
The Testpiece Podcast
A podcast about high level climbing. How to go from Good to Great.Hosted by Joshua Horsley.
Latest episodes

Oct 2, 2023 • 1h 54min
#66: T&J — “My Wife Says Your Setting Sucks”, Contradictory Training Advice / Hype, Don’t Major In The Minors, Morpho Climbs, Sessioning with “The Strong Crew”, Yosemite Testpiece’s, Doing a V8 vs Climbing V8, and Past Guest Reflections [Mike Heinstein]
Tim and Josh chat about Yosemite bouldering, gym climbing, bad setting, and the hard truth that just because you’ve climbed V8, doesn’t mean you’re a V8 climber.Then Tim and Josh answer some of the burning questions from listeners:When and how-to session with the local strong crew.How to deal with all the training advice on social media that is sometimes contradictory.How to handle with “morpho” climbs, and what to do if you are on the shorter or taller end of the spectrum.SHOW NOTES:Becoming a Supple LeopardSupport the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE

12 snips
Sep 25, 2023 • 1h 18min
#65: Mike Heinstein — $200M in Advice, What’s Next in Climbing Gyms, Lessons from Europe, The Best Model for Climbers, Chains vs Communities, The Value of Routesetting, Opening Your Own Gym, Learning from Snowboarding Culture and Climbing for Life
Mike Heinstein, a seasoned entrepreneur and founder of Mosaic Boulders, dives deep into the climbing industry. He shares insights from his European trip, emphasizing Berlin’s innovative gym model that fosters community over chains. Heinstein discusses the importance of expert routesetting and creating joyful climbing environments. He also offers practical advice for aspiring gym owners, balancing passion with strategy. With a focus on nurturing climbing culture, he reflects on the sport’s community and familial aspects, encouraging a positive experience for all.

Sep 18, 2023 • 1h 53min
#64: Intention — When There’s No Time or Psyche, Doing THE Thing, Low Hanging Fruit, Plan A/B/C…F, Lack of Time vs Energy, Low Psyche Workouts, and Past Guest Reflections [Nathaniel Coleman]
How do you fit it all in when you are busy? How do you decide what is important and what isn’t? What if you show up feeling like crap?This podcast is all about how to deal with the realities of a busy life while still progressing in your climbing.Tim and Josh have different approaches because they have different lives. Tim is a pro-climber who has to travel often and struggles to have a set schedule. Josh works a lot and has a family which means his schedule is always short on free time. But the key behind progress is the same for them both — always showing up with intention to do the things that actually get you better each time and cutting out anything that gets in the way of those sessions.SHOW NOTES:Katie Lamb Climbs V16Dave MacLeod Rhapsody Endurance TrainingBecoming a Supple Leopard#28 -- Tim's Best DaySupport the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE

Sep 11, 2023 • 2h 16min
#63: Nathaniel Coleman — Elite Mental Game, Why He’s Not Competing, Twitch Streaming, Proper Excitement Levels, Intuition vs Logical Analysis, WC Commentary, Future Goals and [of course] Kendama
Holy sh!t folks, this one was special. Nathaniel Coleman went deep on this pod in a way he hasn’t before elsewhere.He's an Olympic Silver Medalist, a 3x National Bouldering Champion (in a row!), and he FA'd the iconic Grand Illusion, a V16. Just one of these things would cement him as one of the top climbers in our sport.In the podcast Nathaniel shares what is actually going through his mind when he’s competing on the biggest stages, and the approach he uses when things don’t go as planned.He also shares for the first time publicly why he isn’t competing in the upcoming Olympics, and his thoughts on whether or not competition is something he will pursue in the future. Topics include: Nationals vs WC’s vs Olympics, the current WC season, Twitch Streaming, the “Power of Psyche”, proper excitement levels when competing, his outdoor bucket list, and so so much more!NOTES / LINKS:KendamaNathaniel's TwitchGrand IllusionDefying GravityPower of PsycheDry Canyon Series (Lee Majors FA + $6mm Man Proj)Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE

12 snips
Sep 4, 2023 • 1h 54min
#62: You're Training Wrong — The North Star, Inspiration from Japan, The Fundamental Question, #Training, Learning How To Learn, Curling Your Way Past V4, Squatting Your Way to V14 and Past Guest Reflections [Eric Jerome]
Eric Jerome, Past Guest Reflections, joins Tim and Josh to discuss the current state of climbing training and how to get better at climbing. They explore the challenges and rewards of extended coaching, the benefits of training on walls with different angles, the evolution of climbing media, and the importance of unlocking new movements and prioritizing the mental game in climbing.

Aug 28, 2023 • 2h 19min
#61: Eric Jerome — Quest For the BEST, The Top 100 Boulders, The Origin of Star Ratings, 6 Attributes of Quality, Focusing on Quality, and The Story Behind the Current #1 Best Boulder in the USA
Eric Jerome has multiple V15 FA’, he is a prolific developer, and he works in the climbing industry at KAYA. But what made us want to talk to Eric on this podcast was his pursuit of the BEST boulders. Who doesn’t want to climb the best boulders?! First Eric had to answer the question “What makes one boulder better than another?”Join us on this journey as we dive deep into the origin of the “Star” system, and how to apply it. Then go to Eric’s website: Top100 to see the best boulders, and follow along on his YouTube while he travels the country trying to climb these boulders and better understand what makes a boulder good.NOTES:Max Zolotuhkin's ArticleEric's Top100 WebsiteEric's YouTubeThe Revenant Video (V15), 6 StarsPromised Land Video (V11/12)"Schelling Point"Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE

Aug 21, 2023 • 2h 5min
#60: Conquering Cruxes — Sequencing Macro to the Micro, Infinite Beta Layers, V15 @ 15, Pro Climber Volume, Food Safety Gloves, and Past Guest Reflections [Will Anglin]
Sequencing is one of the core abilities we must develop as climbers. It starts with the macro, but if you want to really solve that crux you have to go into the micro details. But learning how to know where to look for efficiencies in the micro is hard. Tim and Josh try to demystify this process and show how to figure out where to eek out tiny bits of help in order to unlock that seemingly impossible crux move.Oh ya, and there’s lots of normal banter and general psyche that all of the episodes start out with. Enjoy!NOTES:Sam Richards climbing V15 at age 15Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE

Aug 14, 2023 • 2h 44min
#59: Will Anglin — Tension Founder, Training With the BEST in the World, A Student/Master of The Craft, Strength Metrics vs Sending Reality, Infinite Variables, and Being Consumed by Something You Love
An absolutely EPIC podcast with Will Anglin, one of the founder’s of Tension Climbing. Other than creating the coolest climbing brand that every “climber's climber” love, Will has coached for years, smashes V14, and dove deeper into training than most.Tune in to:Hear amazing stories from the legendary training center / “The Shop” at the Tension HQ. This is where the strongest in America get stronger, and has been visited by anyone that’s anyone while traveling through CO.Find out what Will has learned by training alongside the greats, and how he has integrated what makes them special into his own climbing.Know more about how a company like Tension has become so successful and what it takes to put out amazing products.And just so so so much more. Didn’t we already tell you that it was EPIC?!NOTES:Tension Climbing WebsiteTension Board 2 VideoJoshua Waitzin Podcast w/ Tim FerrissWill's Articles Mentioned:FoundationsHangboarding: A WayMESHUGGAH - BleedQuotes:“Find what you love and let it kill you.” — Charles Bukowski“Don’t seek to follow in the footsteps of great people. Seek what they sought.” — Zen Master BashoSupport the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE

Aug 7, 2023 • 2h 11min
#58: Boards > Gym? — Why Boards?, F*CK! Josh Got Hurt, Mallorca Dreamin’, Classroom Review, Reducing Variables, and Reflections on Tim’s Favorite Episode [Jason Kehl]
Lot’s of psyche but also some bad news on this one… You can’t miss Tim’s reflections on his “favorite episode” with Jason Kehl! Tim and Josh discuss some of the questions that were brought up in the first Testpiece Classroom. (Join them next month by signing up on Patreon!)The podcast closes with a discussion about board climbing and why so many climbers gravitate towards them instead normal gym climbs. It’s a surprising part of the indoor scene and there’s lessons to be learned from the phenomenon.NOTESJakob Schubert’s epic Mallorca video that was brought up: https://youtu.be/YOCwtzqZXWUSupport the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE

Jul 31, 2023 • 1h 42min
#57: Jason Kehl — Evilution FA, Mutate Your Body, When Climbs Take Your Breath Away, Creating Experiences of ‘Awe’, Why Hueco is Special, “Real Climbing”, Becoming Obsessed, and SO Much More
This was a dream come true for Josh — hearing straight from Jason Kehl himself about the FA of Evilution!But wait, there’s more. Jason’s impact within the climbing world is second to none. You’ve either climbed on one his FA’s, or climbed on a gym wall he’s designed, or grabbed a grip he shaped. Yes, he’s that prolific.Tune in and hear more from the absolute LEGEND, Jason Kehl!Find more from Jason here:InstagramReal Climbing [YouTube]Hueco GuidebookHold ShapingGym Design HYPE ReelSupport the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE