Ep. 160: Matt Fultz | A New Breed
It used to be that training for climbing was out in the open. Wolfgang trained for the hardest route in the world. John Bachar and the Stonemasters turned Camp 4 into a training gym. Tony Yaniro made no secrets about how hard he trained.
Then sometime in the 90’s it became cool to NOT train. I’m not sure exactly when that was, but by the time I was climbing in the late 90’s there was a fairly large faction of climbers who were disgusted by the fact that some people chose to train.
Recently the tides have changed, and Matt Fultz is one of the pro climbers who has led that charge. He’s not at all shy about his training habit - even going beyond the extremely climbing specific training that most pros will allow to be seen. What I didn’t expect was how much thought and deliberation Matt has put into his training. It kind of blew me away.
A new breed of boulderer, Matt’s training shows up for him in big ways. A glance at his 8a scorecard shows nearly 500 double digit boulders up to V15/16. That’s no accident.
In this episode Matt and I sit down a week before his annihilation of the Hueco Rock Rodeo (video below) for a wide ranging discussion on training, grades, weight loss, and more.
We REWIND to this classic conversation with Jonathan about when and why to change things up in your training, and one thing that training should definitely include a whole lot of: climbing.
We REWIND to this episode with British climbing legend, Stevie Haston.
Today we REWIND to this conversation about parenting, identity, and climbing with the great Beth Rodden.
7 years later, almost to the day, that Tommy and Kevin topped out the Dawn Wall together, we REWIND to this conversation about belief and partnership with Tommy Caldwell.
It’s not just all about the journey.
During the 8th annual Joe’s Valley Festival, Kris sat down to talk to local legend and longtime crusher Steven Jeffery.
Alex Megos may be the strongest climber in the world. But is he the best? In the new film Rotpunkt, we get a glimpse at Alex’s journey to try and become just that.
Sometimes you're improving, but the grades don't reflect that. Does that mean you're on a forever plateau?
Meet Lee Cossey: coach, gym owner, and Australia’s best all around climber.
Everybody’s favorite Red River climber Dru Mack is back in the building, and this time we're talking about something he knows all too well: endurance climbing.
Australian climber Anna Davey has big goals, and the dedication to get there.
I sit down for an informative and hilarious conversation with World Champion climber Mo Beck - both before and after an epic adventure.
Roadtrip projects, the difference between competition pressure and redpoint pressure, and what it means to REALLY try something you ultimately may fail on.
Some say that mentorship is dying. I'm not sure that's true, although mentors are definitely outnumbered by new climbers these days.
While some climbers cultivate an image that is extremely shallow and limited, it's not so with Sam. He wears his heart on his sleeve, as well as his ruminations on that fact.
Dark Horse. Climber's Climber. Undercover Crusher. Whatever you want to call it, today's guest Brian Antheunisse may be it.
I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with one of the most exciting comp climbers to watch: recent Pan American Combined Champion Kyra Condie.
We all create some sort of mythology around certain routes or grades, a mythology that often says, "You don't belong on this route!"
We sit down with Dru Mack to discuss something that we are all far too well versed in: the 5 Most Common Redpoint Pitfalls that we see climbers get trapped in.
Fame and authenticity don’t always go hand in hand. We’d love to believe that in climbing they always do, but that just isn’t the case.
Dru Mack was given a list by JStar that is a surefire way to develop into a better climber. Now he’s made some lists for you.
If you aren't aware of Jorg Verhoeven, it's likely that you don't pay all that much attention to climbing.
We sit down in Hueco Tanks with bouldering pioneer John Sherman to discuss California Condors, his lengthy list of accomplishments, and his most infamous creation: the V scale.
Peter Bonamici is a midwest bouldering legend.
In 1998, Beth Rodden became the youngest woman to climb 5.14a. Fast forward 20 years, and Beth's website lists her as: Mother - Pro Climber - Writer.
A recent film made about Heather's ascent of China Doll, which put her into a small group of women to have climbed 14a on gear, left a bad taste in my and others’ mouths.
Russ Clune has climbed in more places than you.
So often we don't believe we can do a route because of one difficult move. Now imagine dozens of those moves that take you years to unlock.
Co-founder of Tension Climbing, Will Anglin, talks movement skills, how climbers can continue improving, and the tools that can help.
We REWIND to this classic conversation with Jonathan about when and why to change things up in your training, and one thing that training should definitely include a whole lot of: climbing.
Use strength to leverage every other aspect of your climbing, not replace them.
Can shoulder injuries be prevented through strength training? Or are they just an inevitable part of being a climber?
Climbers will dedicate years to getting “strong enough” when what they really need is to learn how to apply the strength they already have.
A climber since 1994, Kris was a traddie for 12 years before he discovered the gymnastic movement inherent in sport climbing and bouldering. Through dedicated training and practice, he eventually built to ascents of 5.14 and V11.
Kris started Power Company Climbing in 2006 as a place to share training info with his friends, and still specializes in working with full time "regular" folks. He's always available for coaching sessions and training workshops.
Today, we rewind to an episode with Hazel Findlay in which she shares strategies for getting into the right mindset to send.