The TrainingBeta Podcast: A Climbing Training Podcast

I’m Taking New Nutrition Clients I’m currently taking on 5 new nutrition clients, so if you’re looking for help on optimizing your diet for climbing, or you have some other health issues you’d like help with, I’m here for you! You can find out more about my nutrition offerings here. About Laura Schmidt My original idea for this podcast was to have a former nutrition client on the show to do a refresher session with them. I thought I’d show you how I work with clients and let you learn from their situation and how I worked with them. When my former client Laura Schmidt responded to my call for potential interviewees, she said she’d love to be on the show and that things were going really well for her. But I had no idea how well they were going until this interview happened. She basically had a life transformation since working with me a year ago, and it had a lot to do with her willingness to fully embrace the suggestions I made for her diet, sleep, and exercise habits. In the episode, Laura Schmidt talks about the changes she made to her diet and lifestyle since we worked together and how they improved her energy levels, her climbing, and her quality of life. We worked together for one month, and when I first met her, she had a food aversion, meaning she really didn’t enjoy eating, and she had some disordered eating behaviors. Her energy was very low most of the time, and she had a hard time getting through workouts or climbing days without feeling totally exhausted during and after her sessions. She was underweight and not where she wanted to be with her climbing. Through working together, I made suggestions to make her meals more palatable, encouraged her to eat 3 full meals per day instead of snacking all the time, and I gave her some solid recommendations for calorie and macro amounts to help stabilize her energy. In this conversation we talk about the changes she made, what it meant for her lifestyle to make those changes, and how they affected her health and well-being. Her energy is much better, she’s climbing harder, her mood is better, and she has a much better relationship with food now. Honestly, Laura’s eating was pretty similar to what I see most of my clients doing when we first start working together. Don’t feel like you won’t be able to relate with Laura because she has an aversion to food; she was forcing herself to eat, and it was the same types of things (and at the same times of day) that most people do, so these changes I suggested to her will likely apply to you, too. She is so passionate about this topic now because she feels so much better. We discussed in detail the changes she made, talked about how she fuels now for climbing days, and how all of this affected her relationship with her daughter and her daughter’s relationship with food. I’m so excited for this episode to be out in the world because it just shows you how incredibly powerful small changes to your diet can be. I hope you enjoy it! Laura Schmidt Episode Details Her aversion to food How she overcame a plateau in her climbing through food She was “on paper” doing all the right things, but it wasn’t working So tired she couldn’t train or climb really Doctors couldn’t help her Her thoughts on caffeine now and before we worked together What happened with her body image through this transformation How she has energy to have passions now How her energy increased so much A diet log analysis to help her make things even better Show Links Work with me on your nutrition Laura's Instagram: @girlmeetsjoy   Please Review The Podcast on iTunes Please give the podcast an honest review on iTunes here to help the show reach more curious climbers around the world.

New Gymnastics Rings Workshop with Coach Alex Stiger Do you want to know more about using the gymnastics rings as a training tool for climbing?  On Tuesday, October 6th at 6-7:30pm MDT, Climbing Coach Alex Stiger will be hosting a very affordable, 90-minute workshop where you’ll learn the key considerations for using gynmastics rings in your training plan. You’ll Learn… How to properly use the rings How to scale workouts for different ability levels How to avoid common, potentially injurious, mistakes Coach Alex’s favorite exercises Recording will be sent out at the end if you can’t make it to the live event Sign up for the Rings Workshop   Making the Most Out of A Bad Gym Session with Alex Stiger  In the episode, Coach Alex and I tackled the topic of making a gym session really count, and how to stay in a positive mindset even when you’re having a bad session. It’s easy to get derailed in your climbing session if you do poorly on a route, can’t make move, or just feel tired in general and lack motivation. We talk about things you can do to keep your motivation high and to make small wins in your sessions. She provides drills and exercises you can use to keep yourself in a growth mindset as opposed to a fixed mindset, and we talk about what those things are. Alex is about to start her next 6-week Team Training Program with 12 team members, and this is the most hands-on way to work with Alex. If you’re interested in being part of her next cohort, you can sign up here. Earlybird sign-ups end Wednesday, September 15th, 2021 and there are only a handful of spots left!   Episode Details What constitutes a “bad” or “good” session for both of us Common triggers for bad sessions and what to do about them How to have an adjustable plan for each session How to scale sessions or exercises to fit your psych and energy levels Don’t try to salvage the shipwreck… How to take grades out of the equation at the ym Climbing and training at your appropriate challenge level Chess tournaments for her as one of the very few females at them Our recent big sends after surgery Mastery exercises to keep your sessions very focused   Show Links Take Alex’s class on Rings for Climbers Join Alex’s next Team Program Work on your nutrition with Neely Have questions? Email alex@trainingbeta.com or neely@trainingbeta.com   Please Review The Podcast on iTunes Please give the podcast an honest review on iTunes here to help the show reach more curious climbers around the world.

About Lor Sabourin In the episode, I talk with Lor Sabourin, who is a successful climber and a mental training coach for The Warrior’s Way, where they travel to teach clinics and work one-to-one with climbers of all levels. Lor is also a graduate student on their way to becoming a counselor. I met Lor a long time ago at the base of Dinosaur Rock in the Flatirons, where I was struck by their calm demeanor and friendly smile. I’ve followed Lor on Instagram since then and have been continually impressed by their ability to talk about difficult subjects with eloquence and humility. Lor recently became the first non-binary climber to climb a 5.14 route on traditional gear when they clipped the chains of Sedona’s East Coast Fist Bump (5.14a). I wanted to talk to them about what that projecting process was like, how they improved their climbing so quickly, and what kind of response they’ve gotten from the climbing community about it. We also talked about some mental aspects of climbing, which is what they work on with people every day, and Lor’s insights did not disappoint. They also shared about their experience of coming out as non-binary, and how that affected their relationships with friends and how it affected their climbing. For some reason I feel a kinship with Lor, and I always like talking to them. In this interview we navigated difficult topics, sometimes with less panache than I would’ve liked (on my part), but these are the conversations that need to happen at the moment, even if they’re not easy. I VERY much appreciated Lor’s willingness to be open and vulnerable in talking about personal things.   Lor Sabourin Episode Details What they did to improve climbing in such a short amount of time Eating disorder from the age of 7 How their eating disorder was connected to their gender identity How they felt about being the “first non-binary person to send 5.14 on gear” How we can deal with feeling entitled in climbing and “wanting something for nothing” Dealing with “bad mental days” Building self compassion in climbing and in life Hot they navigate school, work, and climbing in terms of time management How they like van life long term How climbing is a mindfulness exercise   Show Links Article on Rock & Ice about Lor Lor’s Coaching Page on Warrior’s Way Lor’s Instagram Take Alex’s class on Running for Climbers Join Alex’s next Team Program       Photo Credit Photo of Lor by Blake McCord @blakemccordphoto

I was interviewed on the Nugget! This is a re-post of an interview with me on the Nugget Climbing Podcast with host Steven Dimmitt. I love being on the other side of an interview occasionally, and Steven is a fantastic interviewer. We had some laughs, talked about some serious stuff, and I feel a little vulnerable about how much I shared personally, honestly.  I'm an open book, but when it's recorded and put out to the world, it's a little nerve wracking! I hope you enjoy this interview and maybe get to know me a little better (than you even wanted to). Here's Steven's description of the interview from his site, and he has some other good show notes on the episode page if you're interested. Neely Quinn is the founder of TrainingBeta, and the long-time host of The TrainingBeta Podcast. We talked about Neely’s health journey and discovering paleo, not wanting a boss, why she decided to create TrainingBeta, lessons learned from hosting 160+ interviews, injuries and surgery, project piano pieces, kids vs. houses, and her new puppy named Willa. You can learn more about Neely at trainingbeta.com Show Links This episode on The Nugget Climbing Podcast website My Nutrition Program for Climbers: Nourish Work on your nutrition with me

New Running Class with Coach Alex Stiger Do you LOVE to run but don’t know how to fit it in with your climbing? In just a couple weeks, Climbing Coach Alex Stiger and Running Coach Sean Hopkins will be hosting a very affordable, 90-minute class where you’ll learn the key considerations for balancing training for climbing and running. You’ll Learn… Which strength training exercises are great for climbing and running How we can warm up appropriately to avoid injuries How running can help you perform better as a climber Template training plans for 3 running distances (5k and under, 10k, and 10k+) Sign up below and you’ll be the first to be notified when the class is ready for purchase. Get on the Wait List for the Running Class Here     The Art of Trying Hard in Climbing with Alex Stiger  In the episode, Coach Alex and I tackled the nebulous topic of trying hard in climbing. Like, really trying hard. A couple years ago, Alex spent some time working with Coach Hazel Findlay and realized that she needed to work on her own try-hard. So she went through a transformation in her mindset that led her to not only understand the importance of trying hard, but how to make it a practiced skill for herself and for her clients. Alex Stiger is a coach at Movement Climbing and Fitness in Boulder, CO and a Performance Climbing Coach for TrainingBeta. She’s been on numerous episodes of the podcast and will continue to be until we run out of things to talk about in climbing. She’s currently in the middle of a very successful 6-week Team Training Program with 12 students, and she’ll be taking on another team in the fall. This is the most hands-on way to work with Alex, so if you’re interested in being part of her next cohort, you can sign up here.   Trying Hard Episode Details How to make trying hard a skill instead of a windfall Why trying hard is arguably the most important part of sending What does trying hard look like? Her year-long journey with learning how to try hard List that everyone should make to qualify their own try-hard How Alex overcomes obstacles to trying hard How my husband gets himself to try hard How to deal with fear of injury due to trying hard   Show Links Take Alex’s class on Running for Climbers Join Alex’s next Team Program Work on your nutrition with Neely Have questions? Email alex@trainingbeta.com or neely@trainingbeta.com

In this podcast, the host discusses the importance of protein in a climber's diet and provides recommendations on how much protein to consume. They cover topics such as different sources of protein, protein powder choices, breakfast tips, managing macros with autoimmune disorders, and protein snack suggestions. They also talk about the breakdown of carb, fat, and protein percentages in meals, the comparison between farm fresh and standard grocery store products, calculating calories burned during climbing, and recommended supplements for recovery and a paleo diet for fibromyalgia.

About Caroline Treadway Caroline Treadway is a writer, a photographer, a film maker, and a climber. She recently released the documentary film “Light” about the eating disorder struggles of high profile rock climbers including Emily Harrington and Angie Payne. In this interview, we discuss why she made the film, what impact the film has made in her life, and then we go deeper into her own eating disorder as well as my experience with disordered eating behaviors. At the end, we even discuss what we thought about each other in times when we were both experiencing disordered eating behaviors – we’ve known each other for many years. This is an incredibly vulnerable conversation, and I want to thank Caroline for her willingness to be open about these topics and for her bravery for creating the film. According to one study, 16.5% of female rock climbers and 6% of male climbers experience some disordered eating behaviors. This is a big deal, and because shame is such a large component of disordered eating, this interview is a further attempt to destigmatize the topic and bring it into the “light.” If you have not seen the film yet, it’s amazing–I loved it–and you can watch it for free here.         Interview Details Why she made the film How the film has changed her and her career How we could approach someone (or not) who we’re worried about in regards to their eating Her experience with ED and how it affected her body and mental health How she ended up in the hospital How she would’ve wanted to be approached about her ED What we used to think of each other       Show Links Caroline on Instagram @carolinelovesphotos Light the Documentary Film on Instagram @light.thedocumentaryfilm Watch the documentary film “Light” Learn more about eating disorders and get help: www.nationaleatingdisorders.org Get nutrition help from me to feel less stressed about your diet and body image

A while back I asked for questions about training and climbing for an episode that Coach Alex and I did together. Well, we got so many questions that we decided to do an entire episode answering some more of them. That full Q&A episode can be found on our Patreon page, but today I published half of the episode as a Sneak Preview on the main podcast so you can get some of that good beta, too. If you’d like to get bonus episodes from TrainingBeta, you can go over to Patreon where you can subscribe for as little as $5/month and get at least 75 minutes of extra stuff EVERY MONTH. You’ll get a Nutrition Bite, which is a short episode every month from me all about a specific nutrition topic, as well as a Team Roundtable, where Matt, Alex, and I will discuss a specific training/nutrition topic or do a Q&A like this one. There are also old episodes in the vault that I’ve never published, and I’ll be publishing those on Patreon soon. CHECK OUT THE PATREON EPISODES   Team Q&A: Training and Nutrition In this sneak preview, we answered the following questions: When to transition from indoor to outdoor climbing When to transition from toproping to lead climbing General nutrition advice for a climber who doesn’t want to log their calories/macros Training adaptations for very short climbers and very tall climbers The questions we covered in the full episode on Patreon are: Antagonist muscle training and how to work it into your program What a typical performance block looks like in terms of maintenance training and time spent trying to send Performance phase nutrition (for when you’re trying to send stuff) How to avoid takeout food with a very busy schedule

About Matt Pincus Matt is a boulderer and a sport climber based out of Jackson, Wyoming. He splits his time between training at home in Jackson and traveling to pursue his climbing goals around the world. Matt is also a coach at TrainingBeta and he’s been seeing clients from around the world since 2017. Matt created our Bouldering Training Program, which is a non-linear plan that will help you gain strength, power, skills, and work capacity. There’s also a maintenance block worked into the program so you can continue to train lightly during your performance phases. Learn More about the Bouldering Program Here   8 Tips for a Successful Performance Phase In the episode, Coach Matt and I discuss our top 8 tips for having a successful performance phase, whether that’s a climbing trip, a good weather season at your home crag, or a period of time in the gym when you’re just trying to send hard stuff. These tips are a mixture of advice for beginner, intermediate, and advanced climbers, so everyone should get something out of it. At the end of this episode I included a preview of a recent Q&A episode that Matt, Alex, and I did over on Patreon. If you’d like to get even more episodes every month in the form of Nutrition Bites (quick episodes on specific nutrition topics) and Team Talks with Coach Matt Pincus, Coach Alex Stiger, and me, you can join Patreon for that exclusive content.   Episode Details What is a performance phase? Matt’s 3 tips HAVE a performance phase Be ready to put the work in Do prep work away from the crag to maximize your climbing days My 5 tips (it was supposed to be 3, but I couldn’t help myself) Prioritize rest on a macro and micro level Fuel properly on climbing and rest days Balance mental health with sending Plan your goals, trips, and partners way in advance Redpointing tactics   Show Links Nourish: A Self-Paced Nutrition Program for Climbers Bouldering Program (Levels 1-3) to help you maintain strength during a performance phase Get more episodes every month on Patreon Have topics you want us to cover? Email matt@trainingbeta.com or neely@trainingbeta.com   Please Review The Podcast on iTunes Please give the podcast an honest review on iTunes here to help the show reach more curious climbers around the world.   Photo Credit Photo of Dru Mack by Matt Pincus @mpincus87

Support the Podcast on Patreon Nutrition and Training Q&A with Alex Stiger and Neely Quinn  In this episode, Coach Alex and I answer questions from the TrainingBeta community about nutrition and training. We asked people on Instagram, email, and Facebook what they wanted to know about, and we answered as many questions as we could in about an hour. Alex is a Certified Personal Trainer, a Performance Climbing Coach, and a 5.13+ climber. She is a coach for TrainingBeta and for Movement in Boulder. She’s been training and coaching individuals and teams for over 7 years. I (Neely Quinn) am your host (more about that in a sec) and I’m a Certified Integrative Clinical Nutritional Therapist who’s been working exclusively with climbers since 2014. In the last couple episodes, Alex has been subbing in for me as host, and while she’s a fantastic podcast host, I need her to focus on coaching and creating awesome programs for you, so I’m going to slip back in as your trusty host from now on. Having her take over for a while gave me some much-needed time to figure out what direction the podcast is going. I did a ton of thinking, researching, and soul searching, and I’m back and I’m psyched! You’ll be seeing more episodes every month now that I’m re-stoked. I’ll explain more in the episode. If you’re interested in supporting my efforts with the podcast and you’d like to get even more episodes every month in the form of Nutrition Bites (quick episodes on specific nutrition topics) and group Q&A sessions with Coach Matt Pincus, Coach Alex Stiger, and me, you can join Patreon for that exclusive content.   Q&A Details How to work hangboarding in with a climbing session What the deal is with intermittent fasting and climbing/training An example meal for a rest day On-the-wall exercises to increase finger strength Maintaining fitness during a vacation How to train lockoffs   Show Links Join Alex’s new Team Program! Have questions? Email alex@trainingbeta.com or neely@trainingbeta.com