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
EP 148: Alan Watts (Repost) — A Life at Smith Rock, Eating Every Other Day, and Meeting Adam Ondra
BONUS: Alita Contreras — Guerreras Film!
Announcing Merch!
EP 147: Alayna Joy — Coming out to 400k Subscribers, Queerness in Climbing, and Compulsory Heterosexuality
EP 146: Todd Perkins — The Mind-Opening Effects of Cannabis, Why Gratitude is the Key to Climbing Longevity, and Near-Death Experiences
Follow-Up: Amity Warme — Sending ‘The Honeymoon Is Over’ in a Hailstorm, and Lessons From Another Season in Yosemite (Teaser)
EP 145: Katie Lamb — Breaking Into V14, Embracing Micro Beta, and How Climbers Can Be Leaders in the Climate Movement
EP 144: Marisa Michael — Why Losing Weight Won’t Make You Climb Harder, How to Navigate Food, and Intuitive Eating
EP 143: Matt Heyliger — Tissue Capacity vs. Biomechanics, Why Mobility Comes Before Strength, and the Eyeball Story
EP 142: Aidan Roberts — Training for Alphane V17, the Power of Replicas, and Embracing Your Style
EP 141: Robbie Phillips — Exploring Scottish Sea Cliffs, Keeping Things Fun, and Capturing Memories Through Filmmaking
EP 140: Tommy Caldwell — Undone Lines on El Cap, Father-Son Relationships, and Exploring the Limits of Human Endurance
EP 139: Lynn Hill — Breaking Barriers in Climbing, How to Find Self-Belief, and Challenging Social Norms
EP 138: Q&A 6 (feat. Taylor Fragomeni) — Ways to Improve Your Climbing if Access is Limited, and More Patron Questions
Follow-Up: Ned Feehally — More Beastmaking Questions, and Longer Hangs for Long-Term Strength Gains (Teaser)
EP 137: Drew Ruana & Cameron Hörst — Lessons from Recent Sends, Training for Bouldering vs. Sport Climbing, and Leveling Up to V18 and 5.15c
EP 136: Dan Varian — High Angle Crimps, Silver Bullets in Finger Strength, and How to Activate Lazy Fingers
EP 135: Alice Hafer — How to Train Your Mind Muscle, Tips for Staying Motivated, and Box Jumps for Power
EP 134: Sam Van Boxtel — Creating Value on Social Media, Having a Strong “Why”, and the Road to 100k Followers
Follow-Up: Jonathan Siegrist — How to Climb Hard Sport Routes and Improve for Decades (Teaser)
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