Eric Hörst's Training For Climbing Podcast

Are you ready to rethink what's possible in your climbing life? There's a good chance that your perceived limit is actually a self-imposed imaginary boundary! Once again this month, I present an episode of Training Cafe, my twice-monthly video Livestream coaching show on YouTube and Facebook live. The main topic delves into pursuing next-level projects...and the importance of challenging your inner fears of failure and criticism, just like pro climbers do. Now is the time to think bigger...develop a system...and execute your plan with uncommon discipline! Podcast Rundown 2:57 - Beginning of TRAINING CAFE. Main topic is "Turning Impossible into I'm Possible!" 3:12 – But first, we sip coffee together! 3:30 – SHOUT OUT to Chuck Odette, age 64, for sending 5.14b last week! #Legend 4:20 – What it takes to climb hard late into life. 5:20 – MAIN TOPIC: Turning Impossible into I’m Possible 6:10 – Setting goals is easy. Developing an effective SYSTEM for progress towards the goal is harder….and maintaining long-term discipline is even harder yet! 6:55  – Examples of IMPOSSIBLE becoming POSSIBLE…big or small, they can be life-changing. 8:45 – Einstein’s quote must be followed by action! 9:50 – Climbing examples of “I’m Possible”! 11:00 – Ignore the skeptics…don’t take on their #Loserthink! 13:20– High achievers don’t spend a lot of time on social media, gossip, or other time-wasting activities. 14:20 – Need to be somewhat of a compulsive planner. 15:00 – Have a vivid picture in mind every day–build a belief in the goal, and action for bias…and a “get shit done” attitude. 18:50 – Breaking into a new grade in climbing…demands a new level of thinking and novel, disciplined action. Learn from greats like Gullich, Ondra, Hill, Janja Garnbret, Margo Hayes. 20:20 – Great achievements don’t happen by accident! 22:30 – Final tip for your Fall climbing season…. 23:30 -  YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED! 23:40 – Question: Training suggestions for trip to Red River Gorge in December. 26:26 – Question: Can I combine Repeater hangboard training with another exercise like Pull-up training? 29:06 – Question: What is “Aerobic Power”? How to train it? 33:14 - Question: Thoughts on bouldering with weight on as training? 36:09  – Question: How to break a hangboarding finger strength plateau? 38:33 – Question: Can I do shoulder and core training every day? 40:50 – Question: Will taking Beta-Alanine benefit my training and climbing? 43:20 – Question: Can I use the 7/53 maximum strength protocol to train a variety of grip positions? 47:00 – Question: What training advice for a 13-year-old girl wanting to improve to 5.11? 48:09 – Question: How to incorporate technique-training into weekly strength-training schedule? 53:03 – Question: How to deal with naysayers, critics, and trolls? 56:30 – Episode wrap-up. Shout out to the many companies that support what I do: La Sportiva shoes, Maxim Ropes, DMM, Organic, Friction Labs, and PhysiVantage PLEASE write an iTunes review of the T4C podcast, and consider sharing this podcast with a friend and on your social media. SUPPORT THIS PODCAST! Save 15% on PhysiVantage performance Nutrition. Used by a growing number of pro climbers and thousands of recreational climbers around the world. Give PhysiVantage a try, and feel the difference it makes in your climbing! SAVE on La Sportiva shoes >> Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing. Music by Misty Murphy Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing Check out Eric’s YouTube channel. Follow Eric on Facebook! And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15

In this episode, Eric welcomes you into the Training Café...which is his live coaching video stream broadcast every other Monday. So in this podcast, you'll hear Eric's TC broadcast which includes in-depth coaching on effective projecting...and reveals the "secret" to sending! Eric also answers a slew of viewer questions on training, injury, nutrition, and more. You can participate in future Training Café livestreams--and submit a training question to Eric!--by tuning into this video simulcast on the Training For Climbing Facebook and T4C YouTube channels...typically broadcast at Noon Eastern Time (900 Pacific & 1600 GMT) on every other Monday. Podcast Rundown 1:15 - Intro to episode #53...and what Training Cafe is all about. 7:20 - Beginning of Training Cafe....with our virtual toast in the spirit of climbing! 7:35  - SHOUT OUT to Drew Ruana, perhaps the world's top boulderer this year, for sending his 10th V15 or harder boulder! Three of these were V16 ascents--watch the send videos here.  9:38 - Text message from Drew about keeping his fingers and skin healthy. Learn Drew's secret here. 12:00 - MAIN TOPIC: Effective Projecting...and Trusting the Process. 13:15 - The 6 steps/phases of effective projecting... 14:00 - Step 1: Picking the right project for you in the context of your current situation. Do you want/need to send it quickly? 15:15 - What type of project routes will make you a better climber? 16:40 - Step 2: Chuck down the route or boulder problem into 2 to 5 logical parts. 17:00 - Example: My project route "Warlords" at Mt. Charleston...and how I approached this route. 21:23 - Step 3: Work the route bolt to bolt to size up the sequences...then get to work on the crux chunk. 23:58 - Step 4: Identify the FEELING of doing the hardest moves the right way. CRITICAL! 24:30 - Learn the SECRET to succeeding on the crux sequence... 27:47 -Step 5: Begin linking chunks...from the crux chunk to the top, before beginning redpoint attempts from the ground. 29:06 - Step 6: Begin redpoint attempts from the ground. 43:20 - How to train when I don't have access to a climbing gym? 45:00 - How much rest should I take between dedicated training blocks? 47:47 - Learn the benefits of a DELOAD week! 48:40 - Is there value in using fascial release tools? 51:00 - Comments about overuse injuries in climbers... 52:23 - What are some off-the-wall exercises and stretching that I can do, especially on rest days? 54:30 - When will PhysiVantage be available in Europe? PLEASE write an iTunes review of the T4C podcast, and consider sharing this podcast with a friend and on your social media. SUPPORT THIS PODCAST! Save 15% on PhysiVantage performance Nutrition. Used by a growing number of pro climbers and thousands of recreational climbers around the world. Give PhysiVantage a try, and feel the difference it makes in your climbing! SAVE on La Sportiva shoes >> Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing. Music by Misty Murphy Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing Check out Eric’s YouTube channel. Follow Eric on Facebook! And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15

Legendary climber, Wolfgang Gullich, famously said that "the brain is the most important muscle for climbing". Sure, strong fingers are important--but there are many strong-fingered climbers who never reach their potential. The pursuit of better climbing is ultimately an inward journey to gain mastery of the mind. Developing stronger "mental muscle" will enable you to achieve beyond your current imagination. Like wielding a sword with empty hands, your mind will lead your body to new summits. In this episode, I share with you 10 powerful concepts that can potentially re-invent how you think and what you will achieve. This material is more powerful than any hangboard training program you can do--the quotes and tips I present hold get to the heart and soul of taking your climbing (and life) to a higher level. RUNDOWN 0:30 - Introduction to this episode on how 7:13 - #1: What sets great climbers apart from others is not their physical prowess (amazing as it may be), but their brains. 10:18 - #2: The brain is a human being’s most dynamic organ—it is shaped by the sum of our experiences, both what we do and what we have done. 13:28 - #3: You are not what you climb; you are how you climb. For you, you can substitute your brain. 15:43 - #4: To become better than we are, we must first become aware of what we are. 18:39 - #5: Achieving excellence is not just a matter of exploiting your strengths to the fullest, but also demands that you ruthlessly pursue improvement in the things that constrain your performance. 21:00 - #6: The thoughts you generate and dwell on are powerful. You can literally think yourself to success or failure. 24:54 - #7: You will accomplish in proportion to your ability to set compelling goals and overcome adversity. 29:12 - #8: Self-discipline and commitment are the great equalizers! 32:00 - #9: Perhaps nothing is more elemental to climbing than fear. Becoming a maximum climber, then, requires that you learn to understand and manage your fears. 35:40 - #10: Surround yourself with positive people and images, while avoiding the impossibility thinkers and complains of the world. PLEASE write an iTunes review of the T4C podcast, and consider sharing this podcast with a friend and on your social media. SUPPORT THIS PODCAST! Save 15% on PhysiVantage performance Nutrition. Used by a growing number of pro climbers and thousands of recreational climbers around the world. Give PhysiVantage a try, and feel the difference it makes in your climbing! SAVE on La Sportiva shoes >> Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing. Music by Misty Murphy Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing Check out Eric’s YouTube channel. Follow Eric on Facebook! And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15

You've been dreaming about your boulder project, dream route, or road trip. You've trained smart and hard. Your psych is high. You're ready to crush! So, how can you best transition from gym to outdoor climbing, and what can you do to perform your best on weekends outdoors or on a long trip? In this episode, Eric presents a series of powerful tips that you can take to the send bank! He also provides awareness of the potential to self-sabotage, something that even the most experienced climber can succumb to. RUNDOWN 0:15 – Opening comments--I missed you! 2:58 - Introduction to this episode on climbing tips and strategies for optimal performance on weekend trips and on longer road trip 4:06 - A few brief comments about the challenging and, at times, tumultuous events of the past few months... 7:56 - Eric's philosophy about the power of climbing--it brings us together! 9:30 - Tips, topics, and techniques to help you reach your climbing goals this season...as a weekend warrior and on a longer road trip. 10:22 - How to properly taper your training in the days leading up to your outdoor climbing. "Tapering" ahead of a weekend trip is much different than doing a proper training taper ahead of a month-long road trip. Learn the details so that you get it right--a proper taper is hugely important for climbing your strongest! 14:10 - When you arrive at your destination crag...what's the best climbing approach on the first few days? Should you go straight to your project...or should you spend a few days adjusting and acclimating to the outdoor climbing location? 18:00 - On longer trips, most climbers experience a "peak" during the first 1 to 3 weeks of the trip...but they then experience a gradual decline in maximum strength and power with each additional week removed from your training. 19:15 - Why pro climbers often limit climbing trips to one month. 19:29 - Comments about Alex Megos sending Bibliographie, the world's second 5.15d/9c route. CONGRAT ALEX! 20:40 - How as a weekend warrior you can best schedule climbing trips and find the training-and-climbing "rhythm" that best serves you. Plan several months ahead on a paper calendar...this way you can better see the training blocks and travel dates. 22:06 - On a long trip, how many days in a row can you climb? How many days per week is it best to climb? Answer: It depends on many variables...which I'll describe. 23:53 - Learn why a significant number of climbers return from a road trip with a tweak or more significant injury. Learn how you can avoid "walking off the cliff" of sudden, debilitating injury. 26:26 - Specific tips for optimizing recovery and lowering injury risk while on a climbing trip. 28:28 - Learn how to wrap up a long road trip and transition back into training at home. Should you take a break from training for a few days or more? 32:50 - Post-trip, most climbers will need a 2- to 4-week training block to regain top-end finger strength and power. 33:40 - About self-sabotage...it's happened to me...and I'm sure to you as well at some point. Let's unpack a few common scenarios for self-sabotage. 34:24 - Self-Sabotage #1: "Flinching" on the first day working a near-limit project route. TRUST THE PROCESS! Don't give up too fast. 37:55 - However, don't over-reach too far...and get bogged down for many days (or weeks) on a single route. Don't allow your climbing trip to turn into a suffer-fest. Try to balance days of sending (sub-max routes) with days of projecting on near-limit routes. 40:00 - Self-Sabotage #2: Not doing an appropriate warm-up...and rushing to get on your project boulder or route too fast. You can NOT climb your best without a proper warm-up that turns on your nervous system, ignites your climbing-specific aerobic system, lubricates your tendons and joints, and readies your generalize aerobic/CV system. Learn how to do it right! 43:50 - Self-Sabotage #3: Not eating right. Consuming adequate protein and carbohydrates is essential to climbing your best, keeping energy levels ups, recovering optimally, and lowering injury risk. Learn how to keep your power-to-weight ratio up and accelerate recovery on a road trip. Read more about the protein needs of a hard-training strength/power athlete like you! 49:09 - Some meal suggestions and tips for breakfast, snacks, and dinner. What's a common breakfast food of many top climbers? Find out!  50:10 - How many calories do you likely need for bouldering and sport climbing...and on a sedentary rest day? (Big wall and mountain climbers have a much higher daily caloric need than climbers doing stop-and-go bouldering and sport climbing.) 52:06 - Eric's closing--and powerful--comments about setting big goals, pursuing them energetically, and stacking the odds in your favor. You must believe that "what you want, wants you"! Then take daily action and resist the ways (and traps) of the masses. Find your own unique life path, and enjoy your journey. 54:54 - What's the secret sauce that makes for unique and amazingly pro climbers like Tommy Caldwell, Margo Hayes, and many others (I can't name them all!)? Listen, learn, model, plot, course correct, and never give up! 55:55 - The importance of avoiding the traps of the common man... 59:19 - There are a LOT of things that determine climbing performance--the more puzzle pieces you can put together, the better you will become! 1:00:00 – Please check out and support T4C podcast sponsor PhysiVantage. Research-based, athlete-proven performance nutrition for climbers--use checkout code PODCAST15 to save 15% off full-price items. Used by a growing number of pro climbers and thousands of recreational climbers around the world. Give PhysiVantage a try, and feel the difference it makes in your climbing! 1:00:50 - PLEASE write an iTunes review of the T4C podcast, and consider sharing this podcast with a friend and on your social media. Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing. Music by Misty Murphy Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing Check out Eric’s YouTube channel. Follow Eric on Facebook! And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15

What makes great climbers great? What are the distinct and rare character traits that make climbers like Tommy Caldwell, Alex Honnold, Margo Hayes, Adam Ondra, and Alex Megos (I call this group "CHHOM")--and others like them--the barrier-breaking and transcendent climbers that they are? You might be thinking of things like "strong fingers", "low bodyfat, and "excellent sponsorship". Surely these are part of the equation, however, I believe the true Superpowers of these climbers are things you can't measure with a fitness test or financial summary. In this podcast I present the 8 Superpowers of the very best climbers--traits you can develop (gradually) to achieve great success on the rock and in your everyday life. I hope you find this presentation enjoyable and empowering! Rundown 0:58 - Introduction 2:50 - What does it take to turn an elite climber into one of the very best climbers on the planet? 8 Superpowers of the Very Best Climbers 5:28 - #1: Becoming comfortable with physical and mental discomfort. 11:53 - #2: Uncommon self-awareness and the willingness to embrace failures and personal weaknesses. 16:00 - #3: Effective goal setting and a habitual bias for action. 21:37 - #4: The power to sacrifice greatly. 27:00 - #5: Maintaining a beginner's mindset despite being a highly praised elite climber. 34:56 - #6: The power to handle failure and overcome adversity. 38:30 - #7: The power to handle their "addiction". 45:44 - #8: The power NOT to care what other people think. 50:00 - Summary of the 8 Superpowers of the very best climbers. 51:15 - Do you have a #9 or #10 superpower to suggest? Leave your comment on Eric's T4C Twitter @Train4Climbing 52:15 - A brief word about Eric's brand PhysiVāntage -- the first research-based, athlete-proven nutritional supplements for climbers! Get 15% off at PhysiVantage.com with the discount code PODCAST15 at checkout. Instagram - @PhysiVantage For a comprehensive study of Training for Climbing, check out the 3rd edition of Hörst's best-selling book! Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing Check out Eric’s TRAINING FOR CLIMBING YouTube channel. Follow Eric on Facebook! Music by: Misty Murphy Subscribe on iTunes (or other podcast player) to "Eric Hörst's Training For Climbing" podcast. You can also listen to the T4C podcast on Stitcher and  Spotify! Please write a review on iTunes!  

As physical as climbing is, it is even more mental. Being technically sound and physically strong is not enough to navigate a high-ball boulder problem, personal-best redpoint, intimidating big wall, or treacherous mountain. Ultimately, you climb with your mind—your hands and feet are simply an extension of your thoughts and will. Becoming a better climber, then, requires that you improve your mental mastery. In this podcast, Eric describes the vital importance of concentration in a world with ubiquitous distractions conspiring to steal your focus and sabotage your performance. You will be armed with six powerful techniques for improving your concentration and, importantly, maintaining focus in stressful, painful, and fearful situations common to climbing. RUNDOWN 0:45 – Comments on returning to outdoor climbing after COVID-19 lockdown. 1:55 – Importance of the mental game in climbing your best…and sending your project. 3:00 – Distractions are concentration- and performance-killers. 5:30 – The role of stress in climbing and life—striving to avoid stress will limit personal growth. 7:00 – Stretching boundaries is naturally stressful. Embrace it in health doses! 9:30 – In climbing, a focused mind is like having a fifth contact point…and on hard routes that’s all the difference in the world! 11:00 – The ability to maintain concentration over a long period of time is a discerning trait of peak performers. SIX ENEMIES OF CONCENTRATION 13:10 - 1. Focusing on the mechanics of well-learned skills. Let go and 14:05 - 2. Dwelling on internal feelings and sensations of fatigue. Embrace the good pain! 15:40 - 3. Entertaining nonproductive self-talk. Be loud. Be positive! 17:04 - 4. Focusing on the past. Let go of the past. Enjoy the moment! 17:38 - 5. Focusing on the future...and potential outcomes. Let go of the outcome—let it develop organically. 18:15 - 6. Visual and auditory distractions. The world is conspiring to distract you! Specifically, what people, places, and things distract you? SIX TECHNIQUES FOR IMPROVE CONCENTRATION WHILE CLIMBING 20:15 - 1. Deal with potential distractions before you climb. 21:20 - 2. Use rituals to narrow focus. 22:50 - 3. Use self-talk to direct the conscious mind. Be loud. Be positive! 25:08 - 4. Keep your eyes on task-relevant targets. 29:23 - 5. Keep your thoughts in the moment. Mind-body synchronization—and the Flow State—is possible only when your thoughts are in the moment! 31:25 - 6. Use willpower to narrow focus despite adverse or imperfect conditions. Use the pressure of the situation and your will power to create a laser-like focus to perform your best in the moment. 33:45 – The mental game is central to climbing your best and maximizing experience. The mental game doesn’t change from one generation to the next—the risk, the fear, and the adversity of the steep are the same…and links us to past generations of climbers. Strive to become a master of your mind. 35:30 – For a comprehensive manual on mental training, check out my book Maximum Climbing. 36:00 – Please check out and support T4C podcast sponsor PhysiVantage. Research-based, athlete-proven performance nutrition for climbers--use checkout code PODCAST15 to save 15% on your order. Used by a growing number of pro climbers and thousands of recreational climbers around the world. Give PhysiVantage a try! PLEASE write an iTunes review of the T4C podcast, and consider sharing this podcast with a friend or on social media. Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing. Music by Misty Murphy Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing Check out Eric’s YouTube channel. Follow Eric on Facebook! And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing

Climbers are drawn to the challenges and potential adversity of the steep. Great climbers embrace grand challenges--and almost certain adversity--in achieving hard and rare accomplishments. This podcast will equip you with five powerful strategies to leverage, in times of hardship and adversity, as you pursue big goals both in climbing and in your everyday life. And now in this era of COVID-19, you face risk and potential adversity at every turn...so don't miss this powerful podcast--it's an instant classic in the genre of mental training for climbing! Podcast Rundown 0:15 - Opening comments about the ongoing COVID crisis,  positive trends we're seeing, and the hope for a summer climbing season. 2:20 - Shifting gears with this podcast away from physical training to important strategies for succeeding on challenging outdoor adventures. Learn the importance of the mental game--perhaps it's exactly what you need to make the next grade?! 9:30 - Strive to become a Maximum Climber. Read the book. Pure gold! 10:00 - Introduction to the powerful topic of...persevering in the face of challenge...and overcoming adversity. 13:36 - The utility of PURSUING adversity....for recalibrating your brain and opening the door to great achievement. All legendary climbers have done it--Harding, Bridwell, Skinner, Hill, Caldwell, Honnold, Harrington, Ondra, and countless others. 22:05 - Embrace adversity...to learn, grow, build character, and "hardness". 23:06 - FIVE powerful strategies for succeeding, despite hardship, and overcoming adversity. 23:16 - #1 Strive for Flexibility of Perspective - Become a spin doctor! 29:30 - #2 Use Optimism as a Tool...a mental lever to sustain forward movement, trouble-shooting, belief in the end game, and finding a way to your goal. 32:04 - #3 - Become Reverse Paranoid! Believe that the universe is conspiring for your success...and that what you want, wants you! Stay aware for synchronicity and other clues from above. 36:36 - #4 Develop World-Class "Hanging-On Power". Mental fortitude is a skill developed over years of striving for one more move, one more rep, one more day of work on the project...or whatever it takes to hang-on to success! 40:45 - #5 Assume a Philosophical Forward-Looking Perspective. Powerful lessons from Tommy Caldwell, Jeff Batzer, and Hugh Herr. 49:05 - Closing comments on developing into a maximum climber. 50:20 - Please check out and support T4C podcast sponsor PhysiVantage. Research-based, athlete-proven performance nutrition for climbers--use checkout code PODCAST15 to save 15% on your order. Used by a growing number of pro climbers and thousands of recreational climbers around the world. Give PhysiVantage a try! 51:09 - Hörst Out! PLEASE write an iTunes review of the T4C podcast, and consider sharing this podcast with a friend or on social media. Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing. Music by Misty Murphy Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing Check out Eric’s YouTube channel. Follow Eric on Facebook! And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing

These are crazy times we're living through with the COVID crisis. Most of us are self-quarantined...left to train on a home wall, hangboard, and whatever else we can kludge together. My personal initiative during the growing stay-at-home spell is doing twice-weekly livestream videos that I call "Training Café". You can view these shows--and submit training questions--during the livestream shows simulcast on the Training For Climbing Facebook and T4C YouTube channels. In this podcast, however, I wanted to share with part of Training Café #6...which includes several training Q & As and a brief dive into using Energy System Training concepts to improve the effectiveness of your training. Podcast Rundown 0:15 - Opening comments about the ongoing COVID crisis...and stay-at-home situation we most face. 3:15 - Introducing my Make April Great Again initiative...Training Café!  7:25 - Audio begis from Training Café #6. 10:00 - SHOUT OUT...to Udo Neumann, the legendary Germany coach and movement expert. Check out his masterclass videos on climbing movement, analysis, and technique training. Watch trailors of "Ideas to Improve Your Climbing" and "Climbing Technique". 12:00 - Eric answers Training Cafe viewer questions. 12:18 - Question #1: Should I go all the way down when pull-up training? 18:16 - Question #2: How much hangboard training is too much? 21:00 - Question #3: Should I deadlift as part of my training for climbing? 24:45 - Question #4: In doing max hangs, as part of an alactic system workout, is it okay to do another different alactic exercise during the rest period between max hangs? 30:30 - MAIN TOPIC: Energy System Training - A brief review of the three bioenergetic systems that power our climbing...and how you can best training each system for optimal adaptations and gains. Listen to previous T4C podcasts #23 to #28 for a deep dive into the science and application of Energy System Training. Learn about PhysiVāntage and how performance nutrition. Use checkout code PODCAST15 to save 15% off full-price PhysiVantage products. PLEASE write an iTunes review of the T4C podcast, and consider sharing this podcast with a friend or on social media. Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing. Music by Misty Murphy Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing Check out Eric’s YouTube channel. Follow Eric on Facebook! And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing

An often-used proverbial phrase, to encourage optimism and proactive action in the face of adversity or misfortune, is to "make lemonade out of lemons." In this podcast, Eric Hörst presents a hopeful mindset and approach for persevering through the COVID-19 crisis. He details five tips for effective home training and fostering a stronger immune system. Employing this guidance will lower your risk of illness and prepare your body for a quick return to high-performance climbing this summer! Podcast Rundown 0:30 - Opening comments about the global pandemic...and its effects on climbing and life in general. 8:00 - Regarding self-quarantine and areas closed to climbing -- be a part of the solution! 12:10 - Adversity and forced change can sometimes be a blessing in disguise--look for a silver lining in your current situation. Think long-term, consider life course corrections, new goals, and refining your personal "life mission". Consider relistening to Podcast #32 on Success Strategies and Podcast #43 on Tips for Your Best Year Ever! 14:00 - Importance of having a bias for action. 15:38 - Overview of 5 Tips for Coping with the COVID-19 Climbing Closedown...in which gyms are closed, crags are closed, and travel is discouraged or prohibited. 17:54 - TIP #1: If you have a lingering injury or you are returning from a significant injury or surgery, use this climbing-closedown period to engage in deliberate rehab and training. Stay the course, and prepare to be 100% upon the re-opening of our climbing season! 22:00 - TIP #2: Do some generalized aerobic activity outside every day...while maintaining proper social distance. Invest 30 to 60 minutes each day into going for a walk, run, bike ride, or hike.  Consider leaving the phone at home...and run, walk, or hike solo with a receptive mind open to innovative ideas, new goals, and other "gifts" from above. 26:39 - TIP #3: Maintain reasonable nutritional surveillance to avoid significant weight gain while away from your normal climbing and training schedule. 29:33 - TIP #4: Do some strength training exercises every day, but vary the muscles trained. Eric's recommended microcycle, using Energy System Training concepts, is as follows: Day #1: Climbing-specific maximum strength and power exercises; Day #2: Climbing-specific endurance training exercises; Day #3: Antagonist muscle training. Repeat this cycle twice per week. (Learn more about Energy System Training in podcasts #21 - #28.) 44:40 - TIP #5: Be proactive in doing a wide range of things to foster a strong immune system. Eric details 7 specific actionable items towards this end. 54:45 - Final comments about staying healthy, mentally positive, physically strong, and purposeful. Consider reading Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning: An Introduction to Logotherapy. Learn about PhysiVāntage and how performance nutrition. Use checkout code PODCAST15 to save 15% off full-price PhysiVantage products.   PLEASE write an iTunes review of the T4C podcast, and consider sharing this podcast with a friend or on social media. Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing. Music by Misty Murphy Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing Check out Eric’s YouTube channel. Follow Eric on Facebook! And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing

In this episode of Ask Coach Hörst...Eric answers 9 wide-ranging questions from listeners. Some of the topics covered are...hangboard training, diagnosing a finger injury, autoregulation use in competition, energy system training, optimal training for a Masters climber, protein requirements, and blood flow restriction training. Listen in! Podcast Rundown 0:15 - Introduction to Ask Coach Horst 1:45 - About POWERPLEX plant-based protein and collagen alternative for vegan climbers. Use checkout code PODCAST15 to save 15% off full-price PhysiVantage products. 3:05 - Question #1 - What are your thoughts on hangboard training on climbing days...as well as on consecutive days? 7:50 - Question #2 - Can you give me some insight into my finger injury...which is painful at the base of the ring finger, but also extends down into the palm and forearm? 10:10 - Question #3 - What's the optimal length of rest between strength/power exercises and powerful bouldering? 14:15 - Question #4 - What do you think about the use of auto-regulation on competition days? Might the findings potentially hurt the mental state of the athlete? (Learn more about Auto-Regulation in Podcast #44.) 19:00 - Question #5 - How can I incorporate Energy System Training concepts into a periodized training program? (Learn more about Energy System Training in podcasts #21 - #28.) 26:00  - Question #6 - What advice do you have for a 50-something climber wanting to train right and climb for many years to come? 32:54 - Question #7 - How much protein do I need to consume daily to recover optimally? 41`:40 - Question #8 - When doing weighted pull-ups should I go down the whole way or should I maintain a bit of arm-bend at the bottom? 45:40 - Question #9 - I'd like to do some blood flow restriction training (BFR) -- what protocol do you recommend for a healthy climber? PLEASE write an iTunes review of the T4C podcast, and consider sharing this podcast with a friend or on social media. Learn about Eric's new brand PhysiVāntage  and how performance nutrition can help you train harder and climb better. Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing. Music by Misty Murphy Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing Check out Eric’s YouTube channel. Follow Eric on Facebook! And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing