Download the FREE Crimpd App and try 200+ workouts for yourself ➡ thestruggleclimbingshow.com/crimpdyoutube

Hey everyone! Nate here, the guy talking in the video. I just wanted to clarify something about this. In this podcast, I list 14 different barriers that hold people back from improving their technique. This was the first one I listed. So when I say "Number one barrier", that was meant as "barrier number one of fourteen" and not "this is the most important of all barriers". Thanks for watching!

I like the viewpoint of providing more nuance to these common “rules” for beginner climbers. I often see beginners moving feet very very high to the detriment of their body positioning. It’s difficult when you begin to figure out when high feet help vs hurt. I think an emphasis on using all your limbs to move your hips/center of mass to the correct position is maybe the best mindset at the beginning. Then, once you learn that, adding the coordination aspect of moving center of mass effectively is helpful.

The No.1 barrier holding climbers back: INJURY

Nate is the man!!!

Teaching many kids on a very overhanging lead wall, I feel the "straight arm" cue has at least 2 more benefits than "reducing the coordination needed". 1)it makes some form of twisting and/or momentum mandatory. Btw, the kids who learn these skills faster are often those who intrinsically lack lock off strength and don't really need the cue anyway. 2) Even if many hard moves do require some degree of elbow-bending, shaking off for pump management or route reading is rarely more efficient with a bent elbow (though there will be exceptions, as always). 3) it seems encourage some smaller climbers to use their full arm span on some moves. Of course that's more relevant for lead climbs, especially of the juggy and steep kind...

Since when did Malcolm Gladwell become a rock climber? 😅

The only thing holding you back is yourself.

No.1 Barrier: gatekeeping betas/techniques for new climbers