Tess Driessens is a professional climbing coach and lives with chronic pain. We talked about getting diagnosed with five herniated discs from a cliff jumping accident, tools for chronic pain, why hope can be negative, finding true acceptance, meditation, Alexander Technique and Feldenkrais Method, finding happiness within, why love is the key to life, and three sentences she tells herself every day. You can work with Tess at motion-coaching.be The NUG 👉 frictitiousclimbing.com/products/the-nug ...
Apr 15, 2025•3 hr 40 min
Dr. Keith Baar is a leading expert in tendon and ligament engineering and repair. Natalie Gilmore is a PhD student focused on climbing-specific research. We talked about the results of their recent retrospective study , exciting new science, why “Abrahangs” improve force transfer, why progressively overloading them is a bad idea, protocols for finger health and strength, and more. PhysiVantage: physivantage.com (link includes 15% off coupon) Use code "NUGGET15" at checkout for 15% off your next ...
Apr 07, 2025•1 hr 23 min
Connor Bodin climbed 30 minutes per day for 100 consecutive days to boost his endurance, and it worked. His critical force went from 30% of bodyweight to an impressive 44% of bodyweight, and his climbing standard went from 5.11+ to 5.12+. In this Patron Spotlight, Connor shares exactly what he did during the 100-day experiment, what he learned, what he plans to do next time, Dave MacLeod’s original experiment that inspired him, and more. Think you’ll try it out? Become a Patron for a chance to b...
Apr 01, 2025•29 min
Katie Lambert is an accomplished all-around climber with a master's in nutrition. We talked about how to get more value out of climbing trips, her training and cold plunge routine, perimenopause, her 40:30:30 approach to nutrition, how to eat on a climbing day, ingredients to avoid, go-to carb sources, eating healthy on a budget, her non-profit Sacred Rok, getting kids to enjoy healthy food, farm-to-school, and more. Maui Nui Venison: mauinuivenison.com/NUGGET The healthiest red meat on the plan...
Mar 24, 2025•2 hr 19 min
Tony Yaniro is a climbing legend and the first-ever person to redpoint a 5.13b with his ascent of The Grand Illusion in 1979. We talked about his early years, handmaking cams in his garage, developing The Needles, inventing the first campus board, training for 5.14 using tin foil, the controversy of chipping routes at Leslie Gulch, his legendary homewall on wheels, building a climbing gym , the importance of respecting your body, and much more. PhysiVantage: physivantage.com (link includes 15% o...
Mar 17, 2025•2 hr 56 min
Adam Ondra is the greatest climber of all time. We talked about his trip to Smith Rock in 2018, onsighting Just Do It, what he was like as a kid, his 9c projects, Soudain Seul 9A, the Imhotep project, how he trains for long boulders vs routes, the Olympics, The Dawn Wall, climbing ethics, the monster within, why he thinks he can push his level for 7 more years, and much more. Rúngne: rungne.info/nugget-club 👆 Join the Rúngne community & start earning. Use code “NUGGET” to get 10% off storewide....
Mar 10, 2025•2 hr 52 min
Max Didier is a Chilean big wall climber and alpinist turned boulderer. We talked about leaving the Air Force to climb, the value of exploration and adventure, his trip to India, maintaining simplicity in life, becoming a bouldering coach, the balance of strength and technique, his training routine, training with intention, mindset and motivation, enjoying the process, starting late, finding your passion, his futuristic project, and more. PhysiVantage: physivantage.com (link includes 15% off cou...
Mar 03, 2025•3 hr 41 min
Chris Sharma and Ron Kauk return to the podcast for a philosophical chat. We discussed early bouldering in Camp 4, the essence of climbing, the source of motivation, reinventing your climbing identity, Chris’ latest deep water solo ‘Vision Quest’ 9a, thoughts for future climbers, the key to good climbing technique, following your own path, and much more. Maui Nui Venison: mauinuivenison.com/NUGGET The healthiest red meat on the planet. Wild harvested and responsibly sourced. Mad Rock: madrock.co...
Feb 24, 2025•2 hr
Caroline Ciavaldini is a French professional climber specializing in sport, trad, and multi-pitch climbing. We talked about growing up in La Réunion, early climbing, her mother’s suicide, the magic and selfishness of competitions, eating disorders, becoming adventurous, trips with Yuji Hirayama, meeting her husband James Pearson, discussing hard things with your kids, the color yellow, naming emotions, gentle feminism, and much more. Mad Rock: madrock.com Use code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% ...
Feb 17, 2025•3 hr 30 min
Randy Leavitt is a climbing pioneer, prolific route developer, pilot, and surfer. We talked about training on the Dune Cracks with Tony Yaniro, inventing the Leavittation offwidth technique, his journey from mountaineering to sport climbing, bolting Jumbo Love and other famous routes, why money equals freedom, his passion for surfing, reflections from almost drowning, aging gracefully, and much more. Rúngne: rungne.info/nugget 👆 Win a year supply of Chalk from Rúngne Use code “NUGGET” to get 15...
Feb 10, 2025•2 hr 2 min
Dave MacLeod is back to answer some of your most burning questions. We talked about notable mindset shifts that affected him, how to reconcile contradictory advice, how to balance longevity with pushing your max, whether prehab training is necessary, his thoughts on Emil Abrahamsson and Keith Baar’s study on “No Hangs”, his thoughts on active flexion or finger curls, how to choose your training method, whether eating meat can coexist with environmentalist and much more. Get 90% off 1 month of Pa...
Feb 05, 2025•39 min
Louise Shepherd is a living legend, and has been called “The Lynn Hill of Australia”. We talked about climbing in the late 70s, her formative experiences, dirtbagging in Arapiles, onsighting some of the first 5.12s in Yosemite, access issues threatening Aralipes climbing, putting cultural heritage into context, and how climbers can help save Arapiles climbing . How You Can Help: https://www.climbingvictoria.com/arapiles Revival Climbing Coalition: revivalclimbing.com EP 225: Tony Bell & David Br...
Feb 03, 2025•2 hr 46 min
Sol Wertkin is a former rock climber, cancer survivor, nurse, and avid mountain biker. We talked about new routing in the PNW, the “Golden Era” of Leavenworth climbing, the passing of Johnny Goicoechea, Sol’s cancer diagnosis in 2020, the long and difficult road to recovery, how e-biking saved his life, sailing, why life feels richer now that he doesn’t climb, and nuggets to help your own health journey. Feel free to message Sol on Instagram if you have any questions about cancer diagnosis or lo...
Jan 27, 2025•3 hr 8 min
Stian Christophersen is a physiotherapist, coach, author, and world-class climber. He returns to the podcast to discuss his new book about managing injuries. We talked about why only two days of hard climbing per week is enough to get stronger, the Japanese method for building technique, load management, how to rehab a ruptured pulley, why optimist is important for recovery, training for tweaky holds and moves, growth plate injuries, mindset tips, and much more. Buy Stian's Book: adventurebooks....
Jan 20, 2025•2 hr 23 min
Dave MacLeod is one of the best all-around climbers in the world. He returns to the podcast to talk about his new book, Moving the Needle . We discuss the simple decisions that led to his success, getting the basics right, how to climb harder in your 40s, the value of daydreaming, writing books, how diet affects mood, Paul Saladino’s meat and fruit approach, how to thrive on a keto diet, metabolic health, LCL cholesterol, seed oils, alcohol, the state of scientific research, and much more. Mad R...
Jan 13, 2025•4 hr 55 min
This is a collection of my favorite moments of the podcast from 2024, including some of the best Patreon segments. Enjoy! Holiday Gift Ideas: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing/gift Gift a Patreon subscription 👆 frictitiousclimbing.com/products/the-nug The NUG 👆 thenuggetclimbing.com/shop Hello Friends merch 👆 Rhino Skin Solutions: rhinoskinsolutions.com Use code “NUGGET” at checkout for 20% off your next order! Revival Climbing Coalition: revivalclimbing.com EP 225: Tony Bell & David Bress (my ep...
Dec 23, 2024•3 hr 32 min
April Davidson (yeahapril) is a rock climber and content creator. We talked about what it is like living with her blind fiance Justin Salas, growing up and moving to LA, losing her mom, opiate addiction, finding climbing, her Instagram career, health issues and adrenal fatigue, her experiment with the carnivore diet, responsible meat eating, chocolate cake, and much more. Holiday Gift Ideas: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing/gift Gift a Patreon subscription 👆 frictitiousclimbing.com/products/the-nu...
Dec 16, 2024•2 hr 12 min
Justin Salas is a legally blind climber who is a 6x National Champion and the 2018 World Champion. He’s also climbed up to V11 outside. We talked about what his visual experience is like, the psychology of an invisible disability, assistive technology, how he climbs, sight guides, projecting tactics, building out a van, the Olympics and paraclimbing competitions, visualization, being a changemaker, and much more. Holiday Gift Ideas: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing/gift Gift a Patreon subscription ...
Dec 09, 2024•3 hr 14 min
Eric Jerome is a V15 climber and prolific bouldering developer. We talked about getting hit by a drunk driver, how his injury led to a paradigm shift, why he is actively caring less about climbing, seeking the minimal effective dose, developing new boulders in the Flaming Gorge and The New, buying a house, his career with KAYA, the gamification of climbing, and much more. Holiday Gift Ideas: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing/gift Gift a Patreon subscription 👆 frictitiousclimbing.com/products/the-nu...
Dec 02, 2024•2 hr 25 min
Beth Rodden is one of the best female rock climbers of all time. We talked about her kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan, facing backlash after her divorce, reflections on her climbing career, her history with Magic Line, disconnecting self-worth from achievement, the unwinnable game of climbing, personal evolution, why she loves human stories, and much more. Her new book, A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber’s Story is available now. Become a Patron: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing BetterHelp: betterhelp.c...
Nov 25, 2024•2 hr 59 min
Chris Sharma is one of the greatest climbers of all time. We talked about his rapid ascension as a teenager, the knee injury that almost ended his career, why La Dura Dura was a turning point, reinventing ourselves as climbers, the importance of finishing what you start, what he does in the off-season, mini objectives, embracing competition, finding contentment, having kids, and much more. Become a Patron: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Crimpd: crimpd.com Or download the Crimpd app for free! Phys...
Nov 18, 2024•2 hr 29 min
Thomas Huber is a German rock climbing and mountaineering legend. We talked about his most recent expedition to Pakistan, how to have fun at basecamp, exploring the impossible, his first trip to Buoux as a teenager, beer diets, his relationship with his brother Alex, challenges, silver linings, partying with the Stone Monkeys in Yosemite, his new book Freiheit , and much more. Become a Patron: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Revival Climbing Coalition: revivalclimbing.com EP 225: Tony Bell & David...
Nov 11, 2024•2 hr 14 min
Moe’s Valley access is under threat! Todd Perkins returns to the show to talk about what is happening with Moe’s Valley, what actions are being taken to protect it, and what we can do to help. You can sign the petition here ! Sign the Petition: Petition to Permanently Protect the Greater Moe’s Valley Area (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3winkzQEwb-NI9TPPIW0yaEo1iLcifw43N0sCS5X9sW3nhQ/viewform) More Links: stgeorgeclimberscoalition.org Show Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/todd-p...
Nov 04, 2024•35 min
Fundamentals Season 2 (Part 6 of 6) — If you climb long enough, you’ll inevitably hit a plateau. In part 6, Jesse and I share our top tips and pitfalls for how to break through plateaus and continue progressing in your climbing. We cover the importance of focusing on skills rather than grades, doubling down on the basics, how to continually progress as a climber, and much more. Listen to more Fundamentals episodes: thenuggetclimbing.com/fundamentals The NUG: frictitiousclimbing.com/products/the-...
Oct 28, 2024•1 hr 22 min
Kaizen Asiedu is a Harvard graduate in philosophy, an Emmy winner, and a life coach. We talked about our political backgrounds and values, what happened to RFK Jr, the health crisis in the US, foreign wars, how the coming election could affect the future of democracy, mainstream media, censorship and free speech, abortion, the steel man case for Kamala and Trump, and much more. Join Kaizen’s Courage Collective: skool.com/courage Show Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/kaizen-asiedu Nuggets: (...
Oct 23, 2024•3 hr 56 min
Felipe Camargo is a professional climber from Brazil and the first South American to climb 9b (5.15b). We talked about his humble beginnings in climbing and selling soda to fund his first competition, training for 5.15 on a 3-meter spray wall, how signing with Red Bull changed his life, why we climb, what he learned from Patxi Usobiaga, his new film Tropical Lines , climbing hotspots in South America, his current projects, and much more. Become a Patron: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Chalk Carte...
Oct 21, 2024•2 hr 39 min
Matt Heyliger guides me through rehab for a minor A2 pulley injury. We talk about how the injury happened, what I should have done to nip it in the bud, the remodeling phase, when to do density hangs, when it's ok to push it, thoughts on taping, pain threshold testing, acupressure rings, how to climb around a pulley injury, and more. Stay tuned for part 2 next week. Become a Patron to get access to the full episode! And support the podcast! *The full version is 1:17:15. *Watch the uncut video in...
Oct 17, 2024•32 min
Fundamentals Season 2 (Part 5 of 6) — Injuries suck. And unfortunately, they happen to most of us who push against our limits. In part 5, we talk about what to do when you get injured. We cover the emotional and psychological side of injuries and share some tips and pitfalls to help you get back to climbing stronger than ever. Listen to more Fundamentals episodes: thenuggetclimbing.com/fundamentals Revival Climbing Coalition: revivalclimbing.com EP 225: Tony Bell & David Bress (my episode with t...
Oct 14, 2024•1 hr 17 min
Molly Beard was the first female L5 routesetter in the US. We talked about what climbing gyms were like in the 90s, how she got started in routesetting, learning the language of movement, getting her L5, dealing with misogyny, staying up to speed on setting trends, how to have longevity as a routesetter, budgeting your body dollars, advice for young routesetters, and much more. Become a Patron: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Ocelot Grips: ocelotgrips.com/nugget Use code “The Nugget loves cats” to...
Oct 07, 2024•2 hr 4 min
Fundamentals Season 2 (Part 4 of 6) — Everybody wants stronger fingers. In this episode, Jesse and I share our top tips and pitfalls when it comes to building functional finger strength for climbing. We cover our favorite finger training methods, key principles to follow, how to apply your strength to the rock, how to avoid finger injuries, the power of consistency, and much more. Listen to more Fundamentals episodes: thenuggetclimbing.com/fundamentals The NUG: frictitiousclimbing.com/products/t...
Sep 30, 2024•2 hr 42 min
