The Testpiece Podcast

Ward Byrum, Director of Routesetting for Movement gyms, shares his extensive knowledge of indoor climbing. He discusses the art and science of route setting, emphasizing its role in shaping climbers' experiences. Ward reflects on the evolution of climbing gyms and culture, contrasting U.S. and Japanese approaches. He covers the complexities of grading climbs, highlighting inclusivity and the importance of tailored experiences. The conversation also explores the balance between aesthetics, functionality, and the transformative impact of climbing on beginners.

Tom Randall is an iconic climber and founder. You might know him as one of the Wide Boyz, as one of the founders of Lattice Training, as a high level coach, or for his 5.14 Trad FA’s or even his FA of the worlds hardest crack boulder, aptly named “The Kraken” [V13]. Ya, Tom’s done it all, and has helped the best in the world do it even better.In this chat, Tom gives a masterclass on what actually gets climbers better. He also shares how to best use data from metrics, how the testing for metrics have evolved, and why Lattice started capturing these metrics in the first place!SHOW NOTES:Lattice TrainingQuantifying Technique Video by LatticeAidan and Bosi on Burden Of Dreams ReplicaTom’s InstagramWide Boyz YouTubeMagnus Midtbo Testing with LatticeSupport the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE

David Fitzgerald is back after an absolutely incredible season. Dave was previously on for Testpiece Episode #55, a total fan favorite.Last season Dave had a list of climbs in different styles to tackle. Tierrany, a V14 endurance bloc in Yosemite. Equanimity, a V15 ultra tech testpiece in Tahoe. Lucid Dreaming, the V15+ straight forward power problem in Bishop. And Big Z, a V16 power endurance mega-testpiece that has thwarted many of the best climbers in the world.Did we mention he did this all after sustaining his worst finger injury ever?Oh wait, did we also mention that during this he formed Highpoint Productions and released the block buster hits “The Gold Standard” and “In Sequence”?Dave is one of a kind and about as under the radar as it gets. Tune in to hear from one of the best on what it takes to do hard blocs and what it takes to edit at a similarly high level!SHOW NOTES:Highpoint ProductionsThe Gold StandardIn SequenceSupport the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE

Garrett Gregor, head routesetter for the Paris Olympics boulders and accomplished climber, shares insights from behind the scenes of competitive climbing. He discusses the grades of Olympic climbs and the collaborative dynamic between setters and athletes. The implications of route setting on competition outcomes are explored, including how subtle changes can shift performance. He emphasizes the evolution of tech and techniques in climbing, the subjective nature of grades, and the pressures elite athletes face, making for an engaging dive into the climbing world.

Tyler Nelson, founder of Camp 4 Human Performance and a sport science expert for climbers, delves into how personal morphology influences climbing. He discusses the significance of finger strength for performance and injury prevention, and explores unique training approaches like using unlevel edges. Tyler introduces the Talon grip technique and emphasizes balancing strength and mobility. He also highlights the importance of understanding individual biomechanics to tailor training, fostering better performance while reducing injury risks.

This is the episode to learn everything about one of, if not the, most important parts of our climbing kit — chalk! The real topic here is how to maximize friction between your hands and the holds, which is crucial for sending your hardest.Kevin Brown joins the pod and goes deep on the science of how to get the best friction on holds. He talks about the chemical make up of the best chalk, what it has, what it doesn’t have, the pH of chalk and why that matters. He also shares the history of chalk (and pof!), some of the potential future advancements in chalk, and how to prepare best prepare your skin and holds for each attempt.Kevin knows this area so well because he’s the founder of Friction Labs. Kevin is also a lifelong climber who climbs into the V double digits and has contributed to the climbing community in a bunch of ways. Not only is he the founder of Friction Labs, he also helped found the Denver Bouldering Club which was one of the first real gyms in that area.SHOW NOTES:Friction Labs WebsiteFriction Labs InstagramCarlo’s Dark Side EpisodeAthletic HandsLiquid ChalkSupport the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE

Professional climber, coach, routesetter, and frequent Testpiece podcast guest, Tim Kang, is on the pod this week to share his thoughts about the Paris 2024 Olympics.Tim may be best known for his highball ascents that culminated in the film Focus, but Tim is also a seasoned competition climber with multiple World Cups under his belt. Tim loves competition climbing and studies in deeply. Hear his thoughts on the most important climbing competition ever. In this episode, Tim and Josh dive into how fair the results were, what the routesetters tested, the grades of those routes, and what we might see in LA 2028 Olympic Games.SHOW NOTES:Nathaniel Coleman Testpiece EpisodeJesse Grupper Testpiece EpisodeSean Bailey Testpiece EpisodeSupport the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE

Tom O’Halloran is arguably the best climber in Australia. He’s an Olympian, he’s climbed 15a and v14, and done FA’s nearly up to those grades as well.But the reason we wanted to have him on the podcast is because of the amazing YouTube content he puts out. He dives into the nuances of hard climbing in a way that actually helps people climb hard. Tom shares his knowledge in an open and honest way that doesn’t sugar coat the process or make it seem simple or “black and white”.In this podcast Tom goes deep on the important things, like how to do hard moves, what mental progression actually looks like day-to-day, and how to apply your board climbing to sending equally hard outdoors.SHOW NOTES:Board climbing is KILLING your outdoor climbing How to do hard moves. Olympians simple techniqueTape fingers the RIGHT waySupport the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE

Ethan Salvo is back on the podcast! Ethan's first episode (linked here) was a fan favorite so when Josh visited Squamish for a few days they met up do an impromptu live/in-person recording.Since the last recording, Ethan has climbed arguably the hardest climb in Squamish, The Singularity. The experience he had on it was fascinating and made him question everything he knew about hard climbing and grades.This has changed Ethan's approach to climbing and helped him find more joy and learn the lessons he needed the most.SHOW NOTES:Ethan on Kodama (V11)Ethan on The Singularity (V15)Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE

Noah Wheeler and Benn Wheeler represent the next generation of climbers. At 21 and 19, they are some of the strongest board climbers in the world and their styles reflect that. They also are bring a unique point of view to the world of climbing content with their YouTube channel, Wheel Rock.These brothers have climbed up to V16 outdoors, FA’d up V14 (in the first 3 months of climbing outdoors!), and FA’d or climbed the hardest board climbs the world has ever known.In their short time in the climbing world they have climbed with the best, and cemented themselves as some of youth to keep your eye. In this podcast they share their take on hard climbing, how we too can go from good to great, and whats it store for the future.SHOW NOTES:Wheel Rock YouTube ChannelTop Board Climbs named:Jellyfish (Kilterboard)Kitten Paws (TB1)Franconian Sky (Kilterboard)Black Beauty (Moonboard, 2016)Project 2 (Moonboard, 2016)Hardest Board Climbs:Drunks Unlimited (Benn, Kilterboard)Extend Clip (Benn, TB2)Hardest Board Move:Blockland 1st MoveJellyfish 2nd MoveSiamang 1Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE