beginner work out. The #2 and #3 grip positions are ridiculous. They are "almost" an open hand hold. (See attached photos). This tells me I have a long road ahead of me. But this is good. Because any improvement in the workouts, will GUARANTEE that I am getting stronger hand and finger strength...which is what I wanted. It seems well built. It is rough to the touch, which gives good grip. (See attached photo close-up of the texture). And it is definitely challenging. Three things I would recommend: 1) Get some chalk. "Black Diamond White Gold" chalk is pretty awesome. Great reviews by everyone. 2) Get a lightweight stool you can easily move around and step onto. This is paramount for using this hang board. 3) Get a stiff brush...or toothbrush. If you use chalk, you will need to brush it out of the cracks and pits every once in a while. O-Tay...that's about it. highly recommended. Like any tool, it is only as good as how you use it. I will try to attach a few pictures to this review. Thanks for taking the time to read my psycho-babble. In Christ: Raymond