Steve Bechtel

04/29/20 • 101 min

If you don’t know who Steve Bechtel is already, he’s one of the big names in global climbing training. He studied Exercise Science at University and in 2002 opened Elemental Performance and Fitness in Lander, Wyoming. We love Steve’s no nonsense approach to climbing training. He looks from above with an insightful eye and makes the complicated, simple. Sitting down and chatting with him is always a real treat and today was no different. We covered a lot of ground and came out with some really fantastic information.

Steve begins philosophically by exploring why it is we climb and how that has set us up to deal with the current COVID situation. As climbers we push our comfort zones regularly and make ourselves, to steal Steve’s phrase, ‘anti-fragile.’ We are ready to adapt and keep on truckin’. Making the most out of the current situation we find ourselves in around the world is what will get us through this time; it’s not a wrecking ball, it’s an opportunity.

We don’t dive too deep into the current events around the world, rather help provide food for thought as to what you may do. Developing a Plan A and Plan B is one of Steve’s tips. What’s the plan if we continue like this for several months and what will you do if we are back to the new normal in just a couple of months? Programming yourself something sustainable and simple will be the keys here and Steve explains the intensity progression you could try.

Overtraining is a definite tight rope many people like to walk. Perhaps one that will see even more traffic now everyone is fingerboard 12 times a week. Steve lays out a super simple way to check if you’re over training and we have a link below to his recovery checklist. Stick to this and you may just stay injury free and come out stronger for the future.

Amanda and Steve also touch on the importance of a long-term view to your health and training, which has probably never been more apparent then now. The benefits of a carrot this morning will not be obvious this afternoon, nor will the strength session. But do each consistently for a long time and the outcome will be life changing. Our health and fitness are centre stage for many right now, so what better time to make a positive change for the future you.

There’s plenty more we get into like developing work capacity, working weaknesses, habits and self-assessment of your training program.

Follow:

Steve on Instagram: @stevebechtel

Climb Strong on Instagram: @climb.strong

Links

Steve’s recovery checklist - https://www.climbstrong.com/education-center/recovery-points-challenging-youth-athletes-to-recover-well/

Climb Strong free training plans - https://www.climbstrong.com/training-plans/

The Talent Code - http://danielcoyle.com/the-talent-code/

Baffle Days - https://www.baffledays.com.au

There’s plenty more we get into like developing work capacity, working weaknesses, habits and self-assessment of your training program.

Follow:

Steve on Instagram: @stevebechtel

Climb Strong on Instagram: @climb.strong

Links

Steve’s recovery checklist - https://www.climbstrong.com/education-center/recovery-points-challenging-youth-athletes-to-recover-well/

Climb Strong free training plans - https://www.climbstrong.com/training-plans/

The Talent Code - http://danielcoyle.com/the-talent-code/

Baffle Days - https://www.baffledays.com.au

Previous Episode

Minimal equipment training. COVID-19

In this episode Amanda Watts and Tom O’Halloran sit down with Lee Cossey, one of the best climbers Australia has ever seen and one of the best coaching minds in the business. We talk about how you can get the most out of your training while climbing gyms are shut and our access to the outdoors is limited. Finger boarding, strength, mindset and technique improvement are all covered here, with practical tips on what you can do from home.

Lee Cossey is a physiotherapist and runs, along with his wife Andrea Hah, Move Clinic, a Physio and Exercise Physiology practice in Katoomba, Blue Mountains. His clinical study as a physio teamed with elite level climbing gives him a unique understanding of how to get the most out of every climber. If you want to get in contact with Lee or any of the other climbing physios at Move Clinic, you can reach out via their website here. https://moveclinic.com.au

Amanda Watts has been an elite level Australian climber for the past two decades. She is also a sport dietitian and has worked with recreational to elite athletes all over the world. Having lived this life, she knows how to implement important and lasting changes for your health and performance. If you want to get your nutrition and health in tiptop shape, contact Amanda here. https://nutritioncollective.com.au/thrive/

Fingerboard

Four finger grip on an edge

Three finger grip on an edge or pocket

A heavy hang (can be one arm on jug or big edge if you can)

Protocols Lee recommends:

If you’re new to finger boarding, even as an experienced climber, Lee suggests starting on a simple repeater workout. This usually looks like 7 seconds hanging, 3 seconds resting, repeated 6 times. This will last 1 minute. You can repeat this two or three times for each grip, keeping in mind your conditioning to this type of exercise. Rest for 2-3 minutes between sets. One set on each grip may be all your body needs to make gains. Take it slow. Training is a months and years progression, not days and weeks.

You can also try 3 reps of 10 second hangs, separated by 1 minute between reps. Three hangs is one set, take 2-3 minutes between sets and grips.

If you are new to this type of training, take a bigger edge than you think, even a pull up bar or jug is great to begin with. Get used to hanging and going through the process of the exercise. If you have trouble completing a set of hangs, either use a bigger hold or take a small amount of weight off by putting your feet on the ground.

TRX/Floor exercises

TRX row - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT7FwxpYSZs

TRX or floor push ups - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlUqeytSoxE

TRX IYTs – The video shows this exercise being done in a prone position (facing down) this is an advanced variation. Begin by facing the anchor point as you would in the row exercise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzrurtNn9FQ

Pull up bars

Anything here is going to be good. Lee’s recommendation is progress up to doing 10 chin-ups. Once you can do this add 5% body weight to a harness or backpack.

General overall rules

Don’t do the same session more than twice per week.
Don’t work max strength in the same body part more than twice in a week.
Be aware of what you are conditioned to. Reflect on what you have done in the last month or so. Think of the number of moves you did in that time. It may look something like two trips to the bouldering gym where you did 50 warm up moves, 50 warm down moves and 100 hard moves as the main set. Giving you 200 hard moves, 200 easy moves in the week. Plus you went to the cliff twice a week and climbed 10 easy pitches of 50 moves each. That's another 1000 easy moves. Don’t suddenly start finger boarding heavy 4 days week to try and replicate this. You’ll end up injured!

Minimal equipment tips

Drink bottles filled with water are great weights for the fingerboard
Fill your backpack with the bottles and you have a weight vest. Kids or partners also make good weight vests ;).
The underside of a table can supplement as a chin up bar for your inverted rows

Video psyche

Mellow climbing – the new school strong folk have made a youtube channel of some of the hardest boulders in the world https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5jRwTUqG15l-BcqQHbVFtA

Reel Rock – Classic climbing movies and clips from the last 20 years

Next Episode

Setting a Woody with Yossi

We speak to Yossi Sundakov-Krumins, owner and manager of Skywood Climbing. Yossi is the master mind and creator of one of the best woody’s I’ve ever seen so he’s the perfect person to give you a few tips and ideas to make the most out of your setup. https://www.skywoodclimbing.com/home-2