Modus Cafe: Conversations Beyond Climbing Mercedes Pollmeier & Katja Dove
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- Health & Fitness
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Welcome to Modus Cafe. Join us for fun, light-hearted, and educational conversations around training, athletic longevity, and the human side of climbing. Hosted by Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach, Mercedes Pollmeier, and Mindset Coach, Katja Dove. Mercedes has over 15 years of coaching experience in the climbing industry. She was a competitive climber and, in another life, a semi-pro tennis player. She has an M.S. in Human Movement and has helped thousands of climbers feel and perform their best. Katja has a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and started her coaching career in nutrition. Now, she helps her athletes overcome some of their biggest mindset obstacles and to find joy in climbing and life.
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30. Two Climbing Drills For maximum Impovement
At Modus, we love drills, and we do many of them! But we thought we would share two drills that are our favorite and our go-tos if you have minimal time or have a tough time deciding what you need to focus on.
If you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced climber, these two drills will change how you experience climbing, and as a bonus, you'll also become more confident.
Katja shares her upcoming climbing plans and the importance of effective bouldering warm-ups, while Coach Merc introduces a game-changing drill that promises significant improvements in reach, control, and body tension.
We discuss the benefits of these techniques, how to use them, and provide insights into incorporating them into your routine. Want a jump start to your training?
Sign up here to get instant access to our free Intro To Training Masterclass: https://www.modusathletica.com/masterclass
Want a simple training program to follow? Join our amazing group training membership Stronger Together: https://www.modusathletica.com/stronger-together
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29. Specific Climbing Training | Training Series With Steve Bechtel
Join Coach Merc & Katja from Modus Athletica and climbing coach Steve Bechtel from Climb Strong in an in-depth conversation on Specific Training for Climbing.
We cover more nuanced climbing training topics, emphasizing the critical balance between general strength and specific climbing training. Learn from Steve's expert insights on various training boards, the role of technique over raw strength, and the effective use of video self-assessment to refine climbing skills.
For climbers who aim to stay in the sport long-term while balancing performance, this episode offers perspectives on improving finger strength, understanding the importance of overall athleticism, and exploring efficient strength gains.
This episode is perfect for climbers at all levels looking to push their limits and coaches seeking fresh insights into climbing training methodologies.
Links mentioned in the episode:
Project direct article link. https://www.projectdirectcoaching.com/blog/whatmetricsmatter
Slow-motion climbing https://youtu.be/isZ176DKNN4
High step strength drill https://youtube.com/shorts/p18uP1bzGlc
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28. Identifying Your Ego In Climbing | How It Holds You Back
There are subtle ways our ego can creep into our climbing sessions, especially when we are in "training" mode. This podcast discusses signs of ego, how we sabotage ourselves without knowing it, and how we avoid looking weak by sacrificing what's best for us.
There is also a big difference between training and performing, which is important to define and realize if you are currently training.
Check yourself before you wreck yourself. -
27. Belonging In Climbing Spaces
Do you ever feel like you don't belong in climbing spaces? Or maybe you don't quite feel like a "climber" yet? This episode explores cultural reasons why this happens and what you can do if you want to "belong."
This one was definitely a deeper more emotional episode, and I was happy to have the opportunity to discuss this one! -
26. Climbing Training Burnout | Strategies For Success
If you ever feel heavy, like you're walking through mud with your training, or even having a hard time showing up at the gym, it could mean you are suffering from burnout.
This happens to most folks to devote time and effort to a skill. The grind is real.
In this episode, we give you a few things to consider to help you overcome burnout, or signs that you can might be reaching burnout.
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Check out our website: https://www.modusathletica.com/
Learn with us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/mercedespollmeier -
25. Building a Stronger Climber | The Essentials of Strength Training
Here is the second episode in our training series with Steve Bechtel. We discuss the importance of general strength training for climbers as well as across our human lifespan. We discuss exercise selection, bodyweight vs resistance training, how to choose the right intensity, and Steve's favorite exercise.
We still have our free pull-up masterclass available which you join here: https://www.modusathletica.com/pullup-masterclass-signup
If you'd like to join our 12-week coaching program, hit this link https://www.modusathletica.com/pulling-strong
Customer Reviews
Engaging, insightful, accessible and fun!
I’ve really enjoyed these first 3 episodes. They strike a nice balance between providing useful, practical tips and tricks for training sessions and projecting, and delving deeper into psychological/emotional themes that you may not normally associate with pulling on rocks/plastic. Really looking forward to seeing what Mercedes and Katja have in store for upcoming episodes!
Love it
Two of my favorite people discussing interesting topics in climbing, mobility and mindset? I’m in. Katja and Mercedes are both super knowledgeable and have a great dynamic.