EP 127: Jesse Firestone — Bouldering Tactics, Quantum Leaps, and Non-Physical Factors That Affect Our Performance

Jesse Firestone is an elite boulderer, a climbing coach, and a climbing philosopher. He’s also a good friend of mine from Oregon. We talked about quantum leaps in our progression as climbers, Jesse’s top 3 tips for climbers at different stages, non-physical factors that affect our performance, tips for flashing hard boulders, training changes after age 30, and much more.

*If you liked my episodes with Emil Abrahamsson and Martin Keller, don’t skip this one!

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Show Notes:

thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/jesse-firestone

Nuggets:

0:06:17 – Breakfast, considerations when building a home wall, and how to make climbing holds out of plywood

0:12:24 – Skin conditioning, and dishwashing gloves

0:15:19 – Applying too much stuff to our skin

0:16:56 – Climbing volume, and trying to add more things to make our injuries better

0:18:39 – Being obsessive

0:21:15 – Jesse’s first rest day

0:23:31 – Jesse’s early mentors in climbing, and taking opportunities when they come

0:25:28 – Identifying as a boulderer early on, and wishing he had rested more

0:27:53 – The Portland phase, and how to get pure raw strength in the climbing gym

0:31:27 – Dropping out of college to hit the road for 7 months, and why Jesse’s climbing ability skyrocketed

0:33:08 – The Bend phase

0:35:41 – How Jesse got into coaching

0:38:02 – Emotional regulation, mindset, and common mistakes

0:41:01 – An introduction to Jesse’s Performance Pyramid

0:43:30 – The tiers of the Performance Pyramid

0:47:52 – Jesse’s consistency, and which elements of the pyramid climbers are most resistant to

0:50:11 – Changing our circumstances, and thinking of our lifestyles as an investment

0:52:25 – Quantum leaps

0:54:07 – Spray walls, and the distractions of the climbing gym

0:56:24 – Jesse’s spray wall soapbox

0:58:01 – Emotional regulation strategies (breathing and mantras)

1:03:20 – Emotional regulation strategies (easy climbing with no agenda, and learning to climb alone)

1:04:57 – Beta selection, and the language we speak on the wall

1:07:39 – Pivoting of the torso

1:11:09 – Tough Strips

1:13:31 – MacGyvering solutions, and thinking outside the box

1:17:30 – Beating your head against bad beta, and the importance of finishing climbs

1:21:13 – “We’re all going to hit a point where we’re not climbing harder anymore.”

1:25:53 – 3 tips for beginners

1:32:54 – 3 tips for outdoor-focused climbers

1:37:02 – Summary of 3 tips lists

1:37:43 – Practicing technique on rock

1:38:35 – Flashing boulders, flash ethics, and tips that helped Jesse flash his first V10

1:49:43 – Two hard highball first ascents that Jesse climbed in 2021 (see show notes for videos)

2:00:58 – Why Jesse named one of his highballs Imposter Syndrome

2:03:24 – Being proud of the two highball FAs, and Jesse’s thoughts on repeating established highballs

2:04:36 – Exploring the feeling of being afraid, and exposure therapy

2:05:44 – Patron question from Xander: Have you had to make changes to your training after turning 30?

2:09:54 – Thinking in campaigns/seasons

2:13:31 – Fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD)

2:14:37 – Doing more training after 30

2:15:57 – Patron question from Joe: At what level of strength do we experience diminishing returns, and is it worth training the hinge if you can maintain that level without training it directly? (Ex. double bodyweight deadlift)

2:18:25 – Patron question from Joe: What is one piece of advice Jesse wishes he had taken earlier? (mastery, and being a barbarian)

2:20:44 – Patron question from Christopher: How do you handle it mentally if you start regressing on a project? (setting early goals for a session)

2:22:33 – Going into projects with inertia, and knowing when to walk away

2:25:03 – Why Jesse is moving to Leavenworth

2:26:37 – Using a yoga block to train for narrow compression moves on a V12

2:29:47 – Jesse’s thoughts on what it would take for him to climb V14

2:35:47 – Why Jesse and I are thankful for one another, and finding a climbing partner who will cut through your bullshit