Magnus Midtbø is a professional climber turned YouTuber from Norway. He has climbed 5.15b (9b), and his YouTube channel recently hit 1M subscribers. We talked about burning out on competitions and starting his YouTube career, the hard work behind success, favorite collaborations, go-to climbing workouts, and takeaways from training with Adam Ondra.
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Show Notes:
thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/magnus-midtbo
Nuggets:
(00:00:00) – Intro
(00:06:39) – Burning out on competitions, and starting his career as a YouTuber
(00:10:45) – Who is Magnus’s audience?
(00:13:10) – Editing and perfectionism
(00:15:59) – The hard work behind success
(00:18:05) – Pacing and music, and making the films personal
(00:21:09) – Being an interovert as a YouTuber
(00:23:35) – Why YouTube Channels die out
(00:26:16) – Making other types of videos outside of climbing, and not being afraid of trying new things
(00:28:05) – Parallels between YouTube and climbing, and logging routes on 8a.nu
(00:29:32) – Being known for his strength, and suffering during collaborations
(00:30:19) – Free soloing with Alex Honnold
(00:32:45) – Patron question from Cody: Which collaborations were the most fun?
(00:35:59) – Jujimufu
(00:37:54) – What Magnus learned from collaborating with Juji and Tom
(00:39:37) – Getting criticism from climbers, and letting go of worrying about what other people think
(00:40:49) – Anton the Russian Ninja Warrior
(00:42:09) – What Magnus has learned from spending time with Adam Ondra, and surrounding yourself with people who make you feel lazy
(00:44:19) – Finding balance vs. focusing on one thing
(00:50:58) – A week in Magnus’s life, and why he doesn’t film many outdoor videos
(00:56:37) – Common themes between top climbers, and how many of us overcomplicate our training
(00:58:23) – What climbing means to Magnus now, and wanting to climb a V15 (8C) boulder
(01:00:04) – Quitting coffee
(01:02:05) – Magnus’s go-to strength maintenance session
(01:04:12) – Why Magnus primarily climbs on commercial gym boulders
(01:05:47) – What Magnus would do if he wanted to climb his hardest again
(01:08:45) – Feeling healthier and happier at his current bodyweight
(01:11:04) – How much harder Magnus climbs without a shirt
(01:11:49) – Training on rock
(01:13:45) – Patron Question from Andrew: Biggest takeaways from training with Adam Ondra?
(01:16:39) – Watching tutorials on cameras and editing
(01:18:33) – How collaborations come about
(01:20:24) – Dream collaborations
(01:21:34) – What’s next for Magnus’s channel
(01:25:14) – Why Magnus doesn’t outsource his editing
(01:27:26) – How it works to get paid as a YouTuber, and investing in climbing gyms
(01:29:24) – What Magnus wishes he would have known earlier about YouTube, and wishing he hadn’t had respect for climbing grades
(01:33:17) – How top climbers almost have two personalities, and balancing humility with confidence
(01:35:18) – Learning to make fewer excuses, and other gifts from YouTube
(01:37:22) – Traveling, hiking, and exploring
(01:38:48) – What’s next
(01:39:30) – Where to find Magnus on the internet
Follow-Up: Emil Abrahamsson — Gaining Weight to Climb His First V15, Overhauling His Training, and Thinking Long-Term With Projects (Teaser)
EP 161: Sam Stroh — Botching It and Sending Anyway, and Biggest Lessons from Hard Boulders to Free Climbs on El Cap
EP 160: Fundamentals — How to Pick a Project
EP 159: Tom Randall & Sam Van Boxtel — Why YouTube is the Future of Climbing Media, and How Much $$ YouTubers Make
EP 158: Fundamentals — How to Improve Your Technique
Follow-Up: Tim Emmett — Lessons From 80+ Days on Era Vella 9a, and Changing His Diet to Thrive at Age 48 (Teaser)
EP 157: Jeannie Wall — Getting Stronger in Her 50s, the Value of Doing Challenging Things, and Slowing Down to Go Fast
EP 156: Fundamentals — How to Go on a Sport Climbing Trip
EP 155: Caleb Robinson — Reaching V13 in Four Years, Biggest Lessons From Competitive Soccer, and the Power of Consistency
Follow-Up: Aidan Roberts — Sending Alphane, Training for V18 Projects, and Listener Q&A (Teaser)
Announcing YouTube + Win a Training Bundle!
EP 154: Fundamentals — How to Go on a Bouldering Trip
EP 153: Ollie Torr — The Secret to Finger Strength, How to Climb Like Aidan Roberts, and Staying on the Bus
Follow-Up: Jordan Cannon — Sending ‘Wet Lycra Nightmare’ on the Leaning Tower (Teaser)
EP 152: Fundamentals — How to Go on a Climbing Trip
Announcing Fundamentals!
EP 151: Anna Hazelnutt — Toe Training for the World’s Hardest Slabs, and Giving Others Permission to Be Real
Follow-Up: Tyler Nelson — Cutting Edge Finger Training Ideas, and the Difference Between Active Recruitment vs. Passive Tension (Teaser)
EP 150: Luke Mehall — How Climbing Gave Him His Life, Creating The Climbing Zine, and Sustaining Creative Work
EP 149: Steven on Kegels and Coffee — We Are Not Robots, As It Turns Out
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