
The Nugget Climbing Podcast
O podcaście

EP 289: Christian Beckwith — The 10th Mountain Division, WW2 Guerrilla Warfare Stories, and the Birth of Modern Climbing Gear
Dec 15, 2025·—
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Christian Beckwith is the former editor of The American Alpine Journal and Alpinist Magazine, and the creator of the award-winning podcast, Ninety-Pound Rucksack. We talked about the formation of the 10th Mountain Division in WW2, the breaking of Hitler’s Gothic Line, stories of mountain gorilla warfare, gear innovations that changed climbing forever, and much more. You can listen to Christian’s podcast at christianbeckwith.com The Nugget Training App | 3 NEW Bouldering Programs (14-Day Free Trial) thenuggetclimbing.com/app-bouldering Mad Rock (Shoes & Crash Pads) madrock.com Use code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order. Rúngne (Chalk & Apparel) rungne.info/nugget Use code “NUGGET" for 10% off and "SHIPPINGNUGGETS" for free shipping. Become a Patron: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/christian-beckwith Nuggets: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:01:48) – Ninety-Pound Rucksack (00:10:46) – Birth of the 10th Mountain Division (00:22:00) – Ghosts in the trees (00:35:23) – New ropes & belay techniques (00:49:45) – Boots (00:54:00) – New vs. old climbing gear (00:57:49) – The Ninety-Pound Rucksack Challenge (01:05:35) – Breaking Hitler’s Gothic Line (01:19:18) – Coal to diamond (01:25:05) – Writing the story of the 10th (01:34:32) – Teaching GIs to climb (01:41:45) – What’s next for this story (01:47:30) – Wrap up

EP 288: Carol Simpson Returns — Life After 80 Years Old, Longevity Routines, and Training for a World Record
Dec 1, 2025·—
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Carol Simpson returns to the podcast to talk about life after 80 years old, and everything she does to stay healthy and climb hard. We talked about making the move to Salt Lake, discovering Dr. Peter Attia, her health routines, training for a world record in grip strength, balance training, rediscovering art, and much more. The Nugget Training App | 14 Day Free Trial training.thenuggetclimbing.com The GRINDS Program | FREE Finger Training PDF thenuggetclimbing.com/grinds The NUG | Portable Hangboard frictitiousclimbing.com/products/the-nug Mad Rock (Shoes & Crash Pads) madrock.com Use code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order. Rúngne (Chalk & Apparel) rungne.info/nugget And use code “NUGGET" for 10% off and code "SHIPPINGNUGGETS" for free shipping. Become a Patron: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/carol-simpson-returns Nuggets: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:01:12) – Leaving Lone Pine (00:08:25) – The energy of Salt Lake (00:13:12) – Kalymnos (00:17:23) – Turning 80 (00:21:46) – Climbing in the gym (00:25:26) – Women leveling the playing field (00:31:34) – Dr. Peter Attia (00:38:44) – Why (00:44:47) – Routines & training (00:54:43) – Carol’s deadhang goal (00:57:25) – Being your own advocate (01:02:24) – Balance training (01:11:41) – Yoga (01:15:45) – Art & breathing (01:23:14) – Joy (01:25:45) – Accepted (01:27:10) – Unrealized dreams (01:30:06) – Tips from Carol (01:33:18) – Don’t get married (01:43:44) – What’s next (01:45:33) – Wrap up

EP 287: Domen Škofic — The Red Bull Plane Project, Rediscovering Passion in Flatanger, and Trying Silence 9c
Nov 17, 2025·—
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Domen Škofic is a Slovenian professional climber and a 5x World Cup gold medalist. We talked about his Red Bull Plane Climb project, skydiving, building a climbing gym with his father, retiring from the competition circuit, taking up archery, rediscovering his passion for climbing, sending Move 9b/+ in Flatanger, trying Silence 9c with Sean Raboutou, training lessons, and much more. Red Bull | The Plane Climb Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vcxVao0G8c The Nugget Training App | 14 Day Free Trial training.thenuggetclimbing.com The GRINDS Program | FREE Finger Training PDF thenuggetclimbing.com/grinds The NUG | Portable Hangboard frictitiousclimbing.com/products/the-nug Mad Rock (Shoes & Crash Pads) madrock.com Use code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order. Rúngne (Chalk & Apparel) rungne.info/nugget Use code "FREEBUCKET99" for a free chalk bucket on any order over $99. And use code “NUGGET" for 10% off storewide. Become a Patron: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/domen-skofic Nuggets: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:02:15) – The Plane Climb (00:10:15) – Skydiving (00:19:53) – The Plane Climb continued (00:31:48) – Domen’s father (00:42:54) – Building his gym (00:46:11) – Retiring from competitions (01:01:26) – Archery (01:05:21) – Rediscovering his passion (01:11:51) – Move 9b/+ (01:25:45) – Flatanger (01:28:06) – Trying Silence 9c with Sean Raboutou (01:33:17) – Training (01:39:38) – Wrap up

EP 286: Steve Moss — Why Discomfort Fuels Breakthroughs, Double V12 Days at Age 40, and 455 V-Points in 24 Hours
Nov 3, 2025·—
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Steve Moss is a high-level boulderer and the co-founder of a brewery and pizzeria in Spokane, WA. We talked about finding climbing at age 24, his breakthrough season climbing three V12s in less than two weeks at age 40, why discomfort helps us grow, his training routine for the past year, building a successful brewery and pizzeria from the ground up, what matters most in climbing, gratitude for life, the connections we make through climbing, and much more. The Nugget Training App | 14 Day Free Trial training.thenuggetclimbing.com The GRINDS Program | FREE Finger Training PDF thenuggetclimbing.com/grinds The NUG | Portable Hangboard frictitiousclimbing.com/products/the-nug Rúngne (Chalk & Apparel) rungne.info/nugget Use code “NUGGET" for 10% off and "SHIPPINGNUGGETS" for free shipping. Mad Rock (Shoes & Crash Pads) madrock.com Use code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order. Become a Patron: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/steve-moss Nuggets: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:02:21) – Steve’s climbing origin story (00:07:30) – Life before climbing (00:09:58) – His wife (00:14:27) – Leavenworth (00:18:41) – A resurgence of stoke (00:23:37) – Passion & challenge (00:26:36) – Why discomfort is beneficial (00:34:21) – Building the brewery (00:52:31) – Brewing beer (00:56:56) – Steve’s nephew (01:04:11) – Double V12 day (01:11:46) – Gratitude (01:14:37) – Protein & breakthroughs (01:20:51) – Bodyweight (01:24:17) – Crimping (01:27:42) – The hardest part of training (01:36:39) – Steve’s training (02:03:30) – 455 V-point day (02:20:31) – Century bike ride (02:21:49) – Advice for a young Steve Moss (02:27:48) – Baseball (02:29:19) – The people (02:36:21) – What’s next

EP 285: Tyler Stableford — Finding More Joy in Climbing, Breaking Plateaus, and Inputs Over Outcomes
Oct 20, 2025·—
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Tyler Stableford is a lifelong climber and psychotherapist specializing in trauma resolution and treatment-resistant conditions. We talked about how to find more joy in our climbing, whether high performers are happier, controlling the inputs while releasing attachment to outcomes, what to do with anxiety before we climb, how to break mental plateaus, memory reconsolidation, why self-compassion will help you climb harder, and much more. The Nugget Training App training.thenuggetclimbing.com Get a FREE Finger Strength Testing Session and Customized Report The GRINDS Program thenuggetclimbing.com/grinds FREE Finger Training PDF Mad Rock (Shoes & Crash Pads) madrock.com Use code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order. Rúngne (Chalk & Apparel) rungne.info/nugget Use code “PRESEASON" for $100 off + free shipping on the Belay Down Jacket. Become a Patron: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/tyler-stableford Nuggets: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:04:00) – Tyler’s upbringing (00:09:12) – Discipline, joy, & wellness (00:14:38) – Appreciation (00:21:10) – What is your WHY? (00:28:20) – Are high performers happier? (00:31:08) – Will you lose your edge? (00:42:32) – Identity (00:49:07) – Constraints to joy (00:53:39) – Controlling the inputs (00:57:10) – Listening to our intuition (01:07:49) – What CBT is missing (01:11:22) – Memory Reconsolidation (01:21:44) – Self-compassion (01:29:49) – How to mentally break plateaus (01:36:45) – Attachment to progress (01:39:45) – Common stories we tell ourselves (01:42:11) – Two phrases (01:46:07) – What to do with anxiety (01:49:47) – Our egos (01:53:15) – Wrap up

EP 284: Four PTs — The Case for Taking a Break, Heel Hooking Injuries, & Off-the-Wall Strength Training
Oct 6, 2025·—
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Dr. Jared Vagy returns to the podcast and is joined by three physical therapy students and graduates, Sarah Kremer , Dawson Freeze , and Michael Larson . We talked about three recent articles covering the benefits of seasonality for maximizing climbing performance, rehabbing and preventing common knee injuries while heel hooking, and off-the-wall strength training for climbers. See the show notes for the full articles here . The Nugget Training App training.thenuggetclimbing.com Get a FREE Finger Strength Testing Session and Customized Report The GRINDS Program thenuggetclimbing.com/grinds FREE Finger Training PDF Rúngne (Chalk & Apparel) rungne.info/nugget Use code “NUGGET” for 10% off storewide, and use code “SHIPPINGNUGGETS” for free shipping. Mad Rock (Shoes & Crash Pads) madrock.com Use code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order. Become a Patron: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/four-pts Nuggets: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:04:16) – Overview (00:07:52) – Sarah’s topic (the case for taking a break) (00:10:24) – What Sarah’s research process looked like (00:11:22) – Surprises in Sarah’s research process (00:12:35) – Recommendations on when to take time off (00:15:48) – How to sustain stoke (00:18:04) – How climbing ability solidifies over time (00:20:56) – If Sarah did a follow-up study (00:28:38) – Dawson’s topic (heel hooking and knee injuries) (00:33:22) – Common heel hook injuries (00:35:20) – Go to hip mobility exercises (00:39:00) – Heel hooking warm-ups (00:41:01) – Surprises in Dawson's research (00:43:27) – If Dawson did a follow-up study (00:49:28) – Michael's topic (off the wall strength training) (00:52:10) – How often should climbers weight train (00:55:34) – At what point are you strong enough (01:02:59) – Comparing athletes (01:09:47) – Stability-focused exercises (01:19:18) – Value in taking time off (01:21:19) – Jared's final thoughts

NEW LAUNCH: The Nugget Training App is Live
Oct 4, 2025·—
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The Nugget Training App is the ultimate hub for every training session I've discussed with my guests on the podcast. Get guided sessions, track your progress, schedule your training, and more. New features coming soon. Check it out at training.thenuggetclimbing.com

EP 283: Adrian Ballinger — The Mental and Physical Grind of High-Altitude Climbing, and Lessons for Every Climber
Sep 15, 2025·—
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Adrian Ballinger is a renowned alpinist and mountain guide, and has summited Mt. Everest and K2 without supplemental oxygen. We talked about his childhood, misconceptions about what he does, what climbing Everest is actually like, skiing above 8,000 meters, risking his life to send K2, sending Fall of Man 5.13b, how mountaineering compares to projecting 5.13, meeting his wife Emily Harrington, how performance changes with age, lessons everyone should know, and much more. You can learn more about Adrian at adrianballinger.com Mad Rock (Shoes & Crash Pads) madrock.com Use code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order. Rúngne (Chalk & Apparel) rungne.info/nugget Use code “NUGGET” for 10% off storewide, and use code “SHIPPINGNUGGETS” for free shipping. Chilipad (Don’t Lose Sleep this Summer) Get 20% off any Chilipad sleep system NADS (Organic Cotton Underwear) Use code STEVEN for 15% off Become a Patron: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/adrian-ballinger Nuggets: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:03:06) – Growing up (00:06:08) – Connecting with adventure as a kid (00:16:08) – Misconceptions about what Adrian does (00:22:04) – Tech breakthroughs in mountaineering (00:26:04) – Client pressure around summits (00:30:04) – Alpenglow Expeditions (00:33:09) – Regulations on Everest (00:35:08) – What climbing Everest is really like (00:41:04) – Climbing Everest without oxygen (00:49:57) – Preparing for Everest without oxygen (00:58:56) – Skiing accolades (01:01:59) – Skiing above 8,000 meters (01:05:00) – Skiing down vs. rappelling massive peaks (01:08:58) – Fall of Man (01:11:01) – Physically hardest climb (01:12:56) – Mental hardest climb (01:14:57) – Most dangerous climb (01:18:01) – Why Adrian took a risk on K2 (01:21:01) – Meeting Emily (01:32:45) – What’s left for Adrian in alpinism (01:34:43) – Switching to hard sport climbing (01:46:43) – Bouldering in Rocklands (01:54:42) – Performance changes with age (01:59:42) – Athletes Adrian looks up to (02:02:40) – Lessons everyone should know (02:05:40) – Adrian’s podcast

EP 282: Kerwin Loukusa — 4 Keys to Unlocking V13, Forecasting Perfect Conditions, & Embracing Beginner's Mind for Projects
Sep 1, 2025·—
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Kerwin Loukusa lives in Leavenworth, WA, and sent his first V12 and V13 last year while juggling a full-time job, wife, and two young kids. We talked about how he improved his flexibility to send the Freerider in Yosemite, bouldering after having kids, home wall training, the key to building persistent strength, bodyweight manipulation, energy availability, beginner's mind, feeling vs. analysing, weather forecasting hacks, how dew point affects climbing conditions, and much more. A lot of nuggets in this one. The GRINDS Program (FREE Training PDF) thenuggetclimbing.com Rúngne (Chalk & Apparel) rungne.info/nugget Use code “NUGGET” for 10% off storewide, and use code “SHIPPINGNUGGETS” for free shipping. Mad Rock (Shoes & Crash Pads) madrock.com Use code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order. Chilipad (Don’t Lose Sleep this Summer) Get 20% off any Chilipad sleep system NADS (Organic Cotton Underwear) Use code STEVEN for 15% off Become a Patron: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/kerwin-loukusa Nuggets: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:01:05) – Flexibility journey (00:08:08) – Identifying limiting factors (00:10:38) – Stemming flexibility continued (00:16:39) – Freerider & Father TIme (00:24:15) – Bouldering after kids (00:26:56) – Mountain running & cardio (00:40:00) – Leveling up to V12 and V13 (00:48:07) – Home wall training (01:09:54) – Off-the-wall training (01:11:28) – Building persistent strength (01:16:45) – Pillars 1-3: Proximetry, Rest, & Nutrition (01:32:23) – Know yourself (01:35:06) – Bodyweight & energy availability (01:48:13) – Pillar 4: Mindset (02:01:35) – Slingblade V13 (02:10:03) – An obsessive brain (02:14:25) – Obstacles & growth (02:20:43) – Don’t get injured (02:23:42) – Slow & steady gains (02:32:46) – Ease into it (02:37:32) – Intuition & beta iteration (02:45:09) – Beginner's mind (02:50:39) – Feeling vs. analyzing (02:54:26) – Power spots (03:00:30) – Weather forecasting (03:18:03) – Dew point (03:22:43) – Cold rock (03:26:36) – Morning climbing (03:38:36) – Upcoming goals (03:40:50) – Mentorship & stewardship (03:46:18) – Public vs. private land

Something Different | Robb Wolf — Vitamin D, Zone 2 Cardio Hacks, Strength & Conditioning Timing, & Never Giving Up On Your Health
Aug 25, 2025·—
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Robb Wolf is a 2x NYT Best-Selling Author ( The Paleo Solution , Wired to Eat ) and a leading voice in health, fitness, and nutrition. In this short segment, we cover the benefits of Vitamin D and Zone 2 cardio, how to optimize your strength training, Robb’s recent health struggles, and why you should never give up on your health. You can listen to the full episode by searching for Something Different with Steven Dimmitt wherever you get your podcasts. Robb’s Links robbwolf.com drinklmnt.com join.thehealthyrebellion.com Other References: The Nugget - EP 80: Robb Wolf (our first podcast) Dminder App Timestamps: 00:00:00 – Intro 00:02:30 – Vitamin D 00:06:21 – Separating strength & conditioning 00:14:58 – Zone 2 cardio 00:20:51 – Robb’s training schedule 00:24:56 – Recent health issues 00:32:46 – Never give up 00:34:06 – The Healthy Rebellion 00:35:26 – Don’t major in the minors

EP 281: Eryn Phelps — Healing Anxiety & Trauma, Navigating Time Scarcity, & Getting Clear on What You Want
Aug 18, 2025·—
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Eryn Phelps is a licensed trauma counselor who specializes in helping outdoor athletes with anxiety, OCD, and PTSD. We talked about how EMDR helped cancer survivor and podcast guest Sol Wertkin, how to navigate time scarcity and get clear on what you want, overwhelm and panic attacks, grief and shame, labels and identity, and much more. Rúngne (Chalk & Apparel) rungne.info/nugget Use code “NUGGET” for 10% off storewide, and use code “SHIPPINGNUGGETS” for free shipping. Mad Rock (Shoes & Crash Pads) madrock.com Use code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order. Chilipad (Don’t Lose Sleep this Summer) Get 20% off any Chilipad sleep system NADS (Organic Cotton Underwear) Use code STEVEN for 15% off Become a Patron: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/eryn-phelps Nuggets: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:01:26) – Partners (00:05:56) – Sol Wertkin (00:12:54) – EMDR (00:27:19) – Sol continued (00:34:00) – Pity, empathy, & compassion (00:39:15) – Perception & victim mindset (00:54:41) – Preventing negative beliefs from taking root (01:00:08) – Mistakes, guilt, & shame (01:05:21) – Trauma from injury (01:10:21) – Grief (01:15:23) – Accepting risk (01:25:23) – Relationships (01:31:27) – Time scarcity & OCD (01:44:17) – Labels & identity (01:48:58) – Anxiety (01:51:53) – Overwhelm (01:58:39) – Panic attacks (02:04:06) – Curing anxiety, PTSD, & OCD (02:09:28) – Getting clear on what you want (02:24:02) – How Eryn makes decisions (02:26:40) – A grass kinda day (02:29:00) – Where to find Eryn (02:32:11) – Complacency & communication (02:36:44) – Dopamine

Follow-Up: Alex Bridgewater — 3 Sports Psychology Skills That Will Transform Your Climbing
Aug 11, 2025·—
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Alex Bridgewater (M.S. in Sports Psychology) is back again to share three new sports psychology skills that have the potential to change your climbing forever. We covered how to practice these skills in your day-to-day life, as well as how to put them into practice in your climbing, and much more. Become a Patron to get access to the full episode and support the podcast. *The full version is 1:28:39. patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Alex’s Other Episodes: EP 276: Alex Bridgewater Returns BONUS: Alex Bridgewater Nuggets: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:00:58) – Word to the wise (00:05:40) – Three skills overview (00:06:44) – Skill 1: Values-Based Work (00:28:17) – Skill 2: Dropping the Anchor (00:43:32) – Skill 3: Diffusion/Unhooking (01:01:49) – Putting the skills into practice (01:10:23) – What do you want? (01:18:02) – Expectations (01:22:43) – Manhunt (01:24:20) – Feeling vs. thinking

EP 280: Stevie Hochbaum — Sending Germany’s First V16, The Toll of Obsessive Projecting, and Transformation Through Climbing
Aug 4, 2025·—
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Stevie Hochbaum is an elite boulderer who established the first V16, Obsidian , in Germany. We talked about nearly losing his finger to an infection, how he became obsessed with the project, what it feels like to spend 50+ sessions on a boulder, supportive friends, learning patience, training on the project, how losing weight affected his mental health, pacing and breathing, what’s next for Stevie, and much more. Mad Rock (Shoes & Crash Pads) madrock.com Use code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order. NADS (Organic Cotton Underwear) Use code STEVEN for 15% off Rúngne (Chalk & Apparel) rungne.info/nugget Use code “NUGGET” for 10% off storewide, and use code “SHIPPINGNUGGETS” for free shipping. Chilipad (Don’t Lose Sleep this Summer) Get 20% off any Chilipad sleep system Become a Patron: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/stevie-hochbaum Nuggets: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:02:01) – Nicknames (00:04:58) – Swollen finger (00:12:24) – The process begins (00:20:47) – Investing everything (00:28:57) – What happens after 15 sessions (00:45:17) – Sending, disorientation, & celebrating (00:52:10) – Supportive friends & learning patience (01:04:16) – The unexpected send (01:09:46) – Training on the project (01:16:32) – Pacing & breathing (01:24:24) – Taking breaks (01:27:35) – Calorie deficit & mental health (01:33:13) – Bodyweight & small crimps (01:41:06) – Veganism (01:49:01) – Choosing our reality (01:53:00) – Inheritance (01:54:26) – What’s next for Stevie (01:57:14) – Dream trips

Something Different | Can Soil Save the World? Climate, Health, and Big Ag with Rebecca Tickell (Filmmaker, Kiss the Ground)
Jul 28, 2025·—
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Rebecca Tickell is an award-winning filmmaker, author, environmental activist, and regenerative farmer. We talked about the journey that led to her films Kiss the Ground and Common Ground , the history of our soil and pesticides, why conventional farming is a cycle of degredation, the corruption of the agrochemical industry, Monsanto whistleblowers, how to feed the world, the global movement of regeneration, how to eat, bees & pollinators, and much more. AirDoctor (Best Rated Air Filters) Get up to $300 off AirDoctor AquaTru (Premium Water Filters) Get $100 off any AquaTru system Support the Podcast Directly patreon.com/somethingdiffpod Rebecca’s Links Kiss the Ground Common Ground Groundswell BEE WILD Other References: The Detox Project Whitewash by Carey Gillam Timestamps: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:03:07) – The road to regeneration (00:11:51) – Storytelling (00:15:02) – Farmers & desertification (00:18:33) – A brief history of our soil (00:27:11) – Connecting to nature (00:28:48) – Two fun facts (00:30:29) – We don’t eat our food (00:33:26) – Sacrifice zones & human rights (00:38:21) – Glyphosate, wheat, oats, & chickpeas (00:44:47) – The good news (00:46:09) – Monsanto, Bayer, the EPA, & whistleblowers (00:49:36) – Feeding the world (00:56:04) – Soil regeneration (01:02:41) – A global movement (01:14:49) – How to eat (01:23:10) – USDA Organic (01:29:36) – High stakes (01:30:43) – Bees & insects (01:37:39) – Stories of hope (01:38:59) – Rebecca’s dream documentary (01:41:32) – Hopeful

EP 279: Andy Raether — Bringing Routes to Life, How to Be Stronger at 40 than 20, & the Woods Board
Jul 21, 2025·—
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Andy Raether is a prolific sport climber, boulderer, and developer based in Las Vegas, NV. He also owns a climbing hold company and created the Woods Board . We talked about his intro to climbing and making holds, bringing routes and crags to life, sending his hardest boulder (Midlife Crisis V14) at 40 years old, how he trains on The Woods Board, how to master terrible holds, and much more. Rúngne (Chalk & Apparel) rungne.info/nugget Use code “NUGGET” for 10% off storewide, and use code “SHIPPINGNUGGETS” for free shipping. Chilipad (Don’t Lose Sleep this Summer) Get 20% off any Chilipad sleep system Mad Rock (Shoes & Crash Pads) madrock.com Use code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order. NADS (Organic Cotton Underwear) Use code STEVEN for 15% off The GRINDS Program (Free Training PDF) thenuggetclimbing.com The NUG (My Portable Hangboard) frictitiousclimbing.com/products/the-nug Become a Patron: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/andy-raether Nuggets: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:01:49) – Climbing Magazine ad (00:03:52) – Andy’s origin story (00:09:44) – Legendary holds (00:13:49) – Making climbing holds (00:16:49) – Early rock climbing & development (00:23:54) – Menagerie (00:25:49) – Meeting his wife (00:28:33) – Moving to Vegas (00:32:07) – Dad Raether (00:39:00) – Vegas bolting potential (00:45:06) – Bringing crags to life (01:05:53) – Bouldering development (01:08:34) – Midlife Crisis V14 (01:35:43) – Stronger at 40 than 20 (01:40:15) – Dad Bod (01:45:04) – Grades (01:51:50) – Mithril (01:54:04) – James Litz (01:58:51) – The Woods Board (02:06:14) – The mentality of board climbing (02:10:58) – Monos (02:14:56) – How Andy trains on the Woods Board (02:27:30) – Where to climb on the Woods Board (02:29:08) – Iterating moves (“hangboard” boulder problems) (02:37:24) – Mirroring each try (02:41:57) – The Spot Battle (02:44:00) – Andy’s garage (02:46:02) – Gyms in Vegas (02:54:10) – Routesetter Unions (03:07:06) – Wrap up & EXTRA teaser

EP 278: Jeremy Kiner (Patron Spotlight) — The GRINDS Program, Embracing Double Rest Days, & Regenerative Farming
Jul 15, 2025·—
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Jeremy Kiner is a Kentucky-based boulderer and sport climber. We talked about his journey to V10 and 5.13b, how he uses a board circuit as a training benchmark, his experience with the GRINDS finger training program, embracing double rest days, his diet and dealing with autoimmune issues, what he learned from working on two different regenerative farms, being a conscious consumer, and much more. Maui Nui Venison (The Healthiest Red Meat on the Planet) mauinuivenison.com/steven Chilipad (Don’t Lose Sleep this Summer) Get 20% off any Chilipad sleep system NADS (Organic Cotton Underwear) Use code STEVEN for 15% off The GRINDS Program: thenuggetclimbing.com Become a Patron for a chance to be featured in the next Patron Spotlight! 👉 patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/jeremy-kiner Nuggets: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:02:01) – Jeremy’s background (00:03:47) – Regenerative farming (00:05:46) – Resting a lot (00:11:39) – Abrahangs & weight room (00:13:06) – Jeremy’s climbing progression (00:23:58) – The thief of joy (00:27:55) – Never enough time (00:35:54) – Training circuit (strength boulder pyramid) (00:43:52) – Fun board climbing (00:45:40) – Different training chapters (00:51:29) – The GRINDS Program (00:58:50) – Breaking down finger training terms (01:05:35) – Unlevel edges (01:08:05) – Tweaky fingers (01:20:22) – There is no “best” way (01:26:43) – Things that work (01:28:58) – Things that don’t work (01:33:58) – Boards (01:40:02) – Jeremy’s diet & autoimmunity (01:47:28) – Where is your food coming from (01:54:03) – Regenerative farming continued (02:08:16) – Food subsidies & waste (02:13:01) – The other pillars of health (02:17:22) – Conscious consumer (02:20:53) – Wrap up

EP 277: Michelle LeBlanc — Project Pride 2025, the Political Pendulum Swing, and Meeting in the Middle
Jul 10, 2025·—
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Michelle LeBlanc returns to the podcast to talk about her annual Project Pride event in Squamish, B.C. (August 29-30, 2025). She shared her personal story and why she started Project Pride, and we talked about cultural and political pendulum swings, sensationalism in the media, and what to expect if you attend her upcoming event. You can buy tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/project-pride-squamish-2025-tickets-1415859827859?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAad_JFGfbgS_SEWNkjXVlG2Me2S_7YVmPskjfFcyihN-BBdKJmCPsrNv0NDu1w_aem_uC2R3rhGN0dtaZ3DICGmSw Show Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/michelle-leblanc-returns Nuggets: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:01:38) – Not queer enough (00:08:08) – Project Pride (00:23:12) – Instagram comments (00:34:00) – Meeting in the middle (00:38:47) – The pendulum swing (00:53:38) – Labels (00:57:18) – Sensationalism (01:02:01) – Upcoming event (01:11:45) – Stay sane

EP 276: Alex Bridgewater — Sports Psychology Tools to Elevate Your Climbing Performance
Jul 7, 2025·—
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Alex Bridgewater (M.S. in Sports Psychology) returns to the podcast to discuss tools that can help elevate your climbing performance. We talked about finding your values, the dark side of expectations, a framework for working toward goals, how to develop confidence, building awareness, whether climbing is separate from life, the cost of masochism, acceptance, unhooking, mindfulness practice, and much more. You can work with Alex at innersourceperformancepsychology.com Mad Rock: madrock.com Use code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order. Rúngne: rungne.info/nugget Use code “NUGGET” for 10% off storewide, and use code “SHIPPINGNUGGETS” for free shipping. YouTube Videos: youtube.com/@thenuggetclimbing Check out my latest training tip videos and be sure to subscribe! The NUG: frictitiousclimbing.com/products/the-nug Become a Patron: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/alex-bridgewater-returns Nuggets: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:01:38) – Graduate school (00:10:21) – Psychology for climbers (00:18:54) – Finding your values (00:28:52) – Expectations (00:38:27) – WOOP (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan) (01:07:07) – Manifesting flexibility (01:16:24) – Confidence (01:20:37) – Building awareness (01:32:43) – Is climbing separate from life? (01:43:32) – What is the cost? (01:54:37) – We’re not professional athletes (02:00:36) – Many different selves (02:08:32) – Acceptance (02:14:57) – Unhooking (02:18:38) – Mindfulness practice (02:35:53) – Alex’s practices (02:43:06) – Alex’s coaching offerings

Something Different | Jake Muise (CEO & Founder of Maui Nui Venison) — Sustainable Food for Peak Performance
Jun 30, 2025·—
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What if you could eat the healthiest meat on the planet while helping the environment? Jake Muise is the CEO and founder of Maui Nui Venison , and joins me to talk about sustainable food and the future of nutrient density. We talked about the overpopulation of Axis deer in Hawaii, the cyclical die-off they experience without predation, solving complex problems, the secret to sustaining high-level output, harvesting at night, nutrition of place, sharing with community, and much more. Maui Nui Venison (The Healthiest Red Meat on the Planet) mauinuivenison.com/steven Chilipad (Don’t Lose Sleep this Summer) Get 20% off any Chilipad sleep system NADS (Organic Cotton Underwear) Use code STEVEN for 15% off Support Something Different on Patreon patreon.com/somethingdiffpod Timestamps: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:02:04) – Axis deer (00:05:18) – A food resource (00:07:53) – Volleyball & performance (00:12:04) – Jake’s intro to hunting (00:13:34) – Drought & die-off (00:17:00) – Tracking animals & finding balance (00:31:02) – Paying cattle ranchers (00:37:45) – Harvesting at night (00:47:55) – Nutrition of place (00:55:02) – The future of nutrient density (00:57:17) – Sustaining high-level output (01:02:10) – Sharing with community (01:07:55) – Hope for the future (01:12:26) – Wrap up

EP 275: Yuji Hirayama — Japanese Focus, Improving Every Day, and the Secret to Staying Young
Jun 23, 2025·—
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Yuji Hirayama is a Japanese professional climber and a living legend. We talked about visualizing his onsight attempt on The Salathe, channeling support into power, Daniel Woods, Mount Kinabalu, Japanese vs. Western culture, quitting school to climb, owning climbing gyms, how to stay 9a fit in your 50s, the secret to staying young, and much more. Rúngne: rungne.info/nugget Use code “NUGGET” for 10% off storewide, and use code “SHIPPINGNUGGETS” for free shipping. Chilipad: checkout.sleep.me Use this link for 20% off any of Chilipad's sleep cooling systems. Mad Rock: madrock.com Use code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order. YouTube Videos: youtube.com/@thenuggetclimbing Check out my latest training tip videos and be sure to subscribe! Become a Patron: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/yuji-hirayama Nuggets: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:02:10) – The Professionals film (00:12:30) – Attempting to onsight the Salathe (00:22:04) – Channeling support into power (00:30:26) – Challenge, change, & Daniel Woods (00:36:53) – Mount Kinabalu (00:50:23) – How Yuji has changed (00:57:15) – Why Yuji climbs (01:03:40) – Japanese vs. Western culture (01:09:35) – Yuji’s parents (01:11:58) – Early climbing (01:14:22) – Running (01:19:05) – Quitting school to climb (01:24:20) – Who inspires Yuji (01:28:02) – How climbing has changed (01:31:16) – Owning gyms (01:40:33) – Karaoke (01:41:18) – Wine, Dine, & Climb (01:43:07) – Staying 9a fit in your 50s (01:47:03) – Japanese focus on hard climbing (01:48:54) – The next trip (01:51:33) – The secret to staying young (01:55:32) – Wrap up

Something Different | Eric Edmeades — Unlocking Resilience Through Ancestral Living
Jun 16, 2025·—
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Eric Edmeades is often referred to as the “Indiana Jones” of the professional speaking world. He has been traveling to Africa to visit the Hadza, one of the last remaining hunter-gatherer groups, since 2007. We talked about rites of passage, how ancestral living solved his health issues, lessons from his time with the Hadza, how to overcome evolutionary mismatch in Western society, founding WILDFIT , and much more. You can learn more about Eric at eric.ee Maui Nui Venison (The Healthiest Red Meat on the Planet) mauinuivenison.com/steven Chilipad (Don’t Lose Sleep this Summer) Get 20% off any Chilipad sleep system Headspace (Meditation App) Try it for Free for 14 Days Support Something Different on Patreon patreon.com/somethingdiffpod Timestamps: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:02:40) – Homeless as a teenager (00:07:06) – Rites of passage (00:16:31) – Building resiliance (00:20:48) – Health journey (00:27:32) – The US medical system (00:30:54) – Changing his diet (00:34:54) – The Hadza (Hadzabe Tribe) (00:39:19) – Evolutionary mismatch (00:44:53) – What the Hadza eat (00:53:06) – Healthy kids (00:59:02) – Food psychology (01:02:05) – Should we eat like the Hadza? (01:11:53) – Frightened primates (01:19:11) – 3 seasons of eating (01:31:20) – Winter for the Hadza (01:33:10) – Vegetables & tubers (01:37:58) – The evolution gap (01:41:26) – Movement & the lymphatic system (01:46:23) – Executive function (01:51:28) – What life’s about (01:57:13) – Contentment (02:04:36) – Rest & leasure (02:07:07) – Unconditional love (02:10:02) – WILDFIT (02:17:00) – How to connect with Eric (02:19:09) – Be the captain

EP 274: Seneida Biendarra — Onsighting Without Sight, Designing Better Gear, and Wielding the Empathy Gun
Jun 9, 2025·—
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Seneida Biendarra is the 2023 US National Champion in the women’s B2 (severely blind) category. We talked about losing her vision as a teenager, her current visual experience, creating mental maps of the world, finding freedom in risk, designing outdoor gear, the world of paraclimbing and the adaptive community, sight guiding, the empathy gun, embracing chapters in life, and much more. Arc’teryx: Women’s climbing clothing Men’s climbing clothing Check out the NEW Kragg Collection. Mad Rock: madrock.com Use code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order. Rúngne: rungne.info/nugget Use code “NUGGET” for 10% off storewide, and use code “SHIPPINGNUGGETS” for free shipping. Become a Patron: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing Show Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/seneida-biendarra Nuggets: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:02:00) – 1950s appliances (00:05:08) – A fresh start (00:07:49) – Seneida’s visual experience (00:10:00) – Losing vision (00:17:02) – The map (00:19:38) – Visual experience continued (00:23:35) – An invisible disability (00:25:56) – Daily living vs. climbing (00:29:44) – Meeting other blind climbers (00:36:08) – Crashes (00:39:34) – Risk & freedom (00:44:48) – Early climbing (00:48:32) – An onsight philosophy (00:52:19) – Visualization (00:55:09) – Lights out (01:01:49) – Accessibility tools & basketball (01:05:59) – Designing gear (01:13:06) – Parents & childhood (01:17:08) – Backpacking (01:19:21) – Daily living continued (01:28:55) – Nate (01:31:10) – Sight Guiding (01:37:40) – The world of paraclimbing (01:41:28) – 2028 Olympics (01:46:09) – Identity & community (01:49:51) – Mourning, normalizing, & sympathy (01:53:31) – How to be a supportive sighted person (01:56:25) – Empathy gun (02:01:09) – Parts of ourselves (02:04:45) – Interpersonal bonds (02:12:39) – Embracing chapters (02:18:53) – Self-driving taxis (02:21:55) – Spotlighting the adaptive community (02:26:12) – “You belong more than you think you do.” (02:29:45) – New designs

EP 273: Brendan Baars — Developing ‘The Nooks’, How His Big Toe Saved His Life, & Choosing Adventure Over Grades
May 26, 2025·—
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Brendan Baars is a boulderer from Grand Rapids, MI, who has spent the past seven years developing a new bouldering area called The Nooks in Ontario, Canada. We talked about what a day of developing looks like, his go-to gear, how his big toe saved his life, the untapped potential in Canada, the reward of establishing and sharing new climbs, undone projects, the logistics of visiting The Nooks, his upcoming film The Developer, and much more. Mad Rock: madrock.com Use code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order. Rúngne: rungne.info/nugget Use code “NUGGET” for 10% off storewide, and use code “SHIPPINGNUGGETS” for free shipping. Arc’teryx: Women’s climbing clothing Men’s climbing clothing Check out the NEW Kragg Collection. The GRINDS Program: thenuggetclimbing.com Enter your email to get a free PDF and log sheet Become a Patron: patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS: Michael Roy and Mark and Julie Calhoun Show Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/brendan-baars Nuggets: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:02:10) – Capentry (00:05:52) – Steven’s cabin (00:07:06) – Intro to climbing (00:10:03) – Weekend warrior (00:17:14) – Discovering The Nooks (00:20:51) – Goldmine (00:23:12) – “This is sick” (00:28:50) – Years of potential (00:34:47) – Summer & bugs (00:38:22) – Weather (00:40:01) – A new avenue & a sacrifice (00:50:02) – Sharing The Nooks (00:55:10) – A day of developing (00:57:01) – Custom backpack (01:01:51) – Big Toe (01:09:07) – Rope systems & ladders (01:12:30) – The Developer film (01:18:25) – Rock type & style (01:20:47) – Elliot Lake (01:33:39) – Logistics & amenities (01:36:42) – Guidebook & KAYA (01:39:06) – The Croc Block (01:41:54) – Top Nooks Boulders (01:47:56) – Hard projects (01:51:31) – More Nooks info (01:54:38) – The Canadian frontier (01:57:43) – Wrap up + EXTRA teaser

EP 272: To Send Hard Boulders Outside… Go Try Them A Lot — Steven Bergey (Patron Spotlight)
May 22, 2025·—
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Steven Bergey started climbing at 31 and climbed his first V11 outside within four years. We talked about his projecting approach, the “outdoor gear”, suspending your disbelief until the magic happens, his diet and sleep routines, tips for climbing at night, the pivotal moments that change our lives forever, and more. The GRINDS Program 👉 thenuggetclimbing.com The NUG 👉 frictitiousclimbing.com/products/the-nug Become a Patron for a chance to be featured in the next Patron Spotlight! 👉 patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS: Michael Roy and Mark and Julie Calhoun Show Notes: thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/steven-bergey Nuggets: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:03:24) – When to call it on a project (00:08:40) – Summer mode (00:10:27) – The Martin Keller approach (00:14:34) – Steven’s approach (00:17:53) – The outdoor gear (00:24:10) – Anthem (00:29:26) – Adapting to fingery climbing (00:33:26) – Diet (00:37:16) – Thoughts on keto & carnivore (00:42:38) – Still improving (00:43:59) – TB2 (00:49:35) – More about diet (00:58:12) – Sleep (01:02:20) – Snacking & when he climbs (01:03:36) – Work & night climbing (01:09:08) – Light tips (01:11:49) – Tea & coffee (01:15:59) – Put in the time (01:18:56) – Suspend your disbelief (01:21:16) – Pivotal moments (01:28:59) – Wrap up

Something Different | Justin Nault — The Pitfalls of Nutrition Research, the Intersection of Health & Performance, & the Journey of Self-Love
May 20, 2025·—
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Justin Nault is a nutritional therapist who has helped thousands of clients escape our broken healthcare system and reclaim their health. We talked about his previous life as a professional musician and his own health journey, as well as the origins of allopathic medicine, seed oils and the hydroelectric dam analogy, what’s wrong with rodent studies and nutrition research, how to eat for optimal energy, leanness and performance, longevity in sports, setting 90 years of goals, the politicization of health, finding self-love, and much more. You can learn more about Justin at justinnault.com/steven Maui Nui Venison (The Healthiest Red Meat on the Planet) mauinuivenison.com/steven NADS (Men's Organic Cotton Underwear) Use code STEVEN for 15% off NADS Headspace (Meditation App) Try it for Free for 14 Days Support Something Different on Patreon patreon.com/somethingdiffpod Timestamps: (00:00:00) – Intro (00:04:04) – Justin’s life as a professional musician (00:08:10) – The costume (00:13:34) – Escapism (00:17:58) – Rocketman (00:20:18) – Collecting data from childhood (00:24:46) – Masochistic fitness (00:28:31) – Justin’s niece (00:33:52) – The origins of allopathic medicine (00:35:23) – The limitations of nutrition science (00:37:20) – Seed oils (00:41:44) – The hydroelectric dam analogy (00:46:38) – PUFAs, Omega-6s, & Omega-3s (00:48:31) – Hyperphysiological doses, & fat loss (00:54:37) – A cheap way to check your metabolic rate (00:56:17) – What happened to Primal Kitchen (01:01:24) – Capitalism is demand-driven (01:05:28) – Whose funnel am I in? (01:08:44) – Justin’s staple foods (01:10:59) – Cholesterol & thyroid health (01:19:21) – Carbs & saturated fat (01:24:20) – Calories, paleo, & metabolic rate (01:30:01) – Food is data (01:33:17) – Energy flux (01:38:06) – No more sugar cravings (01:41:17) – Architect of freedom (01:45:45) – Thyroid, carb sources, & dairy (01:49:11) – Fiber & blood glucose (01:50:16) – Sugar (01:57:07) – Fructose & fruit juice (01:59:24) – Rodent studies & nutrition research (02:04:41) – The illusion of authority (02:10:07) – The politicization of health (02:13:56) – Covid (02:21:56) – A journey of self-love (02:33:44) – Psychadelics & non-duality (02:37:46) – Is it working (02:45:07) – Top 5 daily prometabolic habits (02:48:49) – Equatorial living (02:51:33) – Leanness & performance (03:00:54) – Longevity in sports (03:03:16) – Justin’s athletic life (03:05:32) – 90 years of goals (03:08:05) – Where to find Justin


