The Climbing Doctor Podcast

In this conversation, Jared Vagy and Jack Brown discuss the necessity of developing a climbing-specific fitness battery for youth climbers. They explore the metabolic and biomechanical demands of climbing, the importance of assessing injury resilience, and the components of a comprehensive fitness assessment. The discussion includes a detailed breakdown of a two-day testing schedule, focusing on strength, power, and climbing-specific movements, while emphasizing the importance of strength training in preventing injuries and enhancing performance.
Jac Brown's Bio
Jac Brown is a physical therapist and avid climber, blending a passion for movement with a commitment to helping others stay active. After earning a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, Jac moved to New England, where she began working with youth climbers and supporting local youth climbing teams as a clinical resource. When not on the wall, Jac can be found juggling or geocaching around her neighborhood. Reach out at [email protected] or via Instagram @dr.jac_dpt if you'd like to chat about injury prevention, rehab, or strength training for climbing
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Climbing-Specific Fitness
 

03:08 The Need for a Fitness Battery in Youth Climbing
 

06:00 Understanding Energy Demands in Climbing
 

08:58 Assessing Biomechanical and Injury Risks
 

12:00 Components of a Climbing Fitness Assessment
 

15:12 Importance of Strength Training for Resilience
 

18:12 Designing a Standardized Testing Protocol
 

21:04 Day One: Flexibility and Strength Testing
 

23:52 Day Two: Climbing-Specific Movement Assessment
 

26:57 Final Thoughts and Future Directions

Links and Resources for This Episode:
📝 Full Article Reviewed in the Podcast
🎥 Video YouTube Podcast Episode
Social Media and Webpage:
🕸️Webpage / 📸 Instagram /📍Pinterest / 📝 Blog Articles: 
Books, Injury Protocols, and Rehab Tools
Climb Injury-Free Book / Self-Help Injury Protocols / Rehab Tools:  /Brand Partner Discounts 
Injury Rehab Coures
Courses for Medical Providers / Courses for Coaches

In this conversation, Jared Vagy and Joe Manoles discuss the concepts of motor learning and motor control, particularly in the context of climbing. They explore key terminology, the stages of motor learning, and practical applications for climbers. The discussion also delves into personal challenges faced by climbers, types of practice and feedback, and the importance of understanding individual learning styles. The conversation emphasizes the significance of feedback mechanisms and learning strategies in improving climbing performance.
Joe Manoles's Bio
Dr. Joe Manoles PT, DPT is a healthcare professional in Bend, Oregon specializing in the treatment, recovery, and performance of climbers and mountain athletes. His care is characterized by his compassion, attention to detail, and dedication to holistic care. He believes strongly in the core pillars of health as a need for all human beings and their direct influence on our experience on Earth. In order to understand the complexity of health systems, Joe received a B.S in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with a minor in Microbiology. He continued his education at Oregon State University-Cascades receiving his Doctorate of Physical Therapy and has sought out continuing educational mentorship and coursework through a variety of trusted resources in the climbing community including The Climbing Doctor, The Climb Clinic, and Camp 4 Human Performance. These days, if he isn't working on his new business Dissonance Performance and Physical Therapy, he is spending time with his spouse Taylor Manoles and their 4 year-old border collie Finn, climbing, snowboarding, and exploring the breathtaking beauty of central Oregon.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Motor Learning and Control
 

02:54 Understanding Key Terminology
 

06:00 Stages of Motor Learning in Climbing
 

08:45 Applying Motor Learning to Climbing Techniques
 

12:06 Overcoming Challenges in Climbing Skills
 

14:58 Types of Practice and Feedback in Climbing
 

18:02 The Role of Feedback in Skill Development
 

21:09 Conclusion and Summary of Key Concepts
 

24:41 Exploring Climbing Preferences and Techniques
 

27:03 The Learning Process in Climbing
 

30:13 Feedback Mechanisms in Climbing
 

35:03 Error-Driven vs. Errorless Learning
 

39:23 Guided vs. Discovery Learning
 

40:38 Understanding Bandwidth in Feedback
 

42:13 Final Thoughts on Motor Learning in Climbing

Links and Resources for This Episode:
📝 Full Article Reviewed in the Podcast
🎥 Video YouTube Podcast Episode
Social Media and Webpage:
🕸️Webpage / 📸 Instagram /📍Pinterest / 📝 Blog Articles: 
Books, Injury Protocols, and Rehab Tools
Climb Injury-Free Book / Self-Help Injury Protocols / Rehab Tools:  /Brand Partner Discounts 
Injury Rehab Coures
Courses for Medical Providers / Courses for Coaches

In this conversation, Jared Vagy and Steve Smith go over the complexities of energy system training for climbers, particularly focusing on how to effectively train with limited resources. They discuss the importance of understanding muscle contractions, the various energy systems involved in climbing, and practical training protocols that can be implemented off the wall. The conversation emphasizes the need for a personalized approach to training, including a needs analysis to determine the most effective training components for individual climbers. The episode concludes with key takeaways on how to optimize climbing fitness while minimizing the risk of injury.
Steve Smith's Bio
Steve Smith is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, who is a board certified specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy, and Strength & Conditioning. He has been climbing since 2006, and has a particular interest in specialized sport training and rehabilitation, using science and evidence-based practice to improve performance and return patients to their highest level of athletic abilities. Steve works in an academic Orthopedic and Sports Medicine setting and, in his free time, acts as a training and injury risk reduction consultant to local competitive and recreational climbers. He currently lives in Huntington, WV with his wife, son and daughter.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Energy System Training

04:30 Understanding Limited Resources in Training

10:17 Muscle Contractions and Their Importance

17:03 Energy Systems Overview

24:33 Components of Energy System Training

29:56 Practical Applications of Training

33:54 Understanding Climbing Intensity and Training

39:36 Exploring Strength Endurance and Pump Training

47:29 Assessing and Programming for Climbing Training

50:48 Needs Analysis in Climbing Training

01:03:34 Key Takeaways for Effective Climbing Training

Links and Resources for This Episode:
📝 Full Article Reviewed in the Podcast
📥 Energy Systems Training Downloadable Resource
🎥 Video YouTube Podcast Episode
Social Media and Webpage:
🕸️Webpage / 📸 Instagram /📍Pinterest / 📝 Blog Articles: 
Books, Injury Protocols, and Rehab Tools
Climb Injury-Free Book / Self-Help Injury Protocols / Rehab Tools:  /Brand Partner Discounts 
Injury Rehab Coures
Courses for Medical Providers / Courses for Coaches

In this conversation, Jared Vagy and Josh Foster discuss meniscal injuries in rock climbers. They explain what a meniscal injury is and how climbers can injure their meniscus. They discuss the signs and symptoms of a meniscal injury and how it is diagnosed and treated. They also outline a rehabilitation plan for meniscal injuries, including exercises to restore range of motion and strengthen the muscles around the knee. They emphasize the importance of proper movement patterns and provide climbing-specific exercises to prevent meniscal injuries in climbers.
Joshua Foster's Bio
Josh Foster is a Doctor of Physical Therapy with a passion for movement and health, beginning his journey in 2001 when he discovered climbing. He has been deeply embedded in the climbing community for over 20 years, starting as a youth competitor who reached the national level in high school. He spent 12 years setting routes and more than a decade as a youth competitive climbing coach, where he facilitated success for new athletes and national champions.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:23 What is a meniscal injury and how do climbers get them?
06:52 Diagnosis and treatment of meniscal injuries
09:00 Rehabilitation plan for meniscal injuries
22:47 Movement patterns and climbing-specific exercises
30:35 Preventing meniscal injuries in climbers
Links and Resources for This Episode:
📝 Full Article Reviewed in the Podcast
🎥 Video YouTube Podcast Episode
Social Media and Webpage:
🕸️Webpage / 📸 Instagram /📍Pinterest / 📝 Blog Articles: 
Books, Injury Protocols, and Rehab Tools
Climb Injury-Free Book / Self-Help Injury Protocols / Rehab Tools:  /Brand Partner Discounts 
Injury Rehab Coures
Courses for Medical Providers / Courses for Coaches

In this conversation, Dr. Nick Hedges discusses the importance of the lower body, specifically the ankle, in climbing. He highlights the prevalence of ankle injuries in climbing and the potential consequences of ankle sprains. Dr. Hedges provides self-assessment techniques to determine ankle susceptibility and reduce the risk of injury. He also explains how to test ankle mobility and function, as well as how to tease out the different systems involved in balance. Dr. Hedges offers tips for training and improving balance and provides insights on benchmarking and comparing balance performance. The conversation concludes with a case study of sprained ankles in a climbing gym. This conversation explores the assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation of ankle sprains in rock climbers. The importance of addressing ankle stability and mobility is emphasized, along with the need to determine the severity of an ankle injury. The stages of ankle rehabilitation are discussed, including the unload stage, partial loading stage, initial loading stage, dynamic and plyometric stage, and fear avoidance. The conversation concludes with a reminder to seek professional help if needed and to prioritize ankle health to prevent chronic instability and future injuries.
Nicholas Hedges's Bio
Nic Hedges has a Doctorate in Chiropractic as well as a Masters degree in Sport Science and Rehabilitation. Since graduating chiropractic school, Nic has taught anatomy and physiology at Colorado Mountain College. He was also a member of the climbing special interest group, which provided him the opportunity to collaborate with other professionals in a niche sport. He is now the proud owner and operator of Synergy Sports Clinic in Grand Junction, Colorado. When he's not working in clinic, he can be found climbing in rifle or trail running.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
01:30 The Importance of the Lower Body in Climbing
06:19 The Consequences of Ankle Sprains
08:02 Self-Assessment for Ankle Susceptibility and Injury Risk Reduction
11:33 Testing Ankle Mobility and Function
14:26 Teasing Out the Different Systems Involved in Balance
21:09 Benchmarking and Comparing Balance Performance
22:39 Case Study: Sprained Ankles in a Climbing Gym
22:46 Importance of Assessing and Addressing the Ankle
27:05 Determining the Severity of an Ankle Injury
35:30 Stages of Ankle Rehabilitation
44:05 Closing Thoughts on Ankle Sprains and Rock Climbing
Links and Resources for This Episode:
📝 Full Article Reviewed in the Podcast
🎥 Video YouTube Podcast Episode
Social Media and Webpage:
🕸️Webpage / 📸 Instagram /📍Pinterest / 📝 Blog Articles: 
Books, Injury Protocols, and Rehab Tools
Climb Injury-Free Book / Self-Help Injury Protocols / Rehab Tools:  /Brand Partner Discounts 
Injury Rehab Coures
Courses for Medical Providers / Courses for Coaches