I’m currently sitting in the Nashville Airport at six in the morning. We breezed through security, and are waiting to head west. After a quick pit stop in Los Angeles, we’ll land in Maui to meet up with the rest of my family to spend the new year. I’m pretty ok with it. I plan on some family hangs, beach time, and a bit of climbing, actually. There’s been some bouldering development happening on the island and I’m stoked to check it out! The weekend was good. I was able to get out and do a solid circuit day at LRC on Sunday, with the added bonus of being able to climb on the golf course boulders, which is always a treat. I hope your week goes well! Let’s get into the bullet points
The Bullet Points
The Power Company Climbing Podcast is always chock full of actionable training tips. This one’s a little different. An interview with Miguel Ventura, owner and operator of Miguel’s Pizza in the Red River Gorge Kentucky. The episode has stories, some philosophy, and some history behind one of the most iconic locations in rock climbing. I’ve had many a moment sitting on the front porch talking to Miguel, or just living in the the campground, and those moments have had a huge part in shaping who I am today. Also included is a short conversation with Miguel’s son Dario, another person I deeply respect. It’s a good one. Listen up.
Lower body movements don’t only cause adaptations in the lower body. Some of my favorite strength training movements for climbing are looked at as lower body movements at first. However, a lot goes into play as to how the body responds to an exercises, some good, some bad. I thought this was an interesting read.
If you’re learning new training movements, it’s probably a good idea to learn from a coach in person. If that’s not possible, it’s up to you to find what you believe to be safe and accurate information. I really enjoyed this article that dug deep into the finer points of kettlebell ballistic movements. A lot of coaching points to think about. Check it out.
The Brew
Vanilla Hazelnut Marshal Zhukov, Cigar City Brewing
Marshal Zhukov is one of the notable stouts from Cigar City. It’s big and bold, and the Vanilla Hazelnut variation only improves it. Big aromas and flavors of dark roasted malts, espresso, vanilla. The hazelnut adds a nuttiness that elevates this stout to one of the best stouts I’ve had in a long time, maybe ever. Highly recommended.
What’s Happening
Mailing List
I’m playing around with a newsletter. It will contain article alerts, special content promotions, and offers exclusive to subscribers. You can sign up here if you’d like. It’s completely free.
Nutrition, Performance, and Strength Coaching
If you’re interested in nutrition coaching, strength training, Functional Movement Screen consulting, performance training, or some combination of these programs, you can find more information here.
Kettlebell Classes
No kettlebell classes the next two weeks, as I will be out of town, but they will resume when I return. You can check out the SCSF schedule here.