TBP 180: Grades - How to Keep Your Ego in Check with Matt Pincus
About Matt Pincus
Matt is a boulderer and a sport climber based out of Wyoming. He splits his time between training at home in Jackson and traveling to pursue his climbing goals around the world. Matt is also a\xa0coach\xa0at TrainingBeta and he\u2019s been seeing clients from around the world since 2017. He\u2019s currently taking 4 new clients, so if you\u2019d like to work with him, you can sign up\xa0here.
Matt created our Bouldering Training Program, which is a non-linear plan that will help you gain strength, power, skills, and work capacity. There\u2019s also a maintenance block worked into the program so you can continue to train lightly during your performance phases.
Learn More about the Bouldering Program Here \xa0 Grades \u2013 How to Keep Your Ego in Check and Use Them to Your AdvantageIn the episode, Coach Matt Pincus and I wax philosophical about climbing grades. This is a ubiquitous topic that all climbers discuss, and a topic that can derail a climbing day or motivate the heck out of a climber.
We go over why there is so much discrepancy in grades between different crags and bouldering areas around the world, as well as within climbing gyms. And we talk about why ultimately it doesn\u2019t matter what something is graded \u2013 it\u2019s about what a climb can teach you.
But there are some grievances aired and some pleas for certain behaviors to change when it comes to discussions of grades. This conversation definitely included some coaching tidbits from Matt on how to approach grades, but we also just kind of\u2026 talked.
I hope this helps you get your thoughts on grades more crystal clear so you can more easily move through any discomfort about grades (\u201cThis climb is WAY harder than what the grade says!\u201d or \u201cWhy can\u2019t I do this \u2013 this grade is usually easy for me?\u201d or \u201cThat can\u2019t possibly be that hard of a grade \u2013 I did it so easily\u2026\u201d).
Enjoy!
\xa0 Episode Details- The subjective nature of grades around the world
- Importance of taking grades with a grain of salt
- Why things are graded the way they are, and why some areas are stouter than others
- Particularly why Rifle has an abundance of hard 13d\u2019s
- How to think of a route that\u2019s hard for the grade as a personal challenge rather than a punch to the gut
- How I deal with the \u201cunfairness\u201d of being short
- The importance of climbing style and perception of difficulty
- Remembering that it really just doesn\u2019t matter
- Bouldering Program\xa0(Levels 1-3) to help you work your way up the grades
- Work with Matt as your coach
- Work with Neely as your nutritionist
- Have topics you want us to cover? Email\xa0matt@trainingbeta.com\xa0or\xa0neely@trainingbeta.com
Please\xa0give the podcast an honest review\xa0on iTunes\xa0here\xa0to help the show reach more curious climbers around the world.
\xa0 Photo CreditPhoto of Matt Pincus on The Plastic Shaman 5.14a by Liz Rasnick\xa0@escharas21