In this two-part series, Coach Hörst provides tips for an effective, holistic approach to steady, long-term improvement. No matter your ability level or weakness (physical, technical, or mental), this podcast will arm you with tips and techniques to put to work, beginning today. Take your game to the next level with tips from episodes 73 and 74! RUNDOWN
0:35 - Eric's Welcome!
2:40 - Recap of Episodes 71 & 72, and how that sets up this Episode 73.
5:00 - Sponsor ad read - please support our sponsors, visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15
7:45 - Intro to 40 Ways to Improve Your Training & Climbing
9:00 - The importance of making small course corrections...which can make massive changes in your climbing in the long-term.
9:50 - PART 1 - 10 Tips for Beginner-level Climbers (0 to 2 years of regular climbing)
10:30 - KISS
12:20 - The "3- or 4-day-per-week Rule"
14:00 - Importance of Bouldering and Route climbing
15:15 - Score your sessions by moves (or feet) climbed, not absolute difficult climbed.
16:55 - The 80/20 Split
18:10 - The value of some strength training exercises
21:20 - Don't overlook flexibility training
23:40 - "Read" (visualize) every boulder or route before you begin to climb
25:20 - Learn the difference between Good Pain and Bad Pain
27:20 - Consider your BMI....and what it means for your health and climbing experience
29:45 PART 2 - 10 Tips for Intermediate Climbers (~2 to 5 years experience)
30:45 - Don't get injured training...as you begin to engage in more advanced, targeted training techniques!
32:22 - Don't Specialized...in just one form of climbing
34:40 - Do some outdoor climbing!
36:24 - Stick with the "80/20 split"
38:00 - Commit to understanding and learning to manage your fears.
40:50 - Learn to fall trying (in safe situations)
42:07 - Strive to increase awareness of your changing physical and emotional states...and learn countermeasures to optimize these states for performance.
44:30 - Practice climbing more efficiently--reclimbing boulders and routes on a quest for higher economy and elite movement skills.
47:00 - Be okay with failure--it's part of the process of learning and advancing as a climber. (If you're not failing sometimes, you're not advancing.)
53:24 - Intro to the new "The Struggle" podcast with Ryan Devlin - Episode #1 featuring Emily Harrington
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Music by Misty Murphy
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric’s YouTube channel.
And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing
In this PART 2, hear Eric's training advice for two elite/pro-level climbers.
For each of the climbers, Eric provides a Climber Overview, Impressions, Training Recommendations to achieve the next level, and a Personalized Program Summary.
In PART 1 (podcast #71) and this episode combined, Eric coaches four climbers that cover the full spectrum of ability from first-year beginner to full-time professional climber. Chances are, you'll be able to relate to one of these climbers and benefit from Eric's recommendations. Or perhaps, you're at a place in the climbing journey that's midway between two of these climbers...and you'll be able to glean actionable tips from a couple of these consults.
RUNDOWN
0:35 - Eric's Welcome!
Climber #3 - Twenty-something "Elite Climber"
12:28 - Climber Overview
14:28 - Eric's Impressions
18:18 - Training Recommendations.
30:50 - Program Summary
Climber #4 - "Professional Climber" with 20+ years experience
24:20 - Climber Overview
26:02- Eric's Impressions
30:00 - Training Recommendations
30:44 - Strength/Power Training Advice
42:08 - Power-Endurance Training Advice
Listen to Eric's Energy System Podcasts #21 - #28 Listen to the first in the 5-part series here >>
58:50 - Program Summary
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PhysiVantage is now available in Europe from the EPIC-TV Shop!
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Thank you! La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs
Music by Misty Murphy
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric’s YouTube channel.
And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing
Gain clues to improving the effectiveness of your training-for-climbing system from this fascinating two-part podcast!
Listen to Eric's personalized training advice as given to four climbers of widely varying ability. For each of the climbers, Eric provides a Climber Overview, his Impressions, Training Recommendations to achieve the next level, and a Personalized Program Summary.
The four climbers Eric coaches here cover the full spectrum of ability from first-year beginner to full-time professional climber. Chances are, that you'll be able to relate to one of these climbers and benefit from Eric's recommendations. Or perhaps, your place in the climbing journey is midway between two of these climbers...and you'll be able to glean actionable tips from a couple of these consults.
RUNDOWN
0:35 - Eric's Welcome!
2:00 - Introduction to Training Case Studies, and the value of a personalized training program.
5:20 - Horst Training backstory.
Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15
Announcing PhysiVantage now available in Europe via the EPIC-TV Shop!
9:25 - Overview of the 4 climbing training case studies coming in this episode (and next week's episode).
Climber #1 - "Enthusiastic Beginner" with 1 year of climbing experience.
12:28 - Climber Overview
14:28 - Eric's Impressions
18:18 - Training Recommendations.
30:50 - Program Summary
Climber #2 - "Strong, Experience Intermediate" with 5 years of experience.
31:35 - Climber Overview
34:20 - Eric's Impressions
38:05 - Training Recommendations.
49:50 - Program Summary
PART 2 will be released Monday February 14th!
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Thank you! La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs
Music by Misty Murphy
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric’s YouTube channel.
And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing
In this empowering New Year's podcast, Eric details effective strategies for uncommon success in climbing and any other high-value life activity or mission. Learn 3 essential steps for departing onto a road less traveled--a journey defined by intentional daily action that yields rapid progress, while avoiding common "black holes" that can consume time, energy, and focus...and rob you of your future greatness.
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RUNDOWN
0:30 - Introduction -- Happy New Year! Let's make 2022 a great one!
1:00 - Why most people fail with their New Year's Resolutions and goals.
2:40 - My unpublished book manuscript "Mental Wings" -- about how all performance is brain-based...and begins with the quality of your thoughts.
3:50 - My most powerful published book is "Maximum Climbing". Available from Amazon.com and PhysiVantage.com
5:00 - I'm passionate about inspiring you...and helping you become the best climber you can be...and to see you live your dream life!
6:30 - What are the biggest factors...and limiting constraints on your progress in climbing (and other life endeavors)?
7:50 - Your THOUGHTS are EVERYTHING! Who and what controls your thoughts minute by minute?
10:45 - Exercise: List 5 or 10 things you would attempt to do if you were assured you could not fail?
11:25 - Exercise: Create a list of things you fear...bad habits...and other things that are holding you back...tethering you to living in a state of status quo.
12:30 - STEP #1: Change is a MUST! All improvement in climbing (or life) begins with a decision that change and improvement is a MUST!
13:20 - Creating leverage for making the (painful) changes that are essential for leveling your situation.
16:00 - The "Feedforward" Exercise...for identifying a meaningful step to take TODAY to advance you toward your goals.
18:30 - Mental Wings principle: "To outperform the masses you must do things they don't do."
24:10 - The power of becoming a "practical non-conformist".
29:30 - Step #2: Set compelling goals.
31:00 - 6 steps for effective goal setting...and achievement!
34:30 - Introducing PhysiVantage Europe! We are proud to partner with the EPIC-TV shop to bring performance nutrition to European climbers.
36:15 - Step #3: Make Every Day Count
38:00 - Enjoy this moment--every moment!--because this moment is a piece of your life that you'll never get back.
39:20 - Do you ever feel like there's not enough time in the day?
42:35 - What are your time black holes?
45:00 - Exercise: Track your time use (from waking up) for at least 3 days. Be accurate in documenting your "time-wasting" activities?
48:00 - The importance of developing a personal time-management system. You must not just let your day unfold without intention...and a schedule for taking some meaningful action towards your goals.
52:10 - Concluding thoughts...and wishes for your grand success in the New Year!
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SAVE on La Sportiva shoes >>
Thank you! La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs
Music by Misty Murphy
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric’s YouTube channel.
And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing
"The best training program for you is one that you're not currently doing." — Coach Hörst
In this revealing podcast, learn 10 common training mistakes that stunt progress in climbing, slow strength and endurance gains, waste time and energy, and potentially contribute to injury. This is a must-listen impactful podcast for anyone wanting to take their training — and climbing! — to the next level.
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RUNDOWN
0:20 - Introduction -- the value of an end-of-season analysis and training program redesign.
3:16 - Mistake #1: Arriving at the gym and training without a plan
6:50 - Mistake #2: Copying someone else’s training program
11:00 - Mistake #3: “Groundhog Day” Training
17:58 - Mistake #4: Doing little or no sub-maximal climbing
Listen to the first in a series of 5 podcasts on Energy System Training >>
26:42 - Mistake #5: Not doing any generalized aerobic training
32:45 - Mistake #6: Doing little or no max-strength hangboard training
39:34 - Mistake #7: Not doing any antagonist and stabilizer muscle training
43:43 - Mistake #8: Getting drawn into a serious weight lifting, body building, or cross-fit style program
49:00 - Mistake #9: Ignoring (and training through) developing aches and pains
Listen to podcast #39 on the "Perfect Storm" for climbing injuries >>
58:00 - Mistake #10: Overeating...or undereating
1:08:40 - Summary: Eric's closing comments on improving the effectiveness of your training and taking your climbing to the next level.
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Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing.
Music by Misty Murphy
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric’s YouTube channel.
And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing
I've got something different for you in this episode...which I hope that you'll find revealing, instructive, and extremely beneficial. I will take you through the process of working my mini-project during a recent trip to Germany. I'll share with you my thoughts, wide-ranging emotions, and problem-solving techniques in sussing out the beta, challenging my physical limitations (and fears), and going for the send on my final climbing day of the trip.
I trust you'll find some techniques and tactics to adopt and adapt to improve your boulder or route projecting.
RUNDOWN
0:30 - And now for something completely different -- I hope you love this podcast!
6:18 - Deconstructing a project route: HERCULES (5.13a/7c+) Learn about my 3-session journey of sussing beta, managing fears, and developing a strategy for the send.
13:40 - Session 1: Sussing out the project.
15:40 - Session 2: Getting down to business...
16:20 - Address fears first. Working the first of 4 "chucks"....the unpleasant slab start.
22:52 - Working Chuck #2 - power climbing out a 25-foot overhanging wall and roof. Move by move beta is refined for efficiency and power conservation.
32:20 - Pro Tip: Taking "mental snapshots" of key holds.
34:25 - Dismissing phantom fears...
37:48 - Working chuck #3...the redpoint crux.
41:10 - Dialing in chuck #4...the anchor run.
44:00 - Time for two redpoint goes. So close! (Or, was I?)
50:40 - Message from the podcast sponsor PhysiVantage Nutrition. Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15
52:00 - HERCULES on my mind...for days! Visualization and game-changing beta ideas.
57:27 - Session 3 - Mother Nature provides a chance...but could Eric take down Hercules?
1:05:10 - Blow-by-blow commentary of the redpoint go -- a look inside the mind of Coach Horst.
1:12:00 - Closing comments. PLEASE write a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and SHARE this podcast with a friend!
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST! Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15
SAVE on La Sportiva shoes >>
Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing.
Music by Misty Murphy
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric’s YouTube channel.
And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing
One of the most powerful concepts I coach is that simple and seemingly "minor things" can make a MASSIVE difference in your training results and climbing performance. This is why I use the word "nuance" so often in my Training For Climbing podcasts!
Warming up before training and climbing is one of those "minor things" that many people do hastily--or dismiss completely. Little do they know that they're sabotaging their ability to train and climb their best. They will likely get "flash pumped" and leak energy, fail to recruit full power, move inefficiently and with undue tension, fail prematurely on near-limit movements, and perhaps even set the stage for experiencing a muscle spasm, tendon tweak, or worse.
In this podcast, coach Horst provides rich detail on how to perform the perfect warm-up. Yes, it's a relatively slow process with lots of details and nuance. But taking the time to warm up completely will set you up for an optimally effective workout and just maybe a low-gravity send day!
RUNDOWN
0:30 - First thoughts on warming up -- it's not sexy, but doing it right is essential if you're to train/climb your best!
2:38 - Different training/climbing situations demand different approaches to warming up.
3:55 - Doing the perfect warm-up will build confidence, empower you to release full power...and is a contributing factor to "low gravity days".
5:00 - Why what most people do (or call) a "warm-up" isn't enough.
6:30 - How you feel on your boulders and routes is massively influenced by your warm-up...or lack of it.
9:30 - The "perfect" warm-up is personal--experiment to discover what gives you the best results.
11:30 - Hone in on your perfect warm-up protocol--make it repeatable!
12:20 - A repeatable warm-up empowers you to use autoregulation of your day's training or climbing plan. This is a powerful topic covered in podcast #20. Listen here >>
15:15 - SEVEN STEPS TO THE PERFECT WARM-UP
16:52 - Step 1: Spend a few minutes firing up your cardiovascular system. It's a small investment of time/effort, but it's vital for preparing the body for the remainder of the warm-up protocol.
19:12 - Step 2: Engaging in some dynamic stretching activities to lubricate connective tissues and joints. (A bit of static stretching of the legs and hips may be useful to increase range of motion before climbing.) Perform some low-intensity climbing movements provides a good dynamic warm-up of the tendons, ligaments, shoulders, core, hips, and more!
21:54 - Step 3: Activate the climbing-specific muscles (agonists) with a series of progressively more difficult pull-up movements and finger hangs (various grip positions).
26:34 - Step 4: Turn on your power! This step requires you to do some quick movements with the climbing muscles (power pull-ups, a small amount of campusing on large holds, and similar) to increase the rate of force development (for maximal finger contact strength and dynamic climbing power).
32:00 - Step 5: Turn on the anaerobic lactic and climbing-specific aerobic energy systems with a few warm-up routes or bouldering intervals that get you moderately pumped (level 8 out of 10 pump). Don't NOT climb to the point of a severe (flash) pump and muscular failure during your warm-up--this will adversely affect the rest of your session.
36:10 - Step 6: Turn on the antagonist muscle with a set of push-ups (or one set of moderately heavy bench press), a submaximal set of dips, a set of shoulder press, and some rotator cuff (one set of external rotation) and scapular stabilizer warm-ups using a TRX sling training or exercise band.
41:25 - Step 7: Perform a targeted core warm-up. Yes, doing a few sets of core exercises to fully recruit the core before performance climbing can be game-changing!
45:35 - 90-second podcast sponsor message -- Learn how you can climbing better, gain strength and endurance, recover faster, and become more injury resistant with PhysiVantage!
47:00 - Learn how to adjust your warm-up protocol for 3 common climbing and training situations.
47:30 - #1: An easy session at the gym or day of climbing bouldering or climbing.
49:10 - #2: A session of high-end training in the gym, or near-limit bouldering.
53:20 - #3: Route climbing for performance in the gym or at the crag.
1:00:45 - Closing thoughts. PLEASE write a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts...and SHARE this podcast with a friend or on social media.!
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST! Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15
SAVE on La Sportiva shoes >>
Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing.
Music by Misty Murphy
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric’s YouTube channel.
And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing
Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15
This T4C episode serves up numerous powerful tips--that you can put to work immediately--to more effectively work on hard boulders and routes...and send more quickly!
Learn about the power of proprioception and "feel beta" (a coach Hörst secret...shush!), why it's vital to keep an open mind in working crux sequences, how you can reduce your chances of "punting", the benefits of engaging in active recovery between send goes, and the importance of trusting the process and letting the outcome fold organically.
RUNDOWN
0:40 - Podcast Intro
3:38 - Eric mentions his livestream Training Cafes--he invites you to join in and ask training questions. Tune in every other Monday at Noon ET on Eric's Training For Climbing YouTube and Training for Climbing Facebook page.
5:45 - Introducing the main topic: 10 Powerful Tips to project more effectively and send more quickly.
6:50 - TIP #1 - Don't view the boulder or route as an overwhelming whole, but instead break it down into more manageable and believable parts.
9:32 - TIP #2 - Don't rush to judgement on the crux sequence--keep an open mind and keep testing other beta options even when you're many days into a project.
15:50 - TIP #3 - In working the hardest moves identify the proprioceptive feel of doing the move effectively--take note of this powerful "feel beta" and leverage it to succeed on your send go. Lean into this one...listen, learn, and employ!
21:16 - TIP #4 - Practice the top portion of the route a lot more than you think is necessary--get it totally wired and automatic, so there's no doubt you can climb it pumped on point.
23:37 - TIP #5 - When you first succeed on the crux sequence, don't rush to redpoint...but instead repeat the crux again to confirm the foot beta and feel beta!
26:50 - Brief commercial break - Save $10 on your first purchase of PhysiVāntage Nutrition. Use checkout code "10DOLLARS". This promotion is valid only during the month of September--don't miss this chance to FEEL the PhysiVāntage at a great discount price!
28:15 - TIP #6 - Cut yourself free of unnecessary fear load! Learn to better manage your climbing fears...heeding legitimate fears and dismissing phantom fears. Listen to podcasts #62 and #65 which provide in-depth instruction on becoming an expert fear manager.
31:09 - TIP #7 - Engage in active recovery between working burns or send goes. A short walk can do wonders for your recovery--learn why...and exactly what you should do.
36:10 - TIP #8 - Build a boulder or route simulator to train for longer-term, distant projects. Build route-specific strength!
39:47 - TIP #9 - Begin each redpoint day with one no-pressure trial run to get a route-specific warm-up and to gain a refresher on the "feel beta".
41:55 - TIP #10 - Trust the process and let the send happen when it's meant to happen! Expect success, but accept that it's okay to feel...because you know the boulder or route will be yours exactly when it's meant to be.
47:40 - Parting comments. PLEASE write a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts...and share this podcast with a friend or on social media.
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST! Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15
SAVE on La Sportiva shoes >>
Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing.
Music by Misty Murphy
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric’s YouTube channel.
And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing
Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15
To climb your very best -- and to truly enjoy climbing -- you need to become an expert fear manager!
Nothing is more elemental to climbing than fear. The fears of falling, getting hurt, failure, embarrassment, and even the fear of the unknown...can be torturous and paralyzing. To climb efficiently and with confidence, you need to be able to assess and manage fear...which is the subject of this podcast.
If you haven't already, do listen to Part 1 on Fear -- Episode #62 -- before commencing with this concluding episode on the topic. Enjoy!
Podcast Rundown
0:15 - Welcome to Part 2 in our study of fear.
2:14 - A quick recap of Part 1...podcast #62. Listen here.
3:53 - FEAR #3: FEAR OF FAILURE. Ironically, fear of failure often results in failure!
6:10 - 3 strategies to eliminate the fear of failure.
6:20 - 1.) Acknowledge preparedness and training -- it's like money in the bank!
7:50 - 2.) Focus on the process -- stay in the moment.
9:30 - 3.) Accept all possible outcomes before climbing. Then let go of the outcome-oriented thoughts and live out the climb, one move at a time.
10:00 - It's in climbing for yourself -- win, lose, or hanging from a quickdraw -- that you will climb your best!
11:38 - FEAR #4: Fear of Embarrassment and Criticism
13:10 - Strategy 1.) Use failures to learn and improve. Ignore the critics...and focus on being a DOER! This is one of the 8 Superpowers of the very best climbers--listen to the Superpowers podcast!
16:27 - Strategy 2.) Take on a bigger perspective -- view your climbing performance over the long-term, not on a daily basis. Ups and downs are normal -- you are NOT your failures!
18:12 - FEAR #5: Fear of the Unknown
21:21 - Strategy 1.) Accept and welcome the unknown--it's a central part of the climbing experience!
23:41 - Strategy 2.) Anticipate and prepare for known, unknowns.
25:52 - Strategy 3.) Take control of self-talk and imagery.
28:00 - Podcast Sponsor - PhysiVantage...the performance nutrition used by dozens of pro climbers for strength gains, recovery, power endurance, and injury resistance. Save 15% off full-priced nutrition with checkout code PODCAST15
30:17 - Wrap-up with 11 powerful tips to assess and manage common climbing fears.
36:30 - Love climbing unconditionally!
38:00 - Final comments -- PLEASE WRITE A REVIEW...and share this podcast with your friends!
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST! Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15
SAVE on La Sportiva shoes >>
Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing.
Music by Misty Murphy
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric’s YouTube channel.
And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing
Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15
This is Part 2 of Steven Dimmitt's (Nugget podcast) interview of Eric Hörst on a wide range of climbing training and performance topics. In this episode you will learn...how young guns Cameron Hörst (20) and Jonathan Hörst (18) train compared to their coach dad (age 57), tips for parenting/coaching youth climbers, what it takes to climb the next grade (whether it's 5.10 or 5.15), sloper training, the importance of protein, and more. There's a ton of great tips and sage advice in this episode. Lean in and listen up!
Podcast Rundown
00:12 - Intro and overview of Part 2 of Steven Dimmitt's interview with coach Eric Hörst
2:25 - How Cameron and Jonathan Horst train for elite-level climbing compared to the training of their coach father training for his master's climbing ascents.
4:05 - Advanced hangboard training protocol details.
6:30 - Importance of listening to your body, adjusting training, and route-specific training.
7:30 - Tendon "loading history" and effects of youth climbing on tendon core structure.
8:30 - The pros/cons of youth single-sport and multisport involvement.
16:05 - Tips for parents and coaches of youth climbers.
18:15 - Climbing benchmarks of the Hörst brothers (aka The Send Bros).
20:25 - Current status of the Hörst brothers climbing. Cameron (age 20) just climbed his fourth 5.14d and first 5.15a (after this interview was recorded) and Jonathan (age 18) send his second 5.14c in July.
23:35 - Eric's "old climber" dream goal: A free big wall...or sport 5.14a?
25:20 - How to "win" as a weekend warrior?
30:00 - What it takes to climb the next grade...
31:45 - Nature, nurture, and willpower!
33:55 - How to improve on big holds?
34:30 - Pinch training tips...
37:00 - Sloper training.
38:55 - Importance of training wrist flexion and extension.
41:40 - What's most exciting about training for climbing in 2021?
42:30 - Pros/cons of system wall training.
46:00 - The role of nutrition in training and performance.
48:30 - The importance of dietary protein...to support strength gains, connective tissue remodeling, muscle protein synthesis, and more.
50:10 - Overview of Eric's PhysiVantage product line...and the benefits for recreational and pro climbers alike. (Get a 15% discount off full-price nutrition with checkout code: NUGGET15)
52:45 - All about supplementing with hydrolyzed collagen powder--overview of the fascinating research...and the numerous benefits for hard-training climbers, if you time it correctly.
1:09:30 - The value of high-quality post-workout protein consumption...plant-based or whey isolate...it's a difference-maker
1:16:30 - Wrap up comments...and a few words about the podcast sponsor PhysiVantage Nutrition.
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST! Save 15% off full-priced nutrition with checkout code PODCAST15 PhysiVantage is used by dozens of pro climbers and thousands of recreational climbers around the world. Give PhysiVantage a try, and feel the difference it makes in your climbing!
SAVE on La Sportiva shoes >>
Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing.
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric’s YouTube channel.
And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing
Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15
Podcast Audio and Content Copyright 2021 Hörst Training, LLC - All Rights Reserved.
This information-packed episode features Steven Dimmitt of the Nugget podcast interviewing Coach Hörst on all things training. This wide-ranging Q & A covers many vital topics including: how to train for stronger tendons and ligaments, the secrets to developing a really strong core, the benefits of campus training versus hangboard training, personalized training program design, and much more! There's a gold mine of information in this episode....and Part 2 of this interview will serve up even more! Coming soon...
Podcast Rundown
00:12 - Intro to this "best of" the Nugget interview with coach Eric Hörst
2:56 - What core elements of training have passed the test of time?
6:23 - Current glut of training information can be overwhelming--what to do?
8:37 - Importance of re-inventing your training each year.
10:07 - Value of engaging an expert coach.
12:25 - What's the most central exercise/activity for climbers?
14:30 - You can improve technical, movement and mental skills for decades!
17:00 - You can improve at climbing for DECADES!
18:25 - You are likely already strong enough to climb the next grade!
19:56 - What should you look for in hiring a coach?
25:50 - New training concept: Sinew Training! Learn the importance of remodeling connective tissues. Visit T4C podcasts #33, #34, #36, and #39 for an in-depth study of this powerful topic.
30:00 - Learn how max finger hangs and campusing training have profoundly different effects on tendons and ligaments.
34:00 - Learn the difference between sinew training for tendon/ligament health versus training for peak power and performance.
35:10 - How to schedule these two types of training for optimal health and results.
36:30 - Learn training cycles and periodization. Linear versus non-linear.
44:40 - Importance of developing a truly personalized approach to training (the "snowflake principle").
46:00 - Identify your limiting constraint. For some strong climbers it's "end-range" strength.
50:15 - How designing an advance training program is like playing 3D chess. Why the best coaches see the big picture and coach the "person" not just the athlete.
51:00 - Don't fall into the trap of obsessing on one type of training or one modality.
54:25 - Why developing a stronger core is SO VERY important. (Hint: A stronger core equals stronger fingers!)
56:30 - Eric comments about Alex Megos' coaches Patrick & Dicki
59:00 - Learn about deadlifting for climbers...the value...and the potential pitfalls.
1:06:30 - The value of doing more bouldering and traversing with very small footholds.
1:11:10 - Key idea: A weak core overcharges your finger force...resulting in rapid fatigue on near-limit climbs.
1:14:10 - More on DUP training versus a 10-week (or more) training cycle.
1:16:30 - Wrap up comments...and a few words about the podcast sponsor PhysiVantage Nutrition.
Tune in to T4C podcast #64 for PART 2 of this Nugget Interview with coach Hörst!
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST! Save 15% off full-priced nutrition with checkout code PODCAST15 PhyiVantage is used by dozens of pro climbers and thousands of recreational climbers around the world. Give PhysiVantage a try, and feel the difference it makes in your climbing!
SAVE on La Sportiva shoes >>
Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing.
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric’s YouTube channel.
And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing
Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15
Nothing is more elemental to climbing than fear. Fear of falling, fear of getting hurt or dying, fear of failure, fear of embarrassment, and even the fear of the unknown affects us all from time to time.
The long-term goal is NOT to eliminate fear, but rather to become an expert fear manager....which is the focus of this (and the next) podcast. Listen in and learn how to assess your fears, manage risk, and take your climbing to the next level with a higher level of mental mastery.
Podcast Rundown
0:30 - Introduction to this two-part study of fear.
4:45 - A few comments on recent events...
5:00 - World Cup Bouldering Gold for Team USA!
7:00 - My son Cameron sending his first 5.15a, Bone Tomahawk.
10:10 - My appearance on The Nugget Climbing podcast.
11:50 - Overview of FEAR...and what you'll learn in this podcast and the next.
12:28 - What are some of your recent climbing fears? Can you identify a few that were especially acute...or fears that held you back in some way?
14:55 - FEAR #1: Fear of Falling
19:12 - Technique 1: Determine if the fear is reasonable or unreasonable.
25:30 - Technique 2: Take some practice falls in a safe setting
32:54 - Technique 3: Change your interpretation of the fear response.
38:28 - Technique 4: Use positive self-talk to crowd out negative thoughts...and you breath-control to moderate tension and the stress response.
45:10 - FEAR #2 - Fear of Dying or Getting Hurt
49:40 - Technique 1: Is the fear you're experiencing legit or imaginary?
52:24 - Technique 2: Use risk management to shift the odds in your favor...and perhaps continue up the climb safely. Here are FIVE strategies for doing this:
52:52 - 1.) Proactively manage the most obvious dangers.
55:55 - 2.) Consider various "what if" scenarios...and how you will react in each situation.
57:37 - 3.) Constantly discern between "safe fall" and "no fall" situations.
1:01:15 - 4.) Determine if you can handle the worst-case outcome???
1:06:55 - 5.) Listen to your gut instinct when the risk is incalculable.
1:13:00 - Wrap up comments...and a few words about the podcast sponsor PhysiVantage Nutrition.
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST! Save 15% off full-priced nutrition with checkout code PODCAST15 PhyiVantage is used by dozens of pro climbers and thousands of recreational climbers around the world. Give PhysiVantage a try, and feel the difference it makes in your climbing!
SAVE on La Sportiva shoes >>
Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing.
Music by Misty Murphy
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric’s YouTube channel.
And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing
Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15
Training to get stronger is good. Learning to climb more efficiently so that you can get the most out of the strength and power you currently possess is SMART!
So if you want to progress from good to great, then this podcast is for you! Learn 5 powerful strategies for climbing more efficiently, recovering more quickly, and leveling up your climbing.
Podcast Rundown
0:15 - Roll up your sleeve to receive the Horst booster of Training For Climbing knowledge!
1:55 - Intro to becoming a more efficient climber with more endurance on steep terrain.
4:00 - Key point: When climbing near your limit, little things can make a BIG difference! Eric's favor word in coaching: "nuance"!
4:47 - Improvement demands change. Welcome it.
5:35 - 5 strategies for slowing down the pump clock, improving endurance, and leveling up!
6:34 - Strategy #1: Strive to climb with more economy. Make it a goal to improve a bit each your. Practice new techniques...with a never-ending desire to learn and improve.
9:00 - Key point: Importance of reducing time under tension while grip near-limit holds.
12:38 Exploit Eric's bi-modal approach to climbing steep, strenuous boulders and routes.
13:25 - When able, vary grip position throughout longer climbs.
16:17 - Climb more with hip turns, drop knees, back steps, and twist locks. On steep, difficult routes, try to void long sequences of "neutral" climbing.
20:43 - Strategy #2: Begin "micro resting" between hand grips on hard sequences. Encourage blood flow and maximize use of the aerobic energy system...so as to slow the drain of the finite anaerobic reserve.
25:15 - Strategy #3: Try to find a "thank God" rest on every hard route. Be creative. Experiment. Practice. Win more often...and punt less!
31:31 - Strategy #4: Use the "G-tox" recovery technique at rest positions on difficult routes. This will aid faster recovery compared with the standard dangling-arm shakeout.
38:00 - Strategy #5: Consume foods and supplements with nitrates...and other ingredients that improve circulation and enhance use of the oxidative energy system. Read more about Endure X here >>
46:50 - Summary of tips and strategies for improving your endurance and climbing harder!
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST! Save $10 on your FIRST PhysiVantage Nutrition purchase of $40+ with checkout code: 10DOLLARS. Used by a growing number of pro climbers and thousands of recreational climbers around the world. Give PhysiVantage a try, and feel the difference it makes in your climbing!
RETURNING CUSTOMERS: Save 15% off full-priced nutrition with checkout code PODCAST15
SAVE on La Sportiva shoes >>
Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing.
Music by Misty Murphy
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric’s YouTube channel.
And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing
Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15
Learn 8 things to "get right" in order to climb your very best...and to help create more of those wonderful low-gravity send days!
Coach Hörst provides powerful tips for priming your body for peak performance in the days leading up to your weekend climbing. He also gives valuable game-day master tips for optimizing your performance and accelerating recover at the boulders and crags.
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST! Save $10 on your FIRST PhysiVantage Nutrition purchase of $40+ with checkout code: 10DOLLARS.
RETURNING CUSTOMERS: Save 15% off full-priced nutrition with checkout code FRIENDS15
Podcast Rundown
3:40 - First, a few comments about the importance of reducing emotional "weight".
4:35 - Tip #1: Arrive at the boulders or cliff truly 100% fresh -- a rare thing among enthusiastic, hard-training climbers. Learn how to do it!
8:30 - Tip #2: Get your sleep and nutrition right both in the days leading up to your climbing...and while on climbing weekends or trips.
17:20 - Tip #3: Engage in a proper warm-up before every climbing day. Learn what things you should do...and how long it should take.
23:40 - Tip #4: Make the most of your day-one freshness and stoke. Should you invest your time and energy into onsight and flash climbing, or projecting? How much should you save of yourself for day two?
28:45 - Tip #5: Strive to "master" a boulder or route...not just thrash through and survive it. This is a rich topic that Eric drills deeply into...with many tips for climbing more efficiently and channeling your inner Ondra!
40:50 - Tip #6: Rest optimally between routes. Learn how long to rest between goes on your project boulder or route...and how you can accelerate recovery.
46:05 - Tip #7: Learn how to breathe more effectively. Yes, proper breathing (and brief breath-holding) is important!
53:53 - Tip #8: Eat and drink the right things and in the right amounts. Small things can make a massive different in your energy and climbing outcomes--this includes the things you eat and drink!
1:00:00 - BONUS TIP: Love climbing unconditionally! Enjoy each moment that you are on the rock. Let go of both past failures and thoughts of potential future outcomes. Trust the process! Let the send evolve organically...when it's meant to be.
PLEASE write a 5-star iTunes review of the T4C podcast, and consider sharing this podcast with a friend and on your social media. Thank you!
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST! Save $10 on a PhysiVantage performance Nutrition purchase of $40+ with checkout code: 10DOLLARS. Used by a growing number of pro climbers and thousands of recreational climbers around the world. Give PhysiVantage a try, and feel the difference it makes in your climbing!
SAVE on La Sportiva shoes >>
Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing.
Music by Misty Murphy
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric’s YouTube channel.
And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing
Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15
There are myriad exercises, activities, and sports that climbers engage in with the belief it will elevate climbing performance. For the typical climber, however, most of the climbing-performance benefits come from just a handful of exercises and activities that they do.
Consider, dear listener, everything you do in the name of training--how beneficial is each activity and exercise?
In this podcast, Eric discusses common training tangents, traps, and energy sinks, and he details 10 time-tested exercises/activities that are central to effective training for climbing.
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST! Save $10 on your FIRST PhysiVantage Nutrition purchase of $40+ with checkout code: 10DOLLARS.
RETURNING CUSTOMERS: Save 15% off full-priced nutrition with checkout code FRIENDS15
Podcast Rundown
4:10 - Opening comments about effective training for climbing.
4:45 - Importance of keeping an open mind about your training.
6:42 - Mention of the 8 Superpowers of the very best climbers -- go back and listen to podcast #37!
9:00 - Intro to 4 training tangents, traps, and energy sinks that rob you of time and energy...and dilute the quality of your training for climbing.
10:06 - You CAN achieve greater things than you can imagine today!
10:40 - #1 Training Tangent: Focusing on exercises and activities that create fatigue and consume time, but do little to really enhance climbing performance.
15:44 - #2 Training Tangent: Blindly copying another climber's workouts and training program.
17:22 - #3 Training Tangents: The shiny, new object at the gym...that is fun, engaging, and possibly high-tech...that consumes a lot of your focus and time but provides small (or negligible) performance gains given.
20:30 - Comments about the benefits of Auto-Regulation. Listen to podcast #20 for more coverage of Auto-Regulation.
25:00 - Comments on Blood Flow Restriction training - learn more in podcast #40.
28:00 - #4 Training Tangent: Constantly changing up your training...never sticking to a program for a month to be able to accurately gauge the results.
30:30 - Eric coaches you to "Plan your workout, then work your plan!"
32:45 - Please check out our podcast sponsor, PhysiVantage Nutrition. Save $10 or 15% on your online order! PhysiVantage is used by many of America's top boulders, sport climbers, and big wall crushers!
35:08 - 10 time-tested, back-to-basics exercises and activities that are central to effective training for climbing.
37:24 - #1: Climb frequently!
39:30 - #2: Hangboard train!
44:15 - #3: Weighted Pull-ups
45:35 - #4: Frenchies
48:08 - #5: Bouldering and System Wall climbing
50:15 - #6: Route climbing
54:34 - #7: Bouldering 4x4 Intervals
57:42 - #8: Campus board training
58:40 - #9: Running (in moderate doses)
1:01:21 - #10: Flexibility training (lower-body focus for hip turnout)
1:05:22 - Final thoughts....
PLEASE write a 5-star iTunes review of the T4C podcast, and consider sharing this podcast with a friend and on your social media. Thank you!
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST! Save $10 on a PhysiVantage performance Nutrition purchase of $40+ with checkout code: 10DOLLARS. Used by a growing number of pro climbers and thousands of recreational climbers around the world. Give PhysiVantage a try, and feel the difference it makes in your climbing!
SAVE on La Sportiva shoes >>
Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing.
Music by Misty Murphy
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric’s YouTube channel.
And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing
Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15
Chances are...your fingers are already strong enough to climb the next grade. In this podcast, Eric details five ways to increase your apparent finger strength on the rock...and climb one grade harder!
Whether you're an intermediate, advanced, or pro-level climber, you'll surely find a few of Eric's concepts and tips to be empowering...and just maybe provide you with the "secret" to breaking a plateau or sending your project.
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST! Save $10 on a PhysiVantage Nutrition purchase of $40+ with checkout code: 10DOLLARS.
Podcast Rundown
6:09 - Gaining more finger strength without training your fingers! Huh? Listen and learn some secrets to becoming a more efficient and effective climber.
11:00 - Eric's comments about finger force testing.
15:30 - Five secrets to stronger fingers on the rock. Non-finger training that will make your fingers stronger for climbing!
16:12 - #1: Learn the importance of climbing economy...and why a weaker climber can sometimes outperform a stronger climber.
21:33 - #2: Training hip flexibility increases finger strength-endurance, especially on near-vertical boulders and routes.
31:30 - #3: Stronger shoulders make fingers stronger. Learn why.
38:08 - #4: Stronger wrist flexors and wrist extensors will improve your sloper and crimp grips, respectively.
45:40 - #5: Increasing core strength and core strength-endurance make small hand and foot holds "bigger" and more solid...and increase apparent finger strength and endurance. But to obtain this effect, you must train comprehensive core strength with a wide range of exercises.
58:12 - Summary and final tips to improve your climbing.
PLEASE write a 5-star iTunes review of the T4C podcast, and consider sharing this podcast with a friend and on your social media. Thank you!
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST! Save $10 on a PhysiVantage performance Nutrition purchase of $40+ with checkout code: 10DOLLARS. Used by a growing number of pro climbers and thousands of recreational climbers around the world. Give PhysiVantage a try, and feel the difference it makes in your climbing!
SAVE on La Sportiva shoes >>
Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing.
Music by Misty Murphy
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric’s YouTube channel.
And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing
Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15
The beginning of a new year is a great time to think critically about your current situation…and trajectory. What are your short-term goals...and long-term destination? How will you get there?
As you will soon discover, this short podcast transcends climbing performance—it’s about human performance!
What does it take to achieve extreme success? What’s the #1 thing holding most people back from reaching their big life goals? Eric describes his formula for making steady daily progress towards achieving important goals. You can apply this conceptual model to accelerate progress in any endeavor. So what are you waiting for? Listen. Apply. Achieve!
PLEASE write a 5-star iTunes review of the T4C podcast, and consider sharing this podcast with a friend and on your social media. Thank you!
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST! Save 15% on PhysiVantage performance Nutrition. Used by a growing number of pro climbers and thousands of recreational climbers around the world. Give PhysiVantage a try, and feel the difference it makes in your climbing!
SAVE on La Sportiva shoes >>
Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing.
Music by Misty Murphy
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric’s YouTube channel.
And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing
Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15
What could be better than a one-hour Q & A with coach Hörst about all things training? 15 questions on a wide range of topics...and hopefully more than a few that will hit home with you. Enjoy!
Podcast Rundown
4:15 – Question: What advice do you have for returning to crimping after an A2 pulley injury?
7:35 – Question: What are your recommendations for incorporating some strength training in a my routine?
11:40 – Question: What do you think of post-workout cold-water immersion for reducing pain and accelerating recovery?
16:00 - Question: What can I do to prevent getting sowing-machine leg?
19:22 - Question: What are your thoughts on deadlifting for climbing?
25:25 - Question: What can I do to reduce chronic pain and stiffness in my neck muscles?
28:15 - Question: What vitamin supplements do you take?
34:30 - Question: What's the ideal length of break between doing two climbing workouts in a day?
36:20 - Question: My project involves a lot of stemming--what can I do to train specifically for better stemming?
38:20 - Question: What finger grip positions do you recommend for training?
42:06 - Question: What the best strategy for pushing into the next level when projecting?
46:48 - Question: What do you think of campus training for youth climbers?
49:09 - Question: Since I didn't start climbing until age 35, how long can I improve in strength and climbing ability?
51:15 - Question: Do you agree with the idea that most climbers are already strong enough to climb the next grade?
53:25 - Question: Is there a vegan version of collagen supplement?
55:15 - Question: When's the right time for a new climber to begin some hangboard training?
PLEASE write a 5-star iTunes review of the T4C podcast, and consider sharing this podcast with a friend and on your social media. Thank you!
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST! Save 15% on PhysiVantage performance Nutrition. Used by a growing number of pro climbers and thousands of recreational climbers around the world. Give PhysiVantage a try, and feel the difference it makes in your climbing!
SAVE on La Sportiva shoes >>
Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing.
Music by Misty Murphy
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric’s YouTube channel.
And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing
Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15
2020 has been a challenging year with a global pandemic, a COVID lockdown at home (or two), and limited climbing travel for many of us. We're now entering the holiday season, with COVID lingering, but hopefully, it will bring some opportunity to celebrate (in small COVID-safe groups?), reset our training, and renew our mindset and body. Is this a good time to take a month off from climbing? NO! There are several options for holiday season training, even if it's all at home. I'll present the benefits and drawbacks of each approach. Which is best for you? Listen in...you decide!
DEAR FRIENDS: PLEASE BE COVID SAFE THIS WINTER...A VACCINE IS NEAR!
0:15 - Introduction...lingering COVID, the approaching holidays, and your training for climbing!
2:30 - A brief message about the T4C podcast sponsor PhysiVantage.
3:45 - Winter is near...training season is here! What's the best approach to training in the holiday season? I will present 4 distinctly different approaches to training through the holidays.
5:30 - Training Approach #1: Taking a month or so off from training and climbing. Eric addresses the pros and cons of taking a few weeks (or more) off from training and climbing.
8:40 - Training Approach #2: Immediately adjust your training to deal with a current injury or tweak. Now is the time to resolve an injury with appropriate rehab and self-care.
13:25 - Elite level climber question: How would I train this winter to climb my best in the Spring season....versus training to climb at my highest level in a few years?
18:10 - Recap of Holiday Training Approaches #1 and #2.
19:20 - Training Approach #3: Continue with serious in-season training because this is your performance season...or you have a climbing trip scheduled in the next 4 to 8 weeks. In this case, it's important to train for a "peak" for your trip and not succumb to (or minimize the impacts of) holiday season...rich foods and "cheer").
22:22 - A brief tangent on the diet/nutrition and the "issues" that some athletes have with food. Developing a healthy relationship with food is important for optimal training, beneficial physical adaptations, and maximizing performance. Especially for hard, steep climbing, strength-to-weight ratio directly correlates to performance...so consuming the right foods in the right amounts is vital.
27:32 - Holiday Season Training Approach #4: Strive for a balance between frequent training and occasional indulgences in holiday foods and drinks. You can enjoy the season without being self-destructive to your climbing potential for the early 2021 season. Learn how Eric will be doing it...and determine if it's the right approach for you!
35:35 - Warning: A couple of weeks (or more) of holiday gluttony can have a significant negative impact in terms of weight gain. While putting on a pound or two is no big deal, adding 5 to 10 pounds will hurt your climbing in early 2021...and it will likely require a month or more to lose.
38:13 - The bottom line: How seriously you take your diet and training should be proportional to how seriously you take your climbing!
39:20 - Effectiveness comes when you match your actions to your goals. Live intentionally!
39:50 - Eric's closing comments: In the end, performing optimally and experiencing maximally demands that you nuance your actions and explore the shades of gray...rather than living in a black and white world.
PLEASE write an iTunes review of the T4C podcast, and consider sharing this podcast with a friend and on your social media.
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST! Save 15% on PhysiVantage performance Nutrition. Used by a growing number of pro climbers and thousands of recreational climbers around the world. Give PhysiVantage a try, and feel the difference it makes in your climbing!
SAVE on La Sportiva shoes >>
Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing.
Music by Misty Murphy
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric’s YouTube channel.
And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing
Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15
Are you ready to rethink what's possible in your climbing life? There's a good chance that your perceived limit is actually a self-imposed imaginary boundary!
Once again this month, I present an episode of Training Cafe, my twice-monthly video Livestream coaching show on YouTube and Facebook live. The main topic delves into pursuing next-level projects...and the importance of challenging your inner fears of failure and criticism, just like pro climbers do.
Now is the time to think bigger...develop a system...and execute your plan with uncommon discipline!
Podcast Rundown
2:57 - Beginning of TRAINING CAFE. Main topic is "Turning Impossible into I'm Possible!"
3:12 – But first, we sip coffee together!
3:30 – SHOUT OUT to Chuck Odette, age 64, for sending 5.14b last week! #Legend
4:20 – What it takes to climb hard late into life.
5:20 – MAIN TOPIC: Turning Impossible into I’m Possible
6:10 – Setting goals is easy. Developing an effective SYSTEM for progress towards the goal is harder….and maintaining long-term discipline is even harder yet!
6:55 – Examples of IMPOSSIBLE becoming POSSIBLE…big or small, they can be life-changing.
8:45 – Einstein’s quote must be followed by action!
9:50 – Climbing examples of “I’m Possible”!
11:00 – Ignore the skeptics…don’t take on their #Loserthink!
13:20– High achievers don’t spend a lot of time on social media, gossip, or other time-wasting activities.
14:20 – Need to be somewhat of a compulsive planner.
15:00 – Have a vivid picture in mind every day–build a belief in the goal, and action for bias…and a “get shit done” attitude.
18:50 – Breaking into a new grade in climbing…demands a new level of thinking and novel, disciplined action. Learn from greats like Gullich, Ondra, Hill, Janja Garnbret, Margo Hayes.
20:20 – Great achievements don’t happen by accident!
22:30 – Final tip for your Fall climbing season….
23:30 - YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED!
23:40 – Question: Training suggestions for trip to Red River Gorge in December.
26:26 – Question: Can I combine Repeater hangboard training with another exercise like Pull-up training?
29:06 – Question: What is “Aerobic Power”? How to train it?
33:14 - Question: Thoughts on bouldering with weight on as training?
36:09 – Question: How to break a hangboarding finger strength plateau?
38:33 – Question: Can I do shoulder and core training every day?
40:50 – Question: Will taking Beta-Alanine benefit my training and climbing?
43:20 – Question: Can I use the 7/53 maximum strength protocol to train a variety of grip positions?
47:00 – Question: What training advice for a 13-year-old girl wanting to improve to 5.11?
48:09 – Question: How to incorporate technique-training into weekly strength-training schedule?
53:03 – Question: How to deal with naysayers, critics, and trolls?
56:30 – Episode wrap-up. Shout out to the many companies that support what I do: La Sportiva shoes, Maxim Ropes, DMM, Organic, Friction Labs, and PhysiVantage
PLEASE write an iTunes review of the T4C podcast, and consider sharing this podcast with a friend and on your social media.
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST! Save 15% on PhysiVantage performance Nutrition. Used by a growing number of pro climbers and thousands of recreational climbers around the world. Give PhysiVantage a try, and feel the difference it makes in your climbing!
SAVE on La Sportiva shoes >>
Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing.
Music by Misty Murphy
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric’s YouTube channel.
And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing
Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15
In this episode, Eric welcomes you into the Training Café...which is his live coaching video stream broadcast every other Monday. So in this podcast, you'll hear Eric's TC broadcast which includes in-depth coaching on effective projecting...and reveals the "secret" to sending! Eric also answers a slew of viewer questions on training, injury, nutrition, and more.
You can participate in future Training Café livestreams--and submit a training question to Eric!--by tuning into this video simulcast on the Training For Climbing Facebook and T4C YouTube channels...typically broadcast at Noon Eastern Time (900 Pacific & 1600 GMT) on every other Monday.
Podcast Rundown
1:15 - Intro to episode #53...and what Training Cafe is all about.
7:20 - Beginning of Training Cafe....with our virtual toast in the spirit of climbing!
7:35 - SHOUT OUT to Drew Ruana, perhaps the world's top boulderer this year, for sending his 10th V15 or harder boulder! Three of these were V16 ascents--watch the send videos here.
9:38 - Text message from Drew about keeping his fingers and skin healthy. Learn Drew's secret here.
12:00 - MAIN TOPIC: Effective Projecting...and Trusting the Process.
13:15 - The 6 steps/phases of effective projecting...
14:00 - Step 1: Picking the right project for you in the context of your current situation. Do you want/need to send it quickly?
15:15 - What type of project routes will make you a better climber?
16:40 - Step 2: Chuck down the route or boulder problem into 2 to 5 logical parts.
17:00 - Example: My project route "Warlords" at Mt. Charleston...and how I approached this route.
21:23 - Step 3: Work the route bolt to bolt to size up the sequences...then get to work on the crux chunk.
23:58 - Step 4: Identify the FEELING of doing the hardest moves the right way. CRITICAL!
24:30 - Learn the SECRET to succeeding on the crux sequence...
27:47 -Step 5: Begin linking chunks...from the crux chunk to the top, before beginning redpoint attempts from the ground.
29:06 - Step 6: Begin redpoint attempts from the ground.<
30:00 - The "surprise send" phenomenon!
31:10 - Trust the process and let the send happen organically.
32:17 - What to do if your project becomes stressful...due to lack of progress over several days of work?
33:20 - Learn about my "10-4 Rule" of projecting...
34:00 - YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED!
34:28 - Question: What time of day does your body most synthesis collagen...in tendons and ligaments? When to train/rehab tendons....and consume collagen to support the process?
36:20 -The value of doing 2 or 3 shorter workouts per day rather than 1 long session.
38:00 - Learn about the tendon training process cycle here.
39:40 - How best to engage in ARC training for climbing-specific endurance?/p>
43:20 - How to train when I don't have access to a climbing gym?
45:00 - How much rest should I take between dedicated training blocks?
47:47 - Learn the benefits of a DELOAD week!
48:40 - Is there value in using fascial release tools?
51:00 - Comments about overuse injuries in climbers...
52:23 - What are some off-the-wall exercises and stretching that I can do, especially on rest days?
54:30 - When will PhysiVantage be available in Europe?
PLEASE write an iTunes review of the T4C podcast, and consider sharing this podcast with a friend and on your social media.
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST! Save 15% on PhysiVantage performance Nutrition. Used by a growing number of pro climbers and thousands of recreational climbers around the world. Give PhysiVantage a try, and feel the difference it makes in your climbing!
SAVE on La Sportiva shoes >>
Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing.
Music by Misty Murphy
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric’s YouTube channel.
And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing
Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15
Legendary climber, Wolfgang Gullich, famously said that "the brain is the most important muscle for climbing". Sure, strong fingers are important--but there are many strong-fingered climbers who never reach their potential. The pursuit of better climbing is ultimately an inward journey to gain mastery of the mind. Developing stronger "mental muscle" will enable you to achieve beyond your current imagination. Like wielding a sword with empty hands, your mind will lead your body to new summits.
In this episode, I share with you 10 powerful concepts that can potentially re-invent how you think and what you will achieve. This material is more powerful than any hangboard training program you can do--the quotes and tips I present hold get to the heart and soul of taking your climbing (and life) to a higher level.
RUNDOWN
0:30 - Introduction to this episode on how
7:13 - #1: What sets great climbers apart from others is not their physical prowess (amazing as it may be), but their brains.
10:18 - #2: The brain is a human being’s most dynamic organ—it is shaped by the sum of our experiences, both what we do and what we have done.
13:28 - #3: You are not what you climb; you are how you climb. For you, you can substitute your brain.
15:43 - #4: To become better than we are, we must first become aware of what we are.
18:39 - #5: Achieving excellence is not just a matter of exploiting your strengths to the fullest, but also demands that you ruthlessly pursue improvement in the things that constrain your performance.
21:00 - #6: The thoughts you generate and dwell on are powerful. You can literally think yourself to success or failure.
24:54 - #7: You will accomplish in proportion to your ability to set compelling goals and overcome adversity.
29:12 - #8: Self-discipline and commitment are the great equalizers!
32:00 - #9: Perhaps nothing is more elemental to climbing than fear. Becoming a maximum climber, then, requires that you learn to understand and manage your fears.
35:40 - #10: Surround yourself with positive people and images, while avoiding the impossibility thinkers and complains of the world.
PLEASE write an iTunes review of the T4C podcast, and consider sharing this podcast with a friend and on your social media.
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST! Save 15% on PhysiVantage performance Nutrition. Used by a growing number of pro climbers and thousands of recreational climbers around the world. Give PhysiVantage a try, and feel the difference it makes in your climbing!
SAVE on La Sportiva shoes >>
Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing.
Music by Misty Murphy
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric’s YouTube channel.
And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing
Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15
You've been dreaming about your boulder project, dream route, or road trip. You've trained smart and hard. Your psych is high. You're ready to crush! So, how can you best transition from gym to outdoor climbing, and what can you do to perform your best on weekends outdoors or on a long trip? In this episode, Eric presents a series of powerful tips that you can take to the send bank! He also provides awareness of the potential to self-sabotage, something that even the most experienced climber can succumb to.
RUNDOWN
0:15 – Opening comments--I missed you!
2:58 - Introduction to this episode on climbing tips and strategies for optimal performance on weekend trips and on longer road trip
4:06 - A few brief comments about the challenging and, at times, tumultuous events of the past few months...
7:56 - Eric's philosophy about the power of climbing--it brings us together!
9:30 - Tips, topics, and techniques to help you reach your climbing goals this season...as a weekend warrior and on a longer road trip.
10:22 - How to properly taper your training in the days leading up to your outdoor climbing. "Tapering" ahead of a weekend trip is much different than doing a proper training taper ahead of a month-long road trip. Learn the details so that you get it right--a proper taper is hugely important for climbing your strongest!
14:10 - When you arrive at your destination crag...what's the best climbing approach on the first few days? Should you go straight to your project...or should you spend a few days adjusting and acclimating to the outdoor climbing location?
18:00 - On longer trips, most climbers experience a "peak" during the first 1 to 3 weeks of the trip...but they then experience a gradual decline in maximum strength and power with each additional week removed from your training.
19:15 - Why pro climbers often limit climbing trips to one month.
19:29 - Comments about Alex Megos sending Bibliographie, the world's second 5.15d/9c route. CONGRAT ALEX!
20:40 - How as a weekend warrior you can best schedule climbing trips and find the training-and-climbing "rhythm" that best serves you. Plan several months ahead on a paper calendar...this way you can better see the training blocks and travel dates.
22:06 - On a long trip, how many days in a row can you climb? How many days per week is it best to climb? Answer: It depends on many variables...which I'll describe.
23:53 - Learn why a significant number of climbers return from a road trip with a tweak or more significant injury. Learn how you can avoid "walking off the cliff" of sudden, debilitating injury.
26:26 - Specific tips for optimizing recovery and lowering injury risk while on a climbing trip.
28:28 - Learn how to wrap up a long road trip and transition back into training at home. Should you take a break from training for a few days or more?
32:50 - Post-trip, most climbers will need a 2- to 4-week training block to regain top-end finger strength and power.
33:40 - About self-sabotage...it's happened to me...and I'm sure to you as well at some point. Let's unpack a few common scenarios for self-sabotage.
34:24 - Self-Sabotage #1: "Flinching" on the first day working a near-limit project route. TRUST THE PROCESS! Don't give up too fast.
37:55 - However, don't over-reach too far...and get bogged down for many days (or weeks) on a single route. Don't allow your climbing trip to turn into a suffer-fest. Try to balance days of sending (sub-max routes) with days of projecting on near-limit routes.
40:00 - Self-Sabotage #2: Not doing an appropriate warm-up...and rushing to get on your project boulder or route too fast. You can NOT climb your best without a proper warm-up that turns on your nervous system, ignites your climbing-specific aerobic system, lubricates your tendons and joints, and readies your generalize aerobic/CV system. Learn how to do it right!
43:50 - Self-Sabotage #3: Not eating right. Consuming adequate protein and carbohydrates is essential to climbing your best, keeping energy levels ups, recovering optimally, and lowering injury risk. Learn how to keep your power-to-weight ratio up and accelerate recovery on a road trip. Read more about the protein needs of a hard-training strength/power athlete like you!
49:09 - Some meal suggestions and tips for breakfast, snacks, and dinner. What's a common breakfast food of many top climbers? Find out!
50:10 - How many calories do you likely need for bouldering and sport climbing...and on a sedentary rest day? (Big wall and mountain climbers have a much higher daily caloric need than climbers doing stop-and-go bouldering and sport climbing.)
52:06 - Eric's closing--and powerful--comments about setting big goals, pursuing them energetically, and stacking the odds in your favor. You must believe that "what you want, wants you"! Then take daily action and resist the ways (and traps) of the masses. Find your own unique life path, and enjoy your journey.
54:54 - What's the secret sauce that makes for unique and amazingly pro climbers like Tommy Caldwell, Margo Hayes, and many others (I can't name them all!)? Listen, learn, model, plot, course correct, and never give up!
55:55 - The importance of avoiding the traps of the common man...
59:19 - There are a LOT of things that determine climbing performance--the more puzzle pieces you can put together, the better you will become!
1:00:00 – Please check out and support T4C podcast sponsor PhysiVantage. Research-based, athlete-proven performance nutrition for climbers--use checkout code PODCAST15 to save 15% off full-price items. Used by a growing number of pro climbers and thousands of recreational climbers around the world. Give PhysiVantage a try, and feel the difference it makes in your climbing!
1:00:50 - PLEASE write an iTunes review of the T4C podcast, and consider sharing this podcast with a friend and on your social media.
Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing.
Music by Misty Murphy
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric’s YouTube channel.
And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing
Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15
What makes great climbers great?
What are the distinct and rare character traits that make climbers like Tommy Caldwell, Alex Honnold, Margo Hayes, Adam Ondra, and Alex Megos (I call this group "CHHOM")--and others like them--the barrier-breaking and transcendent climbers that they are?
You might be thinking of things like "strong fingers", "low bodyfat, and "excellent sponsorship". Surely these are part of the equation, however, I believe the true Superpowers of these climbers are things you can't measure with a fitness test or financial summary.
In this podcast I present the 8 Superpowers of the very best climbers--traits you can develop (gradually) to achieve great success on the rock and in your everyday life. I hope you find this presentation enjoyable and empowering!
Rundown
0:58 - Introduction
2:50 - What does it take to turn an elite climber into one of the very best climbers on the planet?
8 Superpowers of the Very Best Climbers
5:28 - #1: Becoming comfortable with physical and mental discomfort.
11:53 - #2: Uncommon self-awareness and the willingness to embrace failures and personal weaknesses.
16:00 - #3: Effective goal setting and a habitual bias for action.
21:37 - #4: The power to sacrifice greatly.
27:00 - #5: Maintaining a beginner's mindset despite being a highly praised elite climber.
34:56 - #6: The power to handle failure and overcome adversity.
38:30 - #7: The power to handle their "addiction".
45:44 - #8: The power NOT to care what other people think.
50:00 - Summary of the 8 Superpowers of the very best climbers.
51:15 - Do you have a #9 or #10 superpower to suggest? Leave your comment on Eric's T4C Twitter @Train4Climbing
52:15 - A brief word about Eric's brand PhysiVāntage -- the first research-based, athlete-proven nutritional supplements for climbers! Get 15% off at PhysiVantage.com with the discount code PODCAST15 at checkout.
Instagram - @PhysiVantage
For a comprehensive study of Training for Climbing, check out the 3rd edition of Hörst's best-selling book!
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric’s TRAINING FOR CLIMBING YouTube channel.
Music by: Misty Murphy
As physical as climbing is, it is even more mental. Being technically sound and physically strong is not enough to navigate a high-ball boulder problem, personal-best redpoint, intimidating big wall, or treacherous mountain. Ultimately, you climb with your mind—your hands and feet are simply an extension of your thoughts and will. Becoming a better climber, then, requires that you improve your mental mastery.
In this podcast, Eric describes the vital importance of concentration in a world with ubiquitous distractions conspiring to steal your focus and sabotage your performance. You will be armed with six powerful techniques for improving your concentration and, importantly, maintaining focus in stressful, painful, and fearful situations common to climbing.
RUNDOWN
0:45 – Comments on returning to outdoor climbing after COVID-19 lockdown.
1:55 – Importance of the mental game in climbing your best…and sending your project.
3:00 – Distractions are concentration- and performance-killers.
5:30 – The role of stress in climbing and life—striving to avoid stress will limit personal growth.
7:00 – Stretching boundaries is naturally stressful. Embrace it in health doses!
9:30 – In climbing, a focused mind is like having a fifth contact point…and on hard routes that’s all the difference in the world!
11:00 – The ability to maintain concentration over a long period of time is a discerning trait of peak performers.
SIX ENEMIES OF CONCENTRATION
13:10 - 1. Focusing on the mechanics of well-learned skills. Let go and
14:05 - 2. Dwelling on internal feelings and sensations of fatigue. Embrace the good pain!
15:40 - 3. Entertaining nonproductive self-talk. Be loud. Be positive!
17:04 - 4. Focusing on the past. Let go of the past. Enjoy the moment!
17:38 - 5. Focusing on the future...and potential outcomes. Let go of the outcome—let it develop organically.
18:15 - 6. Visual and auditory distractions. The world is conspiring to distract you! Specifically, what people, places, and things distract you?
SIX TECHNIQUES FOR IMPROVE CONCENTRATION WHILE CLIMBING
20:15 - 1. Deal with potential distractions before you climb.
21:20 - 2. Use rituals to narrow focus.
22:50 - 3. Use self-talk to direct the conscious mind. Be loud. Be positive!
25:08 - 4. Keep your eyes on task-relevant targets.
29:23 - 5. Keep your thoughts in the moment. Mind-body synchronization—and the Flow State—is possible only when your thoughts are in the moment!
31:25 - 6. Use willpower to narrow focus despite adverse or imperfect conditions. Use the pressure of the situation and your will power to create a laser-like focus to perform your best in the moment.
33:45 – The mental game is central to climbing your best and maximizing experience. The mental game doesn’t change from one generation to the next—the risk, the fear, and the adversity of the steep are the same…and links us to past generations of climbers. Strive to become a master of your mind.
35:30 – For a comprehensive manual on mental training, check out my book Maximum Climbing.
36:00 – Please check out and support T4C podcast sponsor PhysiVantage. Research-based, athlete-proven performance nutrition for climbers--use checkout code PODCAST15 to save 15% on your order. Used by a growing number of pro climbers and thousands of recreational climbers around the world. Give PhysiVantage a try!
Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing.
Music by Misty Murphy
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric’s YouTube channel.
And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing