The TrainingBeta Podcast: A Climbing Training Podcast

TBP 207 :: Allison Vest on Transitioning from Comp Climbing to Rock Climbing

Allison Vest is a 27-year-old climber who lives in Salt Lake City. She’s originally from Minnesota and moved to Canada when she was 7, where she fell in love with climbing. She had a lot of success competing as a Canadian, winning the Canadian Bouldering Nationals in 2018 and 2020 and winning Canadian Lead Nationals in 2019. In August 2019, Allison became the first female Canadian climber to send V13 when she did The Terminator in Squamish, which you can watch a video about here. She’s since done 4 more V13’s. This February, she became the first female Canadian climber to send V14 when she did Show Your Scars in Ogden, Utah. She’s known for her hilarious antics on Instagram, but also for her huge ape index (+7), which at 5’6″ makes her reach the same as a 6’1″ person. Allison was recently featured on Tyler Nelson’s Instagram (@c4hp) because Tyler tested her one-arm strength and her finger strength and said, “If I didn’t see it myself, I’d have trouble believing it.” Basically, she’s the strongest person (not just female) he’s ever tested, and he was completely blown away by that. She’s kind of an anomaly, and she talks about how she’s gotten so strong in this episode. She wasn’t always that way. Last year she decided to take a break from competition climbing to focus on climbing outside, so I wanted to talk with her about why she’s taking that break, how that transition has been, whether she misses comp climbing, and what the differences are in her training and performance tactics between outside and indoor climbing. She’s also been vocal on social media recently about body image insecurities, and I thought it was incredibly brave of her to come out with this post on Instagram. She started it with, “I always worried that I didn’t look enough like a fitness model to be a professional athlete, and have been self conscious of the fact that I don’t have a resting six pack.” We talked about that and the response she’s gotten to her vulnerability online. We also talked about eating disorders among competition climbers and what, if any, responsibility the IFSC or other climbing organizations have in helping climbers or disqualifying them from competitions. We talked about so much… wow. I also got to ask her about her mindset in competition climbing vs outdoor climbing and how she deals with being a person who wears her heart on her sleeve (I can relate). I loved this talk – I’m a huge fan of Allison’s and I was grateful for the chance to get to know her a bit. I hope you love it too :)    Allison Vest Interview Details Why she’s taking a break from comp climbing and how it’s going What she thinks about FFA’s What she’s had to learn in transitioning to outdoor climbing How the gymnastic style of comp climbing translates to outdoor bouldering Mental differences between comps and outdoor projects What her coach taught her about spiraling mentally What sets her apart physically and mentally from other climbers Her thoughts on her physical strength feats Body image issues and how she’s successfully dealing   Show Links Instagram @allisonvest Gripped Magazine’s Article about Allison Sign up for my new Nutrition and Climbing Training Program, Reach    

TBP 206 :: How Matt, Alex, and I Are Approaching Our Mega Projects

Work with Matt or Alex as Your Climbing Coach Matt Pincus and Alex Stiger are both experienced climbing coaches who will work with you from anywhere in the world to help you create and reach your climbing goals. They can either consult with you on making your own program or they will create a detailed program for you based on your lifestyle and equipment availability. WORK WITH MATT OR ALEX   How Alex, Matt, and I Are Approaching Our Mega Projects In the episode, I sit down with Coaches Matt Pincus and Alex Stiger to discuss how we trained and prepared for our projects, which are the hardest routes we’ve tried. We go over what the projects mean to us, how we stay mentally focused, and what we’re doing this summer to train for when the weather gets better. This is an intimate look at how two climbing coaches and I think about and physically prepare for hard rock climbing, and I hope it gives you some inspiration and ideas for your own projects!   Episode Details Where we all are in our processes with our projects What our projects are What the projects mean to us in our climbing careers Our mental processes on the route Our tactics for redpointing Whether comparison with others affects our processes How to keep a growth mindset on hard projects What we would’ve done differently to prepare How we’re all training this month to prepare for better weather How to be mentally fresh while projecting   Show Links Do an hour coaching session with Matt Work with Matt as your coach Do Alex’s new workshop on Fear of Falling Work with Neely as your nutritionist Have topics you want us to cover? Email matt@trainingbeta.com, alex@trainingbeta.com, or neely@trainingbeta.com   Fear of Falling Workshop Coach Alex Stiger is hosting a Fear of Falling workshop next Tuesday, July 12th, where she’ll guide you in systematically overcoming your fear of falling in climbing. It will be a 2-hour live workshop on zoom (recorded) plus 3 months’ access to an online course with videos and resources from the workshop. Learn More Please Review The Podcast on iTunes Please give the podcast an honest review on iTunes here to help the show reach more curious climbers around the world. Photo Credit Photo of Neely Quinn on Tombraider 5.13d by James Lucas @james_lucas

TBP 205 :: Going from 5.11 projects to 5.11 Warm-ups with Erin Ettenger

Erin Ettenger is a 25-year-old software engineer who lives in Seattle, Washington. I asked Erin to be on the show because she uses our Route Climbing Training Program and has had some amazing success on it, so I wanted her to share her story with you all.  Through using the program (and adapting it intelligently to her own needs), she gained work capacity, meaning she can now climb more routes in a session, and she improved her overall strength levels.  She went from mega-projecting 5.11a to regularly warming up on 5.11a's in a relatively short time. She'll tell you all about what she liked about the program, what was hard, and how all of this has translated to her outdoor climbing. 

TBP 204: Mistakes Made in Matt Pincus’s Own Training Plan

In the episode, Coach Matt Pincus talks about how he trained all winter/spring for his 5.14b project in Wyoming this summer and some mistakes he made along the way. While Matt is a seasoned coach and climber, he was under some various constraints that made training challenging this year. One of those constraints was that Matt was working at a restaurant and coaching for a total of about 70 hours per week, so his plan needed to be efficient. The other is that he only had a board to climb on the entire time, and not that much other equipment. He made some mistakes along the way and suffered some consequences, and he’ll tell you all about what he learned in this episode. I think anyone listening to this episode will learn a few things about proper training tactics, whether you have similar constraints or not.   Episode Details What he did (and is doing) to train for his 5.14b project this summer What went wrong How he fit training in to 70+ hour work weeks Injuries/inflammation that occured How he’s dealing with those consequences now What he would’ve done differently What he learned as a coach from his own mistakes     Show Links Do an hour coaching session with Matt Work with Matt as your coach Do Matt’s Bouldering Training Program Have topics you want us to cover? Email matt@trainingbeta.com or neely@trainingbeta.com   Train with Matt Coach Matt Pincus provides training plans to climbers of all levels from anywhere in the world. If you need help with your climbing strength, power, mental game, skills, or tactics, Matt can help you. He will sit down with you over zoom to find out your goals, your available equipment, and time restrictions and then create a month-long plan for you on the True Coach app. You’ll have access to Matt via email and the app for however long you work with him. He also offers one-hour consultations if you just want a few questions answered or to help you build your own training program. Find out more at the link below. TRAIN WITH MATT   Please Review The Podcast on iTunes Please give the podcast an honest review on iTunes here to help the show reach more curious climbers around the world.

TBP 203 :: Under-the-Radar V14 Boulderer Katie Lamb

Katie Lamb is a 24-year-old boulderer out of the Bay area who has proven her abilities over and over with consistent sends of V14 boulders. Included in her resumé are The Swarm (V13/14) in Bishop, New Base Line (V14) in Magic Wood in Switzerland, Jade (V14) in Rocky Mountain National Park, Direct North (V14) in Bishop, and so many more. She’s a Stanford graduate and works half time as a data scientist focused on clean energy, but her main priority is climbing. She’s surprisingly not sponsored, and I asked her why that is and if she would be a full-time climber instead of working as a data scientist. I also asked Katie about what sets her apart from other climbers–what makes her sooo good at bouldering. She started climbing at a really young age just outside of Boston on a youth team that emphasized the importance of outdoor climbing. She’s taken those values to heart and hasn’t competed indoors for a long time, preferring to spend all of her time outside on hard projects. One of the reasons I asked Katie to be on the show is that I heard about her willingness to rest a lot when she’s projecting. I really appreciated that coming from such a strong climber, as most super strong climbers I know do not rest more than 1 or 2 days at a time, ever. Katie tells us all about her mindset in climbing, her training program she just started (and whether it’s helping her), and how she’s prepping for her summer Rocklands trip. I really enjoyed talking with Katie, and I found myself mulling over some things she’d said for weeks after we talked. She’s wise beyond her years and takes this sport very seriously – I hope you enjoy!     Katie Lamb Interview Details How she developed as a climber Why she goes after aesthetic, historic lines Why she’s not just a sponsored climber Why THINKING about climbing a lot helps her send Why she only climbed every 5 days while trying The Swarm Whether or not she’d be happy just climbing and not working How many is too many tries on a boulder – when she gives up What sets her apart from other climbers Her new strength program from Natasha Barnes Why she regressed on her project recently   Show Links Instagram @ktlambies Climbing Magazine article about Katie Work on your nutrition with me   Photo Credit Photo of Katie on The Penrose Step (V14) in Leavenworth, Washington by @keenantakahashi   Please Review The Podcast on iTunes Please give the podcast an honest review on iTunes here to help the show reach more curious climbers around the world.

TBP 202: Dr. Tyler Nelson on Youth Finger Injuries

In this episode, Tyler explains the most common youth finger injuries, what ages are at highest risk, how to mitigate them, and what to do if a youth climber has a finger injury. Once again, Tyler pored over the research and is sharing this information with us so that youth coaches and parents are better equipped to understand these injuries and avoid permanent damage to their kids. Tyler Nelson has a lot of qualifications, so I’m going to let his website sum those up for you: Tyler is a second generation chiropractor whose father was a leader in chiropractic sports medicine for many years. In graduate school he did a dual doctorate and masters degree program in exercise science with an emphasis on tendon loading. He completed his masters degree at BYU and was a physician for the athletics department for 4 years out of school. He currently is the owner of Camp4 Human Performance where he treats clients through his license as a chiropractic physician. He also is an instructor for the Performance Climbing Coach seminar series and a certified instructor for gobstrong. When he’s not working he’s climbing or hiking outside with his family.   You can find Tyler in Salt Lake City at his clinic, Camp 4 Human Performance, where he tests athletes, creates training programs, and treats all kinds of athletes for injuries. Other Episodes with Tyler TBP 168: New Insights on Finger Training TBP 162: Dr. Tyler Nelson on Endurance Training for Fingers TBP 155: Dr. Tyler Nelson on High Volume Power Training TBP 149: The Different Roles of Stretching for Climbing TBP 133: The Simplest Finger Training Protocol with Dr. Tyler Nelson TBP 084: Injury Rehab and Blood Flow Restriction Training TBP 098: Isometric Movements to Prime and Test Your Body TBP 108: Bood Flow Restriction for Injury Healing and Performance TBP 118: Latest Technology for Finger Training and Performance Testing TBP 128: Surprising Methods for Healing Tendon Injuries TBP 186 :: Dr. Tyler Nelson’s New Injury Prevention and Warm-Up Protocol     Tyler Nelson Interview Details What the most common youth injuries are Why youth injuries can be confusing Most common age to get injured Risk factors for youth injuries How to properly diagnose A2 pulley vs. stress response injury Who to see about these injuries How to mitigate risk factors What it means to “spin your wheels” on the wall   Tyler Nelson Links Climbing Wall Association Summit where Tyler will be presenting Personal website: camp4humanperformance.com Take an online class with Tyler: camp4humanperformance.com/store Do a consultation with Tyler Instagram: @c4hp Facebook: @camp4chiropractic Learn More from Tyler: If you want to work with Dr. Tyler Nelson on an individual basis for injuries or strength training, he offers remote consultations to people all over the world. He also teaches online classes on strength training and injuries. Learn more.   Training Programs for You Do you want a well-laid-out, easy-to-follow training program that will get you stronger quickly? Here’s what we have to offer on TrainingBeta. Something for everyone… At-Home Training Program: trainingbeta.com/covid Personal Training Online:  www.trainingbeta.com/coaching For Boulderers: Bouldering Training Program for boulderers of all abilities For Route Climbers: Route Climbing Training Program for route climbers of all abilities Finger Strength : www.trainingbeta.com/fingers All of our training programs: Training Programs Page     Please Review The Podcast on iTunes Please give the podcast an honest review on iTunes here to help the show reach more curious climbers around the world.

TBP 201 :: Dr. Jared Vagy on Finger Injuries and Protocols

Dr. Jared Vagy is a physical therapist and he’s a climber who’s incredibly motivated to help other climbers heal their bodies. In this interview, we talk about new research about common finger injuries in climbers and how that’s affected his protocols for healing them. We did another interview about fingers a long time ago in Episode 116, but this is an update to that information and a deeper dive into it. Jared’s book Climb Injury-Free is on its seventh print run and is back in stock (finally). Order his book here. This interview is super in-depth and he describes exact protocols to use on finger injuries, so I hope it helps you out if you have a finger injury now or if you have in the past. More Details 40% of climbing injuries are fingers! Most common finger injuries and how they happen Pulleys vs tendons explained How to diagnose finger injuries How new research has affected his protocols What the popping sound is during an injury How long recovery takes Two ways to approach pulley sprains Medications and devices to use to heal What side-to-side pain means Protocol timelines Long-standing finger injuries Using hangboard for recovery   Other Interviews with Dr. Vagy Interview #1: We talked in general about how to heal injuries, but since that time he has gotten way more specific about the steps we need to take to address them. Interview #2: He talked about how to heal shoulder impingement. Interview #3: We talked about rotator cuff injuries and neck strain. Interview #4: We discussed finger pulley sprains. Interview #5: We discussed elbow injuries. Interview # 6: We talked about hip injuries.   Jared Vagy Professional Credentials Dr. Vagy is an authority on climbing related injuries. He has published numerous articles on injury prevention and delivers lectures and seminars on the topic. He received his Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) from the University of Southern California, ranked the number one DPT Program in the nation for the last decade by US News and World Report. He is now a professor at the University in the DPT Program. As a Doctor of Physical Therapy in clinical practice, he went on to complete a one year residency program in orthopedics and a one year fellowship program in movement science. He is a Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.   Supporting Videos from Episode Video describing pulley injury anatomy, biomechanics and research https://youtu.be/YU2-K4NFXnk Video describing pulley diagnostic classifications and rehab https://youtu.be/SFqAbKRYwgw Diagnosis and classification https://www.pinterest.com/pin/578853358356324847/ Return to climbing and hanging timelines https://www.pinterest.com/pin/578853358366092458/     Rock Rehab Protocol Links Dr. Vagy has created 6 injury protocols using his Rock Rehab Pyramid method that are available on TrainingBeta. You can find out more about his methods by clicking on any of the links below. You can see a description of all of the protocols (which we’ve made available for $15 each) at www.trainingbeta.com/rock-rehab. Inside Elbow Pain Outside Elbow Pain Finger Pulley Sprain Shoulder Impingement Rotator Cuff Strain Neck Strain   Dr. Jared Vagy Links Jared’s book, Climb Injury Free Website: www.theclimbingdoctor.com Instagram: @theclimbingdoctor  

TBP 200 :: Coach Alex Stiger’s Training Plan to Climb Her First 5.14a

6-Week Team Training Program Starts April 18th On April 18th, Coach Alex Stiger’s 4th cohort of her Team program will begin! This is a group training program that ALSO provides you with a training program built just for you. You’ll be getting to know a small group of no more than 12 people, talking with them every week. You’ll get a lot of one-on-one time with Alex, and you’ll also get everything below… More one-on-one time – 2.5 hours instead of 1.75 hours over the 6 weeks (that’s more one-on-one time than any other coaching option) Team zoom meetings every week that will be recorded – get climbing video analyzed, ask questions, go over specific topics Completely individualized 6-week training program for just you Intensive 6-week online course – video tutorials, deep dives into important training and mental topics to help you improve quickly Anytime Q&A via individual messaging or group chat Weekly feedback on climbing and training videos you take during the course Direction on how to continue with your training after the course Full access to Alex’s past workshops during the program (Hangboarding, TRX, Rings, and Skills & Drills Workshops) Learn and grow with a team! This is an underrated way of reaching your potential. Teammates can be the difference between you doing the work and you keeping the status quo. Early bird pricing lasts until the 13th, so if you want to get this at the best price, go get your spot now. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SKILLS & DRILLS WORKSHOP   Coach Alex Stiger’s Training Plan to Climb Her First 5.14a In this episode, I talk with Coach Alex Stiger about how she’s training to prepare to send her first 5.14a this summer/fall. This is a rare exploration of an experienced coach/climber’s process around building their own training program. Alex has asked for the help of a couple trainers, a PT, and she’s doing work on her mental game as well in order to achieve this big goal. She’s taken everything she knows about training to build out an objective plan for herself for 8 weeks before she begins going to her project. We talk about how she assessed her strengths and weaknesses in order to prioritize what she’s doing to train. We talk about how she’s cultivating a beginner’s mindset, why she incorporated running into her program, and how she uses journaling and video of herself climbing to take a more objective view of things. She also shares her schedule from Monday to Sunday every day so you can see exactly what she’s doing. This program is specifically built for Alex, and you should not copy it. But we go through how she KNEW what was appropriate for her, and you can take that knowledge to help build your own program.   Episode Details Why this climb is so important for her, and why she’s ok with walking away empty-handed Why chilling and doing what she wants has been an important part of this training How she uses journaling, tracking, and vieo analysis How she assessed her strengths and weaknesses to build her program Importance of guidance on training, even for a coach Why she used to hate assessments and why she loves them now Her Monday through Sunday training schedule for 8 weeks before the season How/if she’ll train while she’s trying to send How to use video analysis in your own training   Show Links Join Alex’s 6-Week Team Training Program Work with Alex as your coach Work on your nutrition with Neely Have questions? Email alex@trainingbeta.com or neely@trainingbeta.com   Photo Credit Photo of Alex competing in the Cookie Jar Competition at Movement Boulder by Michael Emery Hecker @sayless.meanmore   Please Review The Podcast on iTunes Please give the podcast an honest review on iTunes here to help the show reach more curious climbers around the world.

TBP 199: Alternatives for When You’re Too Tired for Your Session - Pincus

In the episode, Coach Matt Pincus discusses the common issue of not having the energy to execute a programmed session. I’m sure you’ve been at the gym with the intention of projecting routes or doing some limit bouldering, only to find that you can hardly get off the ground on your warm-ups. Whether you have a training program written by another coach or by yourself, Matt goes over some alternative plans for limit bouldering sessions, strength sessions (outside of climbing), and volume/endurance sessions. You don’t have to scrap the whole session (unless you really need to do that). You can make the most out of a crappy day by lowering intensity or working on skills, for instance. We go over it in detail so you can easily make a plan B next time this happens to you.   Episode Details Why it’s normal for not every session to feel great Acceptable choices for what to do instead Limit bouldering alternatives Strength training alternatives Volume climbing alternatives Why an endurance session may not be a good alternative to limit bouldering Why you feel bad some days, and how to avoid it more Figuring out the “why” of your session to make a plan B How to practice skill instead of strength Why it’s a mistake to blow off strength sessions Why doing even 60% of max efforts helps gain strength   Show Links Do an hour coaching session with Matt Work with Matt as your coach Do Matt’s Bouldering Training Program Have topics you want us to cover? Email matt@trainingbeta.com or neely@trainingbeta.com   Train with Matt Coach Matt Pincus provides training plans to climbers of all levels from anywhere in the world. If you need help with your climbing strength, power, mental game, skills, or tactics, Matt can help you. He will sit down with you over zoom to find out your goals, your available equipment, and time restrictions and then create a month-long plan for you on the True Coach app. You’ll have access to Matt via email and the app for however long you work with him. He also offers one-hour consultations if you just want a few questions answered or to help you build your own training program. Find out more at the link below. TRAIN WITH MATT     Please Review The Podcast on iTunes Please give the podcast an honest review on iTunes here to help the show reach more curious climbers around the world.    

TBP 197: Sending 50 5.13’s by the Age of 50 - Lillian Chao-Quinlan

TBP 197 :: Lillian Chao-Quinlan, President of Sportrock, on Sending 50 5.13’s by the Age of 50 Lillian Chao-Quinlan is a climber in her early 50’s who is also the president of Sportrock Climbing Centers in Virginia. She began climbing when she was 30 years old and soon realized it was what she wanted to spend her life doing and teaching, so she quickly moved up the ranks at her gym, landing in the role of president. In the past 17 years, she’s worked tirelessly to make Sportrock an inclusive, high quality climbing gym where her employees and gym members can thrive. A few years ago, Lillian realized that she’d sent 43 5.13’s, so she resolved to climb 50 5.13’s by the time she was 50 years old. In this interview she describes how she was able to surpass that goal, and what she has learned through her years of climbing and running a large climbing gym. Her mindset with climbing–and life in general–is applaudable and her devotion to personal growth is calculated and inspirational. In this talk we discussed the mental and physical tactics she used to send her first 5.13d at the age of 49 and to reach her goal of 50 5.13’s by 50, her mnemonic strategies she uses in her everyday life to learn and grow, and how the pandemic has affected her and her businesses. Basically, Lillian bestows upon us the wisdom she’s meticulously cultivated through the years, and I’m so happy I was able to have this talk with her 🙂   Lillian Chao-Quinlan Interview Details How her former career as a teacher has transferred to her job as president of Sportrock The result of her goal to send 50 5.13’s by the age of 50 “Do one thing well, do all things well,” a life motto from her mother How running a company of over 200 people gives you perspective on clibming Questions she asks herself before and during hard climbs Her “why” for climbing and how it’s evolved over the years “Every day is a bonus day for all of us” wisdom from her father REACH – Her mnemonic for self-growth everyday How to continue to make Sportrock excellent in industry and not fall into a competitive mindset The pivotal moment in her life when a teacher told her she was not smart Her perspective on age in climbing, and her climbing goals going forward   Show Links Instagram for Sportrock @sportrock Sportrock website: Sportrock.com Video on her being president of Sportrock and her upbringing as a 1st generation Taiwanese American Article about Lillian Rock & Ice Article about Lillian doing 50 5.13’s by age of 50   Please Review The Podcast on iTunes Please give the podcast an honest review on iTunes here to help the show reach more curious climbers around the world.