Episode 9: Dave Wahl — Digging Through the Mind of a Coaching Savant

Besides a dog with a head like a bowling ball slobbering all over you, the first thing you notice when you walk into Dave Wahl's house is the copious amount of training and sports science books scattered about his kitchen and living room. Beyond being one of the preeminent climbing coaches and trainers working in the States today, Dave is a student of athletic movement and efficiency. Dave's been refining his coaching/training process since his early days working with Rob Pizem, before Piz was "Piz." He's lent his vast knowledge to climbing luminaries such as Daniel Woods, Chelsea Rude, Piz, Madeleine Sorkin, Mercedes Pollmeier, and a thousand other rock fondlers flashing your projects. Dave invited us into his Denver home to chat about his coaching philosophy, why a strong core may not be your limiting factor, how to mitigate persistent injuries like tendonitis and tendinosis, and why he thinks Chris Sharma is the finest raw talent to ever rope up...but Adam Ondra is the best climber in the world. Grab a Snickers bar (don't do that), do a thousand crunches (totally unnecessary), cycle through a couple laps on the campus board without warming up (strongly advise against), and let Dave take you on a journey to training enlightenment! Have a question, suggestion, pitch, or criticism? Drop us a line at [email protected]. We respond to every note we receive. Thanks to Ryne Doughty, as always, for the harmonious jams! Thanks for listening, gang. We'll be back in two weeks to assault and harass your ear holes!