Jesse Firestone is an elite boulderer, a climbing coach, and a climbing philosopher. He’s also a good friend of mine from Oregon. We talked about quantum leaps in our progression as climbers, Jesse’s top 3 tips for climbers at different stages, non-physical factors that affect our performance, tips for flashing hard boulders, training changes after age 30, and much more.
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Show Notes:
thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/jesse-firestone
Nuggets:
0:06:17 – Breakfast, considerations when building a home wall, and how to make climbing holds out of plywood
0:12:24 – Skin conditioning, and dishwashing gloves
0:15:19 – Applying too much stuff to our skin
0:16:56 – Climbing volume, and trying to add more things to make our injuries better
0:18:39 – Being obsessive
0:21:15 – Jesse’s first rest day
0:23:31 – Jesse’s early mentors in climbing, and taking opportunities when they come
0:25:28 – Identifying as a boulderer early on, and wishing he had rested more
0:27:53 – The Portland phase, and how to get pure raw strength in the climbing gym
0:31:27 – Dropping out of college to hit the road for 7 months, and why Jesse’s climbing ability skyrocketed
0:33:08 – The Bend phase
0:35:41 – How Jesse got into coaching
0:38:02 – Emotional regulation, mindset, and common mistakes
0:41:01 – An introduction to Jesse’s Performance Pyramid
0:43:30 – The tiers of the Performance Pyramid
0:47:52 – Jesse’s consistency, and which elements of the pyramid climbers are most resistant to
0:50:11 – Changing our circumstances, and thinking of our lifestyles as an investment
0:52:25 – Quantum leaps
0:54:07 – Spray walls, and the distractions of the climbing gym
0:56:24 – Jesse’s spray wall soapbox
0:58:01 – Emotional regulation strategies (breathing and mantras)
1:03:20 – Emotional regulation strategies (easy climbing with no agenda, and learning to climb alone)
1:04:57 – Beta selection, and the language we speak on the wall
1:07:39 – Pivoting of the torso
1:11:09 – Tough Strips
1:13:31 – MacGyvering solutions, and thinking outside the box
1:17:30 – Beating your head against bad beta, and the importance of finishing climbs
1:21:13 – “We’re all going to hit a point where we’re not climbing harder anymore.”
1:25:53 – 3 tips for beginners
1:32:54 – 3 tips for outdoor-focused climbers
1:37:02 – Summary of 3 tips lists
1:37:43 – Practicing technique on rock
1:38:35 – Flashing boulders, flash ethics, and tips that helped Jesse flash his first V10
1:49:43 – Two hard highball first ascents that Jesse climbed in 2021 (see show notes for videos)
2:00:58 – Why Jesse named one of his highballs Imposter Syndrome
2:03:24 – Being proud of the two highball FAs, and Jesse’s thoughts on repeating established highballs
2:04:36 – Exploring the feeling of being afraid, and exposure therapy
2:05:44 – Patron question from Xander: Have you had to make changes to your training after turning 30?
2:09:54 – Thinking in campaigns/seasons
2:13:31 – Fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD)
2:14:37 – Doing more training after 30
2:15:57 – Patron question from Joe: At what level of strength do we experience diminishing returns, and is it worth training the hinge if you can maintain that level without training it directly? (Ex. double bodyweight deadlift)
2:18:25 – Patron question from Joe: What is one piece of advice Jesse wishes he had taken earlier? (mastery, and being a barbarian)
2:20:44 – Patron question from Christopher: How do you handle it mentally if you start regressing on a project? (setting early goals for a session)
2:22:33 – Going into projects with inertia, and knowing when to walk away
2:25:03 – Why Jesse is moving to Leavenworth
2:26:37 – Using a yoga block to train for narrow compression moves on a V12
2:29:47 – Jesse’s thoughts on what it would take for him to climb V14
2:35:47 – Why Jesse and I are thankful for one another, and finding a climbing partner who will cut through your bullshit
EP 175: Ady Wright — The Pressure of Opportunity, Acts of Rebellion, and Eating Oreos for Breakfast
EP 174: Bernd Zangerl — Developing World-Class Bouldering in the Himalayas, Entering the Easiness, and the Power of the Mind
Follow-Up: Hazel Findlay — Top 3 Performance Hacks (Teaser)
EP 173: Louis Parkinson — How to Break Down Dynamic Movements, the Benefits of Indoor Climbing, and Cultivating Confidence
EP 172: Brittany Leavitt — Seeking Change in Climbing, Unmasking, and Top Lessons From Teaching Kids
EP 171: Leo Houlding — A Life of Adventure, Climbing Big Walls With Kids, and Epic Stories From El Cap
BONUS: Ron Kauk — Spiritual Revolution for Evolution
EP 170: Karly Rager & Casey Elliott — What the Data Says About Weight, Height, and Ape Index, and Which Metrics Matter for Climbing Performance
Follow-Up: Steve Bechtel — Active Recovery: Everything You Need to Know (Teaser)
EP 169: Scott Johnston — A Masterclass in Training Principles, and Why Boulderers Should Train Their Aerobic System
EP 168: Don McGrath — Rewriting Unhelpful Scripts, How to Tackle Fear of Falling, and Playing as We Age
Climbing Gold — Hot Henry
EP 167: Alex Honnold — Epic Solos That Nobody Heard About, Near Misses, and Sh*tting His Pants While Free Soloing
EP 166: Will Bosi — Sending ‘Burden of Dreams’ V17, Dream Projects, and Functional Finger Strength vs. Party Tricks
Follow-Up: Katie Lamb — Sending ‘Spectre’ V14, and Breaking Down Crux Moves (Teaser)
EP 165: Charlie Schreiber — Asking "Why", Squeezing Lemons, and How to Have a Good Poop in the Morning, Every Time
EP 164: Melina Costanza — Why Eating Food Makes You Awesome, Competing to Win vs. Not Lose, and Fun Facts With Melina
Follow-Up: Matt Heyliger — How I Rehabbed My Bicep Tendon Injury, and How to Make the Transition From Rehab Back to Training (Teaser)
EP 163: Johnny Dawes — Legendary No-Hands Climbs, How to Master Footwork, and Life Lessons From Omelets to Icebergs
EP 162: Fundamentals — How to Structure Your Climbing Year
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