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The Testpiece Podcast#156 Tim, My Dude — When Olympians Go Rock Climbing, The Best Red Rocks Season Ever, Are Soft Shoes Better Than Stiff Ones, and How To Have A Successful TripTim, my dude, [aka Tim Kang] is back on the pod for another fun episode.Tim and Josh talk about the latest big news stories in climbing and then get into their latest climbing experience. For Tim that means sending Trieste, an iconic Red Rocks V14, while being a ‘weekend warrior’. For Josh that means his recent big trip to the historic bouldering Mecca that is Fontainebleau.THIS EPISODE IS SUPPORTED BY Mad Rock! Mad Rock’s motto is “CLIMBING SHOULD BE FOR EVERYBODY! Innovative, highly technical and affordable climbing shoes and gear.”SHOW...2025-04-282h 10The Testpiece Podcast#148 [BONUS] Kenny Suh — MORE Shocking Industry Tell All, How Most Shoe Companies Came To Exist, and $300 Climbing Shoes?!This is a continuation of the last episode with Kenny, #147. Please listen to that episode first for context!Kenny and Josh hop back on to explore even more drama and links between Mad Rock and 5.10, Evolv, Butora, Red Chili, Black Diamond, So iLL, La Sportiva, Scarpa, Mammut, Edelrid, Yosemite Bum, Cypher... did we forget anyone? Oh ya, Unparrallel! You can't miss that one...Enjoy this deep dive on the usually opaque world of climbing gear manufacturing!SHOW NOTES:Kenny's Previous Episode On Testpiece, #147Kenny Suh InstagramArticle About Young Chu (Mad Rock's Founder...2025-03-2148 minThe Testpiece Podcast#145 [BONUS] Chris Schulte — Throw It All Away, Fontainebleau Recommendations, and Earning ‘Those Moments’This is a behind the scenes discussion with Chris Schulte, right after Episode #144 was finished. We hope you enjoy this peek into what happens right after episodes are “finished”!Don’t miss Episode #144 for context!SHOW NOTES:Chris Schulte’s InstagramChris Schulte’s Black Diamond PageChris Schulte’s Testpiece Episode #144Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE2025-03-0714 minThe Testpiece Podcast#142 Tyler Nelson & Rob Hunter — Doubling Finger Strength As A 48 Year Old V14 Climber, “Squeezing The Lemon”, Focusing On Muscular Gains Over Connective Tissue, and Intention Instead Of NumbersTyler Nelson is back on the podcast and this time he brought a friend, Rob Hunter! Rob and Tyler are both seasoned experts in training high level athletes in their businesses, My Therapy Physio and Performance and Camp 4 Human Performance.This chat came about because Tyler worked with Rob to help him prepare for a V14/15 project and in doing so Rob nearly doubled his finger strength on an overcoming isometric test. That’s a big deal, but what makes this an even bigger deal is that Rob is a V14 climber, 48 years old, and has 30+ years of...2025-02-171h 47The Testpiece Podcast#141 BONUS [Austin Hoyt] — The V18 Proj Everyone Knows About, Why Lucid Dreaming Is V15 Not V16, and The Upcoming V16 Next To DevilutionThis is the behind the scenes discussion right after Episode #140 was finished. Austin Hoyt shares his thoughts on the Lucid Dreaming, The Process, Devilution, The ‘Earvo’ Project, and how they all compare to one another. Austin and Josh talk about why those grades settled the way they did and if that will change in the future.Austin also talks about a well known project that seems to go and be V18.We hope you enjoy this peek into what happens right after episodes are “finished”!Don’t miss Episode #140 for context!SHOW NOTES...2025-02-1417 minThe Testpiece Podcast#140 Austin Hoyt — Breaking Beta On Lucid Dreaming, FA’ing NE’s First V15, “NE Is The New SE”, and Why Everyone From There Has Strong FingersAustin Hoyt is one of the young guns out of the North East crew that has been absolutely crushing lately.Austin recently FA’d the North East’s first V15, Big Bad Wolf, as well as sent Lucid Dreaming [V15+] using a new ‘double-clutch’ beta for the iconic crux move.Austin shares a ton about what makes the North East special and why it’s been producing some of the strongest climbers, such as his close friends Noah Wheeler, Benn Wheeler, and Adam Shahar who have also recently been on the podcast.SHOW NOT...2025-02-101h 52The Testpiece Podcast#139 Ross Fulkerson — 70ft Whips, Filming “Between The Tides”, Expectations Of A Pro-Climber, and How To Deliver Peak Performance When Everything Is Against YouThis episode is brought to you by Mad Rock! Mad Rock is run by REAL climbers, and that’s why they supported Ross Fulkerson and Testpiece to go on an awesome trip to Mallorca where they filmed “Between The Tides ft. Ross Fulkerson”.Between the Tides is a deep-water-soloing film that follows Mad Rock athlete Ross Fulkerson as he climbs above the Mediterranean on some of Mallorca's newest lines. With short weather windows, Ross uses lessons learned from the world of comp-climbing to make the most of the climbing between heavy rain and big swells.This po...2025-02-031h 37The Testpiece Podcast#137 Kai Whaley — Youngest To Climb V10/12/16 And 17 Soon?!, NOT Being A Comp Kid, Live Streaming Highballs And V16s, and BOARDS“What up gangstas and shorties, it’s your boy, Kai."Kai Whaley is best known for his amazing YouTube Channel where he has been vlogging his sessions on Return Of The Sleepwalker (V17) and Shaolin (V17). He is close on both of them, especially ROTSW, and it wouldn’t be surprising if by the time you read this he’s sent!Kai is currently 18 and is unofficially the youngest person to ever climb V10, V12, and V16. And if he climbs one of those V17’s in the next few years, he’ll also take the title fo...2025-01-271h 43The Testpiece Podcast#136 Tim, My Dude — Bouldering Has Leveled Up, The Next Gen Is Better, 15d Is Harder Than V17, and The Best Highball In The WorldTim Kang (my dude) is back on Testpiece to discuss the incredible sending spree the youth have gone on these past few months. V17 is just the norm now, and V15's are just for fun and flash attempts.Tim and Josh also discuss what the future may hold in terms of grading, whether 15d is harder or easier than V17, and Tim shares what he things is the best highball in the world as well as what his next highball project may be.Episodes with Tim are always fun and full of hot takes...2025-01-202h 13The Testpiece Podcast#135 BONUS [Zach Galla] — 9A Surprises, The Project He’s Currently Locked In On, Simulator Training, and Who’s Going To Be Next On The ProcessThis is the behind the scenes discussion right after Episode #134 was finished. Zach Galla shares a bit more about some 9A’s / V17’s he’s tried, the project he’s currently most psyched on it, how he used simulators to train for The Process (V16), and who he thinks will get the third ascent of it.We hope you enjoy this peak into what happens right after episodes are “finished”!Don’t miss Episode #134 for context!SHOW NOTES:Zach Galla’s InstagramThe Process, V16, SA by Galla on MellowPretty Tall on MellowPrevious Z...2025-01-1712 minThe Testpiece Podcast#134 Zach Galla — The Process [V16] SA, Transitioning From Comps To The Hardest Highballs Around The World, Sosa V16 FA, and New Core Climbing CompaniesZach Galla is back after an insanely amazing year. Catch Zach's first Testpiece Episode, #77, here.Since we last chatted he’s been traveling the world with the goal of climbing the best hard boulders in the world. And boy did he achieve that goal… Get the blow by blow breakdown of Zach’s second ascent of the iconic “The Process”, V16, one of the proudest and most beautiful V16’s in the world that sat for 10 years waiting for Zach after Daniel Woods FA’d it. This could have been a podcast in itself but Zach did many more prou...2025-01-132h 02The Testpiece Podcast#133 Island Boys — The Boys Go To Mallorca, Coaches Coaching Each Other, Using Fear To Your Advantage, and “Pessimists Sound Smart; Optimists Get Rich”A couple of Island Boys just trying to make it to the top!We’ve got Ross Fulkerson, Marco Giacomangeli, and Bryce Belshin with your normal host, Josh Horsley. These boys recently got back from a trip to Mallorca that involved tons of amazing deep water soloing and some world class sport climbing as well.Each of these athletes are active coaches or professional climbers. Hear from them about what they learned on the trip and how coaches coach each other. They also talk about how to use fear to your advantage which is absolutely cru...2025-01-062h 03The Testpiece Podcast#132 BONUS [Nathaniel Coleman] — V17 Grading Thoughts, Reflections On Naming, and What He Remembers Most From ProjectingThis is the behind the scenes discussion right after Episode #131 was finished. Nathaniel Coleman shares a bit more about his thoughts on V17 grades, training while he projected “No One Mourns The Wicked”, and what the name truly means.We hope you enjoy this peak into what happens right after episodes are “finished”!Don’t miss Episode #131 for context, and make sure you watch the “No One Mourns The Wicked, V17” video on Mellow!SHOW NOTES:Nathaniel Coleman’s InstagramNo One Mourns The Wicked, V17 FA, Nathaniel Coleman on MellowNathaniel Coleman, Testpiece Episode #63: Nat...2025-01-0315 minThe Testpiece Podcast#131 Nathaniel Coleman — V17 FA “No One Mourns The Wicked” [Defying Gravity Sit], The Newest And Best V17 In The World, and Breaking The Rules to Go from Good to GreatSpecial podcast!! Nathaniel Coleman just did a V17 FA, “No One Mourns The Wicked”! This is the first ascent of the highly sought after low start to the iconic V15 testpiece, Defying Gravity.Nathaniel reached out to Testpiece and asked if we could do a podcast to give a behind the scenes story to accompany the video that dropped on Mellow TODAY. Watch the video and listen to the podcast so you get the visuals and the detailed blow by blow!If you don’t know who Nathaniel Coleman is (really?!!?), you can listen to the fi...2025-01-011h 52The Testpiece Podcast#130 Good To Great — What The Best Of The Best Focus On, Execution, Resilience, Intrinsic Motivation, Stretching Your Limits, and Trying HARDThis episode is a roundup of 5 climbs from Testpiece guests, some of the BEST climbers in the world, sharing what it takes to go from Good to Great.Josh also shares what’s in his personal note titled “What I’ve Learned From Talking To The Best Climbers In The World”.Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE2024-12-2318 minThe Testpiece Podcast#129 Austin Geiman — Defying Gravity V15, 11 Years and 100+ Sessions, The History The Sit And The Next Generation, “Best Boulder Ever Best Experience Ever”, and The Power Of PerseveranceAustin Geiman recently made waves when he sent the iconic testpiece, Defying Gravity, V15, after 11 years and 100+ sessions. Austin started trying this boulder while it was still a project and he was there when Daniel Woods and Jimmy Webb snagged the FA in 2013 in the film Huntsmen. He continued trying it through the years and then he also was there when the younger generation claimed the long awaited repeats. He finally added his name to the list and has even been supporting the next gen on the sit. Austin is deeply connected with all aspects of this i...2024-12-161h 32The Testpiece Podcast#125 Melina Costanza — Double Double Gold Gold Pod Pod (Follow-Up Episode), ‘Pressure Is A Privilege’, What Execution Really Feels Like, V13 2nd Go, and The Power of JournalingThis is a follow-up episode to the last Melina Costanza podcast, #119. That episode was one of the fan favorites, josh favorites, and even favorites of other professional climbers. Go listen to that one first, because it was amazing and will set the stage for this follow-up episode.It’s only been a month since Melina last came on, but in that month she won US Nationals, both in Lead and Bouldering, and did so for the second year in a row. Yes, in 2023 she won Lead and Bouldering and in 2024 she AGAIN won Lead an...2024-11-182h 12The Testpiece Podcast#124 Ross Fulkerson — Efficient Movement Over Everything, Performing Well In Different Disciplines, Practical Breathing Tips, and Testing New Climbing ShoesThis episode is brought to you by Mad Rock! Mad Rock is run by REAL climbers, and that’s why they supported Ross Fulkerson and Testpiece to go on an awesome trip to Mallorca where they recorded this podcast.Ross is back on the pod after a multi year hiatus. Ross was actually the very first guest back on episode #3 and #4! Since then Ross has won tons of comps, competed in tons of world cups, climbed hard boulders, hard sport, even hard trad! In the last few months Ross has been on tear doing all of...2024-11-111h 58The Testpiece Podcast#121 Matt Fultz — BIG MOVES small crimps, Long Term Projecting, Video Analysis, Hardest Board Climbs, Throwing Away His Scale, and How He Coaches on OTGYou’ve heard of Matt Fultz, but you may not realize just how amazing Matt is. He’s climbed eight V16’s. 8. Eight! By the way, two of them are rarely repeated and recognized as some of the hardest in the world (Hypnotized Minds and Big Z). He’s FA’d 7 climbs V15 and up, including 2 V15’s in one day!! We’re pretty sure that’s a world’s first, but who’s counting…Matt has also been coaching for well over a decade and founded Off The Ground coaching (“OTG”), which is one of the most highly respecte...2024-10-211h 51The Testpiece Podcast#120 Alvaro Rangel — Coaching Team USA at the Olympics, Not Saying ‘Strong’, The Most Important Skill, Making Finals vs Semi’s, Case Studies, and The Future of Comp ClimbingAlvaro Rangel, Al, is back on the podcast after 2+ years! Al was one of the first guests and one of the best. The last podcast we did was incredible, but somehow Al managed to top it with today’s episode.He is the founder and head coach of Team Class 5 in San Diego, CA. Al is also part of the Team USA coaching staff and supports the team at World Cups as well as at the recent Paris Olympics.Al’s insight into what makes climbers the best in the world is rare. He shares his...2024-10-142h 33The Testpiece Podcast#119 Melina Costanza — Elite Mental Training and Performance, Look Good Feel Good Play Good, Getting Hooked on The Outdoors, and The Nuances of Eating As a Top AthleteMelina Costanza is an 8x US National Champion. Sometimes as a youth, sometimes as a collegiate, sometimes in Open, sometimes in bouldering, sometimes in lead, sometimes both. Yes, last year at Open Nationals (2023) she won both Bouldering and Lead. She is set to compete in the 2024 Open Nationals coming up in a week, so after you listen to this podcast make sure to mark your calendars for October 14th and 15th and cheer her on!In this podcast, Melina shares her extremely deep dive into mental training and how she translates that to her incredible performances in c...2024-10-072h 23The Testpiece Podcast#118 Ward Byrum — Setting Climbs For Tens of Thousands of Climbers, What Makes A Climb Good, Indoor vs Outdoor Grades, and What A ‘Testpiece’ is at Movement GymsWard Byrum is the Director of Routesetting for all Movement gyms in the East Region. Yes, that Movement. The biggest climbing gym chain in America and probably the world. That means that Ward and his team decide what the climbing will be like for thousands of climbers. Scratch that, ten’s of thousands of climbers. It might even be hundreds of thousands of climbers or even millions! But hey, who’s counting? The climbs his team puts up will likely be their first experience of climbing and quite possibly the only climbing they ever do.Tu...2024-09-302h 20The Testpiece Podcast#116 David Fitzgerald — A Big Zeason [V16], Lucid Dreaming [V15+], His Breakthrough On How To Approach Hard Projects, Creating Hits with Highpoint Productions, and Editing 101David Fitzgerald is back after an absolutely incredible season. Dave was previously on for Testpiece Episode #55, a total fan favorite.Last season Dave had a list of climbs in different styles to tackle. Tierrany, a V14 endurance bloc in Yosemite. Equanimity, a V15 ultra tech testpiece in Tahoe. Lucid Dreaming, the V15+ straight forward power problem in Bishop. And Big Z, a V16 power endurance mega-testpiece that has thwarted many of the best climbers in the world.Did we mention he did this all after sustaining his worst finger injury ever?Oh wait...2024-09-162h 00The Testpiece Podcast#112 Paris 2024 Olympics — Professional Climber and Coach Tim Kang on The Results, The Routesetting, The Grades, and The Future of CompetitionsProfessional climber, coach, routesetter, and frequent Testpiece podcast guest, Tim Kang, is on the pod this week to share his thoughts about the Paris 2024 Olympics.Tim may be best known for his highball ascents that culminated in the film Focus, but Tim is also a seasoned competition climber with multiple World Cups under his belt. Tim loves competition climbing and studies in deeply. Hear his thoughts on the most important climbing competition ever. In this episode, Tim and Josh dive into how fair the results were, what the routesetters tested, the grades of those routes, a...2024-08-192h 06The Testpiece Podcast#105 Tim Kang — Going All In, The Most Important Moments for Growth, Embracing What Others Won’t, and The Difference Between Good and GreatTim Kang is a frequent guest on the podcast, but now you get to hear him do a more typical interview.Tim is a professional climber and coach that has competed at the World Cup level, won a Psicobloc competition, climbed v14 and 5.14d, but he is best known for his daring sends of the wildest highballs in Bishop which culminated in the popular film Focus.Tune in to hear Tim’s arc as a climber, from his early days when he struggled to keep up with everyone else, to...2024-07-012h 07The Testpiece Podcast#103 T&J — The Opposite Of Flow, Woods and Wheelers, Keeping Your Feet On, and Respect Every Climb[er]Entitlement is the opposite of flow and perhaps the most damaging frame to have over the long term in your climbing. This can come from training, previous sends, or comp placement.Hear stories about Daniel Woods and other pro-climbers who have avoided this frame. And hear from Tim Kang and Josh Horsley about how they coach others and themselves to guard against it.SHOW NOTES:NEW!! Testpiece Pocket T-ShirtSUAV ShoesRhino Skin SolutionsSupport the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our...2024-06-171h 58The Testpiece Podcast#102 The Tension Crew — Ultimate Board Climbing Deep Dive, History of Boards, Best Board Practices, Training on Boards, The Future of Boards, and Undeniable VibesWe love board climbing. And if you do too, or even if you are just board curious, this episode it for you. The history of boards, board training, board ethics, board best practices, the future of boards. BOARDS!!This was a special in person recording in Colorado with part of the Tension Climbing crew (Will Anglin, Michael Rosato, and Quinn Spadafora). This episode was recorded the day after Josh and Tim did a YouTube video with Tension, “Comparing the Boards: Testpiece Comes to Tension”. You need to watch that video ASAP!! Tension and Testp...2024-06-102h 26The Testpiece Podcast#100 T&J — The Simple Path To Being Great, The Real Role Of Strength, Dealing With Tweaky Moves, Moonboard 2024, Amazing Media Drops, and Skin Farming Episode #100!!!! Thank you all for the support. What a journey it’s been. This episode was an absolute banger that encapsulates a lot of the Testpiece message. Tim and Josh break down the ‘Simple’ path that the best climbers follow to being great. And then they detail the appropriate role that strength plays in this path. They also go over the latest news and cover the amazing media that has been dropping as well as a quick review of the Moonboard 2024 set by Tim. SHOW NOTES: Janja on Büg...2024-05-272h 03The Testpiece Podcast#96 T&J — Battling Mid-Send Doubts, Incredibly Hard Sends, New Shoe Tech, Update Your System By Shutting Up, Don’t Talk Sh!t, and Josh Talk’s Sh!tYou’re midway through a redpoint burn and you’re tired. There’s a bunch of moves to go and you tell yourself that you’re so tired right now there’s no way you’ll ever send. But the truth is, you have no idea how far you will get or if the send is actually right there for the taking. You can’t trust your feelings!Tim and Josh tackle the problem of doubt creep and how to find actual success during your attempts.SHOW NOTES...2024-04-291h 58The Testpiece Podcast#93 Allison Vest — THE STRONGEST FINGERS IN THE WORLD, Hangboarding Deep Dive, Comps Vs Outdoors, LeBron James’ Tip to Send V14, Not Lying to Yourself, Creating FLOAT and Her Secret Training PDF (only $9.99)Allison Vest has THE STRONGEST FINGERS IN THE WORLD (according to the internet), and she is finally releasing her secret training plan to us! It’s only $9.99, and the best part is Testpiece listeners get 20% off for a limited time! Get it here NOW! 🥸 Allison shares about what it’s like to climb with the extremely strong fingers and why that’s important to climb hard but not everything. Then we go deep into hangboarding. Seriously Deep. Allison also tells us about the transition from Competition to Outdoor climbing, the different joys they bring and th...2024-04-082h 08The Testpiece Podcast#83 Sean Bailey — Devilution FA [~V16], Japan’s Gym Scene, The Future of Hard Sport Climbing, Spearheading USA’s Return to WC’s, Projecting in Bouldering vs Sport, and BTS of Making It As a ProSean Bailey came on Testpiece and shared his decades of experience from sending and competing at the absolute top of the sport. Sean truly is one of the best climbers in the world right now. Sean recently FA’d the low start to Evilution [“Devilution”] which was a long standing sought after project that clocks in around V16 and is now one of the hardest, proudest lines in the world!How he started climbing and training at a young age and what it was like cutting his teeth on his local crags like Smith Rock.He shares about what WC...2024-01-291h 51The Testpiece Podcast#81 Carlo Traversi — The Dark Side V16 FA, Using Wet Chalk, Pushing Not Pulling, The Grade Debate, and What He Learned From Yosemite Testpiece’sCarlo Traversi is back to tell us about his recent FA of The Dark Side V16 (suggested grade) in Yosemite. Josh thinks this FA will go down in the history books as THE testpiece of our generation in Yosemite bouldering. Tune in and see what you think.Carlo explains the incredible tactics he had to employ to get this FA done. It was absolutely mindblowing how detailed he got to make this send happen. A true example of Mastery.SHOW NOTES:The Dark Side Instagram PostValley UprisingYabo RoofSupport the show2024-01-152h 15The Testpiece Podcast#78: T&J — Baby Rattlesnakes, F*CK! Tim Got Injured, The Demonstration of Strength, Kids Vs Adults, and Boarding As A MinorF*CK! Tim busted his knee. Not the best way to spend the holidays...The main topic for this episode is what Kids do better than Adults, and what Adults do better than Kids.Tim and Josh also talk about the latest ascents of two previous Testpiece Guests -- Defying Gravity by Nathaniel Coleman, and Sleepwalker by Zach Galla. This leads into a discussion about the demonstration of strength while climbing and how it has or hasn't evolved over the years.SHOW NOTES:Nathaniel Coleman, Defying Gravity (V15)Noah Wheeler, 3rd Ascent o...2023-12-252h 03The Testpiece Podcast#77: Zach Galla — Raw Power, The Truth Behind WC Comps, The Olympic Grind, Leaving a Legacy, and The Role of BoardsZach Galla has been ticking off some of the hardest boulders in America while simultaneously competing at the highest level. He’s always vying for the podium in any US competition and has spent time on the World Cup circuit as well.Zach goes deep on this podcast about what it’s really like to compete at these high level comps. What the setting is like, how the scoring works, and why it can be frustrating but rewarding too. We also talk about his love of outdoor climbing and how he balances this with competitions.2023-12-181h 52The Testpiece Podcast#66: T&J — “My Wife Says Your Setting Sucks”, Contradictory Training Advice / Hype, Don’t Major In The Minors, Morpho Climbs, Sessioning with “The Strong Crew”, Yosemite Testpiece’s, Doing a V8 vs Climbing V8, and Past Guest Reflections [Mike Heinstein]Tim and Josh chat about Yosemite bouldering, gym climbing, bad setting, and the hard truth that just because you’ve climbed V8, doesn’t mean you’re a V8 climber.Then Tim and Josh answer some of the burning questions from listeners:When and how-to session with the local strong crew.How to deal with all the training advice on social media that is sometimes contradictory.How to handle with “morpho” climbs, and what to do if you are on the shorter or taller end of the spectrum.SHOW NOTES:Becoming a Supple Leopard...2023-10-021h 53The Testpiece Podcast#65: Mike Heinstein — $200M in Advice, What’s Next in Climbing Gyms, Lessons from Europe, The Best Model for Climbers, Chains vs Communities, The Value of Routesetting, Opening Your Own Gym, Learning from Snowboarding Culture and Climbing for LifeWhen Mike Heinstein speaks about the climbing world, we listen. That’s because Mike is an extremely successful entrepreneur with more experience in business than perhaps anyone in climbing 🤯. Mike has always been a life long climber and now that he’s done with his previous business, Art.com, he has set his sights on the world of climbing by opening up the innovative Mosaic Boulders in Berkeley, CA. But the best thing about Mike is that he is genuinely here to help. He freely shares all of his insights about the climbing industry, how to op...2023-09-251h 18The Testpiece Podcast#64: Intention — When There’s No Time or Psyche, Doing THE Thing, Low Hanging Fruit, Plan A/B/C…F, Lack of Time vs Energy, Low Psyche Workouts, and Past Guest Reflections [Nathaniel Coleman]How do you fit it all in when you are busy? How do you decide what is important and what isn’t? What if you show up feeling like crap?This podcast is all about how to deal with the realities of a busy life while still progressing in your climbing.Tim and Josh have different approaches because they have different lives. Tim is a pro-climber who has to travel often and struggles to have a set schedule. Josh works a lot and has a family which means his schedule is always short on free ti...2023-09-181h 52The Testpiece Podcast#63: Nathaniel Coleman — Elite Mental Game, Why He’s Not Competing, Twitch Streaming, Proper Excitement Levels, Intuition vs Logical Analysis, WC Commentary, Future Goals and [of course] KendamaHoly sh!t folks, this one was special. Nathaniel Coleman went deep on this pod in a way he hasn’t before elsewhere.He's an Olympic Silver Medalist, a 3x National Bouldering Champion (in a row!), and he FA'd the iconic Grand Illusion, a V16. Just one of these things would cement him as one of the top climbers in our sport.In the podcast Nathaniel shares what is actually going through his mind when he’s competing on the biggest stages, and the approach he uses when things don’t go as planne...2023-09-112h 15The Testpiece Podcast#62: You're Training Wrong — The North Star, Inspiration from Japan, The Fundamental Question, #Training, Learning How To Learn, Curling Your Way Past V4, Squatting Your Way to V14 and Past Guest Reflections [Eric Jerome]You're Training Wrong, my dude.Maybe... In this podcast, Tim and Josh ask the question "Are we thinking about training all wrong?"This topic goes into the current state of "#Training", and figuring out how to answer The Fundamental Question: "How do we get better at climbing?". Spoiler -- It's not a simple question. As Will Anglin says: "Climbing is hard."Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow u...2023-09-041h 54The Testpiece Podcast#61: Eric Jerome — Quest For the BEST, The Top 100 Boulders, The Origin of Star Ratings, 6 Attributes of Quality, Focusing on Quality, and The Story Behind the Current #1 Best Boulder in the USAEric Jerome has multiple V15 FA’, he is a prolific developer, and he works in the climbing industry at KAYA. But what made us want to talk to Eric on this podcast was his pursuit of the BEST boulders. Who doesn’t want to climb the best boulders?! First Eric had to answer the question “What makes one boulder better than another?”Join us on this journey as we dive deep into the origin of the “Star” system, and how to apply it. Then go to Eric’s website: Top100 to see the best boulders, and follow alon...2023-08-282h 18The Testpiece Podcast#60: Conquering Cruxes — Sequencing Macro to the Micro, Infinite Beta Layers, V15 @ 15, Pro Climber Volume, Food Safety Gloves, and Past Guest Reflections [Will Anglin]Sequencing is one of the core abilities we must develop as climbers. It starts with the macro, but if you want to really solve that crux you have to go into the micro details. But learning how to know where to look for efficiencies in the micro is hard. Tim and Josh try to demystify this process and show how to figure out where to eek out tiny bits of help in order to unlock that seemingly impossible crux move.Oh ya, and there’s lots of normal banter and general psyche that all of the...2023-08-212h 04The Testpiece Podcast#59: Will Anglin — Tension Founder, Training With the BEST in the World, A Student/Master of The Craft, Strength Metrics vs Sending Reality, Infinite Variables, and Being Consumed by Something You LoveAn absolutely EPIC podcast with Will Anglin, one of the founder’s of Tension Climbing. Other than creating the coolest climbing brand that every “climber's climber” love, Will has coached for years, smashes V14, and dove deeper into training than most.Tune in to:Hear amazing stories from the legendary training center / “The Shop” at the Tension HQ. This is where the strongest in America get stronger, and has been visited by anyone that’s anyone while traveling through CO.Find out what Will has learned by training alongside the greats, and how he has integ...2023-08-142h 43The Testpiece Podcast#58: Boards > Gym? — Why Boards?, F*CK! Josh Got Hurt, Mallorca Dreamin’, Classroom Review, Reducing Variables, and Reflections on Tim’s Favorite Episode [Jason Kehl]Lot’s of psyche but also some bad news on this one… You can’t miss Tim’s reflections on his “favorite episode” with Jason Kehl! Tim and Josh discuss some of the questions that were brought up in the first Testpiece Classroom. (Join them next month by signing up on Patreon!)The podcast closes with a discussion about board climbing and why so many climbers gravitate towards them instead normal gym climbs. It’s a surprising part of the indoor scene and there’s lessons to be learned from the phenomenon.NOTESJakob S...2023-08-072h 10The Testpiece Podcast#57: Jason Kehl — Evilution FA, Mutate Your Body, When Climbs Take Your Breath Away, Creating Experiences of ‘Awe’, Why Hueco is Special, “Real Climbing”, Becoming Obsessed, and SO Much MoreThis was a dream come true for Josh — hearing straight from Jason Kehl himself about the FA of Evilution!But wait, there’s more. Jason’s impact within the climbing world is second to none. You’ve either climbed on one his FA’s, or climbed on a gym wall he’s designed, or grabbed a grip he shaped. Yes, he’s that prolific.Tune in and hear more from the absolute LEGEND, Jason Kehl!Find more from Jason here:InstagramReal Climbing [YouTube]Hueco GuidebookHold ShapingGym Design HYP...2023-07-311h 42The Testpiece Podcast#56: MAXIMIZE — Dealing with Constraints, Falling in Love, 2016 Moonboarding, Tim’s Big Move, Goals and How to Actually Train for Them, Bucket List Climbs, and Fitzgerald ReflectionsTim and Josh are extra psyched on climbing right now. They share what’s been going on in their training and the goals they’ve set for themselves. They also share some highlights and lessons learned from the David Fitzgerald interview last week.The topic of the day is about how to maximize your training while dealing with the reality of what facilities you have available. How do you train for a 60m tufa route on a moonboard? Tim and Josh don’t quite agree… but their approaches both have merit and will help you get to where yo...2023-07-242h 09The Testpiece Podcast#55: David Fitzgerald — Technique and Strength on Small Holds, Getting Granular, The Tahoe Scene, Training Minutiae, and Editing “A Little Life”David Fitzgerald is “one of the most underrated climbers out there” per Jimmy Webb. If that doesn’t make you hit play immediately, keep reading because there’s more…On top of being a v15 climber (v16 soon!) with insane finger strength, he is also an extremely talented editor/videographer. You probably have seen his newest film with Keenan Takahashi, “A Little Life”, and if you haven’t yet… Why not?!In this podcast, David breaks down his training techniques, how his fingers got to be so strong, tips on how you can do the same, as well as a...2023-07-172h 02The Testpiece Podcast#54: World Cup '23 [Spoilers!] — Why This Season Was So Good, New Amazing Talent, Bouldering Results, Venue Vibes, and Why it’s like F1The ’23 Boulder WC season is over and it was a banger! Even if comps aren’t your thing we all have a ton to learn from watching the best of the best battle it out. This season had some of the most impressive breakout talent — hear Tim and Josh talk about the 16 year old phenom, Sorato Anraku.And per usual, the pod starts with a review of the most recent guest — Jon Cardwell. There was a lot packed into that episode so Tim and Josh made sure to pull out some of the highlights and share their takes.2023-07-101h 45The Testpiece Podcast#53: Jon Cardwell — 5.15 Sport Climbing, Busting Plateaus and Structured Training, Dirtbagging in Europe, Advice for Young Pro’s, Anaerobic vs. Aerobic, and The Best Climbing Areas in the WorldJon Cardwell is one of the top sport climbers in the world with multiple 5.15’s sends under his belt. Oh ya, and the 3rd ascent of a legendary V15 you might have heard of, “The Game”. And during this podcast you’ll see why. Jon is introspective, open minded, and relentlessly puts in the work. Join us while he shares how he has figured out how to send hard, and what he has learned from the all star crew he has spent the last 15+ years traveling and climbing with.You also don’t want to miss his wi...2023-07-032h 06The Testpiece Podcast#52: No Coach? No Problem — How to Self Analyze, Learn How to Answer the Question “Why?”, Using Video for Success, What your Friends Know (or DON’T)Most of the time we don’t have a coach sitting behind us giving feedback. So what do you when you are by yourself and stuck? How do you do learn to coach yourself when no one is around?Tim and Josh share how to use video, questions, and friends, to answer the questions “Why?” [did I fall]. Tim shows how this is one of the most important skills to develop in order to get better, forever.They use real examples of routes and boulders they struggled on to show how they were able to progre...2023-06-261h 53The Testpiece Podcast#51: Jamie Emerson — The ‘Sheriff’, Defining Boulders, What Elite Climbers have in Common, Subjectivity in Grading, Technique vs Smoothness, Sending After 100 Days, Training your Creativity, and Developing What’s NextYou care about climbing. I care about climbing. And so does Jamie Emerson. Because Jamie cares so much he is willing to dive into the minutiae to help us define our sport. The How and the Why behind how Jamie does this is fascinating and will hit home to all of us who love climbing so much.Jimmy Webb jokingly called him the “Sheriff” and somehow that nickname stuck. But that one word title doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of Jamie’s mark on the climbing world. Over the years Jamie has done it all — cl...2023-06-192h 20The Testpiece Podcast#50: The Best Climbing Gym in the World? — Japanese Setting, ‘Black’ Tape, B-Pump, and Reflections on the ‘Villain’ Is B-Pumo Ogikubo the best climbing gym is the world? Japan has created some of the strongest climbers in the world, especially in the competition scene, and Tim wanted to know how they did it. So Tim made the pilgrimage to Japan to see what all the chatter was about. He goes into the setting, the holds, the style, and the yakitori. PS -- Here's the tripod Tim mentions in his Pro-Tip: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WHLXN6N?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_N00JV2ETQ1EQWCQ68T1RSu...2023-06-121h 53The Testpiece Podcast#49: Tristan Chen — Being the ‘Villain’, Grades in Climbing, Climbing 5.15 in Rumney, Surviving Cancer, What Pro’s are ACTUALLY Like (Over/Underrated), and ‘Hot Takes’ GaloreYou know him, you hate him, Tristan Chen — the ‘Villain’ of climbing!We’re half-joking, Tristan is only the ‘Villain’ because it makes the climbing world more fun and he has opinions that he’s not afraid to share. And make no mistake, these opinions are not just to cause problems — they are well thought through and interesting. The truth is, most high level climbers are already having these conversations about grades and abilities behind closed doors, but Tristan is willing to shine light on what’s being said behind the scenes and give his take. His ‘hot takes’! And he h...2023-06-051h 51The Testpiece Podcast#48: Do or DIE — How to Perform Under Pressure in Competitions, Run-Outs, Highballs, Flashing, or ANYTIME the Stakes are HighSometimes climbing can be intense. Maybe it’s in competition, maybe it’s being way off the deck and in serious danger, or maybe you just know it’s the last try you have because of skin, conditions, or the end of a trip coming.Tim and Josh share how to handle these situations, and even better, how to prepare yourself for these moments through training. Don’t just hope that you will rise to the moment, use their practical tips and tricks to make sure that you are ready when these times come.Support the show...2023-05-301h 35The Testpiece Podcast#47: Carlo Traversi — Becoming Great, The Hardest Moves and Grades in the World, How Having Fun Can Beat Training, Mastering Different Disciplines, The Magic of Yosemite, and What Makes Carlo’s Gym ‘The Boulder Field’ SpecialCarlo Traversi (@carlodenali) is a professional climber that has mastered every discipline in climbing. 5.14+ trad, 5.15 sport, V16 boulders, USA Nation Team for over a DECADE! Carlo has done it all. On top of this, he founded one of the top gyms in the nation — The Boulder Field. Tune in and learn how Carlo achieved all of this and how you can too.Don’t miss this one. Tim and Josh think it’s one of the best yet!Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast...2023-05-221h 53The Testpiece Podcast#46 -- F*CK! I'm InjuredTim and Josh dig into the topic of injuries. How to avoid them, how to work around them, how to train around them, and the mindset you need to get through them and come back stronger.They both have had their fair share and learned a lot from them. They are often make or break moments in your career, so tune in to hear from our mistakes and the our new best practices.Pro-Tip: Don’t get injured.Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our po...2023-05-151h 49The Testpiece Podcast#45 -- Jared Roth (pusher)Jared Roth joined Tim and Josh for an epic pod!There was soooo much ground to cover because Jared has done it all in the climbing world. Be sure not to miss his stories about the early days in Bishop and his FA of the iconic Rastaman Vibration (stand start of Lucid Dreaming).But Jared is more than just an OG crusher with some of the best FA’s in America — he also now owns the legendary climbing hold company Pusher. Jared gives us the real behind scenes on making holds, shaping holds, and all...2023-05-081h 58The Testpiece Podcast#44 -- Your HomeTim and Josh share their takeaways from the last interview with Connor Herson and an interview Tim did for another podcast. Then they discuss some of the drama around hold choice in the latest World Cup. The pod ends with a listener question that focused on community in climbing. How it comes to be, how to build it, how to join one, and the cool communities that Tim and Josh have been a part of over the years.Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: H...2023-05-011h 30The Testpiece Podcast#43 -- Connor Herson, Non-TraditionalTim and Josh joke that Connor's background of traditional climbing actually makes him Non-Traditional. But this gives him a unique POV compared to others and it makes it all the more fun to hear his take on competitions, bouldering, plastic, trad, etc. Don’t miss this pod, and definitely don’t miss Connor’s recent film released by La Sportiva — “Traditional at Heart”.Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HE2023-04-241h 39The Testpiece Podcast#42 -- Crimp Types and the Why Behind Each OneTim and Josh actually do love crimps. Or at least they like them…In this episode they go into each of the different crimp types (open, half, full) and the pro’s and con’s of each one. Then they talk about how and why to utilize each type depending on the hold and movement required. Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE2023-04-171h 23The Testpiece Podcast#41 -- Sloper LoveTim and Josh express their love of slopers and deconstruct the techniques around how to best use them. Slopers can stump a lot of newer, intermediate, and even advanced climbers, but they are the key to unlocking next level climbing technique. Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE2023-04-101h 18The Testpiece Podcast#40 -- Putting the Lessons Together, EffortTim and Josh go into the application of Balance and Mechanics: Effort. Tim shows us how Effort is something that is trainable all by itself. Effort is that “jen ne se quois” that MUST be understood and developed in order to become a great climber.Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE2023-04-031h 30The Testpiece Podcast#39 -- The 2nd Lesson, MechanicsTim and Josh go into the next thing Tim addresses with his clients: Climbing Mechanics. They show the process behind how you can deconstruct hard “stopper” moves to make them as easy as possible. This is fundamental for leveling up your climbing. Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE2023-03-281h 26The Testpiece Podcast#38 -- The 1st Lesson, BalanceBalance on the wall is one of the first things Tim goes over with all of his coaching clients. In this episode Tim and Josh go over what balance means in climbing, how to find better positions when you feel ‘off balance’, and how to execute the next move once that position is obtained.Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE2023-03-201h 18The Testpiece Podcast#37 -- Sport Climbing Tips, Tricks, & TacticsTim and Josh go deep on how to sport climb at a high level. They address breathing on the wall, understanding resting, dealing with fear, how to do hard bouldery moves while tied in, and lots more.Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE2023-03-061h 47The Testpiece Podcast#36 -- Grades MatterAre grades subjective? What exactly do grades represent, and what don’t they represent? How do climbs get their grades anyways? What is the hardest move ever done and how are hard moves related to the actual grade of the climb?Tim and Josh go deep on grades because, let’s face it, grades matter and climbing needs them.Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE2023-02-271h 51The Testpiece Podcast#35 -- Bodyweight Optimization and Cutting Edge TechJosh brings Coach Andy (@coachandytollefson on Instagram) back on to talk about figuring out your optimal bodyweight for climbing and how weightlifting may or may not fit into obtaining that weight. Then they go on to discuss some cutting edge technologies that could be used to help you train more and recover faster including BPC-157, Red Light Therapy, and using a “Cool Mitt”.WARNING: This pod goes into some subjects that can be sensitive for some listeners because they include discussions around weight.Links discussed in the show:Signs you may be Over...2023-02-212h 12The Testpiece Podcast#34 -- Pursuing Mastery with Tim & Coach AndyTim and his S&C Coach, Andy, discuss the pursuit of mastery in climbing. What that means and what that looks like day to day.You can find Andy on Instagram @coachandytollefson.Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE2023-02-141h 21The Testpiece Podcast#33 -- Coach Andy TollefsonTim’s Strength and Conditioning Coach, Andy Tollefson, joins Tim and Josh. Andy is a climber and coach based out of SLC who is a certified Strength and Condition Specialist and graduated with a BS in Exercise Science. They talked about everything from injury prevention in climbing, what Tim / Josh got wrong in the “Pumping Iron” episode, and some of the cutting edge supplements that Andy thinks may become a mainstay for elite climbers. This episode is packed with tips that you can instantly apply. Stay tuned for a part 2, because we all agreed that we barel...2023-02-061h 37The Testpiece Podcast#32 -- Pumping Iron for Climbing?Tim and Josh discuss weightlifting and climbing. What is weightlifting vs calisthenics vs prehab? Is it necessary? Who might benefit? Who might not?Josh’s recommendation: Hangboarding + ‘Perfect’ Pull-ups + Pistols or Jumping is all 95% of people need. Frequency and quality over quantity. Do these often, and do them right. Sets and reps aren’t as important as intention and quality.Tim’s recommendation: Muscle-Ups + Toes-to-Bar + Hangboarding. Heavy weightlifting can teach you how to dial up limit intensity.Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERE2023-01-302h 05The Testpiece Podcast#31 -- Supplements and ClimbingTim and Josh talk about how they use supplements before, during, and after climbing to improve performance and recovery.Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE2023-01-231h 25The Testpiece Podcast#30 -- Footwork and Shoe ChoiceTim and Josh get into the minutiae of footwork and shoe choice.Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE2023-01-161h 53The Testpiece Podcast#29 -- Reviews of '22 and Predictions for '23Tim and Josh reflect on what stood out as the biggest themes in the 2022 climbing year and then they make predictions for what they think will be the biggest themes in 2023.Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE2023-01-091h 22The Testpiece Podcast#28 -- Tim's Best DayTim did it! He sent his longtime project — a link up of 5 highball testpieces in Bishop. All in 1 day. Footprints (V9), Ambrosia (V11), Too Big To Flail (V10), This Side of Paradise (V10), and Evilution Direct (V11). Epic. In this pod we go behind the scenes and learn about the reality of what it took to put this together. Tim doesn’t hold anything back and talks about what it was like to risk his life for this linkup.Thanks to Black Diamond for supporting Tim on this goal. Keep an eye out for the u...2022-12-201h 21The Testpiece Podcast#27 -- What is 'Comp Style'?Tim and Josh tackle a few listener questions with the main focus being on "What is ‘Comp Style’?"Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE2022-12-141h 40The Testpiece Podcast#26 -- BISHOP!Bishop is one of Tim and Josh's favorite places on Earth. Tim was there while recording the pod so they decided to go deep on what makes Bishop one of the best places to climb in the world.Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE2022-12-031h 44The Testpiece Podcast#25 -- Nationals, Adventure, The MetaTim shares his experience at Lead Nationals. Spoiler alert -- he placed well! Then Tim and Josh talk about what Adventure means in climbing and why it’s so important. This leads them into The Meta of climbing and how to excel in it, or anything, over the long term.Support the showSupport us on Patreon: HEREVisit our podcast page: HERESign-up with one of our coaches: HEREFollow us on Instagram: HERE2022-11-211h 36