The TrainingBeta Podcast: A Climbing Training Podcast

In this episode I do a full mindset coaching session with Nathaniel Lamont, a Canadian climber whose performance is being affected by his fear of falling above his bolt while lead climbing. This is such a common issue among climbers, so if you or someone you know struggles with this, please listen to this one! We go through the reasons he’s afraid, we acknowledge and validate those reasons, and I help him figure out ways he can feel more in control of the controllables (who his belayer is, what device they’re using, what climbs he chooses to get on, etc.). Then we make a plan to work through some of his fear with strategic fall practice. He outlines what he thinks is realistic for him and I give him some clear guidelines for how to implement it in his sessions. I really hope you enjoy this one – I loved doing this session with Nathaniel and really appreciated his willingness to be honest and vulnerable in front of thousands of people on the podcast. If you’d like to watch this interview on video with no ads, no intro, and no outro, you can become a member on Patreon for $5/month to get that and other bonus content. Work with Me on Your Fear in Climbing If you want to work on your fear with me one-on-one, I’m accepting 6 new clients to do 3 months of work (6 sessions) on all things climbing. But we’ll also branch out into other areas of your life you want to work on, including: Career satisfaction Relationship issues Body image Life design All things climbing I’ve been climbing for 27 years, and I feel uniquely qualified to act as both your coach (asking you questions only you know the answers to) AND your mentor (giving you advice) in climbing. I am a Certified Professional Coach and will hold a safe space for you to explore your thoughts and feelings about any topic you want to discuss. We will make goals for each session, and I’ll hold you accountable to carrying out the homework I give you during each session. I’m really looking forward to working with you! Work with Me on Fear 

Francis Sanzaro is a 45-year-old climber out of Carbondale, Colorado who's been climbing for about 30 years. He got his PhD in the Philosophy of Religion and has been studying the practice of Zen for decades. In recent years, he started applying Zen more directly and intentionally to his climbing and found that his performance and his enjoyment of the sport increased dramatically, so he wrote a book about it: The Zen of Climbing. I HIGHLY recommend the book!  I had him on the show to discuss the book and to have him tell us exactly what it means to apply Zen philosophy to your climbing. It's not complicated and you can start using these principles right away. What I took from the book is that I don't have to have as many emotions about climbing as I think I do. All I'm doing is trying my best to get to the top of a climb, and that's all it really needs to be.  What we talked about: What Zen is as it relates to climbing How to use Zen with performance anxiety How to practice Zen in everyday life Dealing with failure using Zen practices Dealing with FEAR using Zen Using Zen in his grief process after (and during) losing both of his parents recently

Coach Matt Pincus discusses some drills he uses with his clients and himself to train the different energy systems in climbing: power endurance, strength, and endurance.  More Details: Overview of the energy systems Differences between practice sessions and performance sessions Sample sessions Power endurance session Endurance Session Strength/Power Session When you'd want to train each of these energy systems How many sessions you'd want to do of each  When to do them in conjunction with each other

Ashley Hardy is a friend of mine who lives in Boulder and just climbed her first 5.13c, a stout climb called "Choose Life" in the Flatirons. The reason I asked her to be on the show is that I find her situation to be both relatable and inspirational. The relatable part is that she has a full-time job as a software engineer and that she climbs with her husband, and she really REALLY loves climbing.  The inspirational part is that despite working full-time, she manages to climb outside 3-4 days per week for a lot of the year. And she doesn't train in any conventional ways (hangboarding, strength training, board climbing, etc). She just goes outside and climbs on routes that challenge her and has steadily worked up to 5.13c doing it. I really liked this conversation and I think Ashley has a lot to teach us about how to pursue your passions and goals despite limited time and energy.  What we talked about: Why she loves climbing so much and whether she ever gets burnt out How she fits outdoor climbing in with her work schedule Why she feels she needs more rest than other people and how much that is How she overcame the fear caused by a dangerous fall on her 5.13c How she works on her fear on a regular basis How she's gotten so strong mostly climbing outside How she and her husband keep their climbing relationship healthy Advice for people trying to break into the 5.13 grade