DYNOING - A ballistic science: Fly, baby fly?

Naturally, every dyno is, to a certain extent, unique in terms of holds, angles, length etc., but there is also at least one aspect in which all dynos are similar; you have to let go... What decides if you are to succeed are your physical shape, technique, but most of all your mind. Here are 10 pieces of advice and training tips.

1. Let the catching hand go as late as possible!
A very common fault among beginners is to let the catching hand go too early in the movement. Doing this, you will lose a lot of power which the hand would have generated if you had let it go later. The best way to correct this mistake is probably to do the "candle". This means trying to get the body as high (up in the air that is) as possible without letting the hands go until they lose touch with the hold through the momentum of the body.

2. Slap on the wall/hold!
When you start working a dyno, it often feels impossible. You feel there is no use even trying really, and if you do, you don't really go for it. To get a sense of improvement, start slapping the wall as high up as possible. Try to set new personal records. In time the record often gets dangerously close to the hold, and you can start trying to grab it.

3. Recruit the whole move!
It's an easy mistake to only recruit the muscles active in the first faces of a dyno, forgetting the muscles that come in to play later, in the actual grabbing-face. The reason for this is simple: you won't use the contact muscles if you can't do the catch... Recruitment-wise, the best is if you can reach the hold and put weight on it, if only for a microsecond, since, this way, all the necessary muscle fibres gets to play. If you can't reach the hold by your own power, use someone else's, or the rope. You can also, with support, try reversing the move.

4. Push with your feet!
Don't forget most of the power in a dyno originates from your legs. Try putting as much weight as possible on the footholds, to the point where you actually skids off them. It's most often an advantage to use as soft shoes as possible since you this way get the most out of the muscles in your feet. Remember, those muscles are also recruitable!

5. Use "the bungee cord" to your advantage!
To gain momentum, you should start every dyno with a vertical motion, up and then down, to kind of extend the bungee cord, to be able to use its power to be catapulted (hopefully) toward the hold you're aiming for. If you don't have enough room for this, it's also possible to gain momentum by swinging side to side.

6. Long, even applying of the power
A common mistake is to use too much power in the first face of the move. Doing this, it's very easy to lose contact with the holds, and hence the only way to keep the momentum, in the last and often deciding face. Sometimes it's best not to use all the fuel at once...

7. Use the lower hand to the maximum
Before you've managed to literally pull the lower hand off the hold, you haven't tried how much power you can apply to it. This is, of course, not true for jugs, but on smaller holds, you must push toward the limit of what's possible to gain maximum effect. In your mind, focus on the lower hand not in the upper hand grabbing the hold.

8. Use also the weight of your head
Start the dyno by leaning the head backwards or to the side. Use the momentum of your swinging head. Once you grab the hold, lean the head back again to increase the dead-point time.

9. Hyperventilate
Experiments show you'll actually gain short term power by hyperventilating. It has probably something to do with adrenaline being freed, and that you, hence, get a bit mad... Try 4-5 fast deep breaths and go for it!

10. Practice makes perfect Last, but not least, it's the amount of dedicated training you've put in that will decide your success rate. Your body needs to learn the movement so to speak, for the muscles to be able to interact perfectly. You can't think of all the advice above when you're trying a dyno, you must work them one by one until you do it naturally. Now, fly baby fly...