Eric Hörst's Training For Climbing Podcast

2020 has been a challenging year with a global pandemic, a COVID lockdown at home (or two), and limited climbing travel for many of us. We're now entering the holiday season, with COVID lingering, but hopefully, it will bring some opportunity to celebrate (in small COVID-safe groups?), reset our training, and renew our mindset and body. Is this a good time to take a month off from climbing? NO! There are several options for holiday season training, even if it's all at home. I'll present the benefits and drawbacks of each approach. Which is best for you? Listen in...you decide! DEAR FRIENDS: PLEASE BE COVID SAFE THIS WINTER...A VACCINE IS NEAR! 0:15 - Introduction...lingering COVID, the approaching holidays, and your training for climbing! 2:30 - A brief message about the T4C podcast sponsor PhysiVantage. 3:45 - Winter is near...training season is here! What's the best approach to training in the holiday season? I will present 4 distinctly different approaches to training through the holidays. 5:30 - Training

Are you ready to rethink what's possible in your climbing life? There's a good chance that your perceived limit is actually a self-imposed imaginary boundary! Once again this month, I present an episode of Training Cafe, my twice-monthly video Livestream coaching show on YouTube and Facebook live. The main topic delves into pursuing next-level projects...and the importance of challenging your inner fears of failure and criticism, just like pro climbers do. Now is the time to think bigger...develop a system...and execute your plan with uncommon discipline! Podcast Rundown 2:57 - Beginning of TRAINING CAFE. Main topic is "Turning Impossible into I'm Possible!" 3:12 – But first, we sip coffee together! 3:30 – SHOUT OUT to Chuck Odette, age 64, for sending 5.14b last week! #Legend 4:20 – What it takes to climb hard late into life. 5:20 – MAIN TOPIC: Turning Impossible into I’m Possible 6:10 – Setting goals is easy. Developing an effective SYSTEM for progress towards the goal is harder….and maintaining long-term d

In this episode, Eric welcomes you into the Training Café...which is his live coaching video stream broadcast every other Monday. So in this podcast, you'll hear Eric's TC broadcast which includes in-depth coaching on effective projecting...and reveals the "secret" to sending! Eric also answers a slew of viewer questions on training, injury, nutrition, and more. You can participate in future Training Café livestreams--and submit a training question to Eric!--by tuning into this video simulcast on the Training For Climbing Facebook and T4C YouTube channels...typically broadcast at Noon Eastern Time (900 Pacific & 1600 GMT) on every other Monday. Podcast Rundown 1:15 - Intro to episode #53...and what Training Cafe is all about. 7:20 - Beginning of Training Cafe....with our virtual toast in the spirit of climbing! 7:35  - SHOUT OUT to Drew Ruana, perhaps the world's top boulderer this year, for sending his 10th V15 or harder boulder! Three of these were V16 ascents--watch the send videos here.  9:38 - Text

Legendary climber, Wolfgang Gullich, famously said that "the brain is the most important muscle for climbing". Sure, strong fingers are important--but there are many strong-fingered climbers who never reach their potential. The pursuit of better climbing is ultimately an inward journey to gain mastery of the mind. Developing stronger "mental muscle" will enable you to achieve beyond your current imagination. Like wielding a sword with empty hands, your mind will lead your body to new summits. In this episode, I share with you 10 powerful concepts that can potentially re-invent how you think and what you will achieve. This material is more powerful than any hangboard training program you can do--the quotes and tips I present hold get to the heart and soul of taking your climbing (and life) to a higher level. RUNDOWN 0:30 - Introduction to this episode on how 7:13 - #1: What sets great climbers apart from others is not their physical prowess (amazing as it may be), but their brains. 10:18 - #2: The brain is a h

You've been dreaming about your boulder project, dream route, or road trip. You've trained smart and hard. Your psych is high. You're ready to crush! So, how can you best transition from gym to outdoor climbing, and what can you do to perform your best on weekends outdoors or on a long trip? In this episode, Eric presents a series of powerful tips that you can take to the send bank! He also provides awareness of the potential to self-sabotage, something that even the most experienced climber can succumb to. RUNDOWN 0:15 – Opening comments--I missed you! 2:58 - Introduction to this episode on climbing tips and strategies for optimal performance on weekend trips and on longer road trip 4:06 - A few brief comments about the challenging and, at times, tumultuous events of the past few months... 7:56 - Eric's philosophy about the power of climbing--it brings us together! 9:30 - Tips, topics, and techniques to help you reach your climbing goals this season...as a weekend warrior and on a longer road trip. 10:22 - H

What makes great climbers great? What are the distinct and rare character traits that make climbers like Tommy Caldwell, Alex Honnold, Margo Hayes, Adam Ondra, and Alex Megos (I call this group "CHHOM")--and others like them--the barrier-breaking and transcendent climbers that they are? You might be thinking of things like "strong fingers", "low bodyfat, and "excellent sponsorship". Surely these are part of the equation, however, I believe the true Superpowers of these climbers are things you can't measure with a fitness test or financial summary. In this podcast I present the 8 Superpowers of the very best climbers--traits you can develop (gradually) to achieve great success on the rock and in your everyday life. I hope you find this presentation enjoyable and empowering! Rundown 0:58 - Introduction 2:50 - What does it take to turn an elite climber into one of the very best climbers on the planet? 8 Superpowers of the Very Best Climbers 5:28 - #1: Becoming comfortable with physical and mental discomfort. 11:

As physical as climbing is, it is even more mental. Being technically sound and physically strong is not enough to navigate a high-ball boulder problem, personal-best redpoint, intimidating big wall, or treacherous mountain. Ultimately, you climb with your mind—your hands and feet are simply an extension of your thoughts and will. Becoming a better climber, then, requires that you improve your mental mastery. In this podcast, Eric describes the vital importance of concentration in a world with ubiquitous distractions conspiring to steal your focus and sabotage your performance. You will be armed with six powerful techniques for improving your concentration and, importantly, maintaining focus in stressful, painful, and fearful situations common to climbing. RUNDOWN 0:45 – Comments on returning to outdoor climbing after COVID-19 lockdown. 1:55 – Importance of the mental game in climbing your best…and sending your project. 3:00 – Distractions are concentration- and performance-killers. 5:30 – The role of stress

Climbers are drawn to the challenges and potential adversity of the steep. Great climbers embrace grand challenges--and almost certain adversity--in achieving hard and rare accomplishments. This podcast will equip you with five powerful strategies to leverage, in times of hardship and adversity, as you pursue big goals both in climbing and in your everyday life. And now in this era of COVID-19, you face risk and potential adversity at every turn...so don't miss this powerful podcast--it's an instant classic in the genre of mental training for climbing! Podcast Rundown 0:15 - Opening comments about the ongoing COVID crisis,  positive trends we're seeing, and the hope for a summer climbing season. 2:20 - Shifting gears with this podcast away from physical training to important strategies for succeeding on challenging outdoor adventures. Learn the importance of the mental game--perhaps it's exactly what you need to make the next grade?! 9:30 - Strive to become a Maximum Climber. Read the book. Pure gold! 10:00 -

These are crazy times we're living through with the COVID crisis. Most of us are self-quarantined...left to train on a home wall, hangboard, and whatever else we can kludge together. My personal initiative during the growing stay-at-home spell is doing twice-weekly livestream videos that I call "Training Café". You can view these shows--and submit training questions--during the livestream shows simulcast on the Training For Climbing Facebook and T4C YouTube channels. In this podcast, however, I wanted to share with part of Training Café #6...which includes several training Q & As and a brief dive into using Energy System Training concepts to improve the effectiveness of your training. Podcast Rundown 0:15 - Opening comments about the ongoing COVID crisis...and stay-at-home situation we most face. 3:15 - Introducing my Make April Great Again initiative...Training Café!  7:25 - Audio begis from Training Café #6. 10:00 - SHOUT OUT...to Udo Neumann, the legendary Germany coach and movement expert. Check out h

An often-used proverbial phrase, to encourage optimism and proactive action in the face of adversity or misfortune, is to "make lemonade out of lemons." In this podcast, Eric Hörst presents a hopeful mindset and approach for persevering through the COVID-19 crisis. He details five tips for effective home training and fostering a stronger immune system. Employing this guidance will lower your risk of illness and prepare your body for a quick return to high-performance climbing this summer! Podcast Rundown 0:30 - Opening comments about the global pandemic...and its effects on climbing and life in general. 8:00 - Regarding self-quarantine and areas closed to climbing -- be a part of the solution! 12:10 - Adversity and forced change can sometimes be a blessing in disguise--look for a silver lining in your current situation. Think long-term, consider life course corrections, new goals, and refining your personal "life mission". Consider relistening to Podcast #32 on Success Strategies and Podcast #43 on Tips for

In this episode of Ask Coach Hörst...Eric answers 9 wide-ranging questions from listeners. Some of the topics covered are...hangboard training, diagnosing a finger injury, autoregulation use in competition, energy system training, optimal training for a Masters climber, protein requirements, and blood flow restriction training. Listen in! Podcast Rundown 0:15 - Introduction to Ask Coach Horst 1:45 - About POWERPLEX plant-based protein and collagen alternative for vegan climbers. Use checkout code PODCAST15 to save 15% off full-price PhysiVantage products. 3:05 - Question #1 - What are your thoughts on hangboard training on climbing days...as well as on consecutive days? 7:50 - Question #2 - Can you give me some insight into my finger injury...which is painful at the base of the ring finger, but also extends down into the palm and forearm? 10:10 - Question #3 - What's the optimal length of rest between strength/power exercises and powerful bouldering? 14:15 - Question #4 - What do you think about the use of a

4 Tips to Improve the Quality of Your Training and Accelerate Progress Toward Your Goals! It's been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing expecting to get different results. Progress demands change. Doing hard things demands great change. Uncommon success demands uncommon self-awareness, discipline, and effort. This podcast presents four ways to refine, re-invent, or perhaps completely overhaul your training to get better results in the pursuit of your goals. RUNDOWN 8:50 - Develop a detailed and compelling game plan for 2020. On a calendar, block in possible road trips, competitions, and other major life events. Consider what additional shorter trips (weekends and holidays) you can schedule. Now, think about developing a training plan to be maximally effective for preparing you for each trip. Don't forget to include a 3 to 7 days "training taper" before significant trips. 11:45 - Refine, re-invent, or overhaul your training! Do you do the same familiar training program day after day? A

It's the dawn of a new decade, and so I wanted to take this rare opportunity to record a unique and, hopefully, impactful podcast. The topic is...effective training for the climb that is your life. This is a short and fast-paced episode, so I hope that you can find some quiet time to listen closely...and think critically about the 10 tips and concepts that I present. Please listen with an open mind. Search for clues to answering the very important question: "how can I become more effective at pursuing my life goals...and enjoying every day along the way?" I strongly recommend writing down some new and inspiring goals for 2020 (and beyond). Now, immediately get to work on developing a system for reaching your goals. Exude a bias for action each and every day, and I guarantee that many of your goals will be realized! RUNDOWN 0:20 – Intro to the 10 tips and concepts for effective training for life! 2:00 -  Concept #1: The quality of your life is directly related to the quality of your thoughts. 4:11 - Concept #2

Effective training can't be haphazard, nor done ad-lib. In this podcast, you'll learn a supremely effective conceptual model for training that adopts an "intelligent system" approach. Eric describes the nine elements of an intelligent system, and how you can incorporate this system to optimize training results and accelerate goal pursuit! RUNDOWN 1:30 – Intro to the TFC podcast 3:19 – Learning to climb is simple; learning how to train effectively is complex! 8:10 – Employing a “systems” approach to your training and goal pursuit. 10:32 – The value of waking each morning with a mission. 16:20 – Eric shares some climbing history…and names 5 legendary, transformative climbers that influenced him and helped inspire this systems approach to training/climbing. 17:55 - #1 Warren Harding…applied a mission approach to big wall climbing…and took commitment and suffering to a new level. 20:00 - #2 John Gill – The father of modern bouldering and training for climbing. Read his biography, Masters of Rock (by Pat Ament). G

If you're serious about training and climbing your best, then you must be serious about performance nutrition. The foods you consume play a central role in energy production, training adaptations, muscle recovery, connective tissue health, and your strength-to-weight ratio. Combined, these nutritional influences are nearly as significant as the influence of your training program--and, if you get both your training and nutrition right, then a powerful synergy will elevate your performance to a new level! RUNDOWN 00:40 – Intro to performance nutrition. Why it's important. 4:16 - As a guiding principle, climbers should "eat and train" not "diet and exercise." 5:19 - A short story about an aspiring elite climber... 6:40 - One of my favorite sayings...and a powerful guiding principle: "To outperform the masses you must do things they don't do." 7:00 - Pro tip: Eschew group think. Live by your own light. Build your own optimal system to reach your goals. 9:10 - Performance nutrition must be personalized. Many facto

In a departure from my usual lecture style podcasts, I'm happy to feature a guest on this month's podcast--Dr. Tyler Nelson, a chiropractic physician and owner of Camp 4 Human Performance in Salt Lake City. This is my first podcast interview in about a decade--I believe my last audio interview was with Alex Honnold soon after his free solo of Half Dome (2008). Maybe some day I'll dig out that podcast from the audio vault and post it here! But I digress. The focus of this podcast is Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) training. This training modality has been around for decades, but has only been recently popularized by some physiotherapists and coaches. Among climbers, perhaps no one is more knowledgable on this topic than Dr. Nelson. In this 40-minute interview we'll explore the different BFR training protocols, and how BFR training may be a beneficial intervention for injured and healthy climbers alike. SUMMARY History of BFR and introduction into training in the USA. The difference between "passive" and "active"

This is fourth in a series on sinew training with a specific focus on climbing injuries and prevention. Incidence of climbing injuries is growing, and overuse injuries to the fingers, elbows, and shoulders are common among beginners and expert alike. Eric lays out the perfect storm of factors that make upper extremity overuse injuries so common. You will learn countermeasures to reduce your injury risk and increase tendon health and finger flexor pulley strength. If you engage in hard finger training, frequently push your physical limits, and/or occasionally experience tendon or joint pain, then this podcast will be game-changer for you! RUNDOWN 0:24 – Intro to this episode and a quick recap of the previous episodes in this series. Be sure to listen to the first three podcasts in this series: Episode #33: Sinew Training #1 - Intro to Training for Stronger Tendons and Ligaments Episode #34: Sinew Training #2 - A Revolution in Finger Training for Climbers Episode #36: Sinew Training #3 -Training to Increase

In this episode of Ask Coach Hörst...Eric answers 7 wide-ranging questions from listeners. Some of the topics covered are...energy system training for alactic power, climbing-specific aerobic energy system training, Tabata training on a hangboard, advice for a beginner wanting to hangboard train, the pros/cons of Ketogenic diet, accelerating healing of an A2 pulley injury. Listen in! Podcast Rundown 4:57 - Question #1 - How important is a climbing-specific aerobic training block at the beginning of a training cycle? 9:42 - Question #2 - Can you provide me with tips on staying healthy and motivated...and supporting my longevity in climbing? 16:12 - Question #3 - How many exercises can I include in an alactic energy system training session for developing maximum strength and power? 22:30 - Question #4 - I've read about the Tabata training protocol and I'm wondering what you think of applying it to hangboard training...by alternating 20-second hangs with 10 seconds of rest? 27:50 - Question #5 - I'm new to climb

What makes great climbers great? What are the distinct and rare character traits that make climbers like Tommy Caldwell, Alex Honnold, Margo Hayes, Adam Ondra, and Alex Megos (I call this group "CHHOM")--and others like them--the barrier-breaking and transcendent climbers that they are? You might be thinking of things like "strong fingers", "low bodyfat, and "excellent sponsorship". Surely these are part of the equation, however, I believe the true Superpowers of these climbers are things you can't measure with a fitness test or financial summary. In this podcast I present the 8 Superpowers of the very best climbers--traits you can develop (gradually) to achieve great success on the rock and in your everyday life. I hope you find this presentation enjoyable and empowering! Rundown 0:58 - Introduction 2:50 - What does it take to turn an elite climber into one of the very best climbers on the planet? 8 Superpowers of the Very Best Climbers 5:28 - #1: Becoming comfortable with physical and mental discomfort. 11:

Sinew training. What the heck is that? Chances are you've never heard of "sinew training"...or even thought about it. After all, genetics and "luck" dictate the properties of our tendons and ligaments, right? WRONG! A growing body of recent research has shown that athletes can play an active role in developing stronger, higher performing tendons and ligaments by way of specific training and nutritional interventions. If you engage in hard finger training, frequently push your physical limits, and/or occasionally experience tendon or joint pain, then this podcast will be game-changer for you! This podcast is the third in a series on sinew training. You will learn about the structure of connective tissues, and how you can intervene in your connective tissue health and function...and elevate your power and power-endurance in the process. It's exciting stuff! Be sure to revisit the first two podcasts in this series episode #33 and episode #34, and don't miss the conclusion of this series in episode #37 coming in