Connor Herson: Trad Phenom, 5.15 Without Hangboarding, and the Value of 'Easy' Days

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In this episode, elite climber Connor Herson explores:

• What social media doesn't reveal about the process of hard climbing
• Struggling with training, and avoiding hangboarding and weightlifting
• How projecting 5.15 feels similar (and different) to projecting lower grades
• Lighter is not better on big walls
• His unexpected send of Magic Line, one of the hardest trad crack climbs in the world
• Movement and technique vs strength and power
• Creative gear placement strategies for trad climbing
• The benefit of top rope sessions
• The tradeoff between comp climbing and outdoor climbing
• Why climbing easier routes is so important

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CHAPTERS:

• Struggle: (0:10:48)
• Training: (0:29:10)
• Nutrition: (0:47:05)
• Tactics: (0:51:46)
• Mental Game: (1:04:22)
• Purpose: (1:06:13)

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BIG THANKS TO THE AMAZING SPONSORS OF THE STRUGGLE WHO LOVE ROCK CLIMBING AS MUCH AS YOU DO:

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The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation, whose mission is to promote solar energy for a more equitable world.

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This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin, and edited by Glen Walker. The Struggle is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry.

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The struggle makes us stronger! I hope your training and climbing are going great.

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And now here are some buzzwords to help the almighty algorithm get this show in front of people who love to climb: rock climbing, rock climber, climbing, climber, bouldering, sport climbing, gym climbing, how to rock climb, donuts are amazing. Okay, whew, that’s done. But hey, if you’re a human that’s actually reading this, and if you love this show (and love to climb) would you think about sharing this episode with a climber friend of yours? And shout it out on your socials? I’ll send you a sticker for doing it. Just shoot me a message on IG – thanks so much!