EP 219: Fitz Cahall (The Dirtbag Diaries, Climbing Gold) — A Lifetime of Storytelling, Taking Authorship of Your Time, and Being Pro But Not Fancy

Dr. Carrie Cooper is a former professional climber and a doctor of physical therapy. We talked about her background in gymnastics and dance, bouldering in the early 2000s, her path to physical therapy, referencing research in climbing, why climbers should think of themselves as athletes, and the most important things we are missing in our physical training.Check out PhysiVantage!physivantage.com (link includes 15% off coupon)Use code "NUGGET15" at checkout for 15% off your next order!Check out Crimpd!crimpd.comOr download the Crimpd app! (Available for iOS and Android)We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:Leo Franchi, Michael Roy, David Lahaie, Robert Freehill, Jeremiah Johnson, Scott Donahue, Eli Conlee, Skyler Maxwell, and Craig LeeBecome a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/carrie-cooperNuggets:0:04:56 – Morning rituals0:07:10 – Audio setups, and presenting at the Tokyo Olympics0:13:42 – Climbers are athletes0:16:21 – A day in the life of Dr. Carrie Cooper0:18:46 – Carrie’s clinic and what she does0:23:20 – Gymnastics and dance0:26:27 – Going to school with Danny McBride, and more about dance0:28:17 – Starting to climb in Sweden, and falling in love with the culture of climbing0:31:15 – Back injury, finding pilates, and walking away from dance0:34:33 – The American bouldering scene in the early 2000s, and the small but mighty group of women bouldering in Hueco0:41:28 – Carrie’s genetics, and what she brought with her from dance and gymnastics to climbing0:45:20 – Trying to try a little harder, and sneaking up on the boulder problem0:47:52 – Carrie’s path to becoming a Doctor of Physical Therapy, and what she specialized in0:52:17 – Patron question from Kaska: How did Carrie’s climbing and recovery compare between her two pregnancies?0:56:37 – Climbing like honey during pregnancy1:00:15 – Research that exists in climbing, and Carrie’s philosophy on basing recommendations on empirical evidence1:06:22 – Age parameters for climbing injuries, and finger injuries in kids/adolescents1:07:52 – Where do you go to find climbing research, and how relevant is it for athletes?1:10:29 – Carrie’s pulley classification schema, and applying science to what we are doing1:14:03 – Knowing what is normal for climbers by referring to research, and why you might not need to jump to getting an MRI1:17:57 – Relying on trusted practitioners, holding the loudest voices accountable to the research, and drawing inspiration from national teams1:22:31 – “The clinician is always ahead of the curve.” - Charles Poliquin1:28:10 – Taping fingers1:30:10 – My wrist injury, and when to stop using tape1:32:53 – Retraining movement patterns after a finger injury1:39:39 – Mobility and a proper warmup1:45:06 – Warming up your thoracic spine and hips1:50:21 – Patron question from Alistair: What are common prescriptions Carrie has given national-level athletes?1:54:06 – Patron question from Shawn: How does Carrie decide when and how much antagonist and mobility work  to incorporate for her athletes?1:56:30 – Undoing the doing, and recovering after climbing1:58:25 – Minimums: a connective tissue health session2:01:10 – Discussing Emil Abrahamsson’s results from his “no hangs” experiment2:07:40 – Keith Baar, and an example Minimums session2:11:45 – How to do Minimums with a Tension Block or other no hangs grip implement2:15:38 – How you should feel after Minimums, and how easy it should feel2:17:02 – Should we be doing Minimums over the long term?2:18:46 – Patron question from Chris: Compound movements vs. more specific antagonist type exercises?2:20:40 – Patron question from Katja: How has Carrie kept her psyche and strength up over two decades of climbing at such a high level?2:22:40 – How our lives dictate what we can do in our training, and “just doing something, is better than not doing something”2:24:34 – Patron question from Kaska: How did she manage to still boulder hard as a Mom of two?2:26:25 – Patron question from Kaska: Who are her inspirations in climbing now, and how has that changed over the years since she first started climbing?2:28:50 – Patron question from Katja: What are some of Carrie’s big dreams for the future (climbing and/or nonclimbing)?2:31:02 – Overcoming things in the future2:32:00 – Carrie’s passion project and wrap up

23 Touko 20222h 36min

The tables are turned in this episode! Steven Dimmitt joins Chad Andrews from Clipping Chains to talk about leaving his engineering career to start the podcast, building a craft vs. pursuing a passion, reaching more than 1M downloads, monetization, outsourcing things you hate doing, the glorification of van life, and key climbing principles he has learned from hosting The Nugget.Check out Grasshopper Climbing!grasshopperclimbing.cominstagram.com/grasshopperclimbingTell them I sent you to save $500 off a fully kitted out 8'x10' Grasshopper board! Check out Crimpd!crimpd.comOr download the Crimpd app! (Available for iOS and Android)Check out PhysiVantage!physivantage.com (link includes 15% off coupon)Use code "NUGGET15" at checkout for 15% off your next order!We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:Leo Franchi, Michael Roy, David Lahaie, Robert Freehill, Jeremiah Johnson, Scott Donahue, Eli Conlee, Skyler Maxwell, and Craig LeeBecome a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/chad-andrews-interviews-steven-dimmitt

16 Touko 20221h 55min

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up with Joe Kinder. I sat down with Joe in a cave in Utah to talk about his process for sending his new route ‘Mamajamma’ (5.15a?), what it felt like to send, how he would have trained this summer if he hadn’t sent, favorite workouts for power endurance, plans to try his 5.15b ‘Big Bone’ project, and what I learned from five weeks of climbing with Joe.Become a Patron to get access to the full episode! And support the podcast! *The full version is 1:21:47.patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingJoe's Original Episode:EP 96: Joe Kinder

9 Touko 202232min

Yves Gravelle is a V15 boulderer from Canada and a 3x APL World Champion (i.e. grip competitions). We talked about lessons from grip training that we can apply to climbing, the importance of simplicity and consistency, how to break down a bouldering project, basing your training on the demands of a specific goal, top 3 finger training methods, how to train full crimps, and much more.Check out Athletic Greens!athleticgreens.com/NUGGETUse the link above to get a free year's supply of vitamin D + 5 travel packs!Check out Grasshopper Climbing!grasshopperclimbing.cominstagram.com/grasshopperclimbingTell them I sent you to save $500 off a fully kitted out 8'x10' Grasshopper board! Check out Chalk Cartel!chalkcartel.comUse code "NUGGET" at checkout for 20% off your next order!We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:Leo Franchi, Michael Roy, David Lahaie, Robert Freehill, Jeremiah Johnson, Scott Donahue, Eli Conlee, Skyler Maxwell, and Craig Lee Become a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/yves-gravelleNuggets:0:07:18 – How to pronounce Yves’ name, and living in Ottawa0:09:20 – The most legendary training montage I have ever seen, and an introduction to APL0:12:32 – Why Yves thinks climbs could represent themselves well in grip sports, and what a competition is like0:15:22 – Specializing vs. being a well-rounded athlete in grip0:18:11 – Balancing climbing goals with grip competitions0:19:28 – What Yves has learned from grip sports, and taking training ideas from powerlifting0:22:26 – How Yves bases his training around the demands of a specific boulder or goal0:24:49 – Is it possible to combine outdoor climbing with quality finger strength training?0:31:07 – An example training week with outdoor bouldering on Sunday0:35:05 – Preparing your body for the amount of training you want to do, and progressively working your way up0:36:19 – Building capacity, and learning about nutrition0:37:55 – Reading nutritional research about bouldering0:39:33 – How Yves has changed his diet0:42:28 – Maintaining finger strength during off-seasons, and pushing hard for goals0:45:51 – Finger training principles, keeping things simple, consistency, writing things down, and using RPE to measure your training0:51:38 – Training strength when you are fresh, finishing fresh, and not going to failure (adding a buffer)0:54:14 – Yves’ session load calculator spreadsheet0:57:36 – Preparation cycles, and competitive cycles1:00:45 – Jazz1:02:13 – How Yves trained for ‘So What’ V15, and building shoulder strength and mobility1:05:15 – Patron question from fdclimbs: Any tips for building climbing-specific shoulder strength?1:07:34 – Yves top 3 finger training exercises for climbing1:12:01 – Progressive warmup for finger training1:13:58 – Micro edge training1:15:39 – Contact strength training1:19:20 – Summary of Yves’ top 3 finger training methods1:21:08 – Patron question from Alan: Does Yves have a favorite way to train full crimps?1:22:39 – Yves’ full crimp story, and how he prevents finger injuries1:26:14 – Patron question from fdclimbs: Tips for training individual fingers? (And Yves’ grip positions and anatomy)1:29:53 – Patron question from Alan: How does Yves balance different methods of training fingers and grip strength?1:33:19 – Prepping for ‘Terremere’ and Hueco1:34:17 – Patron question from Daniel: Any plans to travel to world-famous bouldering areas and try the classic V15s or V16s?1:35:38 – 1-7-11 on the campus board (with slightly different spacing)1:37:00 – Patron question from Daniel: Is there such thing as “enough power”? What about finger strength?1:38:18 – Patron question from Xander: Do your finger strength gains still transfer to climbing?1:39:28 – One of Yves’ favorite coaches to learn from1:40:59 – When you are starting off almost anything will work1:41:44 – Patron question from Michael: What is the smallest edge you can hang with one hand? What about two hands?1:42:54 – Being muscular and still being strong on tiny holds, and putting on muscle mass in the right places1:44:30 – Patron question from David: How does Yves look after his skin, especially splits and tears?1:46:48 – Contributing to local bouldering areas, and winning the world championships1:47:41 – Yves’ daughters and gymnastics1:50:26 – Listen to your body, and enjoy the process1:53:10 – Be present1:54:39 – Wrap up

2 Touko 20221h 57min

Paul Robinson is one of the top boulderers in the world and has been climbing at a V15 level for more than a decade. We talked about building his new house, recovering from neck surgery, his recent diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, climbing 1000+ V11s or harder, his analogy of climbing as a book, hardest FAs, trying to climb V16, travel routines, filmmaking, and much more.Check out Chalk Cartel!chalkcartel.comUse code "NUGGET" at checkout for 20% off your next order!Check out Crimpd!crimpd.comOr download the Crimpd app! (Available for iOS and Android)Check out PhysiVantage!physivantage.com (link includes 15% off coupon)Use code "NUGGET15" at checkout for 15% off your next order!We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:Leo Franchi, Michael Roy, David Lahaie, Robert Freehill, Jeremiah Johnson, Scott Donahue, Eli Conlee, Skyler Maxwell, and Craig LeeBecome a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/paul-robinsonNuggets:0:06:18 – Designing and building his house0:10:56 – How Paul got into filmmaking0:13:10 – Feature films vs. YouTube, and Hueco Dailies 0:15:14 – The Road to Recovery film series0:17:48 – Paul’s neck injury0:24:00 – Leg injury0:26:25 – Being back to 90%, and finding new ways to improve0:28:09 – Hope, optimism, and a new perspective on finding challenges in climbing0:32:33 – Going through the stages of grief with an injury, getting older, and hoping to continue climbing at 60 years old0:35:29 – John Sherman0:36:32 – Paul’s 8a.nu account, and his goal to climb 1000 boulders 8A (V11) or harder0:40:38 – Running out of things to climb, and getting psyched on finding new boulders0:43:14 – What Paul’s drive alive, and his goals for his Hueco trip0:46:38 – The uniqueness of climbing, being a perfectionist, and seeking mastery0:49:57 – Climbing as a book, and whether Paul is still getting better at climbing0:52:24 – Why we don’t often repeat things we’ve done, and Paul’s story about flashing Nagual and repeating it for the Rock Rodeo0:55:56 – Does V16 feel important?1:01:41 – How Paul is thinking of training for ‘Box Therapy’ V16, and why Paul tries to maintain a baseline of endurance for bouldering1:08:36 – Paul’s projecting tactics1:13:10 – ‘Lucid Dreaming’1:25:01 – Dave Graham, ’Spectre’, and ’Total Eclipse’1:30:40 – Patron question from Nick: If you could only climb one boulder for the rest of your life, what would you choose?1:31:27 – Fontainbleau1:32:43 – Opening up about being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and some of the symptoms Paul experiences1:38:32 – OCD tendencies, Paul’s outfits, touch, social anxiety, and hyper-focus1:43:34 – Stuck laying on the couch, and opening up conversations1:50:35 – Routines that help Paul feel grounded1:53:53 – Challenging the clothing norms, and decision fatigue1:59:47 – Paul’s go-to climbing shoes2:02:37 – Toe hooking, and customizing his Solutions for ‘The Story of Two Worlds’2:04:29 – Patron question from André: Any plans to try ‘Burden of Dreams’ V17?2:07:13 – The challenge of living in the desert and trying to climb in humid environments2:09:33 – Bugalisen2:10:48 – Patron question from André: Which one of your FA’s do you think is the hardest one?2:11:58 – Paul’s project in the South Platte, CO, and how he names his boulders2:13:46 – ‘Karoshi’2:14:28 – Patron question from Ana: What areas does Paul think have the most remaining potential? Where is the next frontier for bouldering?2:18:30 – Paul’s favorite rock type2:20:37 – Patron question from Prithipal: How strong are Paul’s fingers?2:23:51 – Tiny crimps, and why you don’t need to be able to do one-arm pullups to climb V162:26:58 – Meeting Paul back in 2013, and what’s next

25 Huhti 20222h 33min

"Steven's Blog" is now available for Patrons!In this blog episode, Steven shares a recap of his final weeks in Hueco, and his first two weeks trying a 14a in Utah.Become a Patron for $10/mo to hear more blog episodes! Plus, it helps out the show! patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingCheck out the "Announcing Reflections and Steven's Blog" episode to learn more!

23 Huhti 202212min

"Reflections" are now available for Patrons!In this Reflections episode, Mina talks with Steven about an area of her climbing that she still struggles with, and about building general strength. She also talked about the different versions of ourselves we experience in life and embracing the current version of herself.Become a Patron for $10/mo to hear more Reflections episodes! Plus, it helps out The Nugget and The Curious Climber Podcast!patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingCheck out the "Announcing Reflections and Recaps" episode to learn more!

23 Huhti 202215min

Announcing more new content for Patrons! "Reflections" are collaboration episodes with Mina Leslie-Wujastyk and Hazel Findlay of the Curious Climber Podcast. These are short episodes where one of us shares our thoughts on something we've been thinking about, or are working on in our own climbing or lives."Recaps" is a new episode series where I share what I have been up to for the past month, how I have been training, top 3 climbing highlights, what I could have done better,  plans for the next month, and more. Think of this as Steven's monthly blog update, but in audio form. UPDATE: I originally called my blog posts "Recaps" but people were confusing those with recaps of the podcast so I changed the name to "Steven's Blog".Become a Patron for $10/mo to get access to Reflections and Steven's Blog! Plus, it helps out the show! patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

23 Huhti 20223min