Eric Hörst's Training For Climbing Podcast

In ascending a boulder, cliff, or mountain, you are expressing skilled movement. While climbing may seem to be a relatively simply and intuitive skill, moving with balance and precision in the vertical plane is actually quite complex. The exquisite, flowing movements of an elite climber result as a harmonious aggregate response to the contractions of agonists and antagonists muscles, and a wealth of sensory exteroception and proprioception. This complex process of acting with skill and will, while ingesting a vast array of sensory stimuli, requires many years to master. And despite the unattainable goal of perfection, it’s in striving for perfection that you depart on a trajectory toward true mastery.

In this podcast you will learn how to foster your sense of proprioception and how to use proprioceptive cues to succeed quickly on crux moves and max sequences.

Photo by Dan Brayack

Music by Misty Murphy

Despite being as intuitive and natural as walking or running, climbing can be a remarkably complex and demanding activity. Consider that the climbing gyms and crags of the world offer a playing field of infinite variation and demand for skilled performance. Compound this with the potential for adrenaline-releasing risk and the perplexing challenge of ascending a gigantic wall, and it becomes apparent that that climbing is indeed a most complex sporting activity.

            The goal of this podcast, then, is to provide a primer on the subject of skilled performance that will empower you to learn and develop climbing skills most effectively and rapidly. While the mass of climbers stumble through the maze of trial-and-error learning, your knowledge of how the brain wires motor programs and executes novel moves is a lever that opens the door to learning strategies for accelerating technical improvement...and progress into the higher grades!

Music by Misty Murphy

Ever wonder what makes great climbers great? Learn the “X-factors” that help make greats like Ondra, Megos, Skinner, Hill, Gill, Caldwell, Jorgeson, and other climbers who break barriers and do the “impossible.” Learn how you can train–and live–with greater personal power…and grow towards achieving “impossible” goals, both on and off the rock!