EP 35: Steve Bechtel — Changing Your Mind, Lessons From Studying Sprinting, and Creating Better Habits

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This week's follow-up call is with Alex Johnson. We talked about sending ‘The Swarm’ V13/14, her 10+ year project in Bishop, CA. We also talked about how she prepared for the trip, how she and Bree balanced their climbing objectives in Bishop, taking time off, how to ramp back up after hitting a peak performance, planting a garden, and becoming domesticated.You can support the podcast and get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 43:03.

27 Touko 202123min

Steve Maisch is a training legend and has been pursuing improvement in rock climbing for more than two decades. Jon Glassberg credits Steve’s training methodology for his recent send of ‘The Nest’ V15. We talked about Steve’s background in climbing and how he became interested in training, how he helped me add structure to my Hueco bouldering trip, and the 85% rule.Support on Patreon:  patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/steve-maischNuggets:5:10 – Ballet class6:20 – Steve’s beginnings in climbing, grad school, training breakthroughs, and first bad finger injury13:00 – Becoming interested in quantifying training, and observing the elites16:50 – How Steve and I connected, the Hueco training plan idea, and addressing individual needs in training 23:38 – Climbing strength26:33 – Underperforming vs overperforming your finger strength28:53 – The bouldering pyramid 31:40 – The 85% rule, and the strength sweet spot46:45 – Train your weaknesses and perform in your strengths, and battling Free Willy51:50 – Breakdown of the Hueco training plan, and antagonist training59:46 – Scapular lock-offs1:05:06 – How much we should be climbing, and making sense of different climbing schedules1:11:25 – Climb more days, or higher intensity?1:17:38 – Reconciling Daniel on Return of the Sleepwalker1:20:48 – Efficiency and muscle memory1:22:18 – The deload week, and getting stronger when we rest1:26:18 – The key elements of the boulder pyramid 1:29:16 – How to build up the pyramid season after season1:31:43 – How to maintain bouldering power during a sport climbing phase1:34:20 – Whether to maintain endurance during a boulder phase 1:38:26 – Gaining endurance through increasing strength1:40:06 – The plus/minus (+/-) system1:49:10 – Training on the boards, and designing different workouts  2:00:16 – Balancing training and performing2:06:51 – The Remond food bank2:13:14 – Injuries, Steve’s climbing goals, and rebuilding his pyramid2:19:55 – Preventing injuries, a foundation of lifting, and the benefit of building muscle in the right places2:26:10 – Gratitude

24 Touko 20212h 28min

Ron Kauk is a legendary Yosemite climber. He recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his many accomplishments, within and beyond climbing. We talked about life in Camp 4 in the 70s, climbing ‘Astroman’ with John Bachar, influential music and books, stories from a brief career in Hollywood, doing the FA of ‘Magic Line’, his non-profit Sacred Rok, daily practices, connecting with Mother Nature, and much more.Support on Patreon:  patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/ron-kaukNuggets:4:17 – Out of the blue, and reflecting on a life of climbing8:19 – Sylvester Stallone, Wolfgang Gulich, and a brief career in Hollywood18:48 – Doubling for Tom Cruise, and working on films in Yosemite20:14 – “We would do anything to make $1000.”23:24 – Ron’s first wilderness trip at age 14, and early rock climbing28:43 – Rattlesnake Ridge32:33 – Climbing ‘The Nutcracker'35:17 – Catching rides to Yosemite, and Dale Bards bakery van38:07 – ‘Outer Limits’ with Bridwell39:28 – Ron’s first summer in Yosemite, and “all I needed to do was get there.”42:55 – A day in the life in Camp 4, and climbing The Nose in a day48:23 – Jimmy Hendrix52:40 – ‘Midnight Lightning’57:41 – Playful training, and 100 fingertip pull-ups1:00:13 – Catching waves, and freeing ‘Astroman’ with John Bachar1:07:53 – Carlos Casteneda, ‘Tales of Power’, and ’Separate Reality’ 1:13:47 – The end of the 70s, ‘To Bolt’, and ‘Magic Line’1:18:27 – “I am that waterfall.”1:20:19 – Mother nature, nurture, and becoming better caretakers1:21:47 – Sacred Rok, and the universe as our university1:26:15 – Sponsorship and performing1:29:34 – Ron’s vision for what climbing could be1:35:44 – Taking time in nature, and getting back to the basics 1:39:45 – Barefoot standing1:49:12 – Slowing down1:54:11 – Words from Alan Watts (the climber)2:03:30 – Questions from Alan 2:12:12 – The photograph2:15:56 – “We really are all connected.”2:19:21 – Follow-Up teaser, and show notes

17 Touko 20212h 24min

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Ken Klein from the Climb Strong Team. We talked about Ken’s high school baseball coach, the documentary In Search of Greatness, and the 3 things we should be assessing as climbers.You can support the podcast and get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 1:23:45.

13 Touko 202115min

Steve McClure is one of the best rock-climbers in the world, having made the FA of the hardest sport route in the UK at 9b (5.15b), at age 46. We talked about early hitchhiking stories, discovering sport climbing, the three parts of climbing ability, how to improve over the long haul, foot-on campusing, and much more.Support on Patreon:  patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/steve-mcclureNuggets:4:12 – Podcasts, and the desire to listen6:22 – Hitching13:58 – Growing up in the Northeast of England, and the climbing wall Steve built in his garage18:43 – Early climbing, and discovering sport climbing22:36 – Steve’s first E326:42 – Tenacity, and trying hard 29:22 – “It’s all down to motivation.” - Ben Moon34:16 – ‘Rainman’37:28 – Going with the flow vs. pursuing long-term goals  44:08 – ‘Mutation’, and Will Bossi  47:21 – “You make your own luck.”48:19 – Was ‘Mutation’ the first 5.15?49:54 – “You can’t have regrets.”52:32 – My (Steven’s) struggle with personal limits, how hard Steve was climbing at my age, and the good news for aging climbers56:17 – The mental and technical aspects of climbing57:42 – The three parts of climbing ability (technical, mental, and physical)59:46 – Foot-on campusing (aka laddering)1:08:30 – How Steve fits in foot-on campusing around other climbing and training1:12:27 – Question from Branko: How do you approach climbing at your local crag, after you’ve done everything? Do you only get on the hard stuff, or do you repeat any routes to continue building your pyramid?1:15:40 – How Steve approached each new season on Rainman, and adding more thought to his climbing gym sessions1:19:08 – Question from Adriel: One exercise to improve strength?1:22:00 – Question from Adriel: Who would win in an arm-wresting match between Steve and Dave MacLeod?1:23:34 – Question from Will: How does Steve balance training and recovery as he gets older?1:26:23 – Steve’s typical climbing schedule at age 50, and his routine for Rainman1:31:06 – Question from Anderson: Does Steve think his hardest climbing is ahead of him? What about his best?1:33:14 – Steve’s hardest climb (his onsight of ‘Nightmare’)1:34:26 – The best1:35:24 – Steve’s decision to move to Sheffield1:38:10 – Steve’s go-to breakfast1:39:49 – Writing, and Steve’s training diary1:45:26 – Gratitude1:49:29 – Frozen fingers, and Steve’s onsight attempt of ‘To Bolt or Not to Be’1:53:42 – The great equalizer1:56:52 – Steve’s Instagram and website1:58:52 – Pembroke, witnessing an accident, and rethinking risk

10 Touko 20212h 6min

Heth Jennings is a Physical Therapist and Functional Medicine Practitioner who has been studying pain for over 20+ years. We talked about where pain comes from, how the brain uses pain to protect us, why chronic pain isn’t “just in our head”, how to rehab finger and elbow injuries, and other lifestyle interventions that help with recovery.Support on Patreon:  patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/heth-jenningsNuggets:4:10 – Heth’s background in physical therapy, functional medicine, and pain science6:55 – A new paradigm for understanding pain8:22 – “It’s all in my head.” and “It’s always real.”9:40 – Lorimer Moseley, and the hammer in the neck story14:50 – Red light blue light15:55 – The leg scratch  17:40 – Chronic vs acute pain21:09 – The mountain illustration of tissue capacity, the pain buffer, and how the brain’s overprotection leads to chronic pain24:19 – Rehabbing chronic elbow pain28:25 – Graded motor imagery using the Recognize App, visualization, and mirror therapy36:35 – “The point is always to get people back to moving.” 37:58 – Heth’s example of the brain loving us too much, and removing fear41:00 – The role of inflammation, assessing tissue damage, and rehabbing fingers and elbows47:28 – Heth’s recent finger injury, and how he rehabbed it50:35 – “Don’t flare up, but when you do, don’t freak out about it.”51:48 – What to do after a flare-up 53:31 – Heth’s protocol for rehabbing his finger injury56:02 – The theory behind eccentrics for tendon injury rehab57:04 – How do address different types of finger injuries59:27 – Heth’s thoughts on climbing open-handed while recovering from a pulley injury1:01:03 – Mirror therapy for amputees1:02:50 – Elbow rehab1:07:52 – Preventing recurring injuries, giving our bodies credit, and bioplasticity1:15:32 – What Heth has learned from his injuries, how he plans to move forward, and collagen + vitamin C1:19:50 – Heth’s thoughts on supplemental exercises for injury prevention1:23:57 – Heth’s thoughts on including finger ups or other isotonic exercises1:25:32 – Chronic inflammation, gut health, and stress1:28:35 – Why Heth recommends a low carb diet for many of his clients1:32:33 – Heth’s thoughts on carbs for metabolically healthy people and athletes1:38:37 – Carb backloading1:44:39 – Heth’s thoughts on counting macros and daily protein1:47:56 – Krispy Cream doughnuts, birthday cake, and popcorn and coke1:50:28 – Breathing and meditation, accepting where we are, and being kind to ourselves1:57:00 – Heth’s website, and social media2:00:26 – Gratitude

3 Touko 20212h 2min

This full episode is available for Patrons right now! This is a teaser of a follow-up call with Mercedes Pollmeier. I asked for clarifications about the J-Curl and passive stretching, and we tackled Patron questions about individual bony morphology, improving the back bridge, when and how to stretch the hamstrings, whether it is ever too late to begin training flexibility, and Mercedes made a case for why flexibility training is as important as strength training for athletes. You can support the podcast and get access to follow-up conversations for $5 per month on Patreon at patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing. The full version of this follow-up call is 1:20:32.Resources:Kit Laughlin - Moving Pelvis in Pancake Position

29 Huhti 202116min

Mercedes Pollmeier is a climbing coach with a master’s in human movement. We discussed key stretches for climbers, how to warm up for a limit session, whether or not static stretching reduces power, how to improve your flexibility in 6 minutes per day, and “food rules” from her recent book, Peak Nutrition.Support on Patreon:  patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes:  http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/mercedes-pollmeierNuggets:5:14 – Wind and head colds8:29 – Mercedes trip to Red Rocks, and focusing on recovering 9:44 – Resting after a trip, deloading, and blood flow restriction (BFR) training13:30 – More about BFR and what it is used for22:34 – Mercedes background, current coaching practice, and programs25:12 – Masters in human movement 26:54 – How we learn to move better29:43 – Terminology: “mobility” and “flexibility”37:18 – Mobility prep/warmup for a climbing session40:51 – Warmup duration, and static stretching before climbing 48:14 – Appropriate intensity of warmup stretches49:59 – Breathing during stretching51:39 – Other warmup stretches54:52 – Side split, front split, and back bridge57:36 – Cycling flexibility and strength training, and variability1:01:47 – An example strength cycle, and changing accessory exercises1:04:29 – Flexibility as a skill, and where to start1:08:07 – Jefferson Curl (J-Curl)1:17:33 – Programming flexibility1:24:03 – Daily passive stretching/limbering session1:31:41 – Minimalist approach to the Side Spits in (6-minutes per day) 1:36:43 – Elevating hips and scaling flexibility exercises1:42:54 – How to fit flexibility in around other training1:47:36 – Time of day to stretch 1:50:08 – Does tightness make us stronger?1:53:27 – Calf stretching1:57:17 – Building strength in end ranges1:58:20 – Mercedes nutrition book: Peak Nutrition2:03:08 – Mercedes “food rules” (eat slow and eat until 80% full, and hydration)2:05:51 – How to connect with Mercedes2:07:16 – Gratitude

26 Huhti 20212h 9min