The TrainingBeta Podcast: A Climbing Training Podcast

TBP 257: Finger Endurance Training Advancements with Tyler Nelson

In this episode, Dr. Tyler Nelson talks about some advancements in training finger endurance that he's discovered with his patients and in the research. He describes in detail how we can be more efficient with our finger training to get the most out of our sessions.
More Details
Continuation of our last episode on finger endurance
Difference between passive and active grip in finger training
What a protocol using this new info looks like
Research backing it up
His thoughts on the no-hang protocol
Why he sees pulley cysts all the time in his injured patients
Get Bonus Content on Patreon
Tyler was kind enough to provide me with 5 videos from his upcoming course on Upper Extremity Testing for the TrainingBeta Patreon page. In these videos, he clearly demonstrates how to do these 5 tests on your fingers using a Tindeq:
5-second Hang
Aerobic Capacity
Anaerobic Capacity
Anaerobic Power
Finger Max Curl Test
Watch those videos and all the other podcast bonuses by signing up for a free 7-day trial on Patreon.
 

TBP 256: Climbing Nutrition Questions Answered by Shaina Savoy and Neely

Shaina Savoy is a 30-year-old climber who lives in Las Vegas who also happens to be a very good friend of mine AND TrainingBeta's social media manager. I've known her for years, and have watched her evolve into an amazingly strong 5.13+ climber who has a strong passion for nutrition. She recently finished a program at NTI to become a Nutrition Therapist Master and is now seeing nutrition clients.
I'm an Integrative Clinical Nutrition Therapist and have been seeing nutrition clients since 2007. I've been working almost exclusively with climbers on their nutrition since 2013 and I have an online nutrition program for climbers. 
Shaina and I answered a bunch of questions we received from our Instagram audience about nutrition for climbers.
Questions We Answered
Some general indications for water consumption?
What is the best advice that climbing coaches can give youth athletes?
When to diet & drop fat?
Plant based nutrition for climbing
Supplements!
Favorite crag candy
Is it common to be more injury prone when dieting?
Nutrition tips for waking up in the middle of the night
Nutrition for aging climbers and injury prevention
Most accurate way to determine daily caloric needs?
Thoughts on sugar, specifically foods with added sugar?
Advice for people with history of disordered eating who want to be lean
Bonus Content on Patreon

TBP 255: Emily Harrington, Paige Claassen, and Angie Payne on Motherhood & Climbing

I sat down with current (and past) professional climbers Emily Harrington, Paige Claassen, and Angie Payne to talk about how becoming mothers in the past couple years has changed their lives as climbers. 
Emily Harrington is known for her hard sport ascents (up to 5.14b or 8c), her one-day ascent of El Cap, her ascents of Everest and other big peaks, and her epic skiing accomplishments. 
Paige Claassen is known for her hard sport ascents (up to 5.14d or 9a) and her recent ascent (post baby) of a V14/5.14d in Rocklands. 
Angela Payne is known for her accolades as a competition climber in the 2000's and the fact that she was the first woman to send V13. 
But beyond that, they're really incredible, dynamic, intelligent people who grew up together. Their close relationship and the fact that they all became mothers at around the same time is part of why I asked them to be on the show all together as more of a friendly conversation between old friends.
I wanted to give the world more of an in-depth picture of these elite climbers' lives than we see on social media. 
What We Talked About
How they all love being a mom even more than they thought they would
How being a mom has changed their climbing
What's been harder about motherhood than they thought it would be
Any long-lasting physical changes they've experienced, and how that's affected their climbing
Where they are now in their climbing compared with pre-baby
Some interesting comments they got on social media throughout pregnancy and motherhood
Some awkward comments they got in person about their bodies, etc
How they've been affected mentally in their climbing by having a child 
Whether or not they think their best days of climbing are still ahead of them
Bonus content on Patreon
There's some bonus content at the end of this episode about how they would've liked to have been talked to by strangers and friends during pregnancy and afterward, whether they want more kids, and how their sponsors responded to their pregnancy. You can find that bonus content and the uncut, ad-free episode without intro or outro on my Patreon page.
I hope you love this conversation as much as I did! It's not only for mothers, but for anyone who wants to understand motherhood through elite climbers' eyes. 

TBP 254 :: Kelly Birch on Training, Nutrition, and Mindset to Climb V14

Kelly Birch is a 29-year-old climber living in Boulder, Colorado who sent her first V14 last fall. She has many, many double digit boulders under her belt.
She is an incredible climber and has been really vocal on her Instagram about using weight training in her climbing training. She actually competed in power lifting for a while when she took a 5-year break from climbing after getting burnt out on competition climbing as a youth.
We talk in depth about the following:
her training program
how and why she incorporates heavy weight lifting into her program
what she thinks are the most important things to focus on when training for bouldering.
how she manages her schedule with a full-time job
how she fuels nutritionally for climbing and training
some of the difficulties with nutrition and body image that exist in the climbing world
how she approaches climbing with a mastery mindset
There’s some bonus content at the end of this episode about core training, hip mobility, how she deals with failure in climbing, and how to train efficient movement that you can find on my Patreon page.
 

TBP 253 :: How to Feel More Fulfilled in Climbing with Tyler Stableford

I talked with psychotherapist Tyler Stableford about some different therapy modalities that are super useful for rock climbers to help us feel more content and fulfilled in climbing (and in life). Tyler is a long-time climber out of Carbondale, Colorado, who recently switched careers to become a therapist.
We talk about how Internal Family Systems (IFS), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Ketamine Assisted Therapy (KAT), my coaching techniques, and other modalities can help release trauma and build awareness about how our minds work. This can help us create new, positive behaviors and thought patterns.
Tyler and I got very personal and vulnerable, talking about how these modalities have helped us continually work through our own stuff, and how they can be applied to climbers who struggle with things like:
low self worth
trying to find happiness through achievements
not accepting where they’re at in climbing
feeling shame about their climbing
We tried very hard to give tangible, useful advice that you can use right now without seeing a therapist or coach. But we both strongly urge people to work with someone if you can.
I absolutely loved this conversation and it’s one of my favorite episodes ever. I really hope you enjoy it too.
Show Links
Tyler Stableford private practice: www.stablefordcounseling.com
Tyler’s portfolio from his previous career in film
The Body Keeps the Score book by Bessel van der Kolk M.D
Work with me on your mindset in climbing

TBP 252 :: Is Your Pain a Product of Your Thoughts & Emotions?

I talked with psychotherapist, Sarah Brock Chavez about neuroplastic pain, which is pain that comes from a sort of misfiring in your brain because your thoughts and emotions cause you to feel unsafe when you experience the pain. I don’t want to say that this kind of pain is “all in your head” because that’s probably not how the professionals would want me to refer to it, but it’s kind of that.
This past October 2023 I had a lot of neck pain and nothing was helping it. Finally I was introduced to the concept of neuroplastic pain and I immediately felt relief from the pain simply by recognizing that I was afraid of the pain and that I had been sending messages to my brain that I was not safe.
By doing somatic tracking (objectively and calmly noticing the pain) and sending messages to myself that I was indeed safe and that this was just a misfiring in my brain, the pain subsided.
Sarah Brock Chavez works with people on all of this as a therapist and she is incredibly well-versed in the science and the practicalities of getting yourself out of pain. If you’re experiencing pain of any kind, it’s worth listening to this episode to find out if your pain qualifies as neuroplastic and what to do about it.
 
Show Links
Sarah Brock Chavez private practice Blue Sage Therapy: www.sarahbrockchavez.com
The Way Out book by Alan Gordon
Podcast “Tell Me about Your Pain” on neuroplastic pain
Work with me on your mindset in climbing
Work with Me to Start Loving Climbing Again 
I’ve been talking to a lot of climbers lately who have lost their passion and joy in climbing because they’re comparing themselves to others, feeling disappointed with their performance, and putting a lot of pressure on themselves to be doing better, faster.
I have been there myself, and I’ve worked on all of it intensively over the last few years. Through all of this work with coaches and self-reflection, I’ve come out on the other side having WAY more fun in my climbing and feeling mostly positive emotions in all of my climbing sessions. I went to school to become a coach to help people on exactly this thing (among other things, but this is my favorite).
Let’s work together by having skillful conversations over zoom to uncover what’s going on underneath all those negative thoughts and feelings and make a tangible plan for you to start enjoying the process of climbing more and caring less about what others think of you. Let’s get your joy back in climbing.
WORK WITH ME ON YOUR CLIMBING MINDSET

TBP 251: Climbing Drills for Beginner to Elite Climbers with Matt Pincus

Coach Matt Pincus uses climbing drills in his coaching (and his own climbing) all the time. He also put them into every single training session in the Performance Training Programs he built for TrainingBeta. But what do you imagine when you think of climbing drills? Maybe practicing heel hooks or drop knees? Perhaps you imagine practicing dynamic moves or campusing?
Or maybe you have no idea what a climbing drill is or why you would do one. That’s what this episode is for. In every other sport, there are drills: basketball, soccer, baseball, horseback riding. Heck, in every HOBBY there are drills: piano, singing, chess, etc. – all in the name of getting better at the activity and making certain movements or thought patterns second nature. But in climbing we sort of gloss over that, opting to just have fun and climb instead.
In this episode, Matt is going to talk about some of the drills he uses in his coaching, why he uses them, why it’s so important to practice them regularly, how to incorporate them into your climbing, and how even the most elite of climbers benefit from doing drills.
More Details:
Why Drills?
Elements of Deliberate Practice
Being Intentional
Appropriate Difficulty
Getting Feedback
Willingness to Struggle
Willing to Struggle
Examples of Drills
Contrast Warmup + One-Leg Climbing
Memorization Drills
Pacing Drills: Attack and Defend and Sprint Laps
Common Pitfalls and Questions
I hope this helps you gain more mastery in your climbing – this info has definitely helped Matt, his clients, and the community in our Performance Training Programs.
Show Links
Performance Bouldering Training Program ($18/mo with a 7-day free trial)
Performance Route Climbing Training Program ($18/mo with 7-day free trial)
Train with Coach Matt Pincus
Train with Matt Pincus
If you want Matt to help you with your own goals, whether they’re with bouldering or route climbing, he’s available for month-long commitments where he’ll talk with you over zoom and create a program for you and keep in touch with you via the TrueCoach app throughout the month.
He’ll help you get stronger and he’ll cater to your specific goals so that the timing is right for you to send when it’s time to send.
Learn More about Working with Matt

TBP 250 :: How to Stop Your Sugar Cravings Once and For All

In this short episode, I talk about the incredible sugar cravings I used to have that would lead to regular binges and how I stopped them. I talk about what this taught me as a nutritionist and how I've honed that knowledge into a way of eating that decreases sugar cravings by a LOT.  I'll go over what things to change about what you're eating, when you're eating, and why it's important to make these changes.
Today's episode is actually a reading of an email that I put out today to my email list. I'm doing a 5-day deep-dive into nutrition this week with my email list, and if you'd like to join that list you can do that here. 
Join the Email List for Regular Training, Nutrition, and Mindset Content
I'm also doing a flash sale of 40% off of my Nourish program, which is an online video program that takes you through the process of working with me as a nutrition client and educates you on deep learning topics. 
You'll learn:
How much you need to be eating at meals and snacks
When you should be eating during the day to optimize energy levels, performance, and recovery
How many grams of protein, carbs, fat, and sugar you should be consuming every day and every meal
Nutrition 101 on macros, calories, etc
Primer on how to deal with emotional eating
What to eat out at the crag
Which supplements to take, if any
Meal plans for many different caloric needs 
Use Code "Save40" at Checkout for 40% Off Program Until Sunday the 29th

TBP 249 :: How to Break into 5.11 Climbing with Coach Alex Stiger

In this episode, I talk with Coach Alex Stiger about the most common mistakes made by climbers who are trying to break into 5.11 climbing. 5.10 climbers make up the bulk of Alex’s clientele, so her experience with this group is vast. In this episode she outlines the most important things you need to do in your climbing and training to reliably climb 5.11’s.
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 5.10 who can not climb 5.11 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:
How to practice technique and skills
Which technique and skill drills to do
How to practice staying composed while climbing
Honing the skill of resting
How to decrease intimidation of the grade
How to learn from your falling experiences
How to structure your climbing days and weeks to reach this goal
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 level or below, or if you’re just not consistently climbing 5.11’s and you’d like to. Even if you are climbing 5.11’s consistently, I think a lot of her tactics will help you!
If you’re interested in learning more about this topic in a really immersive way, check out the 5.11 Breakthrough Course coming up January 16th.

TBP 248: Climbing Trip Types and Their Pros and Cons (Projecting vs. Just Having Fun)

Last month, I went on a climbing trip where I just let myself do whatever I wanted, whether it was toproping 5.11’s or taking big whips on 5.13a’s, onsighting runout 5.12’s or toproping 5.12+’s. I did what my heart told me it wanted to do and I almost never felt stressed while climbing. It was the epitome of fun, and it was very different than my normal approach to climbing trips where I pick an objective and focus on it for the trip.
In contrast, last month Alex Stiger went on a trip where she picked a project and focused on it her whole trip. In fact, including her warm-ups every day, she only climbed on 3 routes the entire time she was in the Red River Gorge for I think a 10-day trip.
Both of us walked away feeling like we’d had great trips and wouldn’t change anything about them. We both had fun, we both stayed true to our goals, and we both felt accomplished at the end.
In this episode, Alex Stiger, Matt Pincus, and I discuss the pros and cons of each of these kinds of trips as well as a different kind of trip where you’d pick a goal other than sending one route, but the trip would be goal-oriented nonetheless. Perhaps you’d try to do a certain number of a certain grade, or onsight a certain grade.
We talk about different trips we’ve gone on and what we learned from each, how each left us feeling at the end, and why Alex and I chose to have the trips we just did. This is a bit of a meandering discussion between climbers who are also friends. There’s no real “training” advice in here – just a lot of insight into how each of us operates, where we are in our lives regarding climbing, and how we try to make our experiences as positive as possible.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did 🙂