The TrainingBeta Podcast: A Climbing Training Podcast

Coach Matt Pincus discusses the fundamentals of using weight lifting as a training strategy for climbing. He prescribes weight training to almost all of the athletes he coaches, and he wanted to make it more approachable and understandable to our audience. More Details: Why Strength Train? Why consistency is more important than improving your numbers How (and why) to make it supplemental to your climbing and not the main focus Tips for getting started Movement patterns to focus on Using progressions and regressions to fit your level Learning to calibrate your sessions to your body’s current state Sample Strength Training Sessions Find the sample strength training session at www.trainingbeta.com/media/matt-strength

Stacy Sims, MSC, PHD, is a well-known exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist who has done groundbreaking research and education for women in athletics. Dr. Sims has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers and several books and is a regularly featured speaker at professional and academic conferences, including those by USOC and USA Cycling. Stacy currently holds a Senior Research Associate position with SPRINZ- AUT University, supervises PhD students, writes academic papers, and is on the advisory board of some cutting-edge companies, including Tonal Strength Institute, WILD.AI, and EXOS. She also has her own business (www.drstacysims.com), creating and delivering online learning material focused on women training with their physiology across the lifespan. I highly recommend her book Roar, which first introduced me to the differences in women's vs men's needs in sports performance. It was mind-blowing, honestly, and so validating to learn that a lot of what we've been taught about exercise science doesn't really apply to women. After all, the research was mostly done on men, and that is what Dr. Sims is trying to change.  I was honored to sit down with Stacy to talk about some really important topics for perimenopausal and menopausal women, and all females in general. She really knows her stuff and speaks quite scientifically, so I asked her a lot of clarifying questions so we can all make use of the information she provided. I hope you enjoy this one!  What we talked about: The real journey she had with menopause herself Why running stopped working for her body and what she did instead An optimal training schedule for peri- or menopausal females Cortisol differences as we age and what it does to our bodies How estrogen plays into aging and athleticism Which exercises are best for energy levels and body composition for menopause The all importance of sleep for aging women Carbs and menopause Caffeine for menopause Intermittent fasting? Which supplements are worth it

Coach Matt Pincus discusses some very detailed rock climbing projecting tactics to make your process more efficient. He goes over why you'd use a top-down vs ground-up approach, why you might want to use both of them, and when each is appropriate. This is for you if you want to hear from a 5.14/V12 climber about how he gets projects done and how he advises his clients to get theirs done. You can sign up to work with Matt as your coach at www.trainingbeta.com/matt.  

Charlie Schreiber is a climbing coach at ParadigmClimbing.com who was recently on the show. After that episode was done recording, we decided we should do a coaching session with him as my coach!  So we recorded it right then and there, which was a couple months ago. In the session, he asked me a lot of clarifying questions to figure out how to create a training program for me, which he did the day after this conversation (links below to see that program).   What we talked about: My goals with climbing My experience with training - what has worked and not worked My weaknesses and strengths What I WANT to be climbing How to get me to 5.13c again What holds me back in my climbing How my age (46) plays into my goals How my height has informed my climbing My Training Program from Charlie Charlie created a detailed training program for me with some educational content included in it. He sent them in google docs that are freely available: Neely Quinn's Spring/Summer Training Program #1 Neely Quinn's Supplemental Training Program #1

Coach Alex Stiger describes a 3-month slump she was in, how she methodically got out of that slump, and how she coaches her clients to get re-motivated when they've lost their psych for climbing. 

Zoe Sayetta is a youth and adult climbing coach in New York and she has her masters in sport psychology. She loves working with youth, especially on their mindset, and she has a private practice as a sport psychology coach for youth and adults. I asked her to be on the show so we could talk about the most common things she sees in her team and her clients and how she helps them all have a healthier, more productive mindset in climbing. Here’s what we talked about: How to foster growth mindset vs fixed mindset How to deal with emotional regulation in teens How to teach kids (or anyone) to try hard Productive vs unhealthy self-talk How to coach someone to want success but not identify with it Social comparison Imposter syndrome Using visualization for physical and emotional practice Lots more

Ravioli Biceps is one of the best Moonboard climbers in the world, so I was pretty excited to have him on the show. In 2021 he did all 280 (and counting) benchmarks on the 2016 Moonboard set, climbing up to V13. In total, he has sent 3500 problems on the 2016 board. Just take that in for a sec… His Instagram feed is a beta encyclopedia–for Moonboard enthusiasts and fans alike–of his latest Moonboard ascents. He’s one of the people who are consulted when making the decision about whether a boulder should become a “benchmark” and he’s also a prolific setter himself. And he does all of this while working long hours every week. So I wanted to talk to him about how he approaches the Moonboard, how he trains for it, his mindset around it, and whether the board is the goal or if he’s training for something outside (or both). I received a lot of questions from our audience for Ravioli, and we had a fun time going through all of those at the end of this interview! Here’s what we talked about: Why he loves board climbing so much The problem with the 2019 set The feeling he gets from thousands of people doing his boulders Hardest boulders he’s done on the Moonboard How his board climbing translates to outdoor climbing Thoughts on each of the boards How often he climbs How he trains How he works climbing into his grueling work schedule His positive mindset and how he maintains it The book club he belongs to Why he’s called Ravioli Biceps His thoughts on height advantages on boards Who should NOT be climbing on boards Find bonus content with Ravioli about his diet, traveling to Moonboard, and his message to climbers everywhere on the TrainingBeta Podcast Patreon page. 

If you are a person who is maybe a little too intimately familiar with the term "wobbler," then this one is for you... 😉 This is the audio version of an article I wrote where I compare two similar climbs I did--a 5.13b in 2019 that I fully wobbled on, and a 5.13b I sent a few weeks ago that I fully enjoyed climbing on until then end. I describe how I've evolved (slowly but surely) from wobbling through constant self-flagellation and shame... to enjoying pretty constant self-acknowledgment and fun in my climbing with the hope that you can get there, too.

Charlie Schreiber is a climbing coach who runs Paradigm Climbing and works with all levels of athletes–including elite, competitive ones–from all over the world. He’s also a very strong boulderer, having sent up to V13 and continuously training to improve his own climbing. In this interview, we talked about a range of topics, including how he used to overtrain and how his climbing and physical well-being improved when he learned to be more efficient with his training. This concept permeates the rest of our talk, as it guides him as a coach to do the best job possible. Here’s what we talked about: His experience as a youth coach Overtraining vs. Disciplined Athlete Training for an overhung crimpy boulder Linear periodization vs logical progression Case study of sport climbing’s 3-month training plan How to know when you’re fully recovered Why he has a coach himself How he uses video analysis How to have process goals vs outcome goals in training and climbing How to access flow state Making the tedious into the enjoyable and habit stacking

Karly Rager is a climber and a climbing coach with her business Project Direct Coaching. Her approach to coaching climbers is a little different than what I've seen anywhere else, which really caught my attention when I discovered her on Instagram. While she does the normal strength training and tactics education with her clients, she also focuses a lot on mindset. In fact, she has an entire mindset coaching option to help climbers with their "head game," including fear of falling and nervous system regulation while climbing.  I asked her to be on the show to talk about ways she helps her clients manage fear, but also to discuss the reasons why our training in the gym doesn't often prepare us for climbing outside. Sometimes it's surprising when we go outside to find that we don't climb the same grades, things feel harder, and it's just weirder out there. So she breaks down the reasons that's happening, and what you can do to make your outdoor climbing better, both physically and mentally.  We also talk about Karly's own progression in climbing, what she loves about it so much, and what it was like to quit her full time engineering job to start a climbing coaching company.  Here's what we talked about: How she trained for her first 5.13c this year Outdoor vs Indoor climbing tactics and training Cognitive strategies to manage fear Movement patterns and strengths required for harder climbs Shoulder engagement on harder climbs Fewer points of contact on the wall How to practice and train all of these things

Robynne Murray is a climber who graciously offered to do a mindset coaching session with me on the podcast about her negative body image. Robynne feels like her body doesn’t fit in with the “typical” climber body type, so she often feels self conscious and ashamed. It affects her mood, her confidence, and her sense of belonging. In this session, her goal was to have some tools to use to start talking to herself differently about her body so she can stop feeling so ashamed and anxious about it. I coached her about her thoughts and emotions about the situation, and we did a lot of reframing, validating, and reassuring that she is indeed good enough just the way she is. We talked about why she feels this way (what happened as a child that triggered such intense feelings of shame), how she can speak to herself differently going forward, and ways she can communicate with her close community more productively about it so she’s not constantly seeking external validation. We also talked about society’s role in her feeling this way, and the choice she has in caring about what people may or may not think of her. This was one of my most favorite coaching sessions to date, honestly. If you struggle with low body image (I think I know one person who doesn’t), please listen to this. I’m confident you’ll hear something in this conversation that applies to you and you’ll be able to use some of the same insights and tools for yourself. Work with Me on Your Body Image If you want to work on this with me one-on-one, I’m accepting new mindset clients right now and I would be honored to help you feel more empowered and positive about your body. Or at the very least, must  more neutral about your body. Work with Me on Body Image

Jesse Grupper is a 27-yr-old climber who frequents podiums at international competitions, has climbed up to 5.15a and has flashed up to 5.14c. He is an amazing climber. AND I LOVE watching Jesse Grupper in climbing comps. His infectious smile, his tenacious try-hard, and his incredible climbing strength and skills are exactly why I watch climbing comps in the first place. I was so thrilled that he agreed to an interview, and I asked him a lot of questions about his approach to climbing, his detailed training program, how he maintains a positive mindset while climbing and competing, and how he’s coping with a current finger injury. Support the show and get tons of bonus content over at Patreon at www.patreon.com/trainingbeta.

This is an actual coaching session done by Coach Matt Pincus with a climber named Kyle Smith, who has a full-time job and wants to send his first 5.13a (7c+). Matt asks him a bunch of questions about his schedule, goals, weaknesses, injuries, and helps Kyle make a plan to get him to his goal. Regardless of where you’re at in your own climbing, listening to this coaching session will give you insights into the questions you need to be asking yourself about your own life, goals, and climbing in order to make a plan for yourself. If you want help with all of that and you’d like Matt to coach you through it, he’s taking new clients right now and you can find more info about his services below. WORK WITH MATT AS YOUR COACH

Bronwyn Hodgins is a 31-year-old Squamish-based professional climber and climbing guide whose main focus until recently was big wall and crack climbing. In 2022 she sent Necronomicon (5.13d/14a), which is one of the hardest roof cracks in the world. Before that send, she had climbed up to 5.13d sport and 5.13c trad. In the summer of 2022, Hodgins and a team (including her husband, Jacob Cook) made a film about an expedition where they spent 65 days putting up many first ascents in Greenland, traveling between climbs via sea kayak. In fact, she’s made a lot of films and you can find them all here. Needless to say, she is an accomplished, well-rounded climber and adventurer and I have a lot of respect for that. When I read about her recent ascent of La Rubia (5.14c / 8c+) in Villanueva del Rosario, Spain, I was intrigued. How did a big waller who’d climbed just one 5.14a sport route sent a long, burly 14c in Spain? So I asked her to be on the show to talk about her training and preparation for the route. Turns out it’s a great story and she has a lot of wisdom to offer us. Bronwyn Hodgins Interview Details Her climbing story – how she became a pro climber Big wall experience Crack climbing training How she got shut down hard on La Rubia and then trained for a year to send it Visualization on projects Managing fear of falling The festival for women and gender expansive people she’s putting on in July How running mid distance for so long prepared her for route climbing Bonus Content on Patreon redpointing tactics on outdoor routes her diet what her lifestyle and finances are like as a pro climber sexism in climbing and guiding Support the show and get all of the bonus episodes plus nutrition and mindset training at www.patreon.com/trainingbeta    

This is a replay of an episode that originally aired in January, 2023. I talk with Coach Alex Stiger about the most common mistakes amde by climbers who are trying to break into 5.12 climbing. Sending 5.12 is the most common goal among her clients, so she has quite a bit of experience with the minutiae of what it takes to do that. She will share her personal experience of her first 5.12’s and what she learned from her trials and tribulations. She’ll then go into the mindset shifts that are required to jump into the coveted 5.12 territory, and how she helps people do that. While you might predict that strength training is one of the main tools Alex uses with her clients in this situation, it is not, as she says it is very rare to find a person who is climbing 5.11 who can not climb 5.12 with the strength they already have. So while we spend a few minutes talking about strength training, you’ll find compelling evidence in this episode that that may not be your issue. Here are some of the other topics we discuss: Why technique and staying calm are so important Honing the skill of resting How to decrease intimidation of the grade How to learn from your falling experiences How to have more of a competition mindset What to climb on in the gym if you’re trying to send 5.12 A better alternative to having a perfect pyramid before entering into 5.12 territory Why repeating climbs that are sort of hard for you is an important strategy We talk about a lot in this episode, and I highly recommend it if you’re at the 5.10 or 5.11 level, or if you’re just not consistently climbing 5.12’s and you’d like to. Even if you are climbing 5.12’s consistently, I think a lot of her tactics will help you! Show Links Get the 5.12 Breakthrough Series AND the Steep Climbing Workshop for 30% Off Work with Alex as your coach Have questions? Email alex@trainingbeta.com or neely@trainingbeta.com