This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Tyson Schoene. We talked about the recent USA Climbing 2021 National Championships, some of the differences and similarities between his top athletes like Quinn, Melina, Drew, and Sean, keeping training simple, how newer adult climbs can mimic training like a team kid, and finding the important questions in our training and climbing.Become a Patron to get access to the full episode! And support the podcast! *The full version is 1:33:49.patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingTyson's original episode:EP 29: Tyson Schoene

Kyra Condie is a 25-year-old professional climber based out of Salt Lake City, UT, and was one of four climbers to represent the US at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. We talked about whistling, dream broadway roles, training with a fused spine, pursuing the Olympic dream, separating self-worth from results, new tattoos, her cats, cleaning quirks, and thriving in organized chaos.Check out Chalk Cartel:chalkcartel.comUse code "NUGGET" at checkout for 20% off your next order!Check out Rhino Skin Solutions:rhinoskinsolutions.comUse code "NUGGET" at checkout for 20% off your next order!We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:Bryan Fast, Leo FranchiBecome a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/kyra-condieNuggets:5:24 – Competitive whistling, and comparing her brother to Mozart10:13 – Musical theater, piano, and flute11:12 – Kyra’s dream broadway roll, and Les Miserables13:04 – Allison’s (Vest) role in the broadway scenario13:42 – Trying other sports, and discovering climbing15:52 – Patron question from Atlin: If you were to do an Olympic sport besides climbing, what would you want it to be?17:32 – The variety of climbing as a double edge sword19:22 – Interest in comps vs. outdoor climbing23:24 – An X-ray description of Kyra’s back25:06 – Severe idiopathic scoliosis, getting surgery shortly after finding climbing, and growing 2” overnight28:27 – Seatbelts and toilet paper29:39 – How Kyra trains around her back limitation, and how the changes in setting style have forced her to face it head-on33:30 – Shifting her focus more toward lead, and a recap of Nationals37:28 – Separating self-worth from results40:18 – How Kyra feels about her Tokyo experience46:17 – First Olympian with a spinal fusion (at least as large as hers)48:12 – The Olympics as a goal 50:23 – Enjoying not having a goal after Tokyo, and star chasing52:41 – Plans for a non-climbing vacation, and a slight burnout on competitions 53:58 – Being more open about her back as a disability, and being more relatable to others56:24 – 2024 Olympics?58:26 – How Kyra’s training changed leading up to the Olympics, and thriving in organized chaos1:01:40 – How Kyra’s climbing changed from the prep for the Olympics1:03:28 – Thoughts on speed climbing and psicobloc, and deep water soloing in Vietnam with Tim Emmett1:07:18 – Patron question from Liam: Have you always tried to climb fast in lead? Have you tried other styles?1:09:28 – Training your strengths, and supplementing to address weaknesses1:12:59 – Adopting Pepper and Pika (Kyra’s cats)1:15:30 – Martha the robot-vacuum1:17:08 – Skin and dishwashing gloves, and Kyra’s detergent sponsor1:19:22 – Cleaning/tidiness quarks1:21:23 – Sad movies, and looking for movies on Reddit1:25:08 – Marvel movies, and superheroes1:26:02 – Other favorite movies1:27:21 – Going blonde, and new tattoos1:31:47 – Patron question from Eli: What is your favorite part about your being so deeply ingrained or intertwined with climbing? What is the worst part?1:36:58 – Patron question from Eli: What do you hope the Olympic experience will bring to the broader climbing community?1:38:15 – Olympic memories1:39:14 – What Kyra is most proud of in her climbing career so far, and giving her best1:41:44 – What’s good1:43:07 – What’s next, where to find Kyra, and sharing advice on Reddit1:45:24 – Present focus

Austin Hoyt is an 18-year-old kid from New York whose tick list rivals some professional climbers. We talked about balancing school with climbing, what he learned from his first coach, his FA of ‘Flashing Lights’ V14, his love of The Gunks, making old-school climbing films, the support from his dad, and his ongoing goal to develop the bouldering scene in the Northeast.Check out Rhino Skin Solutions:rhinoskinsolutions.comUse code "NUGGET" at checkout for 20% off your next order!Support the Podcast:thenuggetclimbing.com/supportWe are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:Bryan Fast, Leo FranchiBecome a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/austin-hoytNuggets:4:30 – Austin’s bouldering stats at age 18, and how he fits climbing in while going to school8:12 – Some of Austin's typical weekend destinations9:48 – Favorite areas in the Northeast11:38 – How Austin started climbing (Ninja Warrior + ice cream shop), and doing V3 his first week15:11 – Crediting everything to his first coach Charlie, and negative reinforcement18:41 – Drills and spray wall climbing23:34 – Climbing at Powerlines, and getting into doing first ascents (FAs)25:25 – “Chase me”, and what Austin learned from watching his coach Charlie climb27:25 – Finding new boulders in famous areas29:17 – The Gunks, and Austin’s Gunkaholics film series33:40 – The season in The Gunks, and what Austin does when it rains for two weeks34:44 – Balancing projecting, outdoor climbing for volume, and indoor training37:15 – The mental battle of projecting, and the first ascent of ‘Flashing Lights’ V1443:14 – ‘Nuclear War’ V1345:52 – Filmmaking, and Austin’s film equipment and influence 49:18 – College plans and dreams to make adventure films52:00 – Plan for a gap year, and comp training54:42 – Dave Graham56:18 – How Austin trains power on a spray wall 57:30 – Guidance for setting a spray wall, and the skill of making up hard climbs to train on1:00:24 – What a spray wall session looks like, and training strengths vs. weaknesses1:02:28 – Patron Question from Brandon: Do you have any roped ambitions in New England?1:04:22 – Bouldering vs. trad in The Gunks1:05:44 – Patron Question from Will: What is your favorite crag north of The Gunks?1:07:48 – Patron Question from Jack: What is your favorite problem on the Speed Boulder at GB?1:08:55 – Patron Question from Avery: How did you become the master of vert?1:11:25 – Austin’s dad, motocross, and broken bones1:14:13 – How his dad supported him in climbing ‘Nuclear Base’ V141:17:39 – Austin’s new project1:19:18 – Climbing algorithms, “The Formula”, and Austin’s perspective on grades1:22:36 – The dream of becoming a pro climber, the current goal of developing the Northeast, my experiences in Leavenworth, and making lists1:26:05 – Applying to colleges near climbing1:27:07 – Beta Labs, and ideas for building his own business1:30:54 – Shoutouts to his sponsors

Joe Kinder is one of the hardest-working route developers in North America. We talked about his recent ascent of ‘Kinder Cakes’ 5.15a in Rifle, CO,  putting up routes in mediocre rock, leaving a legacy through route development, his love of projecting, current training approach, fashion influences, creating LOV, and his experience with cancellation and rebuilding a new life.Check out Chalk Cartel:chalkcartel.comUse code "NUGGET" at checkout for 20% off your next order!Support the Podcast:thenuggetclimbing.com/supportWe are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:Bryan Fast, Leo FranchiBecome a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/joe-kinderNuggets:6:50 – Clipping chains, Joe’s goals for his trip to Rifle, and the Wicked Cave11:01 – Putting up routes in mediocre rock14:54 – The responsibility and reward of putting up routes, and leaving a legacy18:16 – Establishing vs. FAing a route, and keeping routes open vs. red-tagging22:14 – “It’s a case-to-case scenario.”24:55 – Putting up hard vs. moderate routes, giving back, and being surprised by the difficulty of new lines27:33 – The emotional rollercoaster of projecting, how Joe and I met, and his love of climbing33:04 – Climbing as a drug addiction34:57 – My “addicty” behavior, and why Joe finds Jonathan Siegrist fascinating38:31 – The ebbs and flows, breaks, and comebacks43:59 – Embracing the plan B’s of life44:56 – Lessons from finger injuries49:18 – The Skull Cave, and how ‘Diarrhea Mouth’ got its name52:29 – ‘Kinder Cakes’, proposing grades, and picking limit projects in your style58:20 – Breakdown of ‘Kinder Cakes’, the send, and those special moments1:03:46 – The days after ‘Kinder Cakes’, and needing to work1:06:16 – Sushi celebration1:07:25 – How ‘Kinder Cakes’ stacks up against Joe’s other hardest routes, and “we do what we can”1:09:05 – Joe’s early climbing in New England, and the project-focused approach1:11:18 – Joe’s first experience with training, and planning his year around the Rifle project1:13:39 – Getting training ideas from Eric Horst, Patxi Usobiaga, and developing his own program1:16:37 – ‘Activator’, watching Cam repeat ‘Bone Tomahawk’, and Joe’s year leading up to ‘Kinder Cakes’1:23:47 – Purchasing strength, Joe’s outdoor vs. indoor balance, and more about the ‘Goonies’ project1:28:29 – The ‘Bone Tomahawk’ extension project1:31:47 – How Joe trained for ‘Kinder Cakes’ (month 1)1:41:31 – Training as a callus, and taking your time to build it up1:41:46 – How Joe trained for ‘Kinder Cakes’ (month 2)1:44:55 – Thoughts about in-season strength maintenance1:46:37 – Keeping an open mind, dropping the ego, and lessons from the Spaniards1:50:10 – “Always try shit.”1:50:39 – Who Joe looks up to in climbing1:53:38 – The current era of pro climbing, and how pro climbing has evolved1:57:01 – Stories, podcasting, and creating balance2:00:25 – Joe’s movies, LOV as a creative outlet1:04:55 – How LOV (Life of Villains) got its name, and rooting for the villains in movies2:07:25 – More about LOV (the brand), and collaborations with non-profits2:12:07 – Patron Question from Devon: How do you pick athletes for the LOV shirts, and can you make a replica of the Bruce Lee shirt that Josune is wearing in her photo?2:14:57 – Fashion influences, confidence, my bleached hair, and Joe’s nicknames for me2:20:42 – Patron Question from Ben: How does Joe’s experience climbing on established routes differ from FA’s?2:23:02 – Patron Question from Simon: Who has Joe drawn inspiration from outside of the sport of climbing?2:25:05 – Graffiti2:28:03 – Joe’s experience with cancelation2:42:09 – My thoughts about Joe and him rebuilding a new life2:47:45 – Thanks and an apology2:48:07 – Gratitude and appreciation2:50:01 – Support mode, then on to the next

Tyler Algeo is a Canadian who moved to Africa and started a climbing gym, with the goal of creating a socio-economically inclusive climbing community in Malawi. We talked about learning to climb in Ireland, living in Africa, founding Climb Malawi, adopting and raising his two black sons, Tyler’s work with The Climbing Initiative, and creating a better world through climbing.Donate To:safeclimbing.orgclimbmalawi.comclimbinginitiative.orgSupport the Podcast:thenuggetclimbing.com/supportWe are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:Bryan Fast, Leo FranchiBecome a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/tyler-algeoNuggets:5:05 – Living in Cincinnati and growing up in Calgary6:14 – Learning to climb in Ireland9:50 – Working in Ireland10:13 – How Tyler and his wife ended up in Malawi14:24 – Having to return to the States due to Covid, and salary differences between foreign workers and locals in Malawi17:25 – Description of Malawi, the topography, and rock climbing 21:39 – The population of Malawi, and why so many people move there from neighboring African countries24:23 – Day-to-day life in Malawi 27:05 – Having a housekeeper, and the risks of creating an upside-down economy 30:05 – Good intentions gone awry32:58 – Tyler’s climbing leading up to Malawi, and building a wall in his backyard 37:21 – The socioeconomic divide in Malawi, and how Climb Malawi was born42:26 – Other artificial climbing in Malawi44:50 – Outgrowing the backyard climbing wall45:35 – Local climbing in Malawi47:24 – The Climb Malawi climbing wall and location description52:44 – Ernest54:29 – Outdoor trips and introducing Malawians to rock climbing55:31 – Memphis Rox as an inspiration, and the Climb Malawi business model1:00:03 – The impact of covid on Climb Malawi, and Malawi itself1:03:17 – Tyler’s continued involvement with Climb Malawi1:05:38 – How living in Malawi has shaped Tyler’s perspective of what the global climbing community looks like1:09:05 – Ugly entitlement, the game of climbing, and introducing people to climbing with humility1:14:11 – The Chichewa language, and some route names and phrases1:18:47 – Bodie and Moses (Tyler’s adopted boys)1:22:42 – Tyler’s thoughts on moving to Denver with two black sons, and how to provide them with mentorship1:31:33 – “Try to use your privilege with honor.”1:33:16 – The Climbing Initiative1:49:48 – How listeners can support Climb Malawi and TCI 1:51:45 – Tyler’s current climbing, and working on his mental performance and making sport climbing more life-giving1:58:43 – Who’s doing the more impressive thing, climbing at your emotional limit, grades, and having a relationship with each route2:03:01 – A better world through climbing2:07:35 – Gratitude for family and his wife

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of my second Follow-Up with Steve Bechtel. We talked about when to stick with a training program vs. when to pivot, lessons from studying the NBA, how much LeBron James deadlifts, Steve’s climbing background, and how he climbed his first 5.14 at age 47, and his advice for me to improve power endurance.Become a Patron to get access to the full episode! And support the podcast! *The full version is 1:38:35.patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingVirtual Performance Climbing Coach Summit:the-climb-strong-pcc-classroom.teachable.com/p/virtual-pcc-summit2021-2022Steve's other episodes:EP 35: Steve BechtelFollow-Up: Steve Bechtel (our first one from January 2021)

Nathaniel Coleman is the men’s silver medalist of the Tokyo Olympics. We talked about his preparation for the games, training in a climbing sauna, the Olympic experience and winning silver, favorite root beer, Kendama as focus training, chess, why Nathaniel still practices the basics of climbing, doing the FA of ‘The Grand Illusion’ V16, and sport climbing plans.Support the Podcast:thenuggetclimbing.com/supportWe are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:Bryan FastBecome a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/nathaniel-colemanNuggets:4:30 – Garbage trucks, and a Tuesday morning in the life of Nathaniel Coleman6:04 – What the two months following the Olympics have looked like for Nathaniel8:20 – Finding out that climbing would be in the Olympics and having qualifying as a goal10:44 – How Nathaniel’s goals evolved throughout the process11:45 – Nathaniel’s mantra for combined nationals 2019, and the journey to qualifying15:25 – How Nathaniel used his mantra, and self-belief vs. letting go of expectations17:25 – Confidence, upbringing, and competing for himself20:27 – The dice roll of competition22:10 – Climbing with Kyle O’Meara, Nathaniel’s relaxed approach to training as a teenager, comparing himself to Sean Bailey, and thriving on a plan with “adequate rest”25:50 – Balancing listening to motivation and pushing through it26:46 – Typical training volumes for World Cup climbers30:39 – How Nathaniel’s training to qualify for the Olympics vs. how he trained for Tokyo34:25 – Balancing World Cups with prep for Tokyo36:01 – Building a climbing “sauna” at the USA training center36:15 – Getting used to climbing in the heat and humidity40:41 – How Tokyo compared to the training sauna43:19 – What it was like to get on the plane and fly to Tokyo46:28 – The qualifying round in Tokyo, and realizing he made finals52:16 – Recalibrating goals after making finals53:48 – Finals1:03:18 – Watching Jacob top the lead route1:05:55 – Patron Question from Tyler: When it was all said and done, what did you think about the Olympic format?1:08:19 – More context about the Olympic format, and  Nathaniel’s thoughts on continuing to speed climb after Tokyo1:10:35 – Great Aunt Armida1:13:04 – Nathaniel’s Instagram posts after winning silver in Tokyo1:14:54 – What Nathaniel’s accomplishment meant for US climbing 1:17:59 – The first and second perspective-changing events in Nathaniel’s climbing career1:19:55 – Thoughts about hard outdoor rock climbing vs. competitions moving forward1:21:54 – How Nathaniel balances training for outdoor routes vs. competitions, and preparing for a trip to the Red1:24:25 – Context about ‘The Grand Illusion’1:25:02 – Patron Question from Nick: Do you have any plans to come back to work on the ‘Lee Majors’ extension?1:27:34 –  Patron Question from Timothy: Does Nathaniel ever see himself getting into highball bouldering or trad/big wall climbing?1:28:54 – Thoughts on retiring from competitions (when and why)1:30:40 – Rootbeer1:32:58 – Kendama1:35:55 – How Nathaniel still practicing the basics in climbing1:38:56 – Bonz Atron (the Chris Sharma of Kendama)1:40:18 – Chess1:41:28 – What Nathaniel does to relax and recharge1:42:52 – Special thanks to Josh, Zach, and Meg1:44:44 – Excited for the Red1:45:58 – Gratitude

This is part 2 of my conversation with Tom Herbert. Tom shared some clarifications about part 1, we talked about the nervous system and the mind-body connection, how to relax before a session to improve your performance and power, how to turn off in the evenings to optimize recovery, and Tom shared about his childhood and ongoing struggle with anxiety from a chronic bladder issue.Support the Podcast:thenuggetclimbing.com/supportWe are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:Bryan FastBecome a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/tom-herbert-part-2Nuggets:4:35 – Tom’s anxiety about this conversation, my bleached hair, and red bush tea7:30 – Clarifications from Part 1, more carb considerations, and keeping a training journal18:12 – What Tom is currently working on with Aiden Roberts, and reducing fiber to drop water weight24:45 – Alpha GBC supplementation for vegetarians and vegans, Tom’s experiment with climbing 30 days in a row, and lessons about hydration29:44 – The mind-body connection33:21 – Anxiety, butterflies in your stomach, falling in love, and the physical pain of heartbreak36:27 – Examples of working with clients with fear of specific foods, the mathematics of fat gain, and intellectual vs. emotional conversations39:49 – Phobias, catastrophizing, pain research, and looking upstream44:21 – Referring clients out to therapy48:31 – The hamstring test, and the connection between breathing and relaxation51:35 – “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”, belly breathing, and the significance of climbing in a defensive (tight) state55:18 – Reset send, and how to relax before your climbing session to increase your passat reserve59:32 – “You have control over your mental state through your body”, the bidirectional influence of the nervous system, and heart rate variability1:03:05 – How the parasympathetic state opens up opportunity, and the effect of imitating different postures (the Shawshank pose)1:08:48 – Belly breathing for more passat1:11:23 – Bracing vs creating tension1:15:09 – Practicing turning tension on and off1:17:31 – Strong First and creating inter abdominal pressure1:18:43 – Sending the appropriate signal for your session, and how to prepare for powerful climbing1:24:41 – Replenishing the creatine phosphate system1:26:40 – How to turn off at the end of the day, and improve recovery1:31:07 – Tricks for sleep, sleeping posture, and self-massage (knuckling)1:35:15 – Tom’s foam roller ab stretch1:37:37 – Where your mind should be during the evening breathing practice, and rewiring your brain patterns1:40:35 – EMDR and brain spotting, and moving your eyes during your climbing session1:49:39 – Opening our field of vision, and why we feel relaxed in nature or at the ocean1:51:26 – How to increase power by marching in place, and climbing open1:53:09 – My plans to try EMDR on Eternia 1:55:05 – Tom’s childhood2:00:21 – Moving to the UK to become a techno DJ, and  getting into debt2:02:31 – Living off of milk and protein powder, getting kidney stones, and urinary urgency2:04:52 – Trapped in a small world2:08:20 – Empathy and patience for others2:10:50 – Life is chaos, losing his sister, and turning 402:15:35 – Causing ripples and creating freedom for other people2:19:10 – Doing things just because they are fun2:21:07 – Going back to pole dance2:22:54 – Good days and bad days, and moving in a better direction2:24:45 – Hoping to start working with people in person again, and 2022 plans for usefulcoach 

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of my second Follow-Up with Natasha Barnes. We talked about how each of us has changed as climbers from gaining muscle mass, how Natasha balances training for climbing with powerlifting, how powerlifting has made her a more patient athlete, encouraging vs. forcing adaptation, separating performing and training, and each of our climbing goals.Become a Patron to get access to the full episode! And support the podcast! *The full version is 1:16:25.patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingNatasha's other episodes:EP 32: Natasha BarnesFollow-Up: Natasha Barnes (our first one from April 2021)

Tom Herbert is known as the usefulcoach, and is a leader in climbing sports nutrition. We talked about common themes in clients he works with, his philosophy of getting climbers to eat more calories to support a higher training volume, muscle protein synthesis, carbohydrate recommendations and timing, food quality, leucine supplementation, and much more. Support the Podcast:thenuggetclimbing.com/supportWe are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:Bryan Fast (he's the first one!)Become a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/tom-herbert-part-1Nuggets:5:37 – The ambiance of Boulder, CO6:41 – Tom’s night at an outdoor club8:39 – The ClimbSci podcast (Tom’s old podcast project)10:23 – How Tom’s nutrition approach has changed since the ClimbSci podcast days, and seeking critique on Reddit12:30 – How I connected with Tom via Hazel Findlay, and my goal for this conversation15:04 – Who is Tom Herbert (@usefulcoach), and getting climbers to eat more to get more out of life19:45 – Common themes in the clients Tom works with22:56 – How climbers tend to eat the least amount of food they can get away with, and the weight of food and water 27:36 – Book recommendations are not real life, and Tom’s experiment with a cycling diet of very high carb30:56 – Michael Phelps, and Tom’s central message of eating more so we can do more training38:34 – Weight vs. lean mass and body composition44:53 – Gaining lean body mass while training47:45 – Progress in your training plan as a prime metric50:53 – My experience with being stronger and lean but “fluffy around the middle”, Tom’s experience working with physique athletes, and breaking down the ideals we have in our heads as climbers55:47 – The disconnect between looking badass and being badass, and “we tend to want to look like we climb harder than we actually climb.”58:35 – “Is this everything I can do with my body?”, “Am I doing everything I can do to be healthy?”, and excepting our bodies1:01:33 – Fat loss is not a linear process1:02:24 – Aidan Roberts’ DEXA scan, and the cost of dieting1:06:34 – Accounting for different bodies looking different at the same body fat percentage, and the selection bias of naturally lean people in pro climbing1:10:42 – Tracking absolute strength, and focusing on improving the quality and the volume of your training over time1:14:57 – Staying the same weight at higher calories, and reaching a new homeostasis if you do increase weight1:17:44 – My experience with gaining weight, finding a new homeostasis, and getting stronger than ever before1:20:20 – Energy availability, and how many calories Tom has his athletes eat on a rest day and training day (using me as an example)1:29:17 – Protein, muscle-protein synthesis, and eating protein 4-5 times per day1:37:57 – Tom’s thoughts on my daily protein intake1:40:29 – Waving carb amounts, and Tom’s recommendations for me for daily carbs1:44:21 – Saturating the climbing/training session with glucose, and the benefits of a low carb dinner1:51:28 – Tom’s thoughts on carb backloading1:57:08 – Two questions about carbs, and the main 2 reasons why Tom likes to wave carb amounts2:04:20 – Summary of Tom’s carb strategy, and thoughts on skipping breakfast 2:06:28 – Food quality2:08:12 – Patron question from Tyler: Thoughts on protein powders and artificial flavoring?2:13:19 – Why Tom doesn’t like BCAA’s2:15:51 – More on food quality and nutrient density2:20:49 – Seed oils2:22:19 – Tom’s stance on meat and animal products2:24:34 – Beans, legumes, and anti-nutrients2:27:06 – Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)2:31:34 – Gratitude

Craig DeMartino is a rock climber, motivational speaker, and teacher. His life changed in 2002 when he took a 100-foot ground fall. We talked about Craig’s accident and recovery, the decision to amputate his leg, climbing harder than ever after the accident, doing El Cap in a day, dealing with chronic pain, teaching adaptive climbing, and embracing a new normal.Support the Podcast:thenuggetclimbing.com/supportBecome a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/craig-demartinoNuggets:3:28 – El Cap, Craig’s son, and owning what you like6:09 – His kids catching the climbing bug, and watching sports from the sidelines8:12 – Adaptive sports, ball sports, and exploring sports outside the box9:30 – Bouldering with a prosthetic leg11:30 – Craig’s recent broken foot15:23 – Trauma, avoiding getting hurt gain, and the hardware in his foot17:00 – Being in Estes, relistening to EP 11 of the Enormocast, and sitting down in person20:30 – Craig’s accident36:05 – Waking up in the hospital, moving to an assisted living home, and eventually returning home42:52 – The human body is amazing43:51 – “Fuck it. I’m gonna cut my leg off and see what happens.” -Craig DeMartino54:40 – “Who am I in this new form?”56:04 – The barking dog, and the human barometer58:42 – Pain and visualization1:02:05 – Being honest about the ups and downs, and moving away from the accident1:05:03 – New identities, and Hugh Herr1:06:00 – “I would never change it”, and finding purpose in teaching adaptive sports1:11:06 – Craig’s life before the accident, helping people now, and inclusivity1:15:22 – Being a climber first, and the first all-adaptive ascent of El Cap1:16:40 – Helping trauma patients find flow state through climbing1:19:56 – Working through triggers and PTSD1:22:56 – Craig’s recovery status1:24:55 – How to hack the perspective without the injury, and how Will’s (Craig’s son’s) coach Mikey influenced him1:29:15 – Question from Chris Kalous: “Why do you swear so much, Craig?”1:31:54 – Patron question from Tyler: What made your story so captivating when you shared it on the Enormocast?1:35:35 – Talking with Steve and remembering the accident, and going back to ‘White Man’1:38:52 – Rannveig’s story, self-blame, and moving forward1:41:48 – Patron question from Graham: How can people in the helping professions provide better opportunities for empowerment for people with disabilities?1:47:23 – Patron question from Levi: How could we go about making a centralized group for adaptive climbers?1:51:07 – How to connect with Craig1:52:00 – Patron question from Andrew: Have you tried custom prosthetics for a specific move or route?1:55:54 – Craig’s quiver of legs, and our amazing feet1:58:24 – Patron question from Eli: What have been some of the hardest lessons, and best and encouraging ones since your fall?2:00:40 – “When you get up there, don’t take no for an answer.” - HK2:01:56 – Rock climbing is hard, and explaining rock climbing to your Grandma2:04:04 – Patron question from Eli: What advice might you have for other climbers with kids?2:09:09 – Most meaningful climbs since the injury, speed climbing El Cap with Hans Florine, and sport climbing with Cindy (Craig’s wife)2:16:30 – Climbing his hardest after the accident2:19:18 – Sending ‘Dirty Smelly Hippie’, soft grades, and feeling confident at 12d2:23:16 – The steep style of the Red, climbing with one leg, and Tommy Caldwell as the most famous amputee2:26:55 – Patron question from Ken Klein: Moving to Puerto Rico, what will you miss most about the Fort Collins scene? How has it evolved in your time there?2:28:53 – Continuing the work in Puerto Rico, and chasing shorts weather2:32:54 – Why Craig hates pants2:34:44 – What Craig hopes to still accomplish in his climbing2:36:48 – How the experience of climbing scales2:37:58 – Grateful for opportunities2:39:00 – We are all struggling with something2:41:38 – Life is fluid

Josh Wharton is one of the most badass climbers you’ve never heard of. He does it all at an elite level. We talked about tips for hard flashing and onsighting, how alpine climbing relates to rock climbing, training to flash El Cap, the value of taking risks in life, being a climbing parent, climbing in Pakistan, how to find an adventure without flying overseas, and the benefits of stiff shoes.Support the Podcast:thenuggetclimbing.com/supportBecome a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/josh-whartonNuggets:3:55 – Josh’s age, and physical vs. technical/tactical progression5:40 – How Josh manages to be such a good all-arounder and still climb 5.149:13 – Trying to do every route in the Black Canyon and Rifle 11:42 – Uber loc(al)s, and using obscure easy routes to prepare for big mountains13:02 – Josh’s flash and onsight ability, tips and tricks, and climbing with a lot of confidence17:01 – How to get better at onsighting and flashing18:49 – Why Josh made the decision to stop redpointing routes he knows he can do20:11 – Overlapping flashing or onsighting22:30 – Josh’s go-to schedule for combining onsighting with projecting on a trip24:22 – How being a parent has changes Josh’s climbing priorities, rock climbing and alpine climbing as different sports, and the rewards of alpine climbing30:53 – “Everything is training, and nothing is training”, and alpine climbing in the Canadian Rockies35:43 – Having dinner with Barry Blanchard37:03 – A message from Jonah, and what Josh has learned from each type of climbing40:26 – Variety as a source of motivation42:20 – A glimpse into Josh’s experience climbing Wheeler Peak48:04 – Patron question from Timothy: Why did Josh climb in the Black Canyon so much? What routes had the biggest impact on him? 54:03 – Latok and Ogar56:21 – The cost of a trip to Pakistan59:48 – What a trip to Pakistan looks like, and “Expectations often define an experience.”1:01:17 – More about Latok1:03:50 – How Josh would prepare for another attempt on Latok1:09:02 – Sport dry tooling, and winning the Ouray Ice Fest three years in a row1:12:48 – Learned about training from dry tooling competitions1:16:27 – The evolution of Josh’s training, and principles of training1:22:05 – The secret sauce1:25:02 – Josh’s training staples, and working with Lattice1:29:54 – Getting away from having to perform well every time you go climbing1:32:24 – Prioritizing climbing vs. training1:33:24 – Josh’s 60-degree campus board (joke), and how the Lattice training is going1:37:04 – Josh’s goal for 2021 (try to flash Freerider)1:39:55 – How Josh set the boulder problem on Freerider to spec1:41:37 – Preparing for the Monster Offwidth1:43:50 – Yuji’s article about trying to onsight El Cap1:45:14 – Patron questions from Henry: How much has parenthood reduced your tolerance for risk?1:50:55 – Hera, and Josh’s parallel universe in the NBA1:52:40 – Using climbing as a tool for travel, and more about climbing as a parent1:55:26 – Josh’s early climbing with his dad1:57:16 – Patron question from Garret: Any CO areas that don’t get the respect they deserve?1:59:12 – Patron question from Randall: Favorite zone or route in Montana? Other favorites in the States?2:02:10 – Patron question from Benjamin: Thoughts on the new Scarpa Boostic?2:05:35 – Shoe stiffness for Rifle, and analyzing the soft shoe trend2:07:42 – Shoe sizes, and Josh’s shoe plan for Freerider2:10:03 – Patron question from Benjamin: If Josh could only climb in one discipline for the rest of his life, what would he choose?2:10:41 – What’s next for Josh?2:14:55 – Gratitude

In Q&A 3, I tackle patron questions about my two most successful winters of training on my home wall back in Bend, how my training has evolved and what it looks like now, how to maintain strength while living on the road and climbing full-time, advice for nomadic living, life mottos, try-hard mindset, hair dye, M&Ms, singalong jams, and much more.Become a Patron:  patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing One-On-One Consultations:thenuggetclimbing.com/coachingShow Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/qa-3Nuggets:0:00 – Q&A 3 overview, and info about Patreon and one-on-one consultations5:05 – Faelan’s Question: Lessons from two winters of training on my (Steven’s) home wall, and my best week of climbing ever16:20 – Andrew K’s Question: Have you ever visited The New or other east coast crags? What areas do you dream of visiting?17:44 – Jimmy’s Question: How much running should someone do for sport climbing to build cardio?20:39 – Joe’s Question: Am I limiting myself by only climbing near home in Tahoe? Which areas should I travel to in order to grow the most as a climber?25:03 – Joe’s Question: Any advice for me as I pursue a new video project and start creating content?28:19 – Andrew W’s Question: Why have you struggled to make gains in your training in the past? How has your training evolved? How do you train now?35:30 – Andrew W’s Question: Tips for building and maintaining community while living on the road?38:08 – Andrew W’s Question: Do you have a quote or motto that best describes your approach to living?41:26 – Casey’s Question: Any advice for training/maintaining strength while living on the road?48:42 – Clay’s Question: How do you think about the question, “How do you think about that?”51:19 – Casey M’s Question: Did you really dye your hair blonde? Why not purple?52:44 – Casey M’s Question: Any person totally non-climbing-related that you would love to have on the podcast?55:52 – Casey M’s Question: Have you ever absentmindedly picked all of the M&Ms out of someone else's trail mix? 56:19 – Casey M’s Question: You are riding in the car with a friend and you are the DJ: what do you pick to sing along to?57:23 – Casey M’s Question: What mindset do you try to channel when trying hard?59:00 – Casey M’s Question: When will you start trying to do stunts in videos? Can we send you skateboard tricks?

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Allison Vest. We talked about her sends of ‘Throwin’ the Houlihan’ and ‘Rodeo Free Europe’ (both 5.14a) at the Wild Iris, how she trained her fingers for the savage monos, stories and laughs from her road trip with Alex Johnson, rapping, reciting the Periodic Table of Elements in under 45 seconds, music collaborations, and much more.Become a Patron to get access to the full episode! And support the podcast! *The full version is 53:16.patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

Ben Ditto is a professional climber and photographer from Bishop, California. We talked about Ben’s upbringing and early climbing, competing against Chris Sharma and Tommy Caldwell, falling in love with the mountains, Dynafit dangling and near-death experiences, advice for aspiring photographers, The Adventures of the Dodo, and climbing ‘Father Time’ with his wife Katie Lambert. You can learn more about Ben at bendittophoto.comSupport the Podcast:thenuggetclimbing.com/supportBecome a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/ben-dittoNuggets:3:26 – Filming a car commercial4:54 – Ben’s studio, and staying interested in learning new things6:58 – Ben’s photography, Instagram captions, and visual storytelling9:18 – Getting started in photography, Ben’s first camera, and photography as a ticket to freedom11:42 – Pursuing a life that doesn’t fit in a box, growing up in Chattanooga TN, and Ben’s dad16:01 – Early climbing19:34 – ‘Scared guy’24:18 – Hunter S Thomson quote, “the edge is still out there.”25:05 – Belaying his dad, improving, getting into competition climbing, and flying to San Francisco34:54 – Failing to perform well on a national stage, and competing at Mission Cliffs against Chris Sharma and Tommy Caldwell39:09 – Early sponsorships42:28 – Moving to Salt Lake, working at the Patagonia store, and falling in love with mountains44:46 – Climbing in the Wasatch, climbing with heroes, American Fork, and finding a different crew50:28 – Career choices, going with what feels natural, and delaying big decisions53:38 – Making stuff, trade booths, getting back into photography, noticing the impact we have on the planet, studying photojournalism, and learning by managing other photographers1:01:30 – Ben’s advice for aspiring photographers1:05:22 – Patron Question from Elliot: How to take photos while alpine climbing? 1:08:01 – Behind the scenes of great alpine photography1:10:40 – Climbing and photography as separate things1:13:38 – Patron Question from Tim: What location or climber are you most proud of photographing?1:18:55 – ‘Dynafit dangler’1:32:48 – Processing risk and death, and “You owe it to your climbing partners to really want to be there.”1:38:01 – Stacking the odds in your favor, and being involved in search and rescue1:44:17 – Driving as a pet peeve, and environmental considerations1:47:17 – The Wild Bunch1:57:11 – Harmonica, traveling solo in Patagonia, and sailing to Greenland2:04:20 – ‘The Adventures of the Doto’2:10:32 – The group’s current adventures2:13:29 – Climbing ‘Father Time’ with Katie, and the strategy vs. ethics of big wall free climbing2:30:16 – Relaxing after the climb, and difficulty of the route2:34:08 – Beefing up the resume, and jumping into the commercial world2:38:11 – Gratitude, and plans for a trip to the South2:40:24 – Update on my climbing, Ben’s website, and working on accident reports

Alejandra (Alita) Contreras is a half Colombian half Venezualan professional rock climber, coach, and translator. We talked about the economic situation in Venezuela and why she moved to Colombia six years ago, about living in Germany and translating training books by Udo Neumann, about coaching women, our global climbing family, and her current 5.14a project.Support the Podcast:thenuggetclimbing.com/supportBecome a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/alita-contrerasNuggets:1:50 – Alegria3:52 – Alita vs. Alejandra6:40 – The situation in Venezuela, and why Alita emigrated to Columbia14:21 – Studying languages, Alita’s father, singing opera, and becoming interested in Germany18:48 – Separating languages in your head21:13 – Tips for learning a new language25:36 – Thinking differently, and having different personalities in different languages28:13 – Bad milk29:42 – The many things Alita does for work, and coaching a women’s group34:05 – Patterns Alita notices in working with women climbers, and what she works on with her group39:23 – Empowering girls and educating guys41:46 – Researching a new project to help women with cancer regain physical and emotional health through climbing45:55 – Translating Udo Neuman’s books into Spanish48:30 – Parallels with translating and the podcast, and the big takeaways from Udo’s books54:51 – In Search of Greatness (documentary), going with the current of motivation, and being honest with yourself59:11 – The powerful 13a that Alita is most proud of (even though she has climbed 13d)1:02:29 – My season of seeking out obscure 12d’s at Smith, and the benefit of climbing easier routes outside of your best style1:05:16 – Alita’s 14a project1:08:59 – Macheta climbing area, and a description of the 14a1:10:45 – Alita’s video of ‘Los Tenahos Contratican’, and similarities to Hueco1:11:33 – Dreams of climbing at the Red, and climbing in Europe1:12:53 – Alita’s favorite climbing destinations1:15:00 – Living and climbing near the equator, and tactics for projecting when you don’t have seasons1:19:10 – How Alita thinks about yearly goals1:21:12 – Continuing to improve, and enjoying the process1:26:07 – Living in Canada, competing in one competition, and Alita’s hype-up song1:31:33 – Patron question from Eli: What is the local climbing like in your area? Similarities and differences in climbing cultures around  the world?1:36:18 – Gratitude for Alegria (her dog)1:39:46 – A new opportunity1:37:25 – Aspirations to be a pro-climber?1:39:01 – Vulnerability and the gift of sharing 1:40:10 – Gratitude, and meaningful connections

Dylan Barks is an elite-level boulder and sport climber, and a dark horse in the climbing scene. He sent ‘Creature from the Black Lagoon’, his first V16, just two weeks after this interview. We talked about how Dylan uses a spray wall for 95% of his training, how he prepares for both bouldering and sport climbing trips, and about recovering from an eating disorder to climb his hardest ever.Support the Podcast:thenuggetclimbing.com/supportBecome a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/dylan-barksNuggets:4:00 – Vanlife pipedreams, Dylan’s work and school, and finding his groove climbing outside 7:05 – Being in both the competition and outdoor worlds8:30 – Bad haircut timing, and the alpine as a harsh and special place11:32 – How Dylan prepared for his trip to RMNP, and spray wall training for both bouldering and sport climbing14:11 – Dylan’s training philosophy, and why he uses the spray wall16:24 – The value of benchmarks, and mixing limit bouldering with perfect repeats17:58 – ‘A Day in Boone’, how Dylan has trained his capacity, and session format21:40 – The line between capacity training vs. junk mileage23:45 – Deep dive: spray wall session format26:32 – 60 move circuits, running, and pushing through vs. resting31:23 – Watching Dylan on ‘Wild Cat’, and his story about competing against Daniel Woods37:00 – Internalizing the feeling of a move, and bringing intention to all of your climbing39:17 – Sending ‘White Noise’, and finding another gear on this trip40:20 – Taking the lower grade, and being his own harshest critic41:32 – Where Dylan sees a lot of climbers going wrong in their training and improvement43:44 – Coaching Jon, and coaching the team in MI45:43 – Starting climbing at summer camp46:33 – ‘Southern Smoke Direct’, taking a hiatus due to an eating disorder, and the light at the end of a dark tunnel48:52 – Sharing about an eating disorder, and how Dylan’s struggle started 51:51 – Dysmorphia, and “Your body’s got it.”56:00 – A couple of paragraphs from ‘Weighing In’ 1:01:13 – Trusting the process, seeing things working, and the tricks our mind can play on us1:04:57 – Looking at old pictures1:06:04 – What 18-year-old Dylan needed to hear1:08:28 – Going to the hospital, rebuilding relationships, and turning things around1:10:48 – Mike, and “feed the beast”1:12:14 – Untapped potential for strength, and thoughts vs. actions1:15:08 – Navigating negative thoughts1:17:00 – Using your climbing and training as the main driver for body composition1:20:19 – Climbing ‘Arrested Development’ second try1:24:15 – Mindful climbing, and being in the present moment1:25:52 – Practicing mindfulness1:26:52 – If you could only do one more hard rock climb…1:28:35 – That “click”1:30:14 – Southern sandstone1:31:21 – Go-to climbing shoes1:33:02 – Warming up your technique1:34:35 – Trying ‘Creature from the Black Lagoon’1:36:04 – School, and getting out his “ya yas”1:37:25 – Aspirations to be a pro-climber?1:39:01 – Vulnerability and the gift of sharing 1:40:10 – Gratitude, and meaningful connections

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Steve Maisch. We talked about the aerobic system and oxygen testing with Tyler Nelson, how to maintain climbing fitness during mountain biking season, my summer training program and my plan for the fall and winter, how Steve is preparing for his own trip to Hueco this winter, and we did a listener Q&A from our last episode.Become a Patron to get access to the full episode! And support the podcast! *The full version is 2:45:31.patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

Emil Abrahamsson is an elite boulderer, route setter, and YouTuber from Sweden. We talked about goal setting and projecting his first V15 as a V9 climber, the importance of psych and inspiration, experimenting with hangboarding two times per day, how to do one-arm pullups, sharing the experience of outdoor climbing through films, and making a living through his YouTube channel.Support the Podcast:thenuggetclimbing.com/supportBecome a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/emil-abrahamssonNuggets:3:11 – Building a van and planning a bouldering trip around Europe6:01 – My bouldering goals, Emil’s progression, and setting goals9:27 – Trying a V15 as a V9 climber, and how a lot of climbers stay “comfortable” at a specific level12:53 – ‘The Big Island’ 17:17 – Emil’s first day of climbing, struggling early on, and getting hooked19:38 – Alternating difficulty and volume goals21:32 – ‘The Queen Mother’ (Emil’s first 8B/V13 project in Stockholm), and the limiting power of expectations29:21 – Reflecting on ‘The Queen Mother’, and prioritizing psych and motivation32:00 – Felix37:13 – “Swiss Recruitment”, or the Swiss style of projecting41:00 – How Emil got into YouTubing, capturing the experience of outdoor climbing, and my impression as a viewer44:27 – Forgetting to charge the batteries, and the stress vs. fun of filming47:42 – Work-life balance when you love your work, and turning YouTubing into a career49:34 – How to balance capturing footage with training or performing, and capturing the good and the bad51:15 – Emil’s “No Hangs” hangboard video, and his caveat for training advice56:00 – Quick overview of the “No Hang” hangboard protocol, and Emil’s theory of why his fingers got stronger1:00:16 – We get most of our strength through climbing1:01:41 – 4x4s and other climbing games 1:04:10 – Training your strengths, and practicing weaknesses through climbing1:06:59 – How Emil structures his training, and embracing the stretching “pain game”1:11:49 – Turning challenges into positives, and the benefits Emil has noticed from stretching1:14:46 – Patron question from Florian about avoiding crimping early on in his climbing, and how Emil worked to improve his crimp strength later1:18:34 – How Emil rewired his brain to think, “Full crimps are comfortable. I can enjoy these.”1:19:32 – Emil’s crimp progression and current level1:21:53 – One-arm pull-ups, 4mm crimps, front levers, and getting weaker on purpose to get better at technique1:28:55 – Emil’s recommendations for progressing to a one-arm pullup1:33:41 – How Emil pronounces his name, and a Patron question from Flynn about training for indoors vs. outdoors and competing in World Cups1:41:12 – Flash training 1:43:44 – World Cup goals, and the flame of competition1:47:34 – What is one of the weirdest/worst training experiments that you’ve tried?1:50:24 – Favorite films, the critical eye, and the need for consistent content1:54:48 – Recommendations for new viewers1:56:35 – Emil’s dream collaboration1:58:17 – Gratitude2:01:03 – Finishing the van, and plans for Switzerland and Italy

Boone Speed is a photographer, innovator, and was the first American to climb 5.14b with his route ‘Super Tweak’ in Logan Canyon, UT. We talked about Boone’s upbringing, discovering climbing in American Fork, most memorable routes and trips, bolting and training in the Hell Cave, creating the Grasshopper Board, and his vision for the future of artificial climbing.Support the Podcast:thenuggetclimbing.com/supportBecome a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/boone-speedNuggets:2:17 – The Paleo Diet, and Boone’s lunchables4:51 – Twitching on airplanes, and cutting out sugar6:09 – Being a picky eater as a kid6:47 – Growing up in Lindon UT, and the development of Silicon Slope8:11 – Working at the bronze foundry as a teenager, and Boone’s dad 12:48 – The expectations Boone’s parents had for him, and being proud of how he’s lived his life14:42 – Thriving in the chaos, and Boone’s beautiful and art-filled house15:35 – Boone’s sister, ‘Frequent Flyers’, and advice from his mom about raising his son21:07 – Ignoring bad behavior and praising good behavior22:20 – His son being surrounded by art, and getting into product design24:34 – How Boone got “bitten” by climbing, Smith Rock, and early “sport climbing” in 198627:17 – Ice climbing and telemark skiing29:32 – Climbing his first 5.13 in 1987, getting the power drill, and developing sport routes at Red Rocks33:33 – Studying photography and design at BYU33:59 – Hanging out in American Fork as a kid, and discovering climbing there37:04 – The Hell Cave44:37 – Milestones in The Hell Cave for Boone47:33 – The steepest crag in the world49:35 – Establishing the rest of Hell50:44 – The first snowbird comp, and getting validation from the guys in the magazines52:49 – Getting recognition, developing the VRG, and texting Ondra after he did ‘Necessary Evil’56:23 – Boone’s first climbing gym in a storage unit in 1987, and training by climbing every single day58:55 – Working at IME, Boone’s mom, and the structure of a photograph 1:03:12 – Climbing as a healthy addiction, and blending climbing with art1:06:31 – The photography Boone has in his house1:08:28 – The throughline of innovation, and creating stuff for themselves1:10:37 – The first crash pads, and climbing ‘Midnight Lightning’ with The Spot1:14:12 – The “need” that lead to starting Grasshopper1:19:14 – How I could train for ‘Just Do It’ on the Grasshopper board1:21:03 – My experience with training on a home woody, repetition as a path to mastery, and running laps in the Hell Cave1:23:18 – A day in the Hell Cave 1:25:17 – ‘Ice Cream’ in Hell1:27:57 – The two moments in climbing that have blown Boone away1:29:09 – The responsibility of pushing climbing forward, and passing the torch to Chris Sharma1:34:47 – Memories from a trip to China with Sharma and MC, and other favorite memories1:36:31 – Watching old climbing films with his wife Bailey1:37:23 – Working on Grasshopper with MC and Bailey1:43:45 – Addressing the climbing need, and installing a Grasshopper at a brand new HOA1:47:38 – Training on ergonomic vs. sharp and tweaky holds1:52:24 – What products Grasshopper is currently offering 1:56:21 – Creating products as an excuse “to make good photos again”, and finding product-market fit with the Grasshopper board2:02:06 – The route function2:10:12 – ‘Necessary Evil’, yoga, and strengthening2:12:57 – Tequila, surfing, wanting to perform, and using the board to stay within striking distance2:19:03 – What is standing between Boone and ‘Necessary Evil’, and Boone’s pandemic routine2:21:37 – How to be a fit 56-year-old2:24:20 – Yoga2:25:56 – Gratitude2:26:29 – Good things take time2:28:42 – How Boone and I met

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Nathan Hadley. We talked about his recent 10-day trip to RMNP, in which he sent ‘The Honeymoon is Over’ and flashed the ‘Gambler’s Fallacy’ on The Diamond. We talked about how Nathan prepared for the trip, how he and his partner Mike Kerzhner sussed ‘The Honeymoon’, and the day of the send.Become a Patron to get access to the full episode! And support the podcast! *The full version is 1:03:36.

Neely Quinn is the founder of TrainingBeta, and the long-time host of The TrainingBeta Podcast. We talked about Neely’s health journey and discovering paleo, not wanting a boss, why she decided to create TrainingBeta, lessons learned from hosting 160+ interviews, injuries and surgery, project piano pieces, kids vs. houses, and her new puppy named Willa.Support the Podcast:thenuggetclimbing.com/supportBecome a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/neely-quinnNuggets:2:30 – The other side of the mic4:11 – Singing and piano, and hating performing 7:21 – Connections between podcasting, climbing, and music10:00 – Not wanting a boss, creating TrainingBeta, and Neely’s background in the paleo world11:40 – Neely’s initial plan for TrainingBeta, and the podcast as an afterthought12:35 – Scratching her own itch, getting fired, and brainstorming16:48 – Downloads and reads, the weight loss topic, and my eating disorder story20:58 – How to talk about fat loss, and how to do that in a healthy manner24:09 – Writing a book about the paleo diet, Neely’s health journey, and the impact of food on health29:15 – Neely’s diet before paleo30:19 – Why Neely rarely recommends the paleo diet, and the individuality of nutrition coaching32:42 – Neely’s most common nutrition recommendations (carb sources, protein, and artificials)37:06 – Neely’s diet39:06 – Chocolate40:14 – Common symptoms that are often connected to food44:14 – How to think about doing an elimination diet (if you are having symptoms)47:44 – Patron question from PogoStickJoe: Efficacy from Collagen?50:34 – Probiotics53:48 – Neely’s nutrition coaching and program55:22 – Neely’s surprise at the success of the TrainingBeta podcast and blog56:56 – The early days, growing TrainingBeta, and different measures of success1:01:31 – Balancing a business with climbing1:02:27 – Commitment, and the entrepreneurial spirit1:04:46 – Top lessons that Neely has learned from hosting 160+ episodes of the TrainingBeta podcast1:07:54 – Mindset, self-improvement, and the early days of training content1:10:31 – Some of the training exercises that helped Neely get to be her strongest ever, and wrist curls1:14:02 – Injuries, handstands, and wrist surgery1:16:26 – The ebbs and flows of motivation, and learning to be kinder to ourselves 1:18:23 – Imposter syndrome, and being a conduit for information1:20:06 – ‘Tomb Raider’, and being enough1:20:53 – Depression, comparison, and putting things in perspective1:23:59 – Piano, music, and balancing passions1:27:24 – Reality TV, and the Bachelorette  1:28:36 – Children vs. house1:29:26 – Kids1:32:36 – Willa and projecting1:34:18 – Patron question from Howard: Favorite local gym and favorite front range crag?1:35:32 – Rifle and the Red River Gorge1:36:29 – Getting recognized at the crag1:37:45 – New stuff with TrainingBeta, and adult climbing teams1:39:56 – Gratitude1:40:51 – Upcoming climbing trips, and closing thoughts

Christine Deyo is a professional route setter, and the former head route setter at the Austin Bouldering Project. We talked about Christine’s path to route setting, learning to be creative, setting challenges and games, the Fontainebleau circuit system, the responsibility of route setters, competitions, the role of diversity in setting, and the future of the climbing industry.Support the Podcast:thenuggetclimbing.com/supportBecome a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingClimbWell Retreat:climbwell.co/retreat-rifleUse code "NUGGET10" for 10% discount!Show Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/christine-deyoNuggets:2:30 – Christine’s dad, and falling in love with bouldering4:44 – Why Oregon?6:02 – Studying biochemistry, unemployment, and discovering route setting9:38 – The Nightly Business Report on PBS11:58 – Christine’s early route setting education14:26 – How route setting qualifications have evolved, and what Christine looks for when hiring a route setter18:57 – Three notable chapters in Christine’s evolution as a route setter28:36 – What makes a good setter?34:33 – The circuit system at the Bouldering Projects36:33 – How circuits work in Fontainebleau41:22 – How grades work within circuits44:23 – Combining the circuit system with the training boards, and improving at climbing aside from strength47:10 – How Christine uses the circuit system for training purposes50:45 – Patron question from Tyler: What are your thoughts on parkour-style setting and balancing that with movement found on real rock?58:16 – Patron question from Joe: Are there ways to get setters around the world to collaborate more?1:03:17 – Patron question from Tim: Where do you draw inspiration from when setting routes? (Christine’s collection of note cards.)1:07:30 – Creativity can be learned, creating constraints, and route setting challenges/games1:13:01 – Tonde’s email, the responsibility of setters, and the role of diversity in route setting1:20:31 – Questions from Tonde: What value do female setters bring to a setting team? Why bother with diversity?1:26:28 – More questions from Tonde: Is setting art? Where is setting going? The future of setting for competitions?1:30:45 – The role route setters play in competitions1:44:52 – What is the value of route setters in the climbing industry?1:47:50 – Safety in route setting1:53:06 – Setter salaries, ages, and turnover1:56:54 – How we move setting forward as a profession2:02:03 – Christine’s tips for taking care of yourself as a route set2:09:04 – Christine’s career, and what’s next2:14:19 – Learning to set dynos2:19:55 – Gratitude 

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Dru Mack. We talked about how his approach has changed since our first conversation, the process of sending ‘Life of Villains’ 14d, and how he used a hangboard to improve his power endurance for the route, intentional breathing, rest day adventures, recent books, new music, and the goal of 5.15.Become a Patron to get access to the full episode! And support the podcast! *The full version is 48:46.

Hazel Findlay is a professional climber and mental training coach from the UK, known for her boldness on dangerous and difficult trad routes. We talked about common themes in mental coaching, how the ego manifests in our climbing, supporting your partners, fear of falling, and Hazel’s mental approach while projecting the legendary ‘Magic Line’, her first 5.14c.Support the PodcastBecome a PatronClimbWell Retreat:climbwell.co/retreat-rifleUse code "NUGGET10" for 10% discount!Show Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/hazel-findlayNuggets:5:00 – Talking across time zones, and Hazel’s home in Wales7:00 – Masters studies, Brexit + covid, and Hazel’s lifestyle these days9:33 – Being trapped on the ferry curing covid11:25 – Weather in Wales16:11 – Priorities, balancing climbing, coaching, and school, and doing stuff that involves others20:52 – Coaching is asking questions, and helping people figure out what they want and how they can get there25:27 – The ego27:42 – How the ego manifests in our climbing, and loosening our attachment to outcomes30:52 – Patron Question from Tyler: What type of people are most likely to seek coaching?33:42 – Patron Question from Tyler: Differences between men and women (in general) when it comes to fear of falling37:05 – Patron Question from Tyler: Advice when supporting someone who is working on their mental game?40:37 – More resources on fear of falling41:32 – Patron Question from Kellen: Differences between advanced and new climbers when it comes to mental training needs.43:17 – Patron Question from Will: How to balance between confidence vs. cockiness, and cultural differences in confidence48:46 – Magic Line description54:51 – Hazel’s mental practice while climbing Magic Line58:18 – Jasna’s email, and what inspired Hazel about Magic Line1:04:19 – Question from Jasna: How did Hazel prepare for the possibility of failure?1:07:37 – Keeping your head and climbing better1:08:40 – Daily mental practices 1:11:20 – Hazel’s thoughts on the lack of publicity of Magic Line1:15:17 – Patron Question from Jen: Any advice from Hazel’s shoulder surgery and recovery?1:24:03 – Patron Question from AnnaMarie: Most memorable climb? 1:25:03 – Next El Cap route?1:25:56 – Escaping to Greece during covid, and her upcoming trip to the states1:29:14 – How to connect with Hazel1:30:18 – Gratitude

Robb Wolf is a former research biochemist and 2x New York Times best-selling author of The Paleo Solution and Wired To Eat. We talked about his breakfast, how he tackles nutrition with his two kids, his path to the paleo diet, why low-carb is not necessarily ideal for hard-charging athletes, the importance of protein and sleep, and about his latest book Sacred Cow.Support the PodcastBecome a PatronJoin the Facebook GroupShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/robb-wolfNuggets:3:17 – Overview of the conversation5:22 – Robb’s breakfast breakdown9:22 – Savory breakfast, protein, and how Robb navigates nutrition with his kids13:49 – Robb’s background in biochemistry, studying cancer, ulcerative colitis, and his path to ancestral diets and paleo in 199817:34 – Establishing the 1st and 4th Crossfit Affiliate gyms, working with athletes on their nutrition, and helping normal people with complex health issues22:13 – Why I (Steven) appreciate Robb’s mindset around learning and coaching, and some of the issues Robb witnessed with hard-charging Crossfit athletes, and when low-carb and fasting might be inappropriate30:04 – Common symptoms other than leanness that can be tied to our diets36:00 – Biggest bang-for-your-buck recommendations from Robb related to diet and lifestyle (protein and sleep) 39:51 – The importance of sleep, and the effects of sleep deprivation42:34 – Robb’s parallel sleep universe44:14 – Practical recommendations for a climber at a burger joint, and Robb’s breakfast club46:46 – Protein powders and supplements vs. whole foods51:05 – Sacred Cow, a case for better meat, and breaking down the carbon and methane life cycle of beef production1:02:33 – Water use for beef and almonds1:06:00 – Putting on your high school debate hat, and reversing desertification with ruminant animals1:09:17 – Forbes article, and how big food and big pharma benefit from a meatless planet (and why that should concern us)1:11:21 – Is the solution still to eat “less” meat? 1:21:09 – Patron Question from Max: Are hotdogs Paleo?1:21:59 – Patreon Question from Yoni: How does Robb challenge his own beliefs and biases? 1:28:05 – LMNT electrolytes  and The Healthy Rebellion1:31:33 – Gratitude

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Ron Kauk. We tackled listener questions about bouldering without crash pads, favorite routes, the legendary “fight” in camp 4, the influence of native culture, how to stay present when projecting, and the plane that crashed in Lower Merced Pass Lake in 1977.Become a Patron to get access to the full episode! And support the podcast! *The full version is 1:47:11.

Dr. Tyler Nelson is the owner of Camp4 Human Performance and specializes in tendon loading, strengthening, and rehabilitation. We talked about blood flow restriction training (BFR), and how it can be used for injury rehab, active recovery, or getting stronger. We also talked about finger training, and why most hangboard protocols are more similar than different.Support the PodcastBecome a PatronJoin Facebook GroupShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/tyler-nelsonNuggets:2:18 – Doughnuts and wiffle ball6:08 – Overview of the conversation, and Tyler’s dad11:53 – Chiropractic medicine and watching his dad help people as a kid14:48 – Tyler’s education16:38 – Starting to climb in college18:43 – Wanting to work with athletes, and studying tendinopathy21:06 – Tyler’s path to C4HP (Camp 4 Human Performance) and the work he does now25:48 – Root cause28:29 – Tyler’s most common recommendation: more variation32:33 – How BFR (blood flow restriction) was created37:31 – What BFR looks like, what’s happening, and why it works45:41 – How you would use BFR for a shoulder injury, and literal vs. physiological intensity51:36 – How you would use  BRF to rehab a pulley injury54:18 – Why Tyler underpressurized the cuffs the first time he does BFR with an athlete56:33 – Should you try BRF at home?58:43 – A BRF protocol Tyler tried for finger strength training1:02:40 – How you might use BRF for training (big picture)1:05:20 – How often should you use BFR?1:07:03 – Repeaters vs. max hangs, and how to think about long-term finger training1:12:15 – Why is BRF useful as a short-term recovery tool?1:15:02 – Using BRF prior to your sessions, and for warming up for hard climbing 1:18:31 – Finger training doesn’t need to be complicated1:20:09 – Density hangs1:22:58 – Emil Abrahamsson, Keith Bar, and the “No Hangs” hangboard protocol1:31:20 – The optimal loading range for tendon pathologies, and why most strength protocols are more similar than they are different1:34:45 – Tendon stiffness, and how unloading can stiffen the system1:38:58 – Speculating about physiological explanations for why Emil’s program worked so well1:40:58 – Don’t get sweaty and tired on the hangboard, and separating hangboard training from our climbing workouts 1:44:58 – Finger anatomy, condiles, bone lengths, customized finger training1:52:33 – Doughnut eating1:53:46 – New tattoo1:55:03 – Guitar riffs1:57:20 – Tyler’s wife

Jason Kehl is a professional rock climber known for his highball bouldering ascents, and unique artistic expression. We talked about karate and how screaming helps his climbing, roof climbing in his parents' basement, a chronology of his haircuts, vans he’s lived in, having kids, bouldering with cargo nets in Hueco Tanks, and notable highball ascents like ‘Evilution’ and ‘The Fly’.Support the PodcastBecome a PatronJoin Facebook GroupShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/jason-kehlNuggets:2:05 – Karate6:48 – Power screaming and made-up words9:20 – ‘Count to Six and Die’ 10:47 – Growing up in a small town in Maryland, climbing trees, the basement home wall, and Jason’s go-to move15:53 – Parental support16:34 – Jason’s journey to bouldering, and climbing ‘Evilution’20:25 – Getting noticed for highballing, and bouldering ‘The Fly’ 25:15 – Joe’s Valley27:29 – Jason in High School, pocket protectors, and the weird kid’s lunch table30:51 – Developing his image, sponsorship, and performing for an audience32:45 – The competition disguise33:50 – Jason’s theme song35:25 – A chronicle of Jason’s hairstyles42:30 – The Dreaded Wudan Mullet43:30 – A chronicle of Jason’s vans47:35 – Falling in love with Hueco, and climbing in the summer52:30 – Are there any FAs left in Hueco?55:37 – Having kids, and focusing your time1:06:38 – Cargo nets1:17:35 – Social Media, and being a professional climber1:25:44 – Patron Question from Logan: What was the most difficult part of dropping everything to be a pro climber?1:28:01 – Odd jobs1:29:39 – Patron Question from Will: How did the NE influence his climbing? 1:33:16 – Patron Question from Nick: Do you ever go back and repeat dangerous climbs you’ve done before?1:35:53 – Gratitude1:37:40 – Don’t give away the beta1:41:22 – Reminders and stuff I’m excited about 

Allison Vest is a 3x Canadian National Champion in bouldering. We talked about her mindset after a recent competition, moving to SLC and training with her roommate Kyra Condie, goals and confidence, the downward spiral of failure, her training schedule, the secrets to one-arm hangs and campusing, having fun, Instagram challenges, and learning how to topout boulders.Support the PodcastBecome a PatronJoin Facebook GroupShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/allison-vestNuggets:3:24 – The climbing closet4:55 – World cup debrief, and the post-comp headspace11:23 – A mix of emotions12:49 – The motivation of a competition climber17:30 – Goals, confidence, and failure23:48 – How Allison and Kyra debrief competitions, and opposite personalities 24:40 – The benefit of not being teammates28:09 – Growing up in Canada and meeting Kyra Condie32:30 – Salt Lake City as the epicenter of training35:58 – Playfulness and “Fail Friday”41:47 – Instagram Challenges (backpack and shorts dynos45:06 – The standing splits challenge47:33 – Combining training with play52:43 – Priorities vs. powering through, and how Allison got the nickname “Big Al” 59:26 – Allison’s training volume, and comparing different high-level climbers1:03:11 – Campusing 1:05:42 – One-arm hangs1:16:25 – Shoulder strength1:17:41 – Christian Core’s hangboard philosophy1:20:07 – Grip positions1:21:52 – Allison’s hangboard schedule, and many different approaches that work1:25:38 – Starting to climb outside more1:27:36 – Topouts1:38:09 – How outdoor climbing compliments competition training1:45:20 – Patron Question from Jimmy: Most memorable competition moment?1:47:01 – Patron Question (anonymous): What does she miss the most about Vancouver/Squamish? And the least? 1:50:47 – Patron Question from Jordan: Can you introduce me to KJ Apa?1:52:31 – Jonas Brothers, Jumanji, and Robin Williams1:54:09 – Best decisions1:55:10 – Competition self-talk1:57:07 – Advice for young competitors1:58:06 – “More doesn’t always mean better.”1:58:45 – What is standing between Allison and the 2024 Olympics?2:00:01 – Grateful for community

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Shanjean Lee. We talked about her recent free ascent of ‘Freerider’ on El Cap in Yosemite, and had some good laughs along the way. SJ also shared some of the biggest mental challenges she faced during the ascent, and a very “memorable” (and hilarious) moment from the side of the big cheese. You can support the podcast and get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 50:27.

Ethan missed the Q&A and had a question he wanted to ask me. ⁠

In Q&A 2, I tackle patron questions about party tricks vs. useful exercises, training for long-term goals and what I am doing to train for Just Do It, how to prepare our bodies for tweaky moves, podcast behind-the-scenes secrets, my experience with feeling light vs. feeling strong, how I manage my weight after an eating disorder, favorite workouts for sport climbing, octopus wrestling, and much more.Become a Patron:  patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Facebook Group:facebook.com/groups/thenuggetclimbingPrivate Q&As:thenuggetclimbing.com/coachingShow Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/qa-2Nuggets:00:00 – Introduction, Patreon, New Facebook Group, and Private Q&As05:18 – Scott’s Question: Party tricks vs. useful exercises?11:05 – Brandon’s Question: How are you training for ‘Just Do It’? 20:49 – Nolan’s Question: Regarding JDI, which skills/strengths fall short for you, and which ones do you think are adequate? 23:56 – Nolan’s Question: Can you build your sport climbing pyramid and bouldering pyramid at the same time?29:02 – Conner’s Question: Is your current lifestyle (van, travel, podcast, etc.) financially sustainable? 31:11 – Jimmy’s Question: Favorite workouts for transitioning from boulder to sport mode?34:40 – Liam’s Question: How do we balance climbing or training in safe positions, with preparing our bodies for tweaky moves?37:20 – Alec’s Question: What does the edit process look like for you?38:20 – Alec’s Question: What do you talk about in your pre-show call?39:30 – Alec’s Question: Do you have any insights into learning to climb fast?41:40 – Alec’s Question: Do you have any proud ascents from Hueco?43:03 – Alec’s Question: How do you do weight training on the road?43:54 – Alec’s Question: Area’s you’ll plan on climbing in for the rest of the year?44:50 – Jeff’s Question: How does the sensation of feeling light compare to feeling strong?49:30 – David’s Question: How do you manage your weight, and how do you manage your thoughts linked to your eating disorder?53:54 – Emma’s Question: How can I get better at climbing technique? Is it as simple as climbing more?58:00 – Emma’s Question: What exercises beyond the hangboard are most useful for bouldering strength?1:00:12 – Casey’s Question: Any supplements you take? 1:02:02 – Casey’s Question: Tips for focusing before hard efforts on an onsight?1:03:38 – Casey’s Question: Any thoughts on where you’d like to settle eventually?1:04:33 – Casey’s Question: Any trashy TV you’ve been addicted to, or are you somehow immune?1:05:52 – Casey’s Question: How much do you love watching good dancers on the internet?1:06:34 – Casey’s Question: MAA match between 800 lb octopus and an 800 lb raccoon, who wins?1:07:27 – Casey’s Question: What are you grateful for?

John Long is an American rock climber and author, and one of the original “Stonemasters”. We talked about his early climbing at Tahquitz and Suicide Rock, life in Yosemite in the early 70s, climbing The Nose in a day with Bridwell and Westbay, most humbling moments, John’s new book Icarus Syndrome, and his recent article about alcoholism and drug abuse in climbing.Support on Patreon:  patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/john-longNuggets:3:33 – Nose picking, John’s nickname “Largo”, growing up in Indio CA, and being a part of two worlds6:56 – The state of climbing in 1953, John’s early sports, white water rafting, and hearing stories about climbing10:37 – Getting hooked on climbing12:07 – Climbing at Tahquitz Rock in 1971, and jumping on board with new-age climbing17:47 – Paisano Overhang30:23 – Hangover38:43 – Life in Yosemite in the 70s, and the rise of free climbing47:04 –  Camp 4 as a Babylon of rogues and boys club49:28 – Jim Bridwell54:23 – The Nose in a day59:58 – Question from Ron: The bivy at the base of the Gold Wall.1:04:08 – The cafeteria 1:06:54 – The Bob Lock Memorial Route1:13:11 – Transitioning away from being “Joe Climber”1:15:18 – Patron Question from Logan: Most humbling climbing moment?1:19:12 – The present vs. the past, and gravity as the great leveler1:21:56 – Question from Lena: What is more valuable in climbing, being a jack of all trades or a master of one?1:24:05 – Writing, Hollywood, and Rogue’s Babylon1:30:19 – John’s writing practice1:32:01 – Alcoholism and substance abuse 1:45:01 – Icarus Syndrome1:53:03 – Gifts and wrinkles1:54:01 – Gratitude

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with William Woodward. We talked about William’s sailing trip to Hawaii, living at sea for a month, being present, navigating digital minimalism as a business owner, top vanlife tips, how William and I each do our dishes, beta for showering, wiping your butt with wet wipes, my favorite things in my van, and what’s next.You can support the podcast and get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 1:34:55.

Tom Randall is one of the Wide Boyz, and the cofounder of Lattice Training. We talked about Tom’s cellar, meeting Ollie Torr and starting a coaching company, how he and Ollie trained each other's weaknesses, having patience, key shoulder exercises, hangboard principles, stories from the Late Night Climbing Show, and Tom shared his insights into my own finger strength journey.Support on Patreon:  patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/tom-randallNuggets:3:35 – The cellar 6:47 – Patron Question from Felix: Why did Tom start Lattice Training, and how important is data?  11:25 – Meeting Ollie Torr and testing his finger strength14:15 – How Tom helped Ollie improve his endurance and efficiency, and a message about patience18:19 – What Tom did to get strong23:14 – Key TRX and rings exercises for the shoulders28:30 – My finger strength journey, and Tom’s insight into my training habits37:59 – Finger training methodology, and off-season vs in-season training45:50 – Is increasing training capacity (work capacity) a good goal?49:20 – Hangboard protocol principles54:47 – Patron Question from Sarah: Should new climbers “just climb” rather than train?59:29 – Question from Steve McClure: Common deficiencies in route climbers who want to improve their standard?1:02:39 – Question from Vijay: Relationship between finger strength and grade?1:04:12 – Question from Lena: Favorite non-crack climb?1:05:03 – Question from Lena: Most horrible crack climb you’ve ever done?1:05:55: Bonus question from Lena: If you could put Jacob Schubert on any crack climb, which would you choose?1:06:35 – Question from Nick: Balancing fun and hard work1:08:41 – The Late Night Climbing Show1:14:42 – The Lattice YouTube channel1:16:02 – Gratitude

Kyle O’Meara is a high-level boulderer, route climber, and successful climbing coach. He’s a total lifer. We talked about his early climbing and development in the PNW, some of his favorite first ascents, outdoor bouldering vs. indoor training, climbing and life goals, discovering coaching, leading by example, and sharing the love of climbing with his team.Support on Patreon:  patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/kyle-omearaNuggets:3:47 – Breakfast, day-old pastries, and experimenting with diet7:55 – Food diary, sleep, and eating enough 15:42 – Early days in Leavenworth19:32 – How Kyle started climbing, Merrimore Park, and planting the seed of coaching26:46 – ‘Rampage’, first Leavenworth days, and Squamish32:36 – Transitioning into sport climbing, his first 5.13,  37:16 – Kyle’s “Best of the best” list, and grading everything in Index grades42:12 – ‘Crown Jewel’56:01 – Outdoor bouldering vs. indoor bouldering/training, and trying to beat the system1:01:01 – Developing boulders by default and not by design, epics in Yosemite, and window cleaning1:09:33 – Best of the best boulders in Yosemite1:12:29 – Moving to Tahoe, discovering coaching, and Kyle’s path to improvement1:18:43 – What Kyle wishes he had done differently in the past regarding training, and perfecting the art of projecting1:24:01 – Climbing and life goals1:27:14 – Experience over strength1:28:41 – ‘Lex Luthor’, moving to Salt Lake, and coaching at Momentum1:36:45 – Leading by example1:41:17 – Themes among successful kids that Kyle has coached, and the contrast between Nathanial Coleman and Dalton Bunker1:46:25 – Staying above the line, and climbing frequency1:48:22 – Spending more days trying climbs, and how Kyle has integrated training1:52:07 – ‘The All-Around Routine’, and committing to a training cycle for the first time2:11:27 – Patron Question from Nolen: How does Kyle balance his performance in sport climbing vs. bouldering?2:16:54 – The power of the psych, and following your motivation2:20:26 – Patron Question from Lena: Top three footwork drills for kidlets?2:25:50 – Patron Question from Evan: When is Kyle (The Voice) going to record children’s books or guided meditation?2:30:34 – Gratitude

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This week's follow-up call is with Katie Lambert. We talked about her recent haircut, and how that led to getting her body painted for a photo shoot. We also talked about Katie’s new goal to climb 300 5.13s by the age of 50, how she has been integrating outdoor climbing with training, and how she structured her latest sport climbing trip to the Red River Gorge. You can support the podcast and get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 44:54.

This is part 2 of my conversation with Eric Hörst. We talked about the differences between Eric and his sons’ (Cameron and Jonathan) training plans, advice for parents who want to get their kids into climbing, how to train pinch and sloper strength, why Eric started PhysiVantage, and the importance of collagen for building stronger fingers.Discount code: “NUGGET15” for 15% off of full-priced PhysiVantage productsSupport on Patreon:  patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/eric-horst-part-2Nuggets:01:23 – Differences between Eric’s training vs. his sons, and why his sons played football11:40 – Maintaining climbing strength during football season15:08 – Patreon Question from Eli (advice for parents getting their kids into climbing)21:20 – Exposing kids to a variety of climbing styles22:53 – Patron Question from Jordan Cannon (5.14, or free climbing El Cap?), and Eric’s first 5.13c27:53 – Another Question from Jordan (would you rather see your kids climb 5.15, or free a hard El Cap route)32:50 – Patron Question from Gunter (how to train pinches and slopers)39:12 – Learning from other experts and coaches40:52 – What Eric is most excited about in training for climbing right now, and the Moonboard and other system walls as a game-changer45:16 – Proper nutrition, PhysiVantage, and protein50:02 – Crush52:00 – Collagen, and vegan and whey protein56:48 – How I think about taking supplements, and replacing beer with collagen ;)1:01:15 – Why we should eat collagen separate from meals (when we can), and collagen vs. protein timing1:10:42 – A life’s journey1:14:07 – Gratitude

Eric Hörst is the author of the international bestselling book Training for Climbing and the founder of PhysiVantage. We talked about his dual career as a meteorologist and climbing coach, early route development, how training has evolved, the roles of campusing vs. hangboarding in improving finger strength, why coaching is like 3D chess, and how to train your core.Discount code: “NUGGET15” for 15% off of full-priced PhysiVantage productsSupport on Patreon:  patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/eric-horst-part-1Nuggets:6:01 – Weatherman11:31 – Snowstorms, solving complex puzzles, and similarities between forecasting weather and training for climbing15:18 – The best send conditions17:38 – TV weather and developing routes in the New River Gorge18:56 – Eric’s first day of climbing21:15 – Patron Question from Max (Eric’s history climbing in PA, and early development at the New)24:29 – Patron Question from Adriel (the early days at the New River Gorge)27:27 – Favorite first ascents from the New 28:32 – Embracing bolting and sport climbing34:17 – The style of bolting in the 90s, becoming a student of climbing, and Eric’s first training articles38:24 – The training paradigm in the 80s (“climber’s don’t train”)40:56 – Early training experiments, wooden blocks on the rafters, pull-ups for slab climbing, and the revolution of climbing gyms47:42 – The modern “weekend warrior”49:13 – Early intuitive training methodologies, and the “shotgun approach” to training56:17 – Applying the 80/20 rule to training1:00:21 – The mental side of climbing, and not getting too focused on one training implement1:07:53 – Patron Question from Matt (the dos and don’ts of hiring a coach)1:12:33 – A new paradigm in connective tissue training1:16:40 – The different effects of hangboarding vs. campusing on finger tendons1:24:33 – How to combine hangboarding and campus boarding to balance performance and resiliency1:29:53 – Patron Question from Liam (benefits of linear and non-linear programs)1:34:59 – End range strength, and the 3D chess of coaching1:41:42 – Core strength, and limiting belief systems1:47:05 – Deadlifting1:52:43 – Weighted planks1:54:31 – Deadlifting + bouldering with small footholds1:59:16 – Reinventing your training, and sticking with things long enough to see if they work

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This week's follow-up call is with Alex Johnson. We talked about sending ‘The Swarm’ V13/14, her 10+ year project in Bishop, CA. We also talked about how she prepared for the trip, how she and Bree balanced their climbing objectives in Bishop, taking time off, how to ramp back up after hitting a peak performance, planting a garden, and becoming domesticated.You can support the podcast and get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 43:03.

Steve Maisch is a training legend and has been pursuing improvement in rock climbing for more than two decades. Jon Glassberg credits Steve’s training methodology for his recent send of ‘The Nest’ V15. We talked about Steve’s background in climbing and how he became interested in training, how he helped me add structure to my Hueco bouldering trip, and the 85% rule.Support on Patreon:  patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/steve-maischNuggets:5:10 – Ballet class6:20 – Steve’s beginnings in climbing, grad school, training breakthroughs, and first bad finger injury13:00 – Becoming interested in quantifying training, and observing the elites16:50 – How Steve and I connected, the Hueco training plan idea, and addressing individual needs in training 23:38 – Climbing strength26:33 – Underperforming vs overperforming your finger strength28:53 – The bouldering pyramid 31:40 – The 85% rule, and the strength sweet spot46:45 – Train your weaknesses and perform in your strengths, and battling Free Willy51:50 – Breakdown of the Hueco training plan, and antagonist training59:46 – Scapular lock-offs1:05:06 – How much we should be climbing, and making sense of different climbing schedules1:11:25 – Climb more days, or higher intensity?1:17:38 – Reconciling Daniel on Return of the Sleepwalker1:20:48 – Efficiency and muscle memory1:22:18 – The deload week, and getting stronger when we rest1:26:18 – The key elements of the boulder pyramid 1:29:16 – How to build up the pyramid season after season1:31:43 – How to maintain bouldering power during a sport climbing phase1:34:20 – Whether to maintain endurance during a boulder phase 1:38:26 – Gaining endurance through increasing strength1:40:06 – The plus/minus (+/-) system1:49:10 – Training on the boards, and designing different workouts  2:00:16 – Balancing training and performing2:06:51 – The Remond food bank2:13:14 – Injuries, Steve’s climbing goals, and rebuilding his pyramid2:19:55 – Preventing injuries, a foundation of lifting, and the benefit of building muscle in the right places2:26:10 – Gratitude

Ron Kauk is a legendary Yosemite climber. He recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his many accomplishments, within and beyond climbing. We talked about life in Camp 4 in the 70s, climbing ‘Astroman’ with John Bachar, influential music and books, stories from a brief career in Hollywood, doing the FA of ‘Magic Line’, his non-profit Sacred Rok, daily practices, connecting with Mother Nature, and much more.Support on Patreon:  patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/ron-kaukNuggets:4:17 – Out of the blue, and reflecting on a life of climbing8:19 – Sylvester Stallone, Wolfgang Gulich, and a brief career in Hollywood18:48 – Doubling for Tom Cruise, and working on films in Yosemite20:14 – “We would do anything to make $1000.”23:24 – Ron’s first wilderness trip at age 14, and early rock climbing28:43 – Rattlesnake Ridge32:33 – Climbing ‘The Nutcracker'35:17 – Catching rides to Yosemite, and Dale Bards bakery van38:07 – ‘Outer Limits’ with Bridwell39:28 – Ron’s first summer in Yosemite, and “all I needed to do was get there.”42:55 – A day in the life in Camp 4, and climbing The Nose in a day48:23 – Jimmy Hendrix52:40 – ‘Midnight Lightning’57:41 – Playful training, and 100 fingertip pull-ups1:00:13 – Catching waves, and freeing ‘Astroman’ with John Bachar1:07:53 – Carlos Casteneda, ‘Tales of Power’, and ’Separate Reality’ 1:13:47 – The end of the 70s, ‘To Bolt’, and ‘Magic Line’1:18:27 – “I am that waterfall.”1:20:19 – Mother nature, nurture, and becoming better caretakers1:21:47 – Sacred Rok, and the universe as our university1:26:15 – Sponsorship and performing1:29:34 – Ron’s vision for what climbing could be1:35:44 – Taking time in nature, and getting back to the basics 1:39:45 – Barefoot standing1:49:12 – Slowing down1:54:11 – Words from Alan Watts (the climber)2:03:30 – Questions from Alan 2:12:12 – The photograph2:15:56 – “We really are all connected.”2:19:21 – Follow-Up teaser, and show notes

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Ken Klein from the Climb Strong Team. We talked about Ken’s high school baseball coach, the documentary In Search of Greatness, and the 3 things we should be assessing as climbers.You can support the podcast and get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 1:23:45.

Steve McClure is one of the best rock-climbers in the world, having made the FA of the hardest sport route in the UK at 9b (5.15b), at age 46. We talked about early hitchhiking stories, discovering sport climbing, the three parts of climbing ability, how to improve over the long haul, foot-on campusing, and much more.Support on Patreon:  patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/steve-mcclureNuggets:4:12 – Podcasts, and the desire to listen6:22 – Hitching13:58 – Growing up in the Northeast of England, and the climbing wall Steve built in his garage18:43 – Early climbing, and discovering sport climbing22:36 – Steve’s first E326:42 – Tenacity, and trying hard 29:22 – “It’s all down to motivation.” - Ben Moon34:16 – ‘Rainman’37:28 – Going with the flow vs. pursuing long-term goals  44:08 – ‘Mutation’, and Will Bossi  47:21 – “You make your own luck.”48:19 – Was ‘Mutation’ the first 5.15?49:54 – “You can’t have regrets.”52:32 – My (Steven’s) struggle with personal limits, how hard Steve was climbing at my age, and the good news for aging climbers56:17 – The mental and technical aspects of climbing57:42 – The three parts of climbing ability (technical, mental, and physical)59:46 – Foot-on campusing (aka laddering)1:08:30 – How Steve fits in foot-on campusing around other climbing and training1:12:27 – Question from Branko: How do you approach climbing at your local crag, after you’ve done everything? Do you only get on the hard stuff, or do you repeat any routes to continue building your pyramid?1:15:40 – How Steve approached each new season on Rainman, and adding more thought to his climbing gym sessions1:19:08 – Question from Adriel: One exercise to improve strength?1:22:00 – Question from Adriel: Who would win in an arm-wresting match between Steve and Dave MacLeod?1:23:34 – Question from Will: How does Steve balance training and recovery as he gets older?1:26:23 – Steve’s typical climbing schedule at age 50, and his routine for Rainman1:31:06 – Question from Anderson: Does Steve think his hardest climbing is ahead of him? What about his best?1:33:14 – Steve’s hardest climb (his onsight of ‘Nightmare’)1:34:26 – The best1:35:24 – Steve’s decision to move to Sheffield1:38:10 – Steve’s go-to breakfast1:39:49 – Writing, and Steve’s training diary1:45:26 – Gratitude1:49:29 – Frozen fingers, and Steve’s onsight attempt of ‘To Bolt or Not to Be’1:53:42 – The great equalizer1:56:52 – Steve’s Instagram and website1:58:52 – Pembroke, witnessing an accident, and rethinking risk

Heth Jennings is a Physical Therapist and Functional Medicine Practitioner who has been studying pain for over 20+ years. We talked about where pain comes from, how the brain uses pain to protect us, why chronic pain isn’t “just in our head”, how to rehab finger and elbow injuries, and other lifestyle interventions that help with recovery.Support on Patreon:  patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/heth-jenningsNuggets:4:10 – Heth’s background in physical therapy, functional medicine, and pain science6:55 – A new paradigm for understanding pain8:22 – “It’s all in my head.” and “It’s always real.”9:40 – Lorimer Moseley, and the hammer in the neck story14:50 – Red light blue light15:55 – The leg scratch  17:40 – Chronic vs acute pain21:09 – The mountain illustration of tissue capacity, the pain buffer, and how the brain’s overprotection leads to chronic pain24:19 – Rehabbing chronic elbow pain28:25 – Graded motor imagery using the Recognize App, visualization, and mirror therapy36:35 – “The point is always to get people back to moving.” 37:58 – Heth’s example of the brain loving us too much, and removing fear41:00 – The role of inflammation, assessing tissue damage, and rehabbing fingers and elbows47:28 – Heth’s recent finger injury, and how he rehabbed it50:35 – “Don’t flare up, but when you do, don’t freak out about it.”51:48 – What to do after a flare-up 53:31 – Heth’s protocol for rehabbing his finger injury56:02 – The theory behind eccentrics for tendon injury rehab57:04 – How do address different types of finger injuries59:27 – Heth’s thoughts on climbing open-handed while recovering from a pulley injury1:01:03 – Mirror therapy for amputees1:02:50 – Elbow rehab1:07:52 – Preventing recurring injuries, giving our bodies credit, and bioplasticity1:15:32 – What Heth has learned from his injuries, how he plans to move forward, and collagen + vitamin C1:19:50 – Heth’s thoughts on supplemental exercises for injury prevention1:23:57 – Heth’s thoughts on including finger ups or other isotonic exercises1:25:32 – Chronic inflammation, gut health, and stress1:28:35 – Why Heth recommends a low carb diet for many of his clients1:32:33 – Heth’s thoughts on carbs for metabolically healthy people and athletes1:38:37 – Carb backloading1:44:39 – Heth’s thoughts on counting macros and daily protein1:47:56 – Krispy Cream doughnuts, birthday cake, and popcorn and coke1:50:28 – Breathing and meditation, accepting where we are, and being kind to ourselves1:57:00 – Heth’s website, and social media2:00:26 – Gratitude

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Mercedes Pollmeier. I asked for clarifications about the J-Curl and passive stretching, and we tackled Patron questions about individual bony morphology, improving the back bridge, when and how to stretch the hamstrings, whether it is ever too late to begin training flexibility, and Mercedes made a case for why flexibility training is as important as strength training for athletes. You can support the podcast and get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 1:20:32.Resources:Kit Laughlin - Moving Pelvis in Pancake Position  

Mercedes Pollmeier is a climbing coach with a master’s in human movement. We discussed key stretches for climbers, how to warm up for a limit session, whether or not static stretching reduces power, how to improve your flexibility in 6 minutes per day, and “food rules” from her recent book, Peak Nutrition.Support on Patreon:  patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/mercedes-pollmeierNuggets:5:14 – Wind and head colds8:29 – Mercedes trip to Red Rocks, and focusing on recovering 9:44 – Resting after a trip, deloading, and blood flow restriction (BFR) training13:30 – More about BFR and what it is used for22:34 – Mercedes background, current coaching practice, and programs25:12 – Masters in human movement 26:54 – How we learn to move better29:43 – Terminology: “mobility” and “flexibility”37:18 – Mobility prep/warmup for a climbing session40:51 – Warmup duration, and static stretching before climbing 48:14 – Appropriate intensity of warmup stretches49:59 – Breathing during stretching51:39 – Other warmup stretches54:52 – Side split, front split, and back bridge57:36 – Cycling flexibility and strength training, and variability1:01:47 – An example strength cycle, and changing accessory exercises1:04:29 – Flexibility as a skill, and where to start1:08:07 – Jefferson Curl (J-Curl)1:17:33 – Programming flexibility1:24:03 – Daily passive stretching/limbering session1:31:41 – Minimalist approach to the Side Spits in (6-minutes per day) 1:36:43 – Elevating hips and scaling flexibility exercises1:42:54 – How to fit flexibility in around other training1:47:36 – Time of day to stretch 1:50:08 – Does tightness make us stronger?1:53:27 – Calf stretching1:57:17 – Building strength in end ranges1:58:20 – Mercedes nutrition book: Peak Nutrition2:03:08 – Mercedes “food rules” (eat slow and eat until 80% full, and hydration)2:05:51 – How to connect with Mercedes2:07:16 – Gratitude