EP 109: Martin Keller
March 7, 2022
PHOTO by Hannes Tell of Martin on ‘Ninja Skills Sit’ V15/16
Martin Keller is a Swiss boulderer, climbing coach, and teacher, and is known for his long-term dedication to his bouldering projects. We talked about spending 150+ days projecting his FA of ‘Ninja Skills Sit’ V15/16, how to change our brain chemistry, how Martin trains on his outdoor projects, and how changing his mindset unlocked his hardest climbs. You can learn more about Martin at martinkeller.blogspot.com
Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts
Check out other episodes with Martin:
Follow-Up: Martin Keller (Oct, 2023)
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Show Notes:
Films:
FA of ‘Ninja Skills Sit’ V15/16
Martin’s Links:
Routes Mentioned:
‘Ninja Skills Sit’ V15/16 (8C/+), Sobrio, Switzerland
‘Dreamtime’ V15 (8C), Cresciano, Switzerland
‘Story of Two Worlds’ V15 (8C), Cresciano, Switzerland
‘The Highlander’ V15 (8C), Sustenpass, Switzerland
‘Martini Right’ V12 (8A+), Hueco Tanks, TX
‘Free Willy’ V10 (7C+), Hueco Tanks, TX
‘Ill Trill’ V14 (8B+), Magic Wood, Switzerland
‘Full Throttle’ V13 (8B), Hueco Tanks, TX
‘New Baseline’ V14 (8B+), Magic Wood, Switzerland
Nuggets:
0:08:13 – Martin’s “mini-epic” on ‘Ninja Skills Sit’ V15/16
0:14:02 – Finding inspiration in a project
0:17:55 – Martin’s first bouldering trip, and being a slow learner
0:23:28 – Preferring really cool projects to just sending another random climb, and asking what people like most about climbing
0:25:34 – Being able to jump up a grade when you find something that fits you
0:28:13 – Turning something ugly into something gracefully, and turning the impossible into something possible
0:35:03 – Do whatever resonates with you, and climbing lots of new things on trips
0:38:13 – Why willpower isn’t enough, and making your brain like what you do
0:41:28 – Your brain wants you to do easy things, and how to trick your unconscious into wanting to train
0:46:00 – How to get rid of cognitive friction, and tricks to make your brain want to go training
0:51:39 – How to use breathwork to ramp up the nervous system for training
0:54:20 – Long term vs short term stress
0:58:16 – Using light to upregulate the nervous system, and dimming lights before sleep
1:02:23 – How body temperature affects sleep, and avoiding screen time in the evening
1:03:59 – Food before bed, and including carbs with dinner to help with sleep
1:06:15 – What Martin does on his project when the conditions are bad, how he “trains” on his projects, and setting mini-goals
1:16:40 – The Russian mindset, why more isn’t always better, and the difference between us and the pros
1:20:52 – Why active rest days are important, why you should get a dog, and why doing good things for your climbing is also good for your life
1:26:13 – Opportunity costs, choosing priorities, and being flexible with your training
1:29:04 – Martin’s strategy for hard power endurance boulders, and bringing the sections of the boulder down to 80% effort (or 8 RPE)
1:36:13 – Martin’s latest project on the Highlander boulder
1:37:41 – Key Takeaway: Ask yourself what you really like about climbing and bouldering, and being proud of yourself for building a life around climbing
1:39:48 – Letting out the steam
1:42:32 – Why collecting excuses (explanations) can be helpful
1:45:13 – Martin’s story about berating himself on Ninja Skills Sit, and learning how to speak more kindly to yourself
1:51:13 – The example of spilling water on your laptop, and talking to yourself like you would talk to a friend
1:55:43 – Martin’s hamstring injury, sunk costs, and how irrational our brains actually are
2:02:01 – Figuring out what is important for yourself, and magic bullets
2:05:43 – Being the first one to bring a battery-powered van to the boulders
2:07:23 – How changing his mindset has helped Martin climb all of his hardest boulders after age 40
2:13:13 – The benefits of cold showers, and connecting dopamine to actions
2:20:16 – Patron question from Nicole: How does Martin deal with making negative progress on projects? When does he walk away?
2:36:05 – The pressure we create for ourselves
2:41:07 – How to connect with Martin
2:43:18 – Final words