Episodes

140
Feb. 10, 2025

#140 Austin Hoyt — Breaking Beta On Lucid Dreaming, FA’ing NE’s First V15, “NE Is The New SE”, and Why Everyone From There Has Strong Fingers

Austin Hoyt is one of the young guns out of the North East crew that has been absolutely crushing lately. Austin recently FA’d the North East’s first V15, Big Bad Wolf, as well as sent Lucid Dreaming [V15+] using a new ‘double-clutch’ beta for the iconic crux move. Austin shares a ton about what makes the North East special and why it’s been producing some of the strongest climbers, such as his close friends Noah Wheeler, Benn Wheeler, and Adam Shahar who have also recently been on the podcast...
139
Feb. 3, 2025

#139 Ross Fulkerson — 70ft Whips, Filming “Between The Tides”, Expectations Of A Pro-Climber, and How To Deliver Peak Performance When Everything Is Against You

This episode is brought to you by Mad Rock! Mad Rock is run by REAL climbers, and that’s why they supported Ross Fulkerson and Testpiece to go on an awesome trip to Mallorca where they filmed “Between The Tides ft. Ross Fulkerson”. Between the Tides is a deep-water-soloing film that follows Mad Rock athlete Ross Fulkerson as he climbs above the Mediterranean on some of Mallorca's newest lines. With short weather windows, Ross uses lessons learned from the world of comp-climbing to make the most...
138
Jan. 31, 2025

#138 BONUS [Kai Whaley] — Secret Projects, His Favorite Place To Climb, Rocklands/Switzerland Ticklist, and Being a Good Climber

This is the behind the scenes discussion right after Episode #137 was finished. Kai Whaley shares a bit more about some of the projects left in Red Rocks, his favorite place to climb in the world, his ticklist for some upcoming trips, and the differences between being a ‘good ‘climber and a ‘strong’ climber. We hope you enjoy this peek into what happens right after episodes are “finished”! Don’t miss Episode #137 for context! SHOW NOTES: Kai Whaley’s Instagram Kai Whaley’s YouTube Kai Whaley...
137
Jan. 27, 2025

#137 Kai Whaley — Youngest To Climb V10/12/16 And 17 Soon?!, NOT Being A Comp Kid, Live Streaming Highballs And V16s, and BOARDS

“What up gangstas and shorties, it’s your boy, Kai." Kai Whaley is best known for his amazing YouTube Channel where he has been vlogging his sessions on Return Of The Sleepwalker (V17) and Shaolin (V17). He is close on both of them, especially ROTSW, and it wouldn’t be surprising if by the time you read this he’s sent! Kai is currently 18 and is unofficially the youngest person to ever climb V10, V12, and V16. And if he climbs one of those V17’s in the next few years, he’ll also take the title...
136
Jan. 20, 2025

#136 Tim, My Dude — Bouldering Has Leveled Up, The Next Gen Is Better, 15d Is Harder Than V17, and The Best Highball In The World

Tim Kang (my dude) is back on Testpiece to discuss the incredible sending spree the youth have gone on these past few months. V17 is just the norm now, and V15's are just for fun and flash attempts. Tim and Josh also discuss what the future may hold in terms of grading, whether 15d is harder or easier than V17, and Tim shares what he things is the best highball in the world as well as what his next highball project may be. Episodes with Tim are always fun and full of hot takes. Enjoy! SHOW NO...
135
Jan. 17, 2025

#135 BONUS [Zach Galla] — 9A Surprises, The Project He’s Currently Locked In On, Simulator Training, and Who’s Going To Be Next On The Process

This is the behind the scenes discussion right after Episode #134 was finished. Zach Galla shares a bit more about some 9A’s / V17’s he’s tried, the project he’s currently most psyched on it, how he used simulators to train for The Process (V16), and who he thinks will get the third ascent of it. We hope you enjoy this peak into what happens right after episodes are “finished”! Don’t miss Episode #134 for context! SHOW NOTES: Zach Galla’s Instagram The Process, V16, SA by Galla on Mellow Pre...
134
Jan. 13, 2025

#134 Zach Galla — The Process [V16] SA, Transitioning From Comps To The Hardest Highballs Around The World, Sosa V16 FA, and New Core Climbing Companies

Zach Galla is back after an insanely amazing year. Catch Zach's first Testpiece Episode, #77, here. Since we last chatted he’s been traveling the world with the goal of climbing the best hard boulders in the world. And boy did he achieve that goal… Get the blow by blow breakdown of Zach’s second ascent of the iconic “The Process”, V16, one of the proudest and most beautiful V16’s in the world that sat for 10 years waiting for Zach after Daniel Woods FA’d it. This could have been a podcast in it...
133
Jan. 6, 2025

#133 Island Boys — The Boys Go To Mallorca, Coaches Coaching Each Other, Using Fear To Your Advantage, and “Pessimists Sound Smart; Optimists Get Rich”

A couple of Island Boys just trying to make it to the top! We’ve got Ross Fulkerson, Marco Giacomangeli, and Bryce Belshin with your normal host, Josh Horsley. These boys recently got back from a trip to Mallorca that involved tons of amazing deep water soloing and some world class sport climbing as well. Each of these athletes are active coaches or professional climbers. Hear from them about what they learned on the trip and how coaches coach each other. They also talk about how to use fear t...
132
Jan. 3, 2025

#132 BONUS [Nathaniel Coleman] — V17 Grading Thoughts, Reflections On Naming, and What He Remembers Most From Projecting

This is the behind the scenes discussion right after Episode #131 was finished. Nathaniel Coleman shares a bit more about his thoughts on V17 grades, training while he projected “No One Mourns The Wicked”, and what the name truly means. We hope you enjoy this peak into what happens right after episodes are “finished”! Don’t miss Episode #131 for context, and make sure you watch the “No One Mourns The Wicked, V17” video on Mellow! SHOW NOTES: Nathaniel Coleman’s Instagram No One Mourns The Wi...
131
Jan. 1, 2025

#131 Nathaniel Coleman — V17 FA “No One Mourns The Wicked” [Defying Gravity Sit], The Newest And Best V17 In The World, and Breaking The Rules to Go from Good to Great

Special podcast!! Nathaniel Coleman just did a V17 FA, “No One Mourns The Wicked”! This is the first ascent of the highly sought after low start to the iconic V15 testpiece, Defying Gravity. Nathaniel reached out to Testpiece and asked if we could do a podcast to give a behind the scenes story to accompany the video that dropped on Mellow TODAY. Watch the video and listen to the podcast so you get the visuals and the detailed blow by blow! If you don’t know who Nathaniel Coleman is (really?!!?...
130
Dec. 23, 2024

#130 Good To Great — What The Best Of The Best Focus On, Execution, Resilience, Intrinsic Motivation, Stretching Your Limits, and Trying HARD

This episode is a roundup of 5 climbs from Testpiece guests, some of the BEST climbers in the world, sharing what it takes to go from Good to Great. Josh also shares what’s in his personal note titled “What I’ve Learned From Talking To The Best Climbers In The World”. Support the show Support us on Patreon: HERE Visit our podcast page: HERE Sign-up with one of our coaches: HERE Follow us on Instagram: HERE
129
Dec. 16, 2024

#129 Austin Geiman — Defying Gravity V15, 11 Years and 100+ Sessions, The History The Sit And The Next Generation, “Best Boulder Ever Best Experience Ever”, and The Power Of Perseverance

Austin Geiman recently made waves when he sent the iconic testpiece, Defying Gravity, V15, after 11 years and 100+ sessions. Austin started trying this boulder while it was still a project and he was there when Daniel Woods and Jimmy Webb snagged the FA in 2013 in the film Huntsmen. He continued trying it through the years and then he also was there when the younger generation claimed the long awaited repeats. He finally added his name to the list and has even been supporting the next gen on the...
128
Dec. 9, 2024

#128 Anne-Worley Moelter — CEO of Movement, Running The Largest Network of Gyms In The US, Climbing’s Unique Community, The Evolution Of Climbing Gyms and Where They're Headed

Anne-Worley Moelter is one of the most important people in climbing today because she is the CEO of Movement Climbing, the largest network of climbing gyms in the US with a portfolio of 30 gyms and another 3 coming soon. These gyms set the tone and craft the climbing experience for millions of climbers. Anne-Worley is a lifer who has done SO MUCH for our sport. She started her journey in the industry over 20 years ago working as an assistant manager at a gym. She went on to hold many different ...
127
Dec. 2, 2024

#127 Tim, My Dude — V17 Is The New V16, $100 Bet That ‘Shaolin’…, Professional To Weekend Warrior, Embracing Weird Beta, and Josh Reflects On Mallorca

Timothy Kang, aka “Tim, My Dude” is back on the pod to talk about the latest climbing news, an update in his life going from a pro-climber to a weekend warrior, and hear about Josh’s recent trip to Mallorca. If you are new to the podcast you may not recognize why he is “Tim, My Dude” and that is because of the many many podcasts Josh and Tim recorded previously and how each podcast started. If you like Josh and Tim’s vibe on this one, be sure to visit the previous dozens of episodes where Josh ...
126
Nov. 25, 2024

#126 Natalia Grossman — 4x WC Season Winner [in a row!], Mindset As An Underdog vs Topdog, Climbing Your Best While Injured, and Knowing She’s ‘Ready’ For a Comp

Natalia Grossman is one of the top female competitors of all time. She has won an astounding 11 World Cups and 4 World Cup seasons in a row! She also competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics for Team USA. Even though Natalia won the WC season in 2024, it was a tough year for her. She suffered a serious injury during the semi finals in the first World Cup competition of the year. Somehow she pushed through it to win the competition, but afterwards it was clear that the injury was a major one. The wor...
125
Nov. 18, 2024

#125 Melina Costanza — Double Double Gold Gold Pod Pod (Follow-Up Episode), ‘Pressure Is A Privilege’, What Execution Really Feels Like, V13 2nd Go, and The Power of Journaling

This is a follow-up episode to the last Melina Costanza podcast, #119. That episode was one of the fan favorites, josh favorites, and even favorites of other professional climbers. Go listen to that one first, because it was amazing and will set the stage for this follow-up episode. It’s only been a month since Melina last came on, but in that month she won US Nationals, both in Lead and Bouldering, and did so for the second year in a row. Yes, in 2023 she won Lead and Bouldering and in 2024 sh...
124
Nov. 11, 2024

#124 Ross Fulkerson — Efficient Movement Over Everything, Performing Well In Different Disciplines, Practical Breathing Tips, and Testing New Climbing Shoes

This episode is brought to you by Mad Rock! Mad Rock is run by REAL climbers, and that’s why they supported Ross Fulkerson and Testpiece to go on an awesome trip to Mallorca where they recorded this podcast. Ross is back on the pod after a multi year hiatus. Ross was actually the very first guest back on episode #3 and #4! Since then Ross has won tons of comps, competed in tons of world cups, climbed hard boulders, hard sport, even hard trad! In the last few months Ross has been on tear doing ...
123
Nov. 4, 2024

#123 Adam Shahar — The Best Training For Climbing, 1-Arm Pogo’s, IFSC Athlete of the Week, Ego Snacks, and Letting Go of Negative Thoughts

Adam Shahar is the name that keeps coming up when I ask who is an up and coming star. At 18 he had a breakout year where he won bouldering nationals, climbed V15 in a few sessions while he was on the road doing WC’s, and then became IFSC’s Athlete of the Week when he narrowly missed finals with a 7th place finish at the Prague WC. He also had perhaps the most incredible board climbing session of all time where he did 5 V13’s on the Tension TB2, flashing 1 of them and doing 2 of them second try… ...
122
Oct. 28, 2024

#122 Hamish McArthur — His Surprising Path To Olympic Success, The Right Kind of Motivation, BTS at Paris 2024, Advice To Young Hamish, and Handling Danger and Death

If you watched the Paris Olympics then you remember Hamish McArthur’s stand out performance to secure an incredible 5th place finish. Hamish had already stood atop World Cup podiums and won Youth Worlds, but his Olympic showing was a clear level up. In this episode Hamish shares what changed for him in the year leading up to the Olympics and how it ultimately led him to having one of the best competitions in his life. Don’t miss this incredibly inspiring and thought provoking chat with the in...
121
Oct. 21, 2024

#121 Matt Fultz — BIG MOVES small crimps, Long Term Projecting, Video Analysis, Hardest Board Climbs, Throwing Away His Scale, and How He Coaches on OTG

You’ve heard of Matt Fultz, but you may not realize just how amazing Matt is. He’s climbed eight V16’s. 8. Eight! By the way, two of them are rarely repeated and recognized as some of the hardest in the world (Hypnotized Minds and Big Z). He’s FA’d 7 climbs V15 and up, including 2 V15’s in one day!! We’re pretty sure that’s a world’s first, but who’s counting… Matt has also been coaching for well over a decade and founded Off The Ground coaching (“OTG”), which is one of the most highly respect...
120
Oct. 14, 2024

#120 Alvaro Rangel — Coaching Team USA at the Olympics, Not Saying ‘Strong’, The Most Important Skill, Making Finals vs Semi’s, Case Studies, and The Future of Comp Climbing

Alvaro Rangel, Al, is back on the podcast after 2+ years! Al was one of the first guests and one of the best. The last podcast we did was incredible, but somehow Al managed to top it with today’s episode. He is the founder and head coach of Team Class 5 in San Diego, CA. Al is also part of the Team USA coaching staff and supports the team at World Cups as well as at the recent Paris Olympics. Al’s insight into what makes climbers the best in the world is rare. He shares his thoughts on what ma...
119
Oct. 7, 2024

#119 Melina Costanza — Elite Mental Training and Performance, Look Good Feel Good Play Good, Getting Hooked on The Outdoors, and The Nuances of Eating As a Top Athlete

Melina Costanza is an 8x US National Champion. Sometimes as a youth, sometimes as a collegiate, sometimes in Open, sometimes in bouldering, sometimes in lead, sometimes both. Yes, last year at Open Nationals (2023) she won both Bouldering and Lead. She is set to compete in the 2024 Open Nationals coming up in a week, so after you listen to this podcast make sure to mark your calendars for October 14th and 15th and cheer her on! In this podcast, Melina shares her extremely deep dive into mental ...
118
Sept. 30, 2024

#118 Ward Byrum — Setting Climbs For Tens of Thousands of Climbers, What Makes A Climb Good, Indoor vs Outdoor Grades, and What A ‘Testpiece’ is at Movement Gyms

Ward Byrum is the Director of Routesetting for all Movement gyms in the East Region. Yes, that Movement. The biggest climbing gym chain in America and probably the world. That means that Ward and his team decide what the climbing will be like for thousands of climbers. Scratch that, ten’s of thousands of climbers. It might even be hundreds of thousands of climbers or even millions! But hey, who’s counting? The climbs his team puts up will likely be their first experience of climbing and quite po...
117
Sept. 23, 2024

#117 Tom Randall — How Fit Climbers Get Strong and Strong Climbers Get Fit, Why Recovery On Route Is So Important, What Separates the Good from the Great, Founding Lattice Training and How It’s Evolved

Tom Randall is an iconic climber and founder. You might know him as one of the Wide Boyz, as one of the founders of Lattice Training, as a high level coach, or for his 5.14 Trad FA’s or even his FA of the worlds hardest crack boulder, aptly named “The Kraken” [V13]. Ya, Tom’s done it all, and has helped the best in the world do it even better. In this chat, Tom gives a masterclass on what actually gets climbers better. He also shares how to best use data from metrics, how the testing for metric...