Eric Hörst's Training For Climbing Podcast
by Eric J. Hörst
Training and performance podcasts by Eric Hörst, the internationally renowned author, researcher, climbing coach, and climber of 40 years. Monthly podcasts detail the latest training techniques to improve strength, power, endurance, as well as mental and technical skills. With his unique combination of veteran experience and knowledge of the cutting-edge research, Eric presents practical, effective guidelines to climb harder, reduce injury risk, and maximize the experience of moving over stone.Eric is one of the world's most knowledge climbing coaches and his eight books (and many foreign translations) have sold more than 300,000 copies worldwide. His latest book release is the 3rd edition of Training For Climbing. Learn more at: http://www.trainingforclimbing.com
Episodes
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#134: 22 Ways to Improve Climbing Endurance and Get Less Pumped
Think you need more endurance because your forearms get pumped? Maybe—but that may be only part of the problem. In this episode, Eric Hörst breaks down 22 practical ways to become a better endurance climber, spanning physiology, technique, tactics, mental control, and smarter training. You'll…
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#133 - CRUSHERS: Kevin Dahlstrom on His Life Reboot, Injury, TRT, and Climbing Hard Over Age 40
What if some of your best climbing is still ahead of you—even after age 40? My latest T4C Podcast guest, Kevin Dahlstrom, didn't climb his first 5.13 until age 50. Five years later, he was having the strongest season of his life and chasing 5.13c—until a freak accident in Mexico caused a...
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#132 - Climb Harder Through Self-Mastery: 9 Lessons for Better Training & Performance
What if the biggest thing holding back your climbing isn't finger strength, power endurance, body weight, age—or finding the perfect training program? What if the real limiter is much simpler: you're not consistently doing the things you already know you should be doing? In this new episode of…
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#131: Endurance Masterclass: Training and Tactics to Beat the Pump!
Want to climb longer, recover faster, and finally stop getting pumped off your project? Then this episode is for you. In this special coaching session with Ryan Devlin, I deliver a deep-dive masterclass on rock climbing endurance training, sport climbing performance, and the science of building...
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#130 - PRO TIPS: Cameron Horst's Training Secrets Behind a 5.15a Send
Cameron Hörst recently completed the hardest route of his climbing career: Big Bone (5.15a/9a+), a king line out Utah's massive Fynn Cave. What makes his first ascent especially compelling isn't just the grade—it's the journey. Big Bone was a project that demanded years of training, 60+ working...
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#129 - WEEKEND CRUSHER: From Florida to 5.13d - The Jessica Jenkins Story
In this inspiring new "Weekend Crushers" feature, I sit down with Florida-based climber Jessica Jenkins to unpack her incredible journey from a teenager climbing plastic in Orlando to recently sending her hardest route ever: the iconic Red River Gorge testpiece Swingline (5.13d). Her story is far...
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#128 - CRUSHERS: 5.14c at Age 45 - The Aaron Shamy Comeback Story
In this inaugural Weekend Crushers episode of the T4C podcast, Eric Hörst sits down with Aaron Shamy—an inspiring example of what's possible when passion, persistence, and smart training intersect with real life. Aaron's journey spans elite youth climbing in the 1990s, a 15+ year hiatus, and a...
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#127 - Turning Gym Gains to Real Rock Performance: Bridging the Gap
After a winter of disciplined training, stronger fingers, improved fitness, and high motivation, most climbers head outdoors expecting breakthrough performances. But the reality often hits hard—routes feel awkward, sequencing is unclear, your mind spirals with fear, and the pump sets in faster…
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#126 - 15 Quick (Powerful) Tips to Climb Your Best This Season!
Spring climbing season is here—and it's time to translate all those winter training gains into real performance on the rock. In this episode, Eric Hörst shares 15 practical mindset and strategy tips to help you climb your best this season. While physical strength matters, experienced climbers…
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#125 - EXPERT: The Great Nutrition Reset - Unlocking the New Real Food Pyramid
In this episode, Eric Hörst and nutrition science graduate student Jonathan Hörst discuss the newly updated U.S. dietary guidance and the concept of a "flipped" or re-prioritized food pyramid that emphasizes nutrient density, whole foods, and protein—rather than carbohydrate-heavy intake patterns...
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#124 - 15 Concepts That Changed My Life
If there's one podcast you listen to this week, I hope it's this one! I'm genuinely proud of this episode, as it distills some of the most powerful concepts I've learned, refined, and applied over the past 30 years. I believe you'll find it thought-provoking and impactful—and for some listeners…
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#123 - Effective Training - Part 2 - Applying a Systems Approach to Program Design
In this second installment of a two-part series, Coach Eric Hörst takes the high-level systems philosophy introduced in Episode #122 and brings it down to earth with practical, actionable guidance. This episode walks listeners through the nine elements of an intelligent training system and...
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#122 - Train More Effectively: The Systems Approach That Will Transform Your Climbing
This episode is the first in a two-part deep dive into designing a comprehensive, long-term systems approach to training. Coach Eric Hörst unpacks—in rich detail—how systems actually function, and he highlights how transformative climbers throughout history "shake up the box" with innovative,...
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#121 - Connective Tissue Training for Strength, Resilience, and Performance
Modern athletes know that strength and endurance alone aren't enough. The ability to generate power efficiently, resist injury, and recover quickly depends just as much on the health of connective tissues—tendons, ligaments, and the extracellular matrix (ECM)—as on muscle strength itself. Yet,...
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#120 - Conquer the Pump! Training and Tactics to Climb Your Best at the Red River Gorge (and elsewhere)
If you're a connoisseur of steep routes, this episode is for you! We've assembled a "Red River Pump" roundtable that reveals the training methods, tactics, and insider strategies for climbing your best on the overhanging walls of the Red — or any steep sport crag you love. Kris Hampton, Ryan...
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#119 - 5 Powerful Lessons from Emily Harrington's "Girl Climber" Movie
Learn five powerful lessons for achieving big, difficult goals that I took away from watching Girl Climber -- the new film that chronicles Emily Harrington's incredible, multi-year journey to free-climb El Capitan's Golden Gate route in under 24 hours. For me, this isn't just a film about...
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#118 - Wes Schweitzer - Training to Boulder V10 (Pro Football Player Turned Climber!)
After nine years as an NFL offensive lineman for the Falcons, Commanders, and Jets, Wes Schweitzer has traded 330-pound trench battles for crimps, slopers, and steep boulders! In this inspiring conversation, Wes shares how climbing started as elbow rehab modality, turned into a passion, and even...
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#117: Manage Fear Like A Pro - 18 Tips for Winning the Climbing Head Games!
Nothing is more elemental to climbing than fear. The fear of falling, getting hurt, failing, looking foolish, or simply facing the unknown can feel torturous—and even paralyzing. To climb efficiently and confidently—and to pursue your peak performance—you must learn to assess and manage fear...
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#116: Climb Better TODAY! 15 In-Season Tips to Level Up Now!
Coach Hörst shares 15 game-changing tips to elevate your climbing this season. Performance gains aren't made solely in the gym. As Coach Hörst explains, there's a lot you can do in-season—technically, tactically, and nutritionally—to level up your outdoor climbing. Apply just a few of these...
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#115: Training Strategy for the Next Grade -- A collab with Ryan Devlin of the Struggle Podcast
What does it take to break through to the next climbing grade? With each new milestone, the challenge grows harder—but potentially more rewarding. In this special collaboration with The Struggle Podcast, I coach Ryan Devlin as he works to push past his current limit of 5.13a and lay the…
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#114: Common Training Mistakes That May Be Limiting Your Climbing
The podcast is a classic Eric Hörst tour de force of climbing wisdom! No matter your ability level, training background, or goals, listening to this episode will challenge your current approach and inspire you to reinvent your training for better results. In this hour-long lecture, Coach Hörst...
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#113: A Powerful (and Overlooked) Route Climbing Strategy for Leveling Up!
In this episode, I reveal a powerful — and often overlooked — strategy for developing the mental, technical, and tactical skills needed to level up your climbing. If you're an intermediate climber passionate about improving — or an advanced climber who's hit a plateau — then this is a must-listen...
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#112: EXPERT: Tips for Optimizing Climbing Training with Dr. Thomas Cunningham
Welcome to the first episode in a special series of performance-focused conversations with my friend, Dr. Thomas Cunningham. In this fast-paced discussion, we dive into a wide range of topics, including tips for optimizing climbing training, injury prevention, key dietary interventions…
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#111: Training & Life Upgrades to Send 2025!
Dear Listener, How about -- together -- we all try to SEND 2025? In other words, let's try to upgrade our thoughts and actions in all we do to make 2025 our best year yet! Towards this end, in this episode I will serve up tips for improving your training, elevating your climbing, and advancing in...
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#110: Join My "SEND 2025" Challenge! (deadline to join January 3, 2025)
In this brief episode, I invite you to join my "Send 2025" New Year's Challenge! JOIN the SEND 2025 CHALLENGE by filling out this brief Google Form >> I designed this free 6-week challenge to help motivate and inspire a fresh, focused, and optimistic start to the new year...and hopefully help you...
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#109: Alex Megos Interviews Eric Hörst (What?!)
The title of this podcast may have you thinking "WTF?" Well, this is a special episode of the T4C podcast...and I think you're going to really enjoy it! THE Alex Megos has recently launched his own podcast, and during his recent visit to the States he asked me to sit down for a conversation about...
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#108: BEST OF: 13 Send Tips That Can Make All The Difference In The World!
In this episode, coach Hörst shares 13 little things that can make a BIG difference when it comes to sending your near limit—or, perhaps, beyond limit!—project boulder or route. Quite often it's the tiniest of things that can make or break your ascent. Eric covers a lot of territories including…
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#107: Last-Minute Secrets to Climbing Your Best (and Preventing the Punt!)
One of the ironies of climbing performance outcomes is that as hard as you've physically trained in preparation, the outcome often hinges on the quality of your mental game. The power point, here, is that when it comes down to the final days and hours leading up to an important climb, the keys to...
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#106: Biohacks and Blood Work to Support Climbing Performance
This 20-minute flash episode will delve briefly into two topics: 1. Popular training biohacks, including sauna use, cold plunge, and intermittent fasting. 2. The value of getting an occasional blood work-up to monitor how your health and performance-related biometrics change as a result of diet,...
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#105: Stretching Strategies and Injury Trends
This 15-minute flash episode will delve briefly into two topics: 1, Stretching for climbers -- learn what to do and when. 2. Recent injury trends...and the number #1 thing you can do to lower your injury risk. This episode features an interview I did earlier this year with Kush Khandelwal of The...
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#104: Tips for Raising Happy, Healthy Climbing Kids
In this Flash episode, I'm going to talk briefly about raising happy, healthy kids with a passion for climbing! There's no "right" way to raise kid climbers...but I'm going to share the approach that my wife and I used to develop well-rounded kids who, today as young adults (ages 22 and 24), love...
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#103: Online vs. In-Person Coaching & How Training Has Changed in the Last 40 Years
This month, I'm serving up multiple "Flash Episodes" of the T4C podcast -- released weekly -- that you can consume in less than 20 minutes. The topics covered in this first episode...include the pros/cons of online coaching...and a generalized look at how training (and nutrition) for climbers has...
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#102: The Road to 5.13a - Part 4: Closing the Deal!
What does it take to climb your first 5.13a? In this episode, you'll hear my recommendations for Ryan Devlin as he closes in on completing his first 5.13a, a Red River Gorge classic named "The Force". This is a follow-up to episodes #86, #91, and #94, in which I coach Ryan through the long…
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#101: EXPERT: Optimizing Training, Health, and Performance with Functional Medicine
Many enthusiastic climbers work hard to level up their performance year over year, and some of us invest great time, effort, and resources into pursuing our climbing goals. One powerful tool for gaining a performance edge is the use of a functional medicine approach to blood testing…which is the...
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#100: The 10 Secrets to Climbing Harder!
To celebrate the 100th episode of the T4C podcast, I wanted to serve up a powerful, comprehensive, yet easily digestible and actionable list of things you can do today to break through a performance plateau...and begin a journey towards being the best climber you can be! No matter your current...
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#99: EXPERT: How Climbing Shoes Affect Your Performance. Big time!
When it comes to climbing, no single piece of gear is more influential on your performance than your shoes. Getting the right shoe fit and feel for a given boulder or route is critical to climbing your best! However, there are dozens of climbing shoes on the market with widely varying designs,...
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#98: Training for Bouldering with Drew Ruana vs. Training for Route Climbing
In this episode, Coach Hörst shares his recent unique training day in the Front Range of Colorado. Eric will contrast the remarkable late-afternoon workout of one of the world's top boulderers, Drew Ruana, with his own route-climbing workout a few hours earlier. You will learn the fundamental...
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#97: EXPERT: Grip Better! All About Chalk Use and Skin Performance
The quality of your contact with the rock is paramount when it comes to climbing performance. Strong muscles, on-point technique, and a confident mindset won't get you up a climb if you can't hang onto the holds! Many things affect the quality of your grip and the perceived "stickiness" of the...
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#96: Training for Gains in 2024 (and my venture into Kilter Boarding!)
Lean in dear listener...and enjoy the most transparent Training For Climbing podcast ever! In this engaging episode, Coach Eric Hörst shares an in-depth analysis of his climbing weaknesses...and he reveals the specifics of his program to train for gains in 2024. Eric presents 4 primary action…
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#95: Mental Wings Strategies for Uncommon Success and Happiness
Do you want to level up in climbing...and across the board in your life? Many folks use the fresh start of a new year to set some goals and make course corrections in important life areas. I'm one of those people...and since you're listening to this podcast, you probably are too! Towards this…
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#94: The Road to 5.13a - PART 3
What does it take to climb your first 5.13a? In this episode, you'll hear my recommendations for a training client of mine (Ryan Devlin) as he closes in on completing his first 5.13a, a Red River Gorge classic named "The Force". This is a follow-up to episodes #86 and #91, in which I coach Ryan...
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#93: 7 Common Training and Performance Mistakes Among Climbers
In this episode, I detail 7 Training, Performance, and Nutrition Mistakes Common Among Climbers. I'll admit that I've been guilty of a couple of these mistakes in the past…and chances are that you are too. But by recognizing our flawed approaches we are empowered to make course corrections that…
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#92: Research Update: Finger Injuries, RED-S, and More from the Canadian Climbing Medicine Symposium
In this episode, I'll share some insider insights from the Canadian Climbing Medicine (CCM) Symposium held in Squamish, BC this past August. I'll give you some of the conference highlights on topics such as recent climbing injury trends, new technology for diagnosing A2 pulley injuries, growth...
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#91: The Road to 5.13a - PART 2 - Working to SEND the Project!
What does it take to climb your first 5.13a? In this episode, you'll hear my recommendations (for Ryan Devlin) as he projects his first 5.13a....with the goal of sending it by the end of this year. This is a follow-up to episode #86, in which I presented to Ryan a three-season program for…
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#90. Six Weeks until Autumn Send Season -- Training Smart to Perform Your Best!
For many climbers, Autumn is the season of sending. With the start of "send season" just 6 weeks away, this episode will describe a few keys for dialing in your training now to climb your best in October and November. Lean into this podcast...and let's prepare to SEND! RUNDOWN 0:14 - Welcome...
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#89. How Often Should You "Rest Day" While on a Climbing Roadtrip
For many of us, Summer is the season of climbing roadtrips. Whether you're venturing across North America, Europe, or Asia, visiting new climbing areas is a wonderful skill- and experience-building endeavor...and it will likely enrich your life and expand your brain in a number of other ways as...
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#88: The Physical Differences Between Bouldering and Sport Climbing (and the Training Implications for Pursuiting Peak Performance in Each)
The topic for this Flash edition can be summarized in this simple, but powerful concept: You can NOT train optimally for peak performance in bouldering and sport climbing at the same time! Obviously, bouldering and sport climbing are much different tactically and emotionally, and they are...
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#87: The Making of a "Surprise" Hardest-Ever Send! (and the question "Why do we climb?)
Imagine going from having no project climb...to sending perhaps your hardest-ever route in just a few short weeks. That's the unusual story I will share with you in this episode. The route is Kaleidoscope, the Red River Gorge king line, which checks in at 5.13c. The climber is....yours truly,...
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#86: The Road to 5.13a - A Personalized Training Strategy with Ryan Devlin
What's it take to climb your first 5.13a? In this episode, you'll hear my prescription for one 5.12 climber looking to project -- and send -- his first 5.13a before year's end. In an interesting and entertaining departure from the typical T4C podcast, you get to listen in on a 70-minute training...
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#85: Will Running Help Your Climbing?
It's a question I get asked all the time: "Will doing some running (or other cardio) help my climbing performance?" Giving a proper answer demands some nuance based on the individual's phenotype as well as their current level of climbing experience and fitness, and time available for training.…
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About this show
Training and performance podcasts by Eric Hörst, the internationally renowned author, researcher, climbing coach, and climber of 40 years. Monthly podcasts detail the latest training techniques to improve strength, power, endurance, as well as mental and technical skills. With his unique combination of veteran experience and knowledge of the cutting-edge research, Eric presents practical, effective guidelines to climb harder, reduce injury risk, and maximize the experience of moving over stone.Eric is one of the world's most knowledge climbing coaches and his eight books (and many foreign translations) have sold more than 300,000 copies worldwide. His latest book release is the 3rd edition of Training For Climbing. Learn more at: http://www.trainingforclimbing.com
Hosted by
Eric J. Hörst
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