Eric Hörst's Training For Climbing Podcast

In this inaugural Weekend Crushers episode of the T4C podcast, Eric Hörst sits down with Aaron Shamy—an inspiring example of what's possible when passion, persistence, and smart training intersect with real life. Aaron's journey spans elite youth climbing in the 1990s, a 15+ year hiatus, and a remarkable comeback culminating in a 5.14c redpoint at age 45.
This is more than a comeback story—it's a masterclass in long-term progression. Aaron shares practical training insights, mindset strategies, and real-world tactics that apply to middle-aged climbers and weekend warriors of any age.
Here are a few key takeaways from this episode:
Long-term consistency beats short-term intensity
You can come back stronger—even after years (or decades) away
Progress isn't linear—trust that small gains will accumulate and compound
Build a system that fits your life, so that you an excel in all the important areas
Strength-to-weight matters—but proper fueling matters more
Community enhances both performance and enjoyment
Climbing longevity is real—with the right mindset and approach
I'm confident you'll find this episode both highly informative and deeply inspiring.
⏱️ Key Points & Timestamps
0:15 – Intro & Series Launch
4:05 – Aaron Shamy backstory
7:45 – Life Happens: Family & Hiatus
12:45 – The Comeback Begins (age 38)
15:05 – Rebuilding from Scratch
26:00 – "Flight of the Conchords" Project and the Pyramid Strategy
33:00 – The Days, Weeks, Months Projecting "Flight"...
36:00 – Training and Non-Linear Progress
38:30 – Nutrition & Weight Loss Transformation
44:00 – Aaron's 3 Keys to Success
46:10 – Community & Support System
48:20 – What's Next?
54:15 - Final Takeaways & Key Points
⭐ Enjoy the podcast? Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this episode with a climbing partner!
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 a winter of disciplined training, stronger fingers, improved fitness, and high motivation, most climbers head outdoors expecting breakthrough performances. But the reality often hits hard—routes feel awkward, sequencing is unclear, your mind spirals with fear, and the pump sets in faster than expected.
In this episode, Eric Hörst breaks down the critical gap between gym strength and outdoor performance—and why even your best training cycle doesn't guarantee immediate success on real rock. The truth is simple but often overlooked: Climbing outdoors is a far more complex, nuanced, and mentally demanding game than climbing indoors.
Eric introduces a powerful framework for understanding this transition and delivers five actionable strategies to help you quickly regain movement efficiency, sharpen your mental game, and unlock your true performance potential outside. If you want to turn your winter training gains into real sends this season, this is a must-listen episode.
⏱️ Key Points & Timestamps
[0:15] Intro + The Spring Reality Check
[2:20] The Big Truth: Strength ≠ Performance (Yet)
[4:00] Gym vs. Outdoor Climbing—Critical Differences
[7:40] The Real Limiter: Inefficiency
Podcast Sponsors
 Thank you to La Sportiva, DMM Climbing, Blue Water Ropes!
Save 15% off full-price PhysiVantage Nutrition with checkout code: PODCAST15 at  PhysiVantage.com (USA and Canada only). European climbers, please get your PhysiVantage from the  EPIC-TV Shop or Oliunid.com. Mexican climbers visit PhysiVantage.mx
🔑 Gym to Crag Transition Strategies
[12:30] Strategy #1: Treat Early Sessions as Pre-Season
[15:05] Strategy #2: Prioritize Volume Over Difficulty
[17:00] Strategy #3: Reframe Projecting Early Season
[20:45] Strategy #4: Rebuild Technical & Mental Skills
[25:28] Strategy #5: Be Patient—Trust the Process
⚠️ Important Considerations
[28:20] Injury Risk During Transition
🧠 Wrap-Up
[32:30] Final Takeaways
Efficiency is the gateway to performance
Build volume, refine movement, stay patient
Your strength is there—unlock it on the rock
⭐ Enjoy the podcast? Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this episode with a climbing partner!
Podcast Sponsors
Save 15% off full-price PhysiVantage Nutrition with checkout code: PODCAST15 at PhysiVantage.com (USA and Canada only). European climbers, please get your PhysiVantage from the  EPIC-TV Shop or Oliunid.com. Mexican climbers visit PhysiVantage.mx
SAVE on La Sportiva shoes here >>
Thank you! La Sportiva, DMM Climbing, Blue Water Ropes
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.

Spring climbing season is here—and it's time to translate all those winter training gains into real performance on the rock. In this episode, Eric Hörst shares 15 practical mindset and strategy tips to help you climb your best this season.
While physical strength matters, experienced climbers know that mindset, decision-making, strategy, and emotional resilience often determine whether you send or fall short. These quick but powerful ideas will help you approach training, projecting, and performance with greater clarity and purpose.
Apply even a few of these insights consistently, and you may find yourself climbing with more confidence, better focus, and improved results this season.
Brief Podcast Sponsor message from PhysiVantage Nutrition. Save 15% off full-price nutrition with checkout code: PODCAST15 at PhysiVantage.com (USA and Canada only). European climbers, please get your PhysiVantage from the  EPIC-TV Shop or Oliunid.com. Mexican climbers visit PhysiVantage.mx
Key Takeaways from This Episode
1. Separate Outcomes from Identity
Results are feedback—not a judgment of your worth. Treat success and failure like a scientist treats data: information that helps guide your next attempt.
2. Care Deeply, But Stay Detached
Commit fully to preparation and effort, but let go of rigid expectations. Peak performance happens when you care—but remain mentally loose.
3. Widen Your Perspective
Fear narrows perception. When frustration or anxiety creeps in, step back and consider the bigger picture of your climbing journey.
4. Recognize Self-Sabotage
Many self-defeating behaviors stem from fear of failure. Notice the pattern and commit fully—remove the escape routes.
5. Design Your Environment
Your surroundings influence behavior more than willpower. Set up your environment so good choices become automatic.
6. Build Confidence with Evidence
Confidence comes from past effort and experience. Remember the training sessions, challenges, and setbacks you've already overcome.
7. Stay Calm Under Pressure
True toughness is the ability to make clear decisions when stress rises. Pause, breathe, and choose the next smart action.
8. Align Effort with Purpose
Grinding through pain isn't always productive. Growth comes from intentional stress followed by proper recovery.
9. Pursue Mastery, Not Just Metrics
Grades and performance numbers are useful indicators—but mastery of movement, skill, and understanding is the real long-term goal.
10. Break Plateaus with Novelty
When progress stalls, change something. Train in a new place, climb with new partners, or modify your routine to spark fresh momentum.
11. Choose Tradeoffs Intentionally
You can't do everything at once. Decide what matters most this season and accept the tradeoffs required to pursue it.
12. Consistency Beats Intensity
Big breakthroughs rarely come from a single heroic effort. Progress is built through consistent, focused sessions over time.
13. Use Checkpoints
Break large goals into smaller, achievable steps. Mini-goals provide feedback, motivation, and a sense of progress.
14. Find the Performance Sweet Spot
The best training happens just beyond comfort—but short of overwhelm. When challenge and skill align, the flow state emerges.
15. Recovery Completes the Cycle
Stress only drives adaptation when it's followed by recovery. Prioritize sleep, nutrition, rest days, and periodic deloads.
Final Thoughts
Climbing your best isn't just about strong fingers or hours spent training. It's about bringing together physical preparation, mental resilience, and strategic decision-making.
The tips in this episode are simple—but powerful when practiced consistently. Show up prepared, stay curious, remain patient with the process, and keep refining your approach. Over time, those small improvements compound—and the sends will come.
⭐ Enjoy the podcast? Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this episode with a climbing partner!
Podcast Sponsor
Save 15% off full-price PhysiVantage Nutrition with checkout code: PODCAST15 at PhysiVantage.com (USA and Canada only). European climbers, please get your PhysiVantage from the  EPIC-TV Shop or Oliunid.com. Mexican climbers visit PhysiVantage.mx
SAVE on La Sportiva shoes here >>
Thank you! La Sportiva, DMM Climbing, Friction Labs
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.

In this episode, Eric Hörst and nutrition science graduate student Jonathan Hörst discuss the newly updated U.S. dietary guidance and the concept of a "flipped" or re-prioritized food pyramid that emphasizes nutrient density, whole foods, and protein—rather than carbohydrate-heavy intake patterns of past guidelines.
Drawing from current nutrition science and academic discussion at the University of Utah, they explore both the strengths of the update and the practical challenges of applying it.
Key takeaways for climbers and athletes include prioritizing adequate protein, limiting ultra-processed foods, choosing whole-food carbohydrate sources, and matching carbohydrate intake to activity level.
The episode concludes by emphasizing individualized nutrition, performance context, and consistency over perfection. Jonathan also provides some breakfast and dinner tips for climbers looking to optimize energy availability, performance, and recovery.
RUNDOWN
0:30 - Intro to New Food Pyramid
1:00 - About today's expert, Jonathan Hörst, from Department of Nutritional Science at the University of Utah.
2:20 - Seismic changes to the USDA food guideline for Americans
6:00 - Guidelines catching up to modern nutritional science
9:35 - Inverting the old food pyramid
11:40 - 6 major changes to the nutritional guidelines for health and disease prevention
12:00 - #1 Prioritize protein
16:15 - #2: Added Sugar Gets a Hard Line
19:15 - #3: Whole Grains Yes — Refined Carbs No
Brief Podcast Sponsor message from PhysiVantage Nutrition. Save 15% off full-price nutrition with checkout code: PODCAST15 at PhysiVantage.com (USA and Canada only). European climbers, please get your PhysiVantage from the  EPIC-TV Shop or Oliunid.com. Mexican climbers visit PhysiVantage.mx
21:35 - #4: Lower-Carbohydrate Diets Are Acknowledged
25:35 - #5: Ultra-Processed Foods Are Explicitly Called Out
31:50 - #6: A More Nuanced Approach to Fat Intake
37:30 - Key takeaways & actionable items for climbers
40:00 - Examples of healthy, effective fueling at breakfast and dinner
47:00 - Jonathan's current training and climbing goals
49:40 - Contact Jonathan vis DM on Instagram: @jonathan_horst
49:55 - PLEASE write a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and SHARE this podcast with a friend!
50:30 - Hörst out!
A word from this podcast's sponsor, PhysiVantage. Get 15% off full-priced nutrition 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 by Misty Murphy
Follow Eric on Twitter @Train4Climbing
Check out Eric's YouTube channel.
Follow Eric on Facebook!
And on Instagram at: Training4Climbing
Copyright 2026 Eric Hörst | Horst Training, LLC.

If there's one podcast you listen to this week, I hope it's this one!
I'm genuinely proud of this episode, as it distills some of the most powerful concepts I've learned, refined, and applied over the past 30 years. I believe you'll find it thought-provoking and impactful—and for some listeners, it may even prove life-changing.
To mark the new year, I've intentionally broadened the scope of this episode beyond climbing-specific training...to explore human performance, mindset, values, and intentional living. For this month, think of it as a true training for life podcast.
At the heart of the episode is a simple but important idea: most people live far below their true potential—not because of a lack of ability, but because of unexamined habits, limiting beliefs, fear, distraction, and cultural groupthink. Reclaiming personal power, I believe, begins with conscious control of your thoughts, decisions, values, and daily actions.
Drawing on decades of study, coaching, self-experimentation, and reflection, I present a set of 15 principles designed to lift you above mediocrity and support sustained progress toward meaningful goals. These concepts aren't quick fixes—they're daily disciplines that compound over time. When applied consistently, they elevate core life habits and mental frameworks, and ultimately feed back into better climbing performance, improved health, and deeper fulfillment.
A recurring theme throughout the episode is agency: you are largely self-made, your future is mostly under your control, and lasting change begins with intentional action taken today—not someday.
RUNDOWN
0:15 - New Year's greeting!?
0:45 - Are you reset for a "reset" and course correction with your life?
1:12 - Value-based goal setting.
3:54 - Overview of human performance -- YOU, dear listener, are far more powerful than you can possibly imagine!
11:15 - Brief Podcast Sponsor message from PhysiVantage Nutrition. Save 15% off full-price nutrition with checkout code: PODCAST15 at PhysiVantage.com (USA and Canada only). International climbers, please get your PhysiVantage from the EPIC-TV Shop >>
13:17 - 15 concepts and strategies for Uncommon Success and Happiness. I called them my "Mental Wings."
15:23 - #1: Your quality of life is directly related to the quality of your thoughts
17:05 - #2: Human beings are the embodiment of unused potential. 
17:52 - #3: To outperform the masses, you must do things they don't do. 
20:02 - #4: Clarity of values and goals, and a clear purpose for living form the foundation for a life full of rich, transcending experiences. 
21:02 - #5: Risk is a precursor to reward. 
22:07 - #6: Almost anything is possible once you conquer fear.
25:05 - #7: Singular focus and indomitable persistence knows no limits. 
26:20 - #8: Obstacles and adversity make you stronger.
27:50 - #9: A fit body potentiates a fit mind. 
29:14 - #10: Life is subtle—sweat the small stuff!
32:40 - #11: Your future is largely determined in the brief moment between stimulus and response (in any activity). 
34:05 - #12: Maintain a dynamic, evolving life process by reinventing yourself from time to time. 
35:50 - #13: Enjoy this moment—this moment is your life. 
36:40 - #14: Unconditional love is the most powerful force in the universe. 
37:17 - #15: In the final analysis, you are mostly self-made. 
39:15 - Summary thoughts -- please share this podcast with a friend...or on your Social Media. (Thanks!)
40:30 - Share your struggles and successes with me via email or Instagram DM to: @eric_horst
 42:05 - Hörst out!
A word from this podcast's sponsor, PhysiVantage. Get 15% off full-priced nutrition with 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 2026 Eric Hörst | Horst Training, LLC.