Eric Hörst's Training For Climbing Podcast

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 goes and redpoint attempts, countless setbacks, and a level of patience few climbers ever develop. In this episode of the Training for Climbing Podcast, Cameron unpacks the entire process. We dive into the physical, mental, and tactical challenges of working a multi-year project, the breakthroughs that finally moved the needle, and the lessons any climber can apply to their own long-term goals—whether you're projecting 5.10 or 5.15. One of the most fascinating takeaways is that the breakthrough wasn't a sudden gain in finger strength or power. Instead, it came from years of accumulated training adaptations, comprehensive energy system development, improved recovery, refined tactics, and learning when not to climb. Cameron shares how he finally broke through a plateau that had stalled his progress for multiple seasons. RUNDOWN 2:00 – What Does It Feel Like to Send a Multi-Year Project? 5:00 – Inside Utah's Incredible Fin Cave 7:00 – Anatomy of the "Big Bone" Project 9:50 – Why the Route is So Difficult 12:00 – Cameron's Three-Year Journey on the Route 13:50 – Breaking Through a Plateau 16:40 – Training Lessons from Big Bone 18:00 – Recovery: The Secret Weapon 21:00 – Sending on the Second Try 24:10 - Energy System Training and the benefits of becoming more fat adapted 26:00 – Mental Growth and Performance Psychology 28:30 - Discovery of Fin Cave 31:30 – The Evolution of "Bone Tomahawk" and "Big Bone" 32:00 – Friendship and Mentorship with Joe Kinder 34:20 – Balancing University, Life, and Elite Climbing 40:00 – The Importance of Partners and Community 44:00 - Debating 5.15a versus 5.15b -- how to grade a hard FA? 47:30 - Ultimately, the grade isn't important -- the journey is what counts! 48:10 – Coaching, Exercise Science, and Helping Others Follow and contact Cameron on Instagram @cam_horst Visit Cam's website at: www.CameronHorst.com 49:28 – What's Next? 51:05 – Eric's summarizes 8 Key Tips and Takeaways from this interview. 54:30 - Sponsor Discount: Save 15% off full-priced PhysiVantage Nutrition with code: PODCAST15 (North America only) 56:00 -⭐ Enjoy the podcast? Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this episode with a climbing partner! 56:40 - Hörst Out! Podcast Sponsors Thank you to La Sportiva, PhysiVantage Nutrition, DMM Climbing, Blue Water Ropes! Save 10% off a new BlueWater Rope with checkout code: ERIC_CLINIC Save on La Sportiva shoes here >> Save 15% off full-priced PhysiVantage Nutrition with code: PODCAST15 (North America only) European climbers, please get your PhysiVantage from the EPIC-TV Shop or Oliunid.com. Mexican climbers visit PhysiVantage.mx Connect with Eric Hörst 📬 Training for Climbing Newsletter Get monthly training insights delivered to your inbox. Visit TrainingForClimbing.com to subscribe. 📱 Follow Eric Instagram: @eric_horst | @training4climbing YouTube: Training For Climbing Twitter: @Train4Climbing Facebook: Training For Climbing Music by Misty Murphy Copyright 2026 Eric Hörst | Horst Training, LLC.

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 improved his football performance. We dive into the parallels between elite football and high-level climbing, his challenges with a variety of football-related injuries, and his bold goal: to become the heaviest climber ever to send V10. Along the way, Wes reflects on career highlights—Super Bowl appearances, facing Aaron Donald, blocking for Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers—and his next chapter chasing higher Kilter Board grades and new outdoor climbing adventures. Podcast Rundown 2:28 – Welcome to Wes...the first American Football player to appear on the T4C podcast 3:45 - His first Autumn without football will be filled with climbing. 7:35 - How he discovered climbing...amidst a life filled with football 9:30 - Similarities between football and climbing 11:30 - Projecting "The Belly", a V5 at Catoctin Mountain Park 13:30 - What it's like (and what it takes) to play Offensive Line in the NFL 17:15 - How Wes dovetailed training for climbing while being starting Lineman in the NFL 20:40 - The physiological "balance" that climber offers a football player 21:30 - Insight into Wes' many football injuries 🎧 Podcast Sponsor Product: PhysiVantage Nutrition's Premium Proteins Boost your strength gains, recovery, connective tissue health, and immune system with PhysiVantage proteins: Supercharged Collagen, Weapons-Grade Whey Complex, and plant-based Powerplex. Save 15% with checkout code: PODCAST15 at PhysiVantage.com 24:50 - Looking ahead to Wes' next career as a pro climber! 25:50 - Wes' short-term climbing goals...and Kilter Board focus 28:30 - Discussion of body weight and climbing...and how much weight Wes has lost...and plans to lose in the coming years 33:18 - Wes' long-term climbing goals: Becoming the heaviest person to boulder V10...and climb a big wall 36:10 - Rapid fire Q & A about his experiences as a 9-year NFL player Favorite moment Endzone spiking Best QB he's played with Best athlete he's ever seen Who's the all-time GOAT in football Wes' insider pick for winning the Super Bowl in the 2025 season 42:15 - Wes' upcoming trip to the Red River Gorge 43:30 Wrap-up on Wes' inspiring journey from the football field to the climbing walls 44:00 - Final comments...and mention of Eric's book Maximum Climbing: Mental Training for Peak Performance and Optimal Experience. PLEASE WRITE A REVIEW...and share this podcast with your friends! 45:35 - Hörst Out! SUPPORT THIS PODCAST! Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price performance nutrition with checkout code: PODCAST15 SAVE on La Sportiva shoes >> Thank yous: La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, Organic Climbing. Music by Misty Murphy Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing Check out Eric's YouTube channel. Follow Eric on Facebook! And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15

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 strategies today, and you might send your project sooner than expected. Put most or all into practice over the coming weeks, and you could unlock a whole new level of performance this season! RUNDOWN 0:30 – Introduction: Why these 15 tips matter for your in-season performance. 2:20 – Tip #1: Know the context of your current training and climbing—and act accordingly. 5:08 – Tip #2: Dial in your warm-up to match the demands of your project. (Not all warm-ups are created equal!) 8:40 – Tip #3: Time your sends by planning around temperature trends and sun exposure. 10:35 – Tip #4: Build confidence by climbing routes that match your natural style. 12:35 – Tip #5: Occasionally work "anti-style" routes to promote long-term growth and mastery. 15:35 – Tip #6: Always bring two pairs of shoes: a comfortable pair for warming up and a performance pair for sending. 18:20 – Tip #7: Prioritize movement efficiency when projecting. Climb smart with the strength and skills you have today. 24:15 – Tip #8: Focus on making a few high-quality efforts per session—not just maxing out your goes. 27:55 – Tip #9: Recover faster between attempts with active recovery techniques. 31:28 – Tip #10: Don't climb to exhaustion. End your session before mental and physical fatigue sabotages your efforts—and recovery. 📢 Commercial Break: Why top doctors and PTs recommend daily collagen supplementation for athletes. Use code PODCAST15 to save 15% at PhysiVantage.com 41:50 – Tip #11: Fuel appropriately for the day's climbing. Stable blood glucose = steady performance. 47:20 – Tip #12: Refuel quickly post-session: 20g protein + some carbs within 30 minutes. Follow up with a healthy meal within 2–3 hours. 50:32 – Tip #13: One beer max (zero is ideal) to avoid impairing recovery. 52:32 – Tip #14: Do some light stretching or foam rolling in the evening to aid recovery and sleep. 54:30 – Tip #15: Have a 20–40g protein shake about 30 minutes before bed to support overnight muscle repair and growth. 57:40 – BONUS TIP!: Learn how to outperform the masses by doing what most climbers won't. 1:01:57 – Wrap-up: Final thoughts, resources, and how to connect. Stay Connected with Coach Hörst and Training for Climbing 📬 Join the Newsletter: Get a monthly dose (or two) of exclusive training tips delivered straight to your inbox! Sign up at TrainingForClimbing.com—just enter your name and email in the popup. 📱 Follow Eric Online: Instagram: @eric_horst | @training4climbing Twitter: @Train4Climbing YouTube: Training For Climbing Channel Facebook: Training For Climbing 🎧 Support the Podcast Sponsor: Fuel your performance with PhysiVantage Nutrition—formulated for climbers, trusted by pros. Use checkout code PODCAST15 at PhysiVantage.com to save 15% on full-priced items (North America only). 🌍 Outside North America? Order from EPIC-TV Shop or BananaFingers.com. 👟 SAVE on La Sportiva shoes here >> 🙌 Thanks to our supporters: La Sportiva, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs, PhysiVantage Nutrition 🎵 Music by Misty Murphy 💬 Love the podcast? Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this episode with a friend who climbs! © 2025 Eric Hörst | Horst Training, LLC. All rights reserved.

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 breaks down 10 common training mistakes. Chances are, one, two, or maybe even several of these missteps will hit close to home. But don't get discouraged—get psyched! Identifying these flaws empowers you to train smarter day in and day out, and to course-correct your long-term plan. That's the key to unlocking more effective training—and real gains on the rock! Start your journey toward better training and harder climbing today! RUNDOWN 0:16 - Welcome statement... 0:53 - Eric introduces the powerful topic of correcting common training mistakes. Whether you're current in a serious training block or just doing weekday maintenance training as a tune-up for weekend sending, this is a must-listen episode. 1:50 - Common Mistake #1: Training without a well-designed and personalized plan for improvement. 5:20 - Mistake #2: Copying someone else's training program (aka "copy cat training") 9:30 - Mistake #3: Doing the exact same workout over and over without modification, progression, or deload periods. (aka "Groundhog Day" Training) 16:28 - Mistake #4: Doing little or no sub-maximal climbing (aka always projecting, limit climbing, and "competing with yourself"). Listen to the first in a series of five T4C podcasts on Energy System Training >> 25:15 - Mistake #5: Not doing any generalized aerobic training [Brief Commercial Break] - SAVE 15% on PhysiVantage Nutrition >> (code: PODCAST15) 33:45 - Mistake #6: Doing little or no max-strength finger flexor training 40:37 - Mistake #7: Doing little or no antagonist and stabilizer muscle training 44:45 - Mistake #8: Getting drawn into a serious weight lifting, body building, or cross-fit style program 50:00 - Mistake #9: Ignoring -- and training through -- developing aches and pains Listen to T4C podcast #39 on the "Perfect Storm" for climbing injuries >> 59:00 - Mistake #10: Overeating (or undereating) and failing to provide your body with the energy and building blocks needed to gain strength, endurance, resilience, and recovery faster. 1:09:30 - Eric serves up his final thoughts on how you can use the informtion from this podcast to take your climbing to the next level! 1:10:30 - Eric invites you to sign up to his Training For Climbing Newsletter...for a monthly dose (or two) of training content to your inbox! Go to TrainingForClimbing.com and enter your name and email in the pop up box that appears. Contact Eric on Instagram @eric_horst or @training4climbing -- subscribe to Eric's T4C YouTube channel. *** Save 15% on PhysiVantage Nutrition with checkout code: PODCAST15 *** Support the Training For Climbing podcast sponsor, PhysiVantage. Get 15% off full-priced nutrition for strength gains, endurance, recovery, and injury resistance. Use checkout code: PODCAST15 (North America only). Europe and elsewhere visit EPIC-TV Shop or BananaFingers.com to get your PhysiVantage! PLEASE write a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and SHARE this podcast with a friend! SAVE on La Sportiva shoes here >> Thank you! La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs Music by Misty Murphy Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing Check out Eric's YouTube channel. Follow Eric on Facebook! And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing Copyright 2025 Eric Hörst | Horst Training, LLC.

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, performance hacks, and the role of self-discipline and sacrifice. We also explore best practices tailored for hard-training climbers over 35. No matter your age, this episode is packed with actionable insights you can start applying today! RUNDOWN 0:15 - Coach Eric Hörst's welcome statement. 0:30 - Introduction of my guest, Thomas Cunningham, MD. 2:40 - Thomas' bio and backstory 3:20 - "Medicine 3.0" ...aka functional medicine to optimize health and performance. 6:00 - Overview of topics we'll be covering today. 7:35 - Tips for older climbers. 10:00 - The importance of being intentional in your training. 11:00 - Eric's use of 2-a-day workouts. 13:00 - Scheduling your workouts. 15:45 - Specificity of training. 17:30 - Strive for "injury avoidance" mindset. 19:50 - Training and time hacks for busy individuals. 21:00 - Thomas' tips for effective cragging and projecting. 24:00 - The benefits of having a home training wall and/or equipment. 27:50 - Eric's "do something every day" MO for older athletes. 29:00 - Scheduling aerobic vs. anaerobic training sessions. 30:30 - A quick review of some popular training and bio-hacks. 31:35 - Daily protein requirements for hard-training climbers. 33:20 - Pros and cons of fasting... 36:00 - Protein timing and use of supplemental protein for reaching daily protein targets. 38:00 - Thomas and Eric serve up a few things they wish they knew when they were younger climbers. 38:45 - Proactive approach to injuries... 40:15 - Learning to listen to your body's sensations...and heeding its warning signals. 41:20 - Developing self-awareness of your recovery status. 42:20 - The vital importance of actual climbing time (over time spent strength and fitness training). 44:45 - Developing better recovery practices. 46:00 - Importance of a proper warm-up process before climbing. 46:45 - The power of self-discipine and sacrifice in the long-term pursuit of your climbing potential. 48:20 - Eric's metaphor of "taking your foot off the break...and going full gas" with your climbing! 50:35 - Wrap up 50:50 - Contact information for Eric -- DM @eric_horst on Instagram 51:10 - Watch this interview on Eric's T4C YouTube channel. Subscribe! 51:15 - Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts 51:40 - Goodbye and "Hörst Out! *** Save 15% on PhysiVantage Nutrition with checkout code: PODCAST15 *** Support the Training For Climbing podcast sponsor, PhysiVantage. Get 15% off full-priced nutrition for strength gains, endurance, recovery, and injury resistance. Use checkout code: PODCAST15 (North America only). Europe and elsewhere visit EPIC-TV Shop or BananaFingers.com to get your PhysiVantage! PLEASE write a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and SHARE this podcast with a friend! SAVE on La Sportiva shoes here >> Thank you! La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs Music by Misty Murphy Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing Check out Eric's YouTube channel. Follow Eric on Facebook! And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing Copyright 2025 Eric Hörst | Horst Training, LLC.

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 set off on your best year ever! The challenge is action-oriented -- so we'll ask you to set some achievable short-term goals to reach for during the 6-weeks of the challenge. These action items can relate to your training and nutrition goals for the new year, but also target bad habits you'd like to change…or other behaviors that are holding you back from reaching the next level in climbing, in your career or relationships, or any other important life area. To serve as your North Star for this challenge, we will ask you to select a specific "Challenge Goal" for the 6 weeks of the contest, as well as set a "Send 2025 Mega Goal" that you'll be working towards throughout the year ahead. We hope that with our encouragement and support you will reach all your goals big or small! ************************************* JOIN the SEND 2025 CHALLENGE by filling out this brief Google Form >> ************************************* SUPPORT THE TRAINING FOR CLIMBING PODCAST! Visit our sponsor PhysiVantage Nutrition at PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: SEND15. European climbers can get PhysiVantage from the EPIC-TV shop and BananaFingers.com SAVE on La Sportiva shoes here >> Thank you! La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs Music by Misty Murphy Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing Check out Eric's YouTube channel. Follow Eric on Facebook! And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing Copyright © 2000–2024 Eric J. Hörst | All Rights Reserved.

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 the power of proper breathing, the best time of the day to send, the effects of food and drink on energy and focus, how to get the perfect warm-up, how long to rest between attempts, how to win the skin game, the importance of the shoes you wear, how your thinking can make or break a send go, and so much more. RUNDOWN 3:40 - 13 Little Things That Make a BIG Difference When Limit Climbing 4:15 - 1. The first "little, big thing" is to breathe more intentionally. Learn how to do it...to save energy, accelerate recovery, and help maintain focus and confidence. 10:30 - 2. Climb during the optimal time of the day. Learn how to plan your send goes for your strongest (and the stickiest) time of day. 14:17 - 3. Eat & drink appropriately. Learn how much you should drink and eat for a short session--or a full day--at the boulders or crags. 20:00 - 4. Empty bladder and bowels beforehand. Learn how to deal with golf ball bladder...and lighten the load before your send go. Click here for information about the benefits of MAG-ATP supplement from PhysiVantage. 26:30 - 5. Get a perfect warm-up! Learn the 7 steps of doing a perfect pre-send warm-up. Also, listen to Podcast #67 for a comprehensive discussion of the physiology of getting properly warmed up for hard climbing. SPONSOR MESSAGE: Less pump, more endurance -- Sendure X! Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15. European climbers can get PhysiVantage from the EPIC-TV shop and BananaFingers.com 32:13 - 6. Don't Take Any Wasted Any Goes! AKA make every go count! Don't start up the climb with any uncertainty in beta. If needed, take a practice go (with hangs) to sure-up your beta. 39:43 - 7. If needed, take a practice go (with hangs) to sure up your beta. 41:41 - 8. Rest appropriately between goes. How minutes (or hours) should you rest between boulder problem and sport climb attempts? 45:03 - 9. Rest optimally on the route. Climb fast and rest well! Know how to use optimally whatever rests the boulder or route offers you! 46:13 - 10. Win the skin game! Learn how to make your skin last longer... 51:03 - 11. Brush the most critical holds! This is critical for increasing friction on small, slopey holds. Brush liberally. 52:28 - 12. Make sure you're wearing the right shoes for the boulder or route at hand. If you're not packing in two different pairs of shoes, you should consider it! 55:13 - 13. Believe in a positive outcome, but let go of the need to succeed. Accept that the send will happen when it's meant to happen. Enjoy climbing the piece of rock in front of you...and take it one move at a time. 58:43 - Bonus Tip: Have a great belayer you can trust…AND a stoked and supportive ground crew that knows when to yell encouragements at you…and when to shut up and let you take care of business. 1:00:38 - Do YOU have a favor send tip? Share your "little, big" send tip to Eric and perhaps he'll feature it on a future podcast. You can leave your tip on Eric's Twitter @Train4Climbing or on the Training for Climbing Instagram @Training4Climbing or T4C Facebook page. PLEASE write a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and SHARE this podcast with a friend! SUPPORT THIS PODCAST! Visit PhysiVantage.com and get a 15% discount on full-price items with checkout code: PODCAST15. European climbers can get PhysiVantage from the EPIC-TV shop and BananaFingers.com SAVE on La Sportiva shoes here >> Thank you! La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs Music by Misty Murphy Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing Check out Eric's YouTube channel. Follow Eric on Facebook! And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing Copyright © 2000–2024 Eric J. Hörst | All Rights Reserved.

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, training, and aging. This episode features an interview I did earlier this year with Kush Khandelwal of The Ageless Athlete podcast. T4C Podcast sponsor ==> Visit PhysiVantage.com the leader in climbing-specific performance nutrition. Get 15% off full-priced items with checkout code: PODCAST15 (North America only). Europe and elsewhere visit EPIC-TV Shop or BananaFingers.com to get your PhysiVantage! SAVE on La Sportiva shoes here >> Thank you! La Sportiva, Maxim Ropes, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs Music Remix of the Police Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing Check out Eric's YouTube channel. Follow Eric on Facebook! And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing Copyright 2024 Eric Hörst | Horst Training, LLC.