Episode #15: Reflections on a Roadtrip & 5 Training/Performance Myths BUSTED!
08/10/17 • 60 min
In this podcast, Eric Hörst presents many practical tips for climbing your best on a roadtrip...and for training in safe and effective ways, by steering clear of popular training myths and dogma.
Rundown
1:10 – Reflections on a roadtrip—tips for performing your best while on an extended climbing trip.
3:20 – Learn about the “golden period” of a roadtrip—when you are typically the strongest and most powerful...and be able to climb the hardest.
4:10 – Why the best-trained climbers actually get weaker (and lose high-end power) during a multi-week climbing trip.
7:45 – What’s the best ratio of climbing days vs. rest days, while on a long climbing trip.
9:55 – Importance of diet and sleep for optimizing recovery and performing your best on a roadtrip.
13:38 – Upon returning for a long roadtrip, how long should you break from serious training & climbing?
15:20 – Eric comments on Adam Ondra’s mega-project...perhaps the world’s first 5.15d.
18:08 – Introduction to the “Training & Performance Mythbusters” segment.
20:38 – Myth #1: Hangboard training is only appropriate for advanced climbers. (Learn the truth....that hangboard training is useful—for developing finger strength AND building stronger tendons & pulleys—for all climbers other than beginner and recently injured climbers.)
29:55 – Myth #2: Campus training, as commonly shown in social media feeds, is something you should be doing...because campus training is the best method of developing a stronger, more powerful upper-body for climbing. (Learn the truth....and how “pre-hab” training is essential before adding campus training to your program.)
36:45 – Myth #3: The widely publicized “10,000-hour Rule” of practice applies to climbing....therefore you must climb as often and as much as possible so as to accumulate the 10,000 hours needed to become elite. (The truth? Applied to climbing...this rule is bogus! With good coaching, smart training, a high-level of motivation/dedication, and favorable genetics, you can become a high-level climber in far fewer than 10,000 hours of practice.)
40:02 – Myth #4: Body building and other “fitness” magazine (and web sites) are a good source of effective training techniques that you can apply to climbing. (Hear Eric bust this myth!)
43:45 – What about novel bodybuilding techniques, such as the recently popularized Blood Flow Restriction training? It’s been “proven” effective by research, right?
47:12 – Learn why it’s best for a climber NOT to have large, bulging biceps....or excessive muscles elsewhere.
48:40 – Myth #5: The latest diet fad (whatever it may be) is likely useful to a serious climber. (Eric will address the currently popular ketogenic/LCHF diet...)
53:00 – How about popular dietary supplements, such as fish oil, a multi-vitamin, creatine monohydrate, and such?
57:40 – Episode wrap up
Music by: Misty Murphy
In this podcast, Eric Hörst presents many practical tips for climbing your best on a roadtrip...and for training in safe and effective ways, by steering clear of popular training myths and dogma.
Rundown
1:10 – Reflections on a roadtrip—tips for performing your best while on an extended climbing trip.
3:20 – Learn about the “golden period” of a roadtrip—when you are typically the strongest and most powerful...and be able to climb the hardest.
4:10 – Why the best-trained climbers actually get weaker (and lose high-end power) during a multi-week climbing trip.
7:45 – What’s the best ratio of climbing days vs. rest days, while on a long climbing trip.
9:55 – Importance of diet and sleep for optimizing recovery and performing your best on a roadtrip.
13:38 – Upon returning for a long roadtrip, how long should you break from serious training & climbing?
15:20 – Eric comments on Adam Ondra’s mega-project...perhaps the world’s first 5.15d.
18:08 – Introduction to the “Training & Performance Mythbusters” segment.
20:38 – Myth #1: Hangboard training is only appropriate for advanced climbers. (Learn the truth....that hangboard training is useful—for developing finger strength AND building stronger tendons & pulleys—for all climbers other than beginner and recently injured climbers.)
29:55 – Myth #2: Campus training, as commonly shown in social media feeds, is something you should be doing...because campus training is the best method of developing a stronger, more powerful upper-body for climbing. (Learn the truth....and how “pre-hab” training is essential before adding campus training to your program.)
36:45 – Myth #3: The widely publicized “10,000-hour Rule” of practice applies to climbing....therefore you must climb as often and as much as possible so as to accumulate the 10,000 hours needed to become elite. (The truth? Applied to climbing...this rule is bogus! With good coaching, smart training, a high-level of motivation/dedication, and favorable genetics, you can become a high-level climber in far fewer than 10,000 hours of practice.)
40:02 – Myth #4: Body building and other “fitness” magazine (and web sites) are a good source of effective training techniques that you can apply to climbing. (Hear Eric bust this myth!)
43:45 – What about novel bodybuilding techniques, such as the recently popularized Blood Flow Restriction training? It’s been “proven” effective by research, right?
47:12 – Learn why it’s best for a climber NOT to have large, bulging biceps....or excessive muscles elsewhere.
48:40 – Myth #5: The latest diet fad (whatever it may be) is likely useful to a serious climber. (Eric will address the currently popular ketogenic/LCHF diet...)
53:00 – How about popular dietary supplements, such as fish oil, a multi-vitamin, creatine monohydrate, and such?
57:40 – Episode wrap up
Music by: Misty Murphy
Previous Episode
Episode #14: Performance Climbing Tips for Weekend Warriors
If you’re a passionate climber who works full-time (or in school), then you likely train indoors during the week with the goal of climbing your best outdoors on the weekend. In this podcast we’ll dig deep into the rich topic of things you can do to optimize your weekend climbing. I’ll cover a wide range of things—perhaps a few that you’ve not thought about—you can do to arrive at the crag fresh and ready to send your project, on-sight at a high level, or climb for volume and maximum fun! While this podcast will be most meaningful to weekend warriors who specialize in sport climbing, the many tips I serve up will also be quite useful for boulder specialists and multi-pitch climbers.
Rundown:
0:50 – Introduction
2:50 – Things that contribute to “low-gravity” send days.
4:35 – Tip 1: Arrive at the crag physically fresh and 100% recovered from your last training or climbing day. Easier said than done...
8:40 – Tip 2: Get your sleep and diet right in the 48 hours leading up to your send day. Performance nutrition is especially important for advanced climbers... Listen up for vital tips!
17:45 – Tip 3: Conduct a quality warm-up before getting on your redpoint or on-sight goal of the day. I’ll take you through what it takes to get your muscles warmed up and nervous system turned on.
24:07 – Tip 4: Make the most of your Day 1 freshness...as you likely won’t be 100% recovered for your Day 2 of climbing. There are a few ways to approach this in order to best invest your time Day 1 and 2.
29:12 – Tip 5: Try to master each project route with the goal of nuancing each move, sequence, clip position, and rest to make it as efficient as possible. In aggregate, striving to refine all aspects of your climb will save you energy and increase the odds of a send—and it just might open up the next grade for you!
39:30 – Tip 6: Rest the right amount between redpoint attempts. I’ll give you science-based guidelines that you can employ and modify, according to how you feel.
44:50 – Tip 7: Breathe optimally, not maximally! Many climbers—and athletes in general—don’t know how to breathe properly to maximize oxygen availability to the muscles. The common practice of overbreathing actually lowers oxygen availability! This is powerful information—listen closely, then begin to become a more conscious breather until you do it right unconsciously.
52:30 – Tip 8: Eat and drink in small/modest amounts throughout the day, but be careful not to overeat and/or overdrink! Many climber tend towards eating and drinking too much during their climbing day with the belief that more is better. Ironically, eating and drinking too much can have the opposite effect.
58:55 – Bonus tip: Get your head right before going for the send. Anticipate success, but accept that a failed attempt is okay...because it’s part of the journey of working and eventually sending the route! As you climb, remain in the moment—take on the route one move at a time—and let the outcome evolve organically.
1:03:30 – Special feature! My thoughts on Alex Honnold’s incredible free-solo of El Capitan, and a throwback to a podcast interview I did with Alex in 2008 after his barrier-breaking free-solo ascent of Yosemite’s Half Dome. Though more than 8 years age, this short interview is quite interesting and revealing. If you’ve seen or heard a recent interview with Alex, it’s remarkable to observe that he’s pretty much the same guy today—as a world-renowned rock star—as he was a 23-year-old just getting his started as a pro climber, per this interview. Enjoy!
1:18:50 – Closing comments
Music: Misty Murphy
Next Episode
Episode #16: The Future of Training for Climbing
Eric describes in detail his vision for improving the effectiveness of training programs via advances in training & testing technologies, nuanced program design, and genetic testing and epigenetics. This is a fascinating podcast rich with clues for improving the effectiveness of your training, reducing injury risk, pursuing your genetic potential, and for living longer and prospering in the vertical world.
If you enjoy this podcast, please share it with your climbing friends via social media....and consider writing a review in iTunes. You can support this podcast by purchasing a book(s) at www.TrainingForClimbing.com. Thank you, and enjoy!
Podcast Rundown
2:00 – Intro to the future of training for climbing.
5:00- Importance of climbing research and veteran coaching in pointing the way forward.
8:35 – Comments on Adam Ondra’s ascent of “Silence”...the world’s first 5.15d/9c.
18:00 – Overview of past training innovations...campus board, hangboard, etc.
20:35 – Recent innovations...the Treadwall, Moon Board, Lattice Wall, Zlagboard, etc.
24:40 – The need to establish standardize testing of climbing-specific strength, power, endurance....to determine the relative strength of the three bio-energetic systems.
25:10 – My vision for the future of training for climbing—broken into three parts:
29:18 - #1: Stop guessing; start testing. The importance of accurate physiological assessment. Leveraging "big data".
47:05 - #2: Smarter program design--short-term nuance with a good long-term aim. Importance of understanding hormetic stress and cellular signaling to getting the most out of your training investment.
57:00 – #3: Genetic testing and training program design with epigenetics in mind.
1:07:25 – Closing thoughts.
Music: Misty Murphy
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