The Testpiece Podcast

Tim 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 o...

Tim 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” . Join Patreon: HERE Fol...

Tim 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.  Join Patreon: HERE Follow us on Instagram: HERE Visit our podcast page: HERE

Tim 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.  Join Patreon: HERE Follow us on Instagram: HERE Visit our podcast page: HERE

Tim 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. Join Patreon: HERE Follow us on Instagram: HERE Visit our podcast page: HERE

Tim 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.  Join Patreon: HERE Follow us on Instagram: HERE Visit our podcast page: HERE

Balance 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. Join Patreon: HERE Follow us on Instagram: HERE Visit our podcast page: HERE

Tim 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. Join Patreon: HERE Follow us on Instagram: HERE Visit our podcast page: HERE

Are 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. Join Patreon: HERE Follow us on Instagram: HERE Visit our podcast page: HERE

Josh 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...

Tim 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 . Join Patreon: HERE Follow us on Instagram: HERE Visit our podcast page: HERE

Tim’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 m...

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 recomme...

Tim and Josh talk about how they use supplements before, during, and after climbing to improve performance and recovery. Join Patreon: HERE Follow us on Instagram: HERE Visit our podcast page: HERE

Tim and Josh get into the minutiae of footwork and shoe choice. Join Patreon: HERE Follow us on Instagram: HERE Visit our podcast page: HERE

Tim 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. Join Patreon: HERE Follow us on Instagram: HERE Visit our podcast page: HERE

Tim 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 hi...

Tim and Josh tackle a few listener questions with the main focus being on "What is ‘Comp Style’?" Join Patreon: HERE Follow us on Instagram: HERE Visit our podcast page: HERE

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. Join Patreon: HERE Follow us on Instagram: HERE Visit our podcast page: HERE

Tim 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. Join Patreon: HERE Follow us on Instagram: HERE Visit our podcast page: HERE

Tim and Josh are joined by Maxim Zolotukhin, a legendary climber and setter that's been at it for over two decades. They discuss aesthetics, setting, competitions in this wide ranging conversation about all things climbing. Join Patreon: HERE Follow us on Instagram: HERE Visit our podcast page: HERE

Nationals is coming up on November 9th. This is an important comp for Tim that will likely set the tone for his following year. Tim and Josh dive into the training Tim is doing leading up to it and how he's handling the pressure. Mentioned in the podcast: The Art of Learning by Joshua Waitzkin Join Patreon: HERE Follow us on Instagram: HERE Visit our podcast page: HERE

Josh and Tim use a recent article from Climbing Magazine to talk about modern climbing gyms. Josh goes into a few rants about how great climbing gyms have become and argues against getting stuck in nostalgia. Tim keeps it positive and adds insight as a competitive climber. Link to the article "Opinion: Modern Gyms are Failing Outdoor Climbers: https://www.climbing.com/places/opinion-modern-gy...

Josh and Tim go deep on the Moonboard! PS — The Jerry Moffat book mentioned in the pod is “Revelations”. Go read it! Join Patreon: HERE Follow us on Instagram: HERE Visit our podcast page: HERE

Josh and Tim start off by reflecting on the previous pod with Ethan. Tim also talks a bit about the Red and his recent experience at Rocktoberfest. Then they get to the main event. A great listener question on how to balance your time climbing between the outdoors, the indoors, and boards. Join Patreon: HERE Follow us on Instagram: HERE Visit our podcast page: HERE