The Power Company Climbing Podcast

We're flipping the script for our 100th (!!!) episode. Nate takes over the host mic, and I do my best to let him lead the conversation. After being at the helm so many conversations, it's hard for me to relinquish that role. In this episode we talk about my years of Weekend Warrioring, and how to climb hard while also being dedicated to a career and family. We dig into how many hours of training it takes and how to make that happen. We also get into how the recent changes in my life and situation have changed how I have to look at my climbing. We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

I've heard Tonde Katiyo described as a ninja, a samurai, Buddha and Yoda, among other ethereal, higher level beings. Though Tonde is definitely a human, those descriptions aren't necessarily wrong. In conversation it's quickly evident that Tonde has put quite a bit of thought and care into his craft. He approaches it with both a pragmatism and creativity that often don't exist together. Partly because of this juxtaposition, many in the routesetting industry seem to look to Tonde for their cues, and he doesn't give answers lightly. Instead, he asks questions. Tonde and I sat down at the Climbing Wall Association Summit to discuss his vision for setting... both present and future. We dig into his ideas concerning circuits, the RIC (risk, intensity, complexity) Scale, the silent partnership between climber and setter, and art versus design. If you came here looking for answers, you may not find them. What you will likely find are more questions. According to Tonde Katiyo, those may be the best answers of all. For the photo of Tonde with Yoda ears and holding planets in his hands, as well as links to his instagram and videos, visit us at The Episode Page We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

These are three of the most dynamic women I've ever had the pleasure of having a conversation with. They've put their souls into their work. I went in prepared (and nervous) for a very serious discussion, but they so easily toggled between joking and focused that I was put completely at ease. Brown Girls Climb aims to promote and increase visibility of diversity in climbing by establishing a community of climbers of color, encouraging leadership opportunities for identified women climbers of color, and by creating inclusive opportunities to climb and explore for under represented communities. We sat down to discuss diversity in climbing. It's a complex topic, and while you won't find answers here, per se, thoughts may be sparked that lead you toward your own answers. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Sending a route 2nd try is NOT THE SAME as the 2nd Try Send. The difference isn't even subtle. It's a whole different animal. In this episode Nate and I discuss the What, Why, How, and When of the extremely valuable skill of the 2nd Try Send. Learn it. You'll be glad you did. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

If you aren't aware of Jorg Verhoeven, it's likely that you don't pay all that much attention to climbing. Jorg is one of the most accomplished all around climbers on the planet, having climbed 14d, V15, and freed the Nose and Dihedral Wall on ElCap. He's also an accomplished comp climber, having been on more than 25 World Cup podiums for bouldering and lead, and having won both the Combined World Cup Championship and the Overal Lead World Cup Championship. He climbs hard. He climbs well. On all terrain, in all the places. In this episode I sit down with Jorg in Vail to discuss his big goal of climbing 15b, and the website he's started to let us all follow along, www.project-9b.com. Project 9b is a rare glimpse into not only the training of a pro climber, but the thought process behind it, the tactics employed, and the emotions of success and failure. You can find videos of Jorg from LT11 HERE. We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Ryan Gagnon is rare blend of data driven research and infectious enthusiasm, particularly when discussing his programs built to introduce and engage minority youth in climbing. I attended a talk that Ryan gave at the CWA Summit, and afterward sat down with him to talk. Because I know very little about the challenges that a gym might face in implementing these programs, I pulled in my friend Valerie McDonough, who manages Rockquest Climbing Center in Cincinnati. You can find Ryan online at www.ryangagnon.com You can email Ryan at [email protected] or [email protected] We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Long before John Sherman was a crusader for the plight of the California Condor, he was a bouldering pioneer, brilliant writer, and creator of the bouldering V-scale. In this episode we sit down in Hueco Tanks to discuss his accomplishments as well as to argue about his most infamous creation. John's list of strong opinions is nearly as long as his list of first ascents, and the only reason it hasn't doubled is because he holds onto an opinion for dear life. I admire that, and I love to argue it. Of course, Verm doesn't bat an eye in telling me how wrong I am. I drag Alex Puccio and Matt Wilder into the fray, because they happened to be in the room. At times, the audio was rough, but I did my best to make sure you get the full conversation. One of John's strong opinions is in saving the California Condor. His photos of these majestic birds are incredible, and if you'd like to donate to the cause, you can do so at The Peregrine Fund. Be sure to choose "California Condor" for your gift. Read a touching tribute from John to Condor 337 at http://www.vermphoto.com/blog/2016/6/in-memory-of-condor-337 We're all rooting for Verm as he makes an attempt to re-send the worlds most famous boulder problem... something like 100 years after he first rocked over on that spooky mantle. You can join him at www.oldmanlightning.com and root him on, heckle him, or whatever. After this next colonoscopy, there's no way he's not sending. Thanks to Dawn Kish at www.dawnkishphotography for the cover photo. We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

A good climbing partner can be your greatest asset. If you dispute this, it's because you've never had a great partner, and you're just going to have to trust me. This episode could easily have been categorized as a Not So Average Joe episode, or it could have damn near been one of our upcoming Power Couple episodes. This is because both of these guys still don't quite understand what their capable of, and it's unlikely they would have yet reached their current level without the other on the belay. I've worked with both Scott and Tyler for quite some time, and I'm damned proud of the work we've done. We all sat down together in Cincinnati to discuss the ins and outs and ups and downs of being climbing partners. What it means, how to recognize it, and how to cultivate it. We walk through a season that for both of them has been paradigm shifting. They are two opposites who have built something that both can stand on to reach further, and are eager to continue learning and improving. While Tyler is the more analytical of the two, both analyze every detail of their climbing days and talk it over. For the comparison videos mentioned in the episode, go HERE. We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Aicacia Young believes that health begins in the gut, and she LOVES to talk about it. So much so that it almost makes me excited to do the same. Almost. In this episode we get into the basics. How do we know we need to improve our gut health and how do we go about it? What products do we use, and how much is enough? And maybe the most fun, what exactly is going on in there that constitutes poor gut health? Aicacia is a Registered Dietitian and owner of ClimbHealthy.com. She's also the Director of Scientific Affairs at Microbiome Labs, maker of some of her probiotic recommendations, which you can find below. At the time of this interview, she was a freelance copywriter for them. Find Aicacia on Instagram HERE Go HERE for Aicacia's probiotic recommendations. We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

In this episode, in the midst of a gym tour, Nate and I sit down to discuss how we feel about climbing gym grades. Do they matter? Should they be taken seriously? How do they relate to outdoor grades? And possibly most important, what the hell do we do with them? We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Perhaps the greatest attribute of any successful coach is their ability to effectively communicate with their athlete. Without buy in from the climber, no training plan can be effective. Without communication from the athlete, the right changes can't be made. Success is often directly proportionate to that relationship. In this episode I talk with a successful coach/climber team: Taylor Reed and Bella Jariel. Taylor has helped coach Bella to big success on the international stage. She's the USA Climbing Youth National Champion in speed climbing, as well as a qualifier for the US Youth Team in all 4 disciplines - Sport, Speed, Bouldering, and the Olympic Combined Format. In one of my favorite moments of the episode, Bella talks about the photos her mom takes of her, exhausted at the end of a drill prescribed by Taylor. She happily agreed to share those photos with us, and her reasoning is exactly why I wanted to have this conversation. https://powercompanyclimbing.com/blog/2018/4/16/episode-90-the-coachclimber-dynamic-with-taylor-reed-and-bella-jariel Check out Taylor's Beta Angel Project, a site dedicated to making research and data available and accessible to coaches and climbers. If you're a regular listener, you know that I have an aversion to reading research, though I understand that it's a necessary evil. I'm happy to know that there is a place I can go where other climbers have already examined the research and thought through it. I truly believe this will end up being a go-to resource for the community. www.beta-angel.com We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Peter Bonamici is a midwest legend. He'll disagree with that, but it's my podcast, so I can make that statement if I want to. Not to mention, it's true. This entire episode stems from a conversation with Peter in which he told me that he'd just learned to heel hook. After climbing his first V13. What?! It's pretty simple, really. The reason that Peter, and so many other climbers, are legendary, is because they are good at climbing. Not just strong, but GOOD. They didn't get that way by accident. They got that way through a very intentional practice. One that many of us can learn from. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

You've undoubtedly seen the book, the videos, or heard Dr. Vagy in other podcasts. In this 3 part series we're going to dig into the concepts behind the easy to follow system of prehab and rehab that Dr. Vagy has built. In Part 1, we're tackling mobility, and how it relates to both avoiding injury and rehabbing from it. Dr. Vagy walks me through many of the mobility drills that he recommends for climbers, and makes it easy for anyone to follow along, which I suggest you do, no matter how silly you think you look. It doesn't look as silly as coming to the gym with an injured finger and a tweaked knee and sitting there spectating. Find Dr. Vagy online and buy the book at www.theclimbingdoctor.com Find the warmup mentioned in the episode at https://youtu.be/B86QxHCDiM0 We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Todays episode is Part 5 in a 5 part series exploring the concept that "Common Sense Isn't Always Common Practice. Today we discuss Principles vs. Prescriptions. How do you know which is right for your situation? We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Todays episode is Part 4 in a 5 part series exploring the concept that "Common Sense Isn't Always Common Practice. Today we discuss Training Where You Are vs. Where You Want To Be. We all want to train like the pros... but should we? Is that even what got them there? We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Todays episode is Part 3 in a 5 part series exploring the concept that "Common Sense Isn't Always Common Practice. Today we discuss Generalization vs. Specialization. There is a time to grow your skill set, but it can also be appropriate to focus on one aspect of it. The differences can be subtle. We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Todays episode is Part 2 in a 5 part series exploring the concept that "Common Sense Isn't Always Common Practice. Today we discuss Pyramids vs. Towers. Should you be out there building up your base, or is it ok to jump to the next level? There's an argument... and a time... for both approaches. We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Todays episode is Part 1 in a 5 part series exploring the concept that "Common Sense Isn't Always Common Practice. Today we discuss Quality vs. Quantity. How much is too much? How can you focus on quality, and when should you? We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

In Part 2, continued from yesterday's Episode 81, Edwin and I come up with our Top 3 List of things we've learned from climbing with better climbers. You can find Edwin Teran and his photography online at www.edwinteran.com Follow him on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/edwinteran/ We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Climbing is unique in that we get to share the playing field with the best in the game. I can't think of a moment when you shouldn't use that to your advantage and pay close attention to what the better climbers at the crag are doing. Not just how they move (that too!), but how they structure their day, how long they rest, how they warmup, and what their attempts look like. So much to learn. In this episode I sit down with my good friend Edwin Teran and talk about his unique position as a photographer and regular partner to many pro climbers. Edwin is an incredibly thoughtful climber, so he isn't going to let many learning opportunities slip by, and we dig into some of the best. You can find Edwin online at www.edwinteran.com You can follow Edwin on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/edwinteran We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

In this much requested episode, I sit down with Salt Lake climber and coach Steve Maisch to discuss assessments. Steve had some of the first assessments I remember seeing online, and we go into how he's added, subtracted, and refined those. We talk a little about Steve's own assessments, and an important thing that he overlooked in his own training. Many of us coaches are loosely collecting data for these assessments, but how important is it all, really? You can find Steve online at www.stevemaischtraining.com (if he ever gets his site back online) We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

There are appropriate times to say "Take". There are also instances when saying it is only slowing your progress. In this episode, Nate and I sit down in Bozeman, Montana during our work at Spire Climbing Center to discuss a topic that many people don't realize that they don't fully understand. Don't forget to share the podcast with your friends, your enemies, and strangers on the street. They'll thank you, and so will we. We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

With the amount of available information on training for climbing growing rapidly, it becomes increasingly harder to know what is worth keeping and what's trash. I've been considering this type of episode for some time, but when I read a recent article from Climbing Magazine, I knew I had to do it. Among many uninformed statements in the article is one that states "a good way to build power is to try difficult moves when you're already tired." Not only is this incorrect, but it's dangerous. I was all set to tear this article apart. Instead, I've decided to turn this into something positive, and make it a learning experience for all of us. Not everyone reading the article - or any article, post, book, whatever - can easily recognize which information is worth saving and what should be thrown out, so let's explore several ways that you can use common sense to recognize when to seek your information elsewhere. Don't Believe The Hype. We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

When Beth Rodden redpointed To Bolt or Not To Be in 1998 she became the youngest woman to climb 5.14a. Fast forward 20 years and Beth's website lists her as "Mother - Pro Climber - Writer". Mother first. Climbing is growing up. Beth and I sat down in Jackson, Wyoming while she was there to speak at The Teton Library Mountain Story series, despite delayed flights and a busy schedule. I wanted to know how climbing had changed for her since her son Theo was born, and what tips she might have for parents who are embarking on their own adventures. One of the most accomplished climbers of all time, it hasn't been all smooth sailing for Beth, and we dig into that and how it's informed her decisions. Her entire identity was as a climber. What happens when you're climbing 4 or 5 NUMBER grades below your previous best? Are you still a climber? Where does your identity go? Beth has a good hold on this, and we can all learn from it. You can find Beth at www.bethrodden.com See Beth's recommendations for kid gear HERE. We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Dr. Allen Lim is a sports physiologist, author (you can find his great cookbooks below), and founder of Skratch Labs. We sat down at Skratch headquarters in Boulder, Colorado for what might be the most fascinating and easily digestible (pun intended) look at nutrition and hydration ever recorded. Seriously. We talk how hydration works and why water just isn't enough. We also go into recovery and why Skratch decided not to mess with the magic of chocolate milk. Because I think it's important for you (and me) to understand, Allen explains the lineup of Skratch products and how and when to best use them. You can find Skratch Labs at www.skratchlabs.com We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Heather Weidner doesn't need an introduction, but this episode certainly does. When I recently watched a film made about Heather's ascent of China Doll, putting her into a small group of women to have climbed 14a on gear, I was left with a bad taste in my mouth. It seemed that given the current gender climate, the filmmakers, Jon Glassberg and Caroline Treadway, could have crafted a story that didn't depict Heather as so dependant on her husband, Chris Weidner, for not only support, but to also tell and show her how to climb the route. Shortly after, Heather wrote a blog post indicating that she felt similar upon seeing the film, and I knew I had to talk to her about it. The omissions, the contradictions, and the lessons. You can find Heather online at www.heatherclimbs.com You can find Jon Glassberg and LT11 at www.lt11.com You can find Caroline Treadway at http://carolinetreadway.com/ You can see the film at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vZG7FTDM9U You can read Heather's blogpost at https://heatherclimbs.com/2017/12/08/the-china-doll-contradiction-behind-the-scenes-of-the-film/ We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

If you've heard of Justin Salas, you may refer to him as a "blind climber". You'd be wrong. He's a climber who happens to be blind, just like you're a climber who happens to have sight. I had the opportunity to session with Justin at Tension Climbing, and it was fascinating to get to observe and be a part of his process, and talking through it with him was just as interesting. The tools that Justin uses to climb into the V-double digits are the same tools that we use, and the same ones that many of fail to cultivate. We've got a lot to learn. You can find Justin online at www.justinsalas.com We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Russ Clune has climbed in more places than you. That is, unless you're Brittany Griffith (maybe). Climbing since the late 70's, and having climbed in around 50-some countries, I wanted to know what the legendary Clune had learned from other climbers in other cultures, and how he's applied that to his own climbing. His climbing partners are a who's who list of legends: Wolfgang Gullich, Lynn Hill, Patrick Edlinger, Jerry Moffat, Todd Skinner, Ron Kauk, and many others. Russ not only fed off of their abilities, but noticed their tactics and their approach. Travel is one of the most important and easiest ways to improve as a climber. It doesn't need to be travel to some exotic place. That scrappy limestone cliff in the backwoods can be a perfect place to learn a new technique. And it doesn't have to be with superstar climbers. There can be as much to learn from how the eager 5.11 climbers conduct themselves as their is by watching Megos on his latest project. You can climb with Russ in the Gunks through www.alpineendeavors.com We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Marina Inoue is a 5'2" force to be reckoned with. She's intimidating until you talk to her, and then she's the sweetest person you've ever met. Then she pulls onto the rock and straight up crushes your project. But you can't be mad at her, because she'd be stoked if the tables were turned. It was her amazing attitude that led me to talk to her for this interview, and it's the same thing that makes me look forward to the next time I get to climb with her. You can find her online at www.marinainoue.com We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

It's a new year, and it's our 2nd birthday! It's been a wild ride, and I want to say thanks to everyone for being on it with me.  In this episode Nate and I talk goal setting. Not resolutions. Goals. Different animals altogether.  How to set appropriate goals, some of the pitfalls, what the research says, and we even give up some of our own goals.   Speaking of which... We don't tweet. We scream like eagles.   The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Routesetting is hard. You know that if you've tried to set your own problems. It's also hard on the body, so it's difficult to keep a high level of fitness while setting full time. Jonathan Brandt has continued to improve as a climber while simultaneously running the setting crew at Climb Nashville, which is opening two new gyms next year. In this episode we discuss comment boxes, World Cup setting, simulators, and more. Jonathan will be hiring routesetters! Hit him up at [email protected] if you're interested. Also, definitely check out the Hotter Than Chicken Bouldering Competition hosted by Climb Nashville every July. If you have both fingers AND a stomach of steel, this might just be your ticket to greatness! We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Constance Lightner is, in my mind, a perfect representative for climbing parents. At a time when we're seeing a whole generation of young crushers becoming adults, the role of the parent has become more and more important. Connie didn't have a connection to climbing before her son, National Champion Kai Lightner, found the sport, but she's dove in headfirst and become an official mom for many of America's young superstars. She's one of the people that I make a point to see when I know we're in the same city. Every conversation is both entertaining and informative, and I walk away with jewels that I can apply to my own life, climbing, and business. You can find Kai online at www.kai-lightner.com We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

No, that isn't a typo. It would be amazing if we kept all our attributes forever, but the reality is that we lose things, we forget things, and we just stop doing some of the things that made us good to begin with. In this episode, Nate and I sit down to discuss the Top 3 things that we used to know and practice, and we wish we still adhered to. We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

In this episode I sit down for an important conversation with wordsmith Kelsey K. Sather. We discuss her series of blog posts titled "The Work Behind the Body", a series of interviews with female outdoor athletes in Bozeman, Montana. Kelsey delves into the details of Body Image, and that being a topic I don't know much about, I was both excited and nervous to struggle through the conversation. Thanks to the Bozeman community, and to Spire Climbing for allowing us to record this conversation live at their gym. You can find Kelsey online at www.kelseyksather.com You can find the Work Behind the Body series at http://kelseyksather.com/the-work-behind-the-body/ Read Kelsey's beautiful tribute to Inge Perkins at http://kelseyksather.com/journal/in-loving-memory-of-inge-perkins We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Last summer I started a list titled "Non Climbing (realistic) Dream Guests". I only got as far as one name: Dan John. I was planning to be in Salt Lake for the OR Trade Show, so I emailed Dan on the off chance that he'd do an in person conversation. To my surprise he emailed back almost immediately, scheduled a call for the next day, and invited me to his house to workout and record the conversation. If you've taken even a cursory look into the field of Strength and Conditioning, you've seen the name Dan John repeatedly. He's often quoted by other coaches, including all of us here at Power Company Climbing, and his pragmatic approach to training is one that has resonated with me since I read his book, Easy Strength, co written with kettlebell guru Pavel Tsatsouline. I went to his house to discuss his newest book, "Now What?", which asks and answers the important questions that coaches and athletes often forget to ask. After you've done your assessments, you've trained and met the standards, you've won or lost, or your season is over... Now What? This book follows two other excellent books from Dan called "Intervention" and "Can You Go?", both of which should be required reading for coaches. The wisdom that Dan shares concerning coaching and dealing with athletes is impossible to overvalue. While he's worked with Olympic and Professional athletes, he still makes time for an open workout in his simple garage gym at 9:30 every morning, where he both dispenses knowledge and learns from whoever shows up that day. After a workout in Dan's gym, this style of what Dan calls "intentional community" is exactly how I plan to build my own home gym. You can find Dan at www.danjohn.net We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

It's been a while since Nate and I sat down and did one of these, so we figured we'd kick it back off with a shorty. The interwebs are going crazy with Andrew Bisharats new miracle hangboard program, Five Minute Fingers, and we've gotten several messages asking for our opinion. Here it is. You can find the original article at www.eveningsends.com/five-minute-fingers The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Growth Mindset has recently become a hot topic in the world of sports, and for good reason. Mindset, which can be greatly affected by the feedback you give or receive, is key to learning and performance. Trevor Ragan is one of the most well versed in the science of learning and how mindset affects it, and he's out there working with teams, coaches, teachers, and businesses to actually apply the science. Trevor is the founder of Train Ugly, a group dedicated to sharing the science behind mindset, feedback, and the learning process, and how it relates to performance. I highly suggest you visit Train Ugly online and spend time watching their excellent videos or reading their material. It'll be time well spent. During our conversation, Trevor gave me a great list of resources where we can learn more about these topics. If you buy through our links at www.powercompanyclimbing.com/blog/2017/11/6/episode-64-fixed-vs-growth-mindset-with-trevor-ragan-from-trainugly, we get a small percentage from Amazon (it doesn't raise your prices) to help support the podcast. Find Trevor online at www.trainugly.com We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Tommy Caldwell needs no introduction to any of you. I thought I knew it all too, until I read his recent memoir, The Push. If you haven't read it, buy it HERE and read it NOW! I'm not sure exactly what I expected from the book, but I didn't expect Tommy to have looked so deeply into his own past and motivations in order to discover where his nearly maniacly focused drive comes from. Put simply, it blew me away. Tommy stopped over to sit and chat with me in Lander about two of the topics that I felt permeate his climbing: Belief and Partnership. So often we don't believe we can do a route because of one move that we have trouble with. Imagine that there are dozens of those moves over more than 3,000 feet of climbing, and it takes you years to unlock them. Would you stick with it? Would you believe? And what kind of partnership is required to make that happen? You can find Tommy online at www.tommycaldwell.com We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

The final episode with the Gnarly folks is one I had to talk them into. They wanted to educate, and I wanted to educate you all about what they have available. So we did both. In this episode Shannon and I discuss the products that Gnarly Nutrition offers. They've got a great line of products that many of you will find useful. Even if you still aren't a supplement person, you may learn something about why supplements are so popular. After using their products myself, I certainly can understand the convenience. I mean, you people are fiends, and that makes me ridiculously busy. So sometimes, I need the convenience. If you want to try Gnarly, go to www.gognarly.com and use the code POWERUP20 for 20% off of your order. We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Part 2! In this episode Dr. Shannon O'Grady and I discuss the hot button topic of protein. Why do we need it, how much we need, and what's the best way to get it. Gnarly has both Vegan and Whey protein powders, and you can get 20% off by using the code POWERUP20 at checkout at www.gognarly.com We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Some more nerdy talk for all of you training nerds out there. This time we go deep into the world of Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) with Dr. Shannon O'Grady, Ph.D., Director of Product at Gnarly Nutrition. BCAAs are more than just the new fad supplement. We talk about what they are, why we need them, how to use them, and more. This is the first of a 3 part series with Shannon and Gnarly. We'll also be discussing all things protein and taking a look at their entire line to see what we can benefit from as climbers. Get 20% of at www.gognarly.com using the code POWERUP20. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Fresh off of his audacious free solo of Freerider, Alex Honnold sat down with Arno Ilgner and Jeff Lodas from The Warrior's Way to discuss his mental preparation. Arno asked me to record the conversation, and though I was running around The Salt Palace like crazy, I got it on tape for all of you to hear. Two mental fitness giants, discussing a topic that is, at best, tough to pin down. Alex has done an amazing job of reflecting on what it is that makes him different, and is able to articulate it better in every interview I hear him in. This one is no different. You can find The Warrior's Way at www.warriorsway.com You can find Alex at www.alexhonnold.com The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

One of the guests most requested by our listeners, Steve Maisch is a Salt Lake City climber/coach/economics professor who, much like myself, uses himself as a guinea pig to test new approaches to training. As such, we decided to nerd out on a couple of topics. For this one, we discuss the different hangboard protocols, when and why to use them, what they can do for you, and where they can go wrong. I'm sure we forgot a few, which is ok, because we can always record more... You can find Steve online at http://www.stevemaischtraining.com/ We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

I'm not often intimidated by people, but Hazel Findlay's reputation is much larger than her 5'2" frame, so I was a bit anxious about this conversation. Mental training can be a pretty nebulous topic to begin with, so if I was going to be stumbling over my words, it could end up being a rough conversation. Not long after Hazel showed up at my house, it was clear that while she is indeed a force to be reckoned with, there was no reason to fret. As she would say, my worry was all "rubbish". Hazel has a really great way of taking these concepts that are sometimes tough to connect with and making them seem simple. She struggles through them just like most of us do, and in turn is able to relate to exactly how we all experience fear, doubt, and any other number of emotions that can be both destructive and extremely valuable. I value this insight as a coach, and I look forward to talking with Hazel more in the future. In this episode Hazel mentions The Inner Game of Tennis, a classic book about the mental side of performance. That led me to wonder what other books that Hazel might recommend, so this month we are giving our patrons Hazel's recommended reading list, as well as a bonus episode with fan favorite Steve Bechtel. You can find Hazel online at www.hazelfindlayclimbing.com We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

If you've been around climbing long enough, you know someone who has or has had an eating disorder. While it's not a secret, it's certainly a topic that is generally shamed and then ignored. As a coach, friend, and partner, I wanted to know more about it, how to recognize it, and what to do when confronted with it. Savannah Buik reached out to me a little over a year ago to tell me that she had started a blog, partly inspired by my willingness to call people out, that focused on her own struggles with eating disorders. Since then, she's had more struggles, and in this episode we talk more about those tough times. Savannah offers us an easy way to understand these disorders, a way to recognize when it's a problem, and a way to think about it while approaching a friend in need. This is a conversation I'm so glad that I sat down for, no matter how uncomfortable the subject is. You can find Savannah's blog, Crimpin and Biscuits, at www.savannahbuik.com We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The climbing community tragically lost Savannah to a climbing accident in March 2018. Her kindness, openness, and passion for helping others suffering from eating disorders made her an inspiration to many. If you'd like to support Savannah's passion, consider a donation to Project HEAL, an organization she was proudly involved with, that seeks to provide prevention, treatment, and recovery support to those suffering from eating disorders. Savannah will be greatly missed. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Here in Lander there is a very strong contingent of powerful women. I'm lucky to have become friends with many of them, and I'm extremely fortunate to be able to count Emily Tilden among those friends. She is a no bullshit straight shooter, which I value and appreciate, and like many great athletes, she has a mental tenacity that is sometimes difficult to comprehend. I've watched her handily win the pullup comp at the Climbers Festival several times, and I've watched her cruise to an easy win, with a smile on her face, after running 20K at over 9,000 feet. Emily likes to run long distances. In the mountains. Likes to. What? That just doesn't compute with me. She's a mom that was right back to the gym, with son Wyatt in tow, shortly after giving birth. She also has the often rare ability to vocalize why and how she is able to push through the wall that stops me at about mile #1. Perhaps even more interesting is that when climbing, she doesn't have the same drive. It occupies a different space for her. Why is that? Why can I go a muerte on a climb, but want to call for a ride home after running a few blocks? What's the difference? We may actually have a few answers. Emily is a trainer here in Lander at Elemental Performance and Fitness. She's an NSCA-CPT, and if you're interested in working with her, you can reach her at [email protected] I promise, she won't bullshit you. Tell your friends. We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Shelma Jun is an unapologetic force to be reckoned with, and she's put more thought than most of us into this feminist movement that is rocking the climbing world. To be honest, while I've put a ton of thought into it myself, much of it was in the form of denial. When that began to change, and I opened by eyes a little, I knew I had to have a conversation with Shelma. I'm extremely happy that she was willing to sit down with me and struggle through a tough, but important conversation. Some of you will agree. Some of you won't. That's ok. What's important is that we start the conversation, on many levels, and keep it going. I've fucked up many times. I'll fuck up more. That's about all that I'm sure of. That, and that I'll always make an effort to realize that I don't need to have all the answers. You can find Shelma at www.flashfoxy.com and at www.nevernotcollective.com We don't tweet. We scream like eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

In today's episode I sit down with Kerry Scott, an unassuming, but very badass young lady from North Carolina. Besides coaching a youth team at Triangle Rock Club, Kerry is a crusher. And she's not ashamed to "spray" a little. And you all know that I'm definitely not afraid to spray, and I appreciate it when others buck the norm. I've spent time in North Carolina, and I know that the south and east in particular can sometimes be a place where you're encouraged not to "spray", and I think that is often unfortunate. I agree that just puffing up to talk about yourself isn't helpful to anyone, but there is a fine line between spray and pride, and I think that Kerry did a beautiful job navigating that with the ascent of her first 14a, Proper Soul. We talk about why she put it out there, and what that's meant to her. We also talk about her support system, and how important it is to have that. Decide for yourself what's appropriate, but don't let others tell you not to be proud of yourself. And damn it, tell the world about it if that's what you want to do. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

In this episode Nate and I sit down with Allison Stowers, a Chattanooga climber and physical therapist. We discuss the climber injuries that Allison most often sees in her clinic... shoulders and hip region injuries. How to self diagnose, when you should see a doctor, what to do about it, and most important, how to prevent it. You can find Allison at www.chattclimberpt.com or at www.peakfitnessandpt.com The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

Fingers are pretty important to us. At some point, all of us will have a tweak, twinge, or injury, and we'll need to know how to deal with that. In this episode I sit down with Dr. Lisa Erikson, and we dive deep into the methods behind dealing with finger injuries. We talk taping, acupressure rings, voodoo floss, ultrasound, self diagnosis, and more. You can find Lisa's products and her book Climbing Injuries Solved, at www.climbinginjuriessolved.com. If you would like to see her or reach out to her about an injury you have, go to www.lifesportchiro.com This week the patrons get Lisa's top tips to avoid injury. Become a patron of the podcast for as little as $1 per month at www.patreon.com/powercompanypodcast. Share us on the social medias! We don't tweet. We scream like Eagles. The Power Company Podcast is brought to you by Power Company Climbing and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective. You can help us keep episodes sponsor-free by becoming a Patron for as little as $3 a month. Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.