Episodes

Is B-Pumo Ogikubo the best climbing gym is the world? Japan has created some of the strongest climbers in the world, especially in the competition scene, and Tim wanted to know how they did it. So Tim made the pilgrimage to Japan to see what all the chatter was about. He goes into the setting, the holds, the style, and the yakitori. PS -- Here's the tripod Tim mentions in his Pro-Tip: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WHLXN6N?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_N00JV2ETQ1EQWCQ68T1R

You know him, you hate him, Tristan Chen — the ‘Villain’ of climbing! We’re half-joking, Tristan is only the ‘Villain’ because it makes the climbing world more fun and he has opinions that he’s not afraid to share. And make no mistake, these opinions are not just to cause problems — they are well thought through and interesting. The truth is, most high level climbers are already having these conversations about grades and abilities behind closed doors, but Tristan is willing to shine light on wh...

Sometimes climbing can be intense. Maybe it’s in competition, maybe it’s being way off the deck and in serious danger, or maybe you just know it’s the last try you have because of skin, conditions, or the end of a trip coming. Tim and Josh share how to handle these situations, and even better, how to prepare yourself for these moments through training. Don’t just hope that you will rise to the moment, use their practical tips and tricks to make sure that you are ready when these times come.

Carlo Traversi ( @carlodenali ) is a professional climber that has mastered every discipline in climbing. 5.14+ trad, 5.15 sport, V16 boulders, USA Nation Team for over a DECADE! Carlo has done it all. On top of this, he founded one of the top gyms in the nation — The Boulder Field . Tune in and learn how Carlo achieved all of this and how you can too. Don’t miss this one. Tim and Josh think it’s one of the best yet!

Tim and Josh dig into the topic of injuries. How to avoid them, how to work around them, how to train around them, and the mindset you need to get through them and come back stronger. They both have had their fair share and learned a lot from them. They are often make or break moments in your career, so tune in to hear from our mistakes and the our new best practices. Pro-Tip: Don’t get injured.

Jared Roth joined Tim and Josh for an epic pod! There was soooo much ground to cover because Jared has done it all in the climbing world. Be sure not to miss his stories about the early days in Bishop and his FA of the iconic Rastaman Vibration (stand start of Lucid Dreaming). But Jared is more than just an OG crusher with some of the best FA’s in America — he also now owns the legendary climbing hold company Pusher. Jared gives us the real behind scenes on making holds, shaping holds, and all t...

Tim and Josh share their takeaways from the last interview with Connor Herson and an interview Tim did for another podcast. Then they discuss some of the drama around hold choice in the latest World Cup. The pod ends with a listener question that focused on community in climbing. How it comes to be, how to build it, how to join one, and the cool communities that Tim and Josh have been a part of over the years.

Tim and Josh joke that Connor's background of traditional climbing actually makes him Non-Traditional. But this gives him a unique POV compared to others and it makes it all the more fun to hear his take on competitions, bouldering, plastic, trad, etc. Don’t miss this pod, and definitely don’t miss Connor’s recent film released by La Sportiva — “Traditional at Heart” .

Tim and Josh actually do love crimps. Or at least they like them… In this episode they go into each of the different crimp types (open, half, full) and the pro’s and con’s of each one. Then they talk about how and why to utilize each type depending on the hold and movement required.

Tim and Josh express their love of slopers and deconstruct the techniques around how to best use them. Slopers can stump a lot of newer, intermediate, and even advanced climbers, but they are the key to unlocking next level climbing technique.

Tim and Josh go into the application of Balance and Mechanics: Effort. Tim shows us how Effort is something that is trainable all by itself. Effort is that “jen ne se quois” that MUST be understood and developed in order to become a great climber.

Tim and Josh go into the next thing Tim addresses with his clients: Climbing Mechanics. They show the process behind how you can deconstruct hard “stopper” moves to make them as easy as possible. This is fundamental for leveling up your climbing.

Balance on the wall is one of the first things Tim goes over with all of his coaching clients. In this episode Tim and Josh go over what balance means in climbing, how to find better positions when you feel ‘off balance’, and how to execute the next move once that position is obtained.

Tim and Josh go deep on how to sport climb at a high level. They address breathing on the wall, understanding resting, dealing with fear, how to do hard bouldery moves while tied in, and lots more.

Are grades subjective? What exactly do grades represent, and what don’t they represent? How do climbs get their grades anyways? What is the hardest move ever done and how are hard moves related to the actual grade of the climb? Tim and Josh go deep on grades because, let’s face it, grades matter and climbing needs them.

Josh brings Coach Andy ( @coachandytollefson on Instagram) back on to talk about figuring out your optimal bodyweight for climbing and how weightlifting may or may not fit into obtaining that weight. Then they go on to discuss some cutting edge technologies that could be used to help you train more and recover faster including BPC-157, Red Light Therapy, and using a “Cool Mitt”. WARNING: This pod goes into some subjects that can be sensitive for some listeners because they include discussions ar...

Tim and his S&C Coach, Andy, discuss the pursuit of mastery in climbing. What that means and what that looks like day to day. You can find Andy on Instagram @coachandytollefson .

Tim’s Strength and Conditioning Coach, Andy Tollefson, joins Tim and Josh. Andy is a climber and coach based out of SLC who is a certified Strength and Condition Specialist and graduated with a BS in Exercise Science. They talked about everything from injury prevention in climbing, what Tim / Josh got wrong in the “Pumping Iron” episode, and some of the cutting edge supplements that Andy thinks may become a mainstay for elite climbers. This episode is packed with tips that you can instantly appl...

Tim and Josh discuss weightlifting and climbing. What is weightlifting vs calisthenics vs prehab? Is it necessary? Who might benefit? Who might not? Josh’s recommendation: Hangboarding + ‘Perfect’ Pull-ups + Pistols or Jumping is all 95% of people need. Frequency and quality over quantity. Do these often, and do them right. Sets and reps aren’t as important as intention and quality. Tim’s recommendation: Muscle-Ups + Toes-to-Bar + Hangboarding. Heavy weightlifting can teach you how to dial up l...

Tim and Josh talk about how they use supplements before, during, and after climbing to improve performance and recovery.

Tim and Josh get into the minutiae of footwork and shoe choice.

Tim and Josh reflect on what stood out as the biggest themes in the 2022 climbing year and then they make predictions for what they think will be the biggest themes in 2023.

Tim did it! He sent his longtime project — a link up of 5 highball testpieces in Bishop. All in 1 day. Footprints (V9), Ambrosia (V11), Too Big To Flail (V10), This Side of Paradise (V10), and Evilution Direct (V11). Epic. In this pod we go behind the scenes and learn about the reality of what it took to put this together. Tim doesn’t hold anything back and talks about what it was like to risk his life for this linkup. Thanks to Black Diamond for supporting Tim on this goal. Keep an eye out for ...

Tim and Josh tackle a few listener questions with the main focus being on "What is ‘Comp Style’?"