The TrainingBeta Podcast: A Climbing Training Podcast

Neely Quinn and climbing coach Alex sit down to talk through one of the most common — and least discussed — challenges in climbing: the friction between partners. They cover emotional projection, mismatched goals, unsolicited beta, belay trust issues, passive aggression, sacrifice dynamics, competition between partners, and trip planning stress. Both share candid stories from their own partnerships, and Neely explains what couples coaching for climbers actually looks like and how she helps partners hear each other differently. Whether you climb with a romantic partner, a close friend, or a family member, this one will resonate.

Matt Pincus, a TrainingBeta coach who programs board climbing and trains climbers worldwide. He explains treating boards as tools, etiquette for crowded sessions, how to pick and organize problems by angle, and strategies to break plateaus. Practical tips on turn-taking, using board apps, and balancing projects with sends keep sessions productive and fun.

In this episode, I talk with neurologist and headache specialist Dr. Danielle Wilhour about migraine headaches and how they affect climbers and athletes, in general. We discuss common triggers, exercise and recovery, hormonal influences, and the role of medications, supplements, and lifestyle factors in managing migraines. Dr. Wilhour also explains the different phases of a migraine and shares practical strategies for prevention and treatment.

In this solo episode, host and integrative nutrition therapist Neely Quinn digs into a topic that doesn't get enough airtime in the climbing world: food anxiety. Neely breaks down the most common reasons climbers feel stressed about what they eat — from carb fear and fullness phobia to rigid food rules and weight-gain worry — and shares practical, compassionate strategies for each one. She also opens up about her own recent experience adjusting her diet after starting hormone replacement therapy, and what it looked like to approach that change as a scientist rather than from a place of shame. Whether your anxiety around food is mild or it's genuinely affecting your daily life, this episode will leave you with new ways to think about eating — and more space in your brain for climbing. Topics covered: carb fear, fullness anxiety, food myths, food rules, weight management, eating disorder resources, and working with a nutrition or mindset coach.

In this episode, Coach Alex Stiger and I talked about the ways we see our clients overtraining and the consequences it has on their bodies, minds, and climbing performance. We also share how we overdo it ourselves, and how that has affected us. We go into the causes of overtraining: feeling like more is better, fearing falling behind, not knowing how much training is enough, and as Alex calls it, "chasing fatigue." I talk about the ways I work with my mindset coaching clients on this to help them gain perspective and talk to themselves differently. 

Matt Pincus, a TrainingBeta coach who programs board work for climbers, breaks down board climbing as a training tool. He compares Moon, Kilter, Tension, and spray walls. He covers who should use boards, three session types, common pitfalls, and how to treat board grades without getting hung up on them.

Emma McAdam, a licensed therapist and creator of Therapy in a Nutshell, blends clinical tools with climbing experience. She discusses using exposure practice, mindfulness, and self-compassion to work with fear of falling. Short practical strategies, building a gradual exposure hierarchy, and how to release after a fall are highlighted in clear, relatable conversation.

Alex Steiger, climbing coach and former gym program director, shares foundational advice for beginners. She covers essential courses and short coaching blocks. Learn which common mistakes to avoid, why footwork and shoes matter, how to plan practice sessions, and ways to manage injury risk and climb with better partners.

In this episode I do a full mindset coaching session with Maren Krammer, a 33-yr-old climber who struggles to feel like she is a part of the community when she’s surrounded by stronger climbers than herself. She feels shy, stifled, and unwilling to try hard for fear of judgment and rejection from others. It affects her self-esteem and hinders her climbing progression, and she wanted to work through it. We do a full 60-minute mindset coaching session where we break down her thoughts, emotions, limiting beliefs, and gremlin talk (the voice that says “you’re not good enough”). By the end, Maren has a clearer understanding of why she feels so intimidated around stronger climbers and tools to help her be confident in herself and feel more a part of the community. Work with Me on Your Mindset in Climbing If you want to work with me one-on-one, I’m accepting new mindset coaching clients. We can work on your fears in climbing, performance anxiety, and anything that is holding you back from enjoying climbing. Go totrainingbeta.com/mindset for more info. 

Natalia Grossman is a 24-year-old American professional climber who lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. She broke onto the World Cup scene in 2021 when she became the overall Bouldering World Cup champion and finished in second place in the overall Lead World Cup. That same year, she won World Championships in Moscow in Bouldering and placed 2nd in Lead. She proceeded to win the overall Bouldering World Cup in 2022, 2023, and 2024, making her the most successful American World Cup climber in history. In 2022 she came in 3rd place for the overall Lead World Cup season. In 2023 she also won the Pan Am Games in Santiago in both Bouldering and Lead. She qualified for the Olympics in 2024 and finished in 11th place. In February of this year (2025), she unfortunately tore her ACL and meniscus, and sprained her MCL during a training session and had to have surgery. She is now about 9 months out from surgery and has won both competitions she entered: the Lead North American Cup in Salt Lake in August and the Bouldering Pan American Cup in Colombia in November. Besides competition climbing, she has sent up to V14 and 5.14c outside, but has focused most of her time and training on World Cup comps. Natalia graduated from University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in psychology and is considering getting her master’s in mental health counseling. In this interview, we talk about her comeback from her surgery, her mindset for competition climbing, and her training, among many other things: More Details: How she injured herself Her injury rehab and how it’s changed her as a climber How she got so good at climbing What impact her coaches have had on her What sets her apart from other climbers What it’s like competing with your best friends How the pressures to be light have affected her What she eats What she sacrifices to be a champion How she trains It was an honor to interview someone I have watched compete for years (I love watching World Cups!), and I appreciated Natalia giving us her time and being so vulnerable in sharing about her life.