Eric Hörst's Training For Climbing Podcast

To celebrate the 100th episode of the T4C podcast, I wanted to serve up a powerful, comprehensive, yet easily digestible and actionable list of things you can do today to break through a performance plateau...and begin a journey towards being the best climber you can be! No matter your current experience or level of climbing, I guarantee that you will find this episode to be a tour de force of things you can do to accelerate your rate of improvement...and increase your confidence, joy, and experience while climbing.  Therefore, a more accurate title of this podcast might be..."The 10 secrets to accelerating improvement and climbing your very best!" I've got a lot of territory to cover in the next hour, so let's get started! Support the TFC podcast sponsor, PhysiVantage Nutrition. Get 15% off full-priced nutrition with checkout code: PODCAST15 (North America only). In Europe and elsewhere visit EPIC-TV Shop or BananaFingers.com to get your PhysiVantage! Music by Misty Murphy SAVE on  La Sportiva shoes her

When it comes to climbing, no single piece of gear is more influential on your performance than your shoes. Getting the right shoe fit and feel for a given boulder or route is critical to climbing your best! However, there are dozens of climbing shoes on the market with widely varying designs, looks, and prices. What's the right shoe(s) for your gym training and outdoor rock climbing? What features should you look for? How tight should you fit your shoes? Our shoe expert, Michael Genauer from La Sportiva NA, will answer these questions and many more in this episode. Listen and learn how to make your climbing shoes perform better for you! Reminder: T4C episode #97 provided a look into the science of chalk and optimal chalk use. Combined with today's podcast #99, these two episodes provide a comprehensive look into the quality of your four points of contact with the rock. If you want to climb better, then you must strive to optimize your purchase with each contact point. RUNDOWN 00:20 - Introduction 1:30 - Buil

In this episode, Coach Hörst shares his recent unique training day in the Front Range of Colorado. Eric will contrast the remarkable late-afternoon workout of one of the world's top boulderers, Drew Ruana, with his own route-climbing workout a few hours earlier.  You will learn the fundamental differences between training for bouldering and route climbing, particularly concerning the energy systems that power climbing movements. Eric with detail his climbing-specific aerobic system route training session at the G1 gym. Eric will then describe Drew's unique limit boulder training methodology that's elevated him to being one of the very best boulderers on the planet. Learn how Drew puts his home woodie to work for maximum gains! Whether your climbing focus is boulders or routes, this pithy reductionist analysis of training for climbing will engage and enlighten passionate climbers of all ability levels. *** Support the TFC podcast sponsor, PhysiVantage Nutrition. Get 15% off full-priced nutrition with checkout

The quality of your contact with the rock is paramount when it comes to climbing performance. Strong muscles, on-point technique, and a confident mindset won’t get you up a climb if you can’t hang onto the holds! Many things affect the quality of your grip and the perceived “stickiness” of the holds – to begin with, there’s the texture of the rock and the degree of incut (or slope) to the hold. Weather conditions, such as temperature, humidity, and wind play a big role in how the rock feels and your skin performs. Body position, center of gravity location, and your finger force vector are huge factors in determining how holds feel and will work for a given move. Last but not least, there’s your skin quality and the structure of your fingertips. Pulpy (fleshy) tips can deform around tiny rock rugosities to give a better grip on tiny holds and, similarly, skin that’s got adequate moisture and elasticity will stick to holds better than thick, dry, callused skin which yields a glassy and slippery grip. It's the l

Lean in dear listener...and enjoy the most transparent Training For Climbing podcast ever! In this engaging episode, Coach Eric Hörst shares an in-depth analysis of his climbing weaknesses...and he reveals the specifics of his program to train for gains in 2024. Eric presents 4 primary action items of his winter training program, and he provides an assessment of his progress as of the end of January. One of Eric's primary off-season training interventions is twice weekly Kilter Boarding. Eric details exactly how he uses this incredible training tool. He also outlines the importance of consistent aerobic energy system training, especially for route climbers, and he provides details on important changes he's made to both his daily diet and sleep habits. RUNDOWN 0:15 - Intro to the most transparent TFC podcast ever! 3:10 - The need to perform an end-of-season "gap analysis". What needs to be done to reach big goals in 2024? 7:37 - The importance of willpower! And one of my favorite quotes: "The will to prepare f

Do you want to level up in climbing...and across the board in your life? Many folks use the fresh start of a new year to set some goals and make course corrections in important life areas. I'm one of those people...and since you're listening to this podcast, you probably are too! Towards this end, this episode transcends climbing performance...and aspires to increase human performance. I will present to you 15 powerful strategies and concepts that have shaped my MO in climbing and life over the past 30 years...and I trust you'll find this information empowering and actionable in your own quest to level up your performance in climbing, career, and beyond! RUNDOWN 0:15 - Greetings and Happy New Year! 0:50 - Use the new year to evaluate your life across the board...and make course corrections! 3:20 - Introduction to Eric's "Mental Wings" concepts and strategies 5:02 - Overview of human performance -- YOU, dear listener, are far more powerful than you can possibly imagine! 12:30 - Brief Podcast Sponsor message fr

What does it take to climb your first 5.13a? In this episode, you'll hear my recommendations for a training client of mine (Ryan Devlin) as he closes in on completing his first 5.13a, a Red River Gorge classic named "The Force". This is a follow-up to episodes #86 and #91, in which I coach Ryan through the process of training for and working on his first-ever 5.13. You will hear where Ryan is at with his project--you'll learn some of his struggles along the way...as well as a recent big breakthrough. With winter on the approach, the clock is ticking on this send season...and Ryan knows it! Lean into this podcast and learn what actions, exercises, and strategies you might take and apply to your training for the next goal or grade, whatever it may be! This episode is a collaboration of Ryan's "The Struggle" podcast and my Training For Climbing podcast. I hope you enjoy it! Listen to and subscribe to The Struggle Podcast here >> T4C Podcast sponsor -- Visit PhysiVantage.com the leader in climbing-specific perfo

In this episode, I detail 7 Training, Performance, and Nutrition Mistakes Common Among Climbers. I’ll admit that I've been guilty of a couple of these mistakes in the past…and chances are that you are too. But by recognizing our flawed approaches we are empowered to make course corrections that can improve the effectiveness of our training in the short term and, over the long term, accumulate into a massive change in our ability to crush hard things and break new barriers! RUNDOWN 0:15 - Welcome 0:50 - Introduction to the "7 Mistakes" that can compromise the quality of your training and blunt the performance gains 3:09 - Let's get started...and elevate our training and climbing! 3:55 - Mistake #1: Not having an intelligent plan for each training session. 5:40 - Mistake #2: Making every workout a competition with yourself. 9:40 - Mistake #3: "Cramming” training before a weekend trip, competition, or longer road trip. Learn about the performance nutrition used by Top Pros - Get 15% off full-priced PhysiVantage

In this episode, I'll share some insider insights from the Canadian Climbing Medicine (CCM) Symposium held in Squamish, BC this past August.  I'll give you some of the conference highlights on topics such as recent climbing injury trends, new technology for diagnosing A2 pulley injuries, growth plate injuries among youth climbers, commentary on the RED-S debate and the IFSC controversy, and much more! RUNDOWN 0:15 - Greetings 0:50 - "Insider Information" from the Canadian Climbing Medicine (CCM)Symposium 1:48 - Backstory on CCM - Follow @ClimbingMedicine 3:30 - Overview of this year's 3-day conference at Squamish, BC. DAY 1  (abridged) 7:00 - A2 Pulley injury insights from Dr. Isa Schöeffl  7:40 - Update on Growth Plate fractures among youth climbers. 9:10 - Low Energy Availability (LEA) 10:00 - Insights into RED-S concerns with young and elite-level climbers 11:00 - Dr. Volker Schöeffl updated on his resignation from IFSC MedCom. 13:52 - Screening with BMI? Next steps? 15:50 - Dr. Volker Schöeffl on injury t

What does it take to climb your first 5.13a? In this episode, you'll hear my recommendations (for Ryan Devlin) as he projects his first 5.13a....with the goal of sending it by the end of this year.  This is a follow-up to episode #86, in which I presented to Ryan a three-season program for achieving his first 5.13 send. You will hear where Ryan is at with his training--and his project selection!--and I'll help Ryan develop his Autumn season gameplan for working the route...and hopefully clipping the chains by season's end! Listen in and learn what actions, exercises, and strategies you might take and apply to your training for the next goal or grade, whatever it may be! This episode is a collaboration and co-branded The Struggle and Training For Climbing podcast. I hope you enjoy it! Listen to and subscribe to The Struggle Podcast here >> T4C Podcast sponsor -- Visit PhysiVantage.com the leader in climbing-specific performance nutrition. Get 15% off full-priced items with checkout code: PODCAST15 (North Ameri

For many climbers, Autumn is the season of sending. With the start of "send season" just 6 weeks away, this episode will describe a few keys for dialing in your training now to climb your best in October and November. Lean into this podcast...and let's prepare to SEND! RUNDOWN 0:14 - Welcome message. 00:50 - Introduction to...6 weeks to send season! 2:57 - 3 key steps for effective training over the weeks until your performance season begins. 4:10 - #1: Identify your specific goal for the Autumn climbing season. Where will you mostly be climbing and what's the physical nature of the climbing there? What's your "super bowl"...that is, the most important project boulder or route? 8:42 - #2: Spend less time strength training and more time climbing! Over the coming weeks, taper off climbing-specific strength exercises and put down the heavy free weights until your next off-season. 12:25 - #3: Consider your body composition--is it currently optimal for climbing your best on steep boulders and long, overhanging rou

For many of us, Summer is the season of climbing roadtrips. Whether you're venturing across North America, Europe, or Asia, visiting new climbing areas is a wonderful skill- and experience-building endeavor...and it will likely enrich your life and expand your brain in a number of other ways as well. In terms of climbing performance, however, one of the most challenging matters while on a roadtrip is managing fatigue. Specifically, you will awake each day and be faced with the decision of whether you should climb...or take a rest day.  In this T4C episode, I'll detail the primary factors you should consider in determining how often you should take a rest day from climbing. The optimal climbing-to-rest-day ratio can differ greatly depending on your climbing goals, training history, age, and recovery ability, among other things. RUNDOWN 0:14 - Welcome message. 1:30 - The value of climbing roadtrips 2:36 - Intro to optimizing your climbing day to rest day ratio while on a roadtrip. The 4 primary factors that com

The topic for this Flash edition can be summarized in this simple, but powerful concept: You can NOT train optimally for peak performance in bouldering and sport climbing at the same time! Obviously, bouldering and sport climbing are much different tactically and emotionally, and they are remarkably different in terms of the mental game, safety systems, and risk management strategies. However, the focus of this podcast is the obvious physical differences between these two popular climbing subdisciplines. We'll compare and contrast the energy systems involved in high-end bouldering versus sport climbing, and I'll give you some insight into the training methodology and keys to optimizing a training program designed for each.  RUNDOWN 0:14 - Hello and Intro to this episode 1:30 - Overview of the differences between Bouldering and Sport Climbing (i.e. Route Climbing) 2:15 - Global concept: You can NOT train optimally for peak performance in bouldering and sport climbing at the same time! 4:50 - Energy system uses

Imagine going from having no project climb...to sending perhaps your hardest-ever route in just a few short weeks. That's the unusual story I will share with you in this episode. The route is Kaleidoscope, the Red River Gorge king line, which checks in at 5.13c. The climber is....yours truly, 50-something coach Hörst. Despite beginning the Spring 2023 season with a bum knuckle, lack of high-end strength, and no plans to project anything hard...fate put me in the right place at the right time. I was struck with the impulse to jump on the intimidating, overhanging pumpfest known as Kaleidoscope, a route I've gawked at many times but never seriously considered working on. I'll share with you my process of working this route and how the redpoint "just happened" one day. You'll learn many mental, technical, and tactical tips that you can adopt or modify to improve your climbing performance! RUNDOWN 0:15 - Greetings 0:50 - Intro to "surprise send" episode -- a sport climbing performance case study. 2:40 - The backs

What's it take to climb your first 5.13a? In this episode, you'll hear my prescription for one 5.12 climber looking to project -- and send -- his first 5.13a before year's end. In an interesting and entertaining departure from the typical T4C podcast, you get to listen in on a 70-minute training consult with Ryan Devlin, a client for whom I first wrote a training program about 3 years ago. Since then, Ryan's become a solid 5.12a/b climber with redpoints up to 5.12d. But taking it to the next level will require a modified and comprehensive program...which is the focus of our discussion. Listen in and learn what actions, exercises, and strategies you might take and apply to your training for the next goal or grade, whatever it may be! This episode is a collaboration and co-branded The Struggle and Training For Climbing podcast. I hope you enjoy it! Listen to and subscribe to The Struggle Podcast here >> T4C Podcast sponsor -- Visit PhysiVantage.com the leader in climbing-specific performance nutrition. Get 15%

It's a question I get asked all the time: "Will doing some running (or other cardio) help my climbing performance?" Giving a proper answer demands some nuance based on the individual's phenotype as well as their current level of climbing experience and fitness, and time available for training. (But in many cases, the answer is "yes".) This fast-paced episode gives a scientific basis for helping you determine if doing some running could enhance your climbing performance. RUNDOWN 0:14 - Welcome 1:00 - Introduction to "running for climbing". 2:20 - The problem with training sound bites and memes... 4:32 - 4 ways that running (or other generalized cardiovascular conditioning, such as swimming, rowing, biking, etc.) can support a higher level of climbing performance 5:08 - #1. Research has shown that more cardiovascular fit climbers recover faster. This means greater recovery on marginal mid-route rests and faster recovery between boulders, routes, and exercises. 8:02- How your resting heart rate can be used as a

In this fascinating episode, Eric Hörst provides a deep and thoughtful overview of the research on the role genetics plays in sports prowess and climbing performance. Leveraging his decades of experience as a climbing coach and 30 years engaging with climbing researchers, Eric tells an empowering story of how the average climber can pursue peak climbing performance.  RUNDOWN 0:15 - Welcome 0:40 - First in a series of podcasts examining the role of genetics, physical strength/power, body weight, and dietary and nutritional practices on training adaptions and climbing performance. 2:06 - The focus of this podcast is the fascinating topic of the role that genetics play in determining climbing performance.  2:30 - Brief backstory on Eric and Training For Climbing. 5:00 - Intro to the role genetics play in climbing performance. Eric describes the 4 parts of this podcast: Eric will share his general observations about climbing performance given his 46 years as a climber...and 30+ years as a climbing researcher and

If you're passionate about improving your training, elevating your climbing, and advancing in other important life areas....then this is a must-listen podcast! With the perspective of a new year's renewal, Coach Hörst explains the power of making occasional training, climbing, and life “edits” in the quest for peak performance and a deeper sense of joy and happiness. RUNDOWN 0:15 - Welcome 0:48 - The importance of "editing" -- in writing...and in training, climbing, and living effectively! 4:33 - You are the author of your training (and life), so it's essential that you act with intention! 6:43 - #1: EDIT your daily and weekly schedule to maximize time spent engaged in important activities. 14:13 - #2: EDIT your training to provide optimal results, not maximal fatigue. 24:22 - #3: EDIT your thoughts and self-talk to create a state of mind for massive action towards your goals. 33:03 - #4: EDIT your diet and nutrition to support energy, focus, strength gains, recovery ability, and injury resistance. 41:28 - #5

In this fast-paced episode, Eric details 7 end-of-climbing-season mistakes that you don't want to make! Becoming aware of common training mistakes, seasonal traps, and/or counterproductive behaviors that climbers commonly succumb to can save you a lot of time and energy, elude setbacks and unintended consequences, and perhaps even avoid injury. Launch into the New Year healthy, motivated, and with a plan for reaching your training and climbing goals! RUNDOWN 00:43 - Intro to 7 End-of-Climbing-Season Mistakes You Don't Want to Make (by Dwight Schrute, kind of!) 01:40 - Learn a powerful decision-making mantra to help avoid gross errors in training, risk management, and more! 03:28 - Mistake #1: Not taking an inventory of the past year's successes (and not counting your blessings). 05:42 - Mistake #2: Not analyzing the causes of your climbing shortcomings and/or setbacks. 08:14 - Mistake #3: Ignoring your end-of-season aches and pains. 14:28 - A word from this podcast's sponsor, PhysiVantage Nutrition. Get 15% o

You have been waiting all week to get out to get outside and climb! You've been training hard and your stoke is high to top some great boulders and/or take the sharp end up a few killer routes. Now that it's "game day", what can you do nutritionally to support—and perhaps enhance—your performance? This content-dense FLASH edition of the T4C podcast will serve up actionable steps you can take, including how much water your should drink, the types and amounts of foods to consume, and possible ergogenic supplements that might give you an extra edge when climbing at your limit.   RUNDOWN 0:25 - Intro to "FLASH edition" #2 of the Training For Climbing podcast 1:30 - TOPIC: Performance nutrition for a crag day or bouldering session. 2:50 - Part #1 - How much water should you drink? This depends on many things, including the temperature and humidity, the length and rigor of your session, and your hydration status at the start of your climbing day. Listen in for details. 6:16 - Part #2 - What foods...and how much sho