Legendary climber, Wolfgang Gullich, famously said that "the brain is the most important muscle for climbing". Sure, strong fingers are important--but there are many strong-fingered climbers who never reach their potential. The pursuit of better climbing is ultimately an inward journey to gain mastery of the mind. Developing stronger "mental muscle" will enable you to achieve beyond your current imagination. Like wielding a sword with empty hands, your mind will lead your body to new summits.

In this episode, I share with you 10 powerful concepts that can potentially re-invent how you think and what you will achieve. This material is more powerful than any hangboard training program you can do--the quotes and tips I present hold get to the heart and soul of taking your climbing (and life) to a higher level.

RUNDOWN

0:30 - Introduction to this episode on how

7:13 - #1: What sets great climbers apart from others is not their physical prowess (amazing as it may be), but their brains.

10:18 - #2: The brain is a human being’s most dynamic organ—it is shaped by the sum of our experiences, both what we do and what we have done.

13:28 - #3: You are not what you climb; you are how you climb. For you, you can substitute your brain.

15:43 - #4: To become better than we are, we must first become aware of what we are.

18:39 - #5: Achieving excellence is not just a matter of exploiting your strengths to the fullest, but also demands that you ruthlessly pursue improvement in the things that constrain your performance.

21:00 - #6: The thoughts you generate and dwell on are powerful. You can literally think yourself to success or failure.

24:54 - #7: You will accomplish in proportion to your ability to set compelling goals and overcome adversity.

29:12 - #8: Self-discipline and commitment are the great equalizers!

32:00 - #9: Perhaps nothing is more elemental to climbing than fear. Becoming a maximum climber, then, requires that you learn to understand and manage your fears.

35:40 - #10: Surround yourself with positive people and images, while avoiding the impossibility thinkers and complains of the world.

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Music by Misty Murphy

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