September 03, 2025

Road to V8: My Climbing Assessment, Strengths, Weaknesses, and Plan

1 hour 2 minutes

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Coach Kevin Cuckovich from Kilter joins to go over my recent climbing assessment on the board, including:

What my assessment entailed

My strengths and weaknesses

The two main things I need to work on right now

Specific drills and exercises for me to implement

Why he doesn’t want me to cut feet

The benefit of imposed scarcity for attempts

The importance of not 'cheating' climbs

Why some of my sport climbing instincts are working against me as a boulderer

Embracing unstable positions

Off-the-wall training to support my climbing

How to schedule climbing and conditioning for best gains and recovery

When I’ll try my first V8 on the board

BIG THANKS TO THE AMAZING SPONSORS OF THE STRUGGLE WHO LOVE ROCK CLIMBING AS MUCH AS YOU DO:

Kilter: Award winning, adjustable, light-up board. It’s what I’m training on at home, and if you’re psyched to join me then use code STRUGGLE at checkout when you build your board, and you’ll score up to $1000 off plus a free gift pack let’s goooo!

Altitude Climbing: Join legends Chris Sharma and Magnus Midtbø for an unforgettable deep water soloing retreat in Mallorca, where all of the logistics (food, lodging, boat guides, etc.) are taken care of for you. Dream trip! Visit altitudeclimbing.com/events to learn more and apply today.

And check out ALL the show’s awesome sponsors and exclusive deals at thestruggleclimbingshow.com/deals

Here are some AI generated show notes (hopefully the robots got it right)

00:00 Introduction and Welcome Back

00:24 Ryan's Squamish Adventure

02:16 Training on the Kilter Board

02:50 Assessment with Coach Kevin

03:28 Identifying Weaknesses and Strengths

06:18 Training Strategies and Adjustments

16:28 The Importance of Precision and Familiarity

22:37 Kilter Board Endorsement and Benefits

26:10 Final Thoughts and Training Philosophy

32:15 Footwork and Climbing Techniques

34:42 Challenges and Observations

41:29 Training Plan and Adjustments

44:10 Balancing Climbing and Conditioning

51:35 Preparing for Squamish and Future Goals

57:53 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

Shoutout to Matt Waltereese for being a Victory Whip supporter on Patreon! So mega.

Follow along on Instagram and YouTube: @thestruggleclimbingshow

This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin, and edited by Glen Walker. The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry.

And now here are some buzzwords to help the almighty algorithm get this show in front of people who love to climb: rock climbing, rock climber, climbing, climber, bouldering, sport climbing, gym climbing, how to rock climb, donuts are amazing. Okay, whew, that’s done. But hey, if you’re a human that’s actually reading this, and if you love this show (and love to climb) would you think about sharing this episode with a climber friend of yours? And shout it out on your socials? I’ll send you a sticker for doing it. Just shoot me a message on IG – thanks so much!

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By Ryan Devlin

4.7

171171 ratings