The Strong AF Climbing Podcast

What does it actually mean to train your climbing intentionally?

In this episode, I sit down with climbing coach Becky Switzer (who is on my coaching team eeeee!!!) to talk about her journey,how her approach to climbing has evolved from simply trying to get fitter and stronger to becoming much more intentional about how she climbs.

We get into the difference between training fitness and training skill, why climbers often avoid the things they’re bad at, and how something as simple as giving each climbing session a clear purpose can completely change what you get out of your time in the gym.

Becky also shares her journey from competitive soccer to climbing, how climbing became an important part of her life during a difficult transition, and how her background as a multi-sport athlete shaped the way she thinks about coaching today.

We talk about limit bouldering, practicing basic movement skills even when you’re an experienced climber, using bouldering to improve sport climbing, climbing drills, remembering sequences, choosing problems that actually challenge your weaknesses, and why good coaching sometimes means having someone else notice the things you can’t see yourself.

We also get into injury prevention, why getting hurt shouldn’t simply be accepted as part of being a climber, and how thoughtful strength training, appropriate progression, and better management of your climbing can help you stay on the wall.

If you want to become a better climber without making your training unnecessarily complicated, this episode is a great place to start.

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Most hypermobile people are told to avoid strength training — but what if the key to stability is actually lifting heavy?

Taylor Goldberg, a fellow chiropractor turned hypermobility coach, reveals how progressive, heavy strength training transforms stability, reduces dislocations, and can even help avoid surgery. Her unconventional approach challenges outdated beliefs and shows how you can build resilience in your body, no matter your stretchiness.

In this eye-opening episode, Taylor shares her journey from secret hypermobile struggles to helping clients thrive through tailored, evidence-based movement. You'll discover how traditional modalities fall short and what truly works for hypermobile bodies. She breaks down common myths—like Pilates and yoga being the only safe options—and explains why heavy lifting is essential for bone density and joint health. Plus, we explore how to safely progress when your nervous system feels overwhelmed, and how to handle unpredictable symptoms like post-exertional malaise or POTS during training.

You'll learn practical strategies: how to start strength training safely at any level, modify exercises to meet your needs, and use external cues and tempo to control movement. Taylor emphasizes the importance of patience, realistic expectations, and self-compassion on your healing journey.

Whether you're hypermobile yourself or a clinician working with this population, this episode offers the hope and tools to unlock stronger, healthier movement—without fear or restrictions.

Make no mistake: hypermobility isn’t a life sentence of fragility. It’s an opportunity to optimize how your body can handle load, stress, and everyday movement. If you've ever felt discouraged by what you've been told, this episode will shift your perspective and empower you to get stronger — safely, confidently, and sustainably.

Perfect for athletes, coaches, clinicians, or anyone on the spectrum of hypermobility and connective tissue concerns—if you're ready to stop playing it safe and start pushing your limits with purpose, this episode is your game-changer.

In this episode, we cover:

• The difference between hypermobility, HSD, and hEDS, and why it matters less than you think
• Why many hypermobile people feel unstable, and what’s actually driving that
• How to approach strength training without flaring up constantly
• What to do when symptoms show up during or after training
• Why most rehab is under-dosed, not too aggressive
• How to build long-term capacity instead of constantly managing symptoms

Taylor:

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The Strength-to-Weight Ratio Debate: Why "Just Get Lighter" is as Oversimplified advice.

Climbers often dismiss strength training for not transferring directly to climbing performance—but then turn around and treat weight loss as if it automatically makes you climb better. In this episode, we break down the irony in the strength-to-weight ratio debate and explain why both approaches are oversimplifications.

You'll learn:

• Why strength training and weight loss are both indirect levers (and neither replaces time on the wall)
• How building capacity through strength training supports climbing performance, recovery, and injury prevention
• Why chasing weight loss often reduces training capacity instead of improving it
• What elite climbers can (and can't) teach us about training
• When strength training or weight loss actually work as performance levers
• What moves the needle for most climbers (hint: it's not one magic variable)

If you've been stuck on a plateau, constantly injured, or wondering whether you should focus on getting stronger or getting lighter—this episode will help you think more clearly about what actually supports long-term climbing performance.

Keywords: strength training for climbers, climbing performance, strength to weight ratio, climbing training, capacity building, climbing injury prevention, weight loss for climbers, climbing plateau, elite climbers, rock climbing training, foundational strength, climbing recovery

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Strength training is one of the most common things climbers tell me they want to do, and also one of the most common things they quit.

Not because they are lazy. Not because they do not care. But because it makes them sore, tired, and like their climbing sessions are getting worse instead of better.

In this episode, I break down why that experience is so common and why it does not automatically mean strength training is wrong for you.

We talk about:

• The difference between normal soreness and fatigue and actual problems
• Why most climbers are overdosing relative to their current capacity
• How recovery and fueling are often the missing pieces
• Why capacity explains why some athletes can lift and climb on the same day while others feel wrecked for days.

If strength training feels like it is competing with your climbing, this episode will help you understand what usually needs to change so it supports your climbing instead.

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In this episode, I sit down with my friend and client Dani, a somatic psychotherapist and climber, to talk about how the body and mind communicate — and what it really means to feel your feelings.

Dani shares how her own journey through chronic illness, trauma, and movement led her into somatic therapy, and we explore the deep overlap between her work and the kind of pain science–based rehab I do with climbers. We talk about why so many people struggle to slow down, why emotions show up as physical sensations, and how both somatic therapy and strength training can help you rebuild trust with your body.

Whether you’re navigating pain, dealing with stress, or just curious about what it means to actually “listen to your body,” this episode will help you see how awareness, curiosity, and compassion can change the way you move — and the way you heal.

WE TALK ABOUT:

• What somatic therapy really is (and why it’s not just for trauma work)

• The connection between emotions, sensations, and pain

• Why we tend to intellectualize our feelings instead of feeling them

• The role of awareness and curiosity in both therapy and rehab

• How pain stories and beliefs shape the way we experience symptoms

• The concept of allostatic load and how life stressors impact recovery

• Overlaps between pain reprocessing, graded exposure, and nervous system regulation

• Practical tools: the feelings wheel, body sensation lists, grounding and self-hold techniques, and how to start a dialogue with your body

• Why climbers might already be practicing somatic therapy on the wall — and how to bring more awareness to it

Healing isn’t just about fixing tissue or solving a movement pattern — it’s about learning to listen, slow down, and rebuild trust in your body.
Somatic therapy gives language and space to sensations, while strength training and rehab build the capacity to act within that space. Both help you reconnect with your body instead of fighting against it.

CONNECT WITH DANI:

🔗 somaticswithdani.com📱 Instagram: @somaticswithdanni

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This episode breaks down the truth about muscle imbalances and asymmetry in athletes. Natasha and Ryan explore why asymmetry is normal, why it often gets blamed for injuries without evidence, and why strength training and load tolerance matter far more than chasing perfect symmetry. They walk through current research, explain how injuries change asymmetry rather than the other way around, and discuss why the best rehab focuses on building strength, restoring confidence, and exposing the body to sport-specific loads instead of “fixing imbalances.”

TAKEAWAYS:

• Research consistently shows that asymmetries increase after injury, not usually before.
• Small side-to-side differences are normal in climbers and most athletes.
• Asymmetry rarely predicts injury on its own.
• Chasing perfect symmetry distracts from the real rehab goal: restoring load tolerance.
• Training at a challenging but tolerable intensity often reduces perceived imbalances.
• Most “imbalances” resolve as strength and confidence return.
• Regular exposure to climbing-specific forces matters more than corrective exercises.
• Functional strength and movement quality are better benchmarks than symmetry numbers.
• Pain, deconditioning, and fear can create the sensation of imbalance.
• You are not broken for feeling uneven. It’s a normal adaptation to training or injury.

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If you’ve fallen off your training routine, this episode is your restart button.

In this conversation, Natasha breaks down why we lose momentum and what it actually takes to rebuild consistency that lasts. You’ll learn how motivation naturally fluctuates, why all-or-nothing thinking keeps you stuck, and how to shift from guilt to action using her RECOMMIT Framework—a step-by-step approach grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and behavior change science.

Whether you’re an FSP athlete getting back into your rhythm, a climber trying to fit strength training around life, or just someone who’s tired of starting over, you’ll walk away with practical tools and journal prompts to help you reflect, reset, and move forward again—one session at a time.

Listen to learn:

• Why falling off isn’t failure—it’s data

• How to break the all-or-nothing mindset

• What small actions rebuild identity and momentum

• How to use the RECOMMIT Framework to restart training with confidence

If you’re ready to get back to consistent strength training and stay there, this episode will show you exactly how.

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If your shoulder still hurts no matter how much rehab you’ve done, this episode is for you. We’re digging into why traditional shoulder rehab fails climbers, what the latest shoulder pain research actually says, and how to build a better plan that gets you back to the wall stronger and more confident.

In this episode, I cover:

• Why most shoulder rehab for climbers is under-dosed and not climbing-specific

• What the research says about pain during rehab and when it’s okay to keep training

• Why posture correction, scapular mechanics, and banded exercises aren’t the full solution

• The truth about MRI findings, rotator cuff tears, and what pain really means

• How I structure climbing-specific shoulder rehab programs, including movement patterns, isolation work, and load progression

Whether you’ve been told you have shoulder impingement, rotator cuff tendinopathy, or just feel like your shoulder isn’t keeping up with your climbing — this episode will help you understand why, and what to do next.

Ready for a plan that’s actually built for climbers?
Book a 1:1 consultation or join the 8-week Shoulder Reset Program to rebuild a stronger, more resilient shoulder.

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In this episode, I unpack why traditional shoulder rehab often fails climbers — and how to rethink the entire approach. Using guided reasoning and evidence from leading studies, we challenge the most common myths about shoulder pain and rotator cuff injuries.

You’ll learn:

🔹 Why rest and avoidance aren’t the answer
We explore why rest often leads to temporary relief but long-term setbacks — and how graded loading is the true medicine for shoulder pain.

🔹 The problem with “banded exercises forever”
Progressive overload matters. We break down what kind of exercise actually works — and what the latest research says about exercise.

🔹 How to train through pain — safely and effectively
We dig into the Smith et al. meta-analysis showing that tolerable pain during rehab isn’t harmful — and may even improve outcomes when managed correctly.

🔹 Why surgery isn't the gold standard — and might not be necessary at all
We review landmark studies showing that:

• Pain does not correlate with tear size (Dunn et al.)

• Most small-to-medium rotator cuff tears can be rehabbed without surgery (Moosmayer et al., Kukkonen et al., Karjalainen et al.)

• Even full-thickness traumatic tears respond well to rehab (Boorman et al., Kuhn et al.)

• Failed surgical repairs don’t always lead to worse outcomes (Holtedahl et al.)

• Sham surgeries work just as well as real ones (Paavola et al., Schroder et al.)

🔹 What effective rehab actually looks like for climbers
We close the episode by showing what real rehab should include: climbing-specific loading, total-body strength, education around pain, and a progressive plan that actually builds capacity instead of avoiding discomfort.

This episode is packed with practical insights and paradigm-shifting takeaways that will help you — or your clients — stop spinning their wheels and start seeing real progress.

🎧 Hit play now and find out why your shoulder rehab hasn’t been working — and what to do instead.

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In this episode, we dive into the complexities of shoulder pain and pathology, particularly in the context of climbing. Natasha explores how MRI findings often reveal abnormalities that may not correlate with pain or dysfunction, challenging the conventional wisdom that structural changes always indicate a problem. Through insights from studies on elite climbers, Natasha reframes the narrative around shoulder health, emphasizing the importance of function over imaging. Discover how to build stronger, more resilient shoulders and why your MRI might not tell the whole story. Tune in to learn when imaging is truly necessary and how to focus on what really matters for your shoulder health.

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