**To those who feel triggered about the genetics part in the video: first of all, sorry if I hurt you in some ways, did not intend it so. and second, I just can’t lay out every little details of what I did in the gym... It’s literally impossible. but I believe you can climb everyday, especially when you’re a beginner, if being smart(adjusting intensity of each session etc.) and I was a student back then when I first started climbing and did literally nothing but climbing, I even skipped school to recover from climbing, and stayed in bed all day long before the gym just to feel fit lol yeah stupid cuz got some F grades on some of the subjects I took, but that’s how passionate I was in climbing. They say it’s a miracle that I could graduate lol I also said, “yeah genetics play a certain role too, like I don’t play basketball cuz I’m too short for the sport” I never said I’m not gifted as a climber, I’m saying, HARD WORK > genetics btw, I had to go through sooooo many injuries in those five years of climbing... even now I’m suffering from this finger tendon injury... Idk why everyone just conveniently thinks that I was injury-free. Starting age is obviously a pretty crucial factor too, I can agree, though I don’t see it affecting it that much to get to like v9/10 level, which is already an advanced level as a climber. Hope you all can achieve what you wish to achieve in climbing! Also stay injury-free!
i think the injuries are a sign that it is more work than genetics. i could be wrong though because one would argue that the proper planning would guard from any injury but who knows.
HoseokClimb hey man, can’t sugarcoat it 🤷🏼♂️ some people are genetically blessed at something’s where others aren’t. If you suck at climbing you’ll probably be good at a ton of other stuff Bc your most likely not skinny or lanky but powerful and thicccc yknow?
I think it's important to recognise that even if we all apply ourselves with 100%... And i mean, 100% effort during every gym session that we'd still improve at different rates ( for a variety of reasons.) That being said.. As you say the key to improvement with anything in life is dedication. It's easy to say ( this guy has X Y Z advantage over me ) and then justify your own lack of progress. I think if 99% of people watching are being truly honest with themselves, they will arrive at the conclusion that they're nowhere near 100% dedication. Which is the primary factor between ANY Athlete & themselves.
I agree with you that hard work with mindful intent is important for progress; you certainly have worked hard! That being said, genetics isn't just about body types. For example, injury resiliency is one genetic aspect that I think is extremely pertinent to climbers, especially with regards to fast progress. Predisposition to injury will certainly limit the amount of work some people can put into improving at climbing.
Daniel Lin Ariolimax C. I just can’t lay out every little details of what I did in the gym... It’s literally impossible. but I believe you can climb everyday, especially when you’re a beginner, if being smart(adjusting intensity of each session etc.) and I was a student back then when I first started climbing and did literally nothing but climbing, I even skipped school to recover from climbing, and stayed in bed all day long before the gym just to feel fit lol yeah stupid cuz got some F grades on some of the subjects I took, but that’s how passionate I was in climbing. They say it’s a miracle that I could graduate lol
HoseokClimb This is not to belittle your dedication and achievements, because you obviously do focus and train hard! No doubt. But what is a factor that i believe this guy attempted to convey, is that not everyone is physically able to recover in the same amount of time. I know people who can train for 11 days straight and climb at the same level that I do on my second consecutive day of climbing. But if I did the same, my shoulder and bicep tendon would both be injured and they’d need recovery lasting months. In terms of time, this slows down your progress, but using it as an excuse is obviously still lousy. You just have to see through the disadvantage and help your body through the process of improving and taking care of it.
I think this is something a lot of climbers in the intermediate range (like, climbing V5 to V7, starting to get pretty good but hitting plateaux and struggling to improve further) need to hear, me included. There is no magic way to get good, you gotta clock in the hours and you gotta do it in a meaningful way, with the proper mindset and the will to improve.
Im in that range right now, i am still getting better but injuries are starting to show aswell so i cant climb as much as i want to max 1-2 times a week. And i think thats is because of my work im currently lifting things/carrying stuff all day and then when i go climbing hard i just get muscle pain that wont go away bc of my work so i dont really know how to get better.
I really like the attitude but genetics is more than just what meets the eye. The capacity and the amount of muscle and certain fibers is predetermined and guys like Jan and Sean both have extreme explosive power that many people couldn't reach even with the best training. That being said, I am 100% on your side that almost no one reaches their genetic limits because it is one hell of a lot of work, dedication and mindset to get there. Most people just set their potential limits super low at like V7/8 but I think V10/11 is reachable for everyone. But with higher grades the gap between them becomes even bigger and thats the time when I believe genetics might play a bigger role but definately not for 90% of the climbing population. Sorry for the super long text... love your Vids and dedication ;)
Damn I love this guys content! Really gets me fired up! Stay strong with the no nonsense approach my guy! "Theres no point in trying really hard if you dont believe in yourself" - Might Guy
Thanks so much for answer my question, since I started to watch your videos you motivated me to put more effort, I fall in love of this sport since a meet it, and I was worry to start to old to reach a good level
This is great. I can see how many people could find this offensive, but you're just making sense of things and discarding the abundance of excuses and cope. I came to climbing from powerlifting and what you say about being focused and prioritizing your work and results over socializing or anything else is huge. In lifting, it is easy to isolate yourself in the squat rack or deadlift platform but climbing is inherently much more social. So I've learned from a lot of good climbers like yourself about staying focused and how to differentiate trying and "really" trying.
Thank you for your thoughts on the issue of genetics and body type. My opinion is that complaints about genetics are pretty nonsensical. Genetic potential is a limiting factor mostly in the very upper limits of climbing. But even then it's not really related to height or weight. At the professional levels it's a lot of subtle stuff, like muscle insertions helping create more efficient levers, higher proportions of fast twitch muscle fibers, etc. But this only really matters at the truly top level. I'm fairly certain everyone has the potential to be a V10+ boulderer. It's just about whether your goals and your actions are lined up. You want to climb hard, you gotta train hard, and try hard.
Absolutely love your outlook on climbing! I think it’s very easy to fall into saying what people want to hear but you do an amazing job getting your point across efficiently! (P.S actually learning Korean right now!) and visiting this fall 🤘🏼
Thx for climbing advice about prioritizing and focusing. And I'm kind shocked when you said you're leaning English, English is not your mother tougne! That's amazing
I can't agree more Once i started to complete harder boulders my friends started telling me its only because I'm tall even though I go 3 to 4 days a week
My girlfriend is 154cm and im 184cm. If i send it's because I'm tall, if she sends it's because she is short. 7 years of dedicated climbing apparently isn't the factor to some!
Cool take on genetics! Me and a buddy started climbing a year and a half ago. Same time, same weight (180lbs). Similar sheduling and passion for climbing. We climbed everyday like you mentioned. First V5 was at the one year mark? In two months after we were at V6. With a small injury break and back after 4 months we were close to V7. BUT. With time our climbing styles showed that we had different strengths and weaknesses. He was a WAY better slab climber and mostly climbed slabs up to V6. I cannot. Most of my V6+ (indoors mind you) sends were overhanging or a roof problem. He spent more time on slabs, I spent more time on overhangs. Differences showed. So hardwork and where you put it IS IMPORTANT! Genetics wise I would say I build muscle better than him and he had better tondon strength. His finger strength was already WAY ahead of mine from the start. I had to fingerboard to catch up. I had better body strength though. It’s all a give and take but at the end of the day our grade of climbing on different styles is close to similar. There are more people I know to compare off of. At the end it boils down to hardwork and consistency specific to you and YOUR weaknesses.
Just wanted to say I 100% agree with you and fair play! Training pays off, thanks for the extra motivation and various training ideas. One day in the distant future I'll repeat all your problems ;)
I think your really smart and what you said is true. If genetic have an importance in climbing, i think it's more about resistance to injury so you can train a lot without getting injure.
It is an interesting topic that I am revolving aroung in these days as well...I mean the weight issue. I am 79 kg right now, pretty stable, and the way i look at it....I climb on the same level or a little bit below than most of the other climbers at my gym who are like 60 kg. So, at the end of the day, I have the feeling...I do not have to use a 20kg vest...and I am much stronger than them, phisically, and can make the same routes look easy and smooth. So yes, it is only about the mindset, and how you are approach things.
Probably youth and lighter weight plays a role. I started at 45 years old and strong from other sports but 175-180 lbs. Even 2 days in a row in the first few months my forearms could barely handle it. 8 months in I can handle 2 no problem, 3 in row and I need a rest day or 2. Regardless I think he's right. Volume of training and focus on what you're doing overall and within each session/problem will get you further, faster no matter what your starting capacity is.
Geert ten Have I was a student back then when I first started climbing and did literally nothing but climbing, I even skipped school to recover from climbing, and stayed in bed all day long before the gym lol yeah stupid cuz got some F grades on some of the subjects I took, but that’s how passionate I was in climbing. They say it’s a miracle that I could graduate lol
Cool snap in pics and dig “the truth” (hard work, consistency, and mindset”). As you were talking, I couldn’t help but blabber about being 51 years old and 5th year in climbing. 🤦♂️Reality is those and other “excuses” are justifiers of not trying hard to “your potential” which you stated many times. Unless we’re pro level or sponsored athletes, we’re all recreational. I enjoy this sport like no other in my life because it provides a fun and camaraderie building experience for everyone - regardless of subjective grades. It has benefited my troubled marriage, brought my two daughters closer to me (with one just missing going USA Climbing ABS nationals), and have a calmer peace in my mind/spirit like never before. Thank you for the video and appreciate the fun. Oh, for point of reference why I say climbing is the best universal sport, here are the sports/activities I did prior to it: Tae Kwon Do, Kenpo, Varsity soccer, Varsity collegiate wrestling, Varsity pole vaulting, US Marine Corps & British commando training (enlisted & officer), sniper school, power lifting, bodybuilding, Jiu-Jitsu/Muay Thai/MMA, finally climbing. 😁
Hey Heseok, I noticed you had both of your wrists taped in that V10 send at 6:53. I have seen that on other climbers in videos but never knew the purpose. Could you or anyone reading this enlighten me? Thanks!
Mik hmm I don’t remember it precisely cuz it was a long time ago, but I think I just taped it cuz the undercling was troubling my wrists a little. And one of my friends told me to, so I just did it lol
I am dealing with a wrist injury right now and was kind of curious to know if it could be applied to my situation. Thank you for your answer, greetings from Québec! 😄
Never realized you started climbing in Austria, Graz at Bloc House, my go to bouldergym :) or at least did some climbing there :) were you on a study abroad programm or what brought you to Graz?
Although you should have a mindset that you can reach anything, genetics do matter (not only height and weight instead also resting capability, muscle growth(finger strength)). Its the same as if you compare a natty bodybuilder to a guy on steroids. But as I said you should have the mindset that you can reach anything with dedication because if you dont, youll always have excuses and you dont work on your limits and actually use your genetical potential.
I don't know about genetics, but some kind of physical endurance for sure helps. I'm mostly thinking about joints. People talk about "climbing 6 days a week", but I personnally cannot climb more than twice a week without genuinely harming my joints (I tried once to go 3 times in a week, ended up having to rest for 2 weeks because my elbows and shoulders were dead). I hope once I have 1/1.5 year of climbing it'll be possible for me to go at least 3 times a week. But going 6 times a week when you begin... idk man, I just can't.
elie520 one going to the gym for 3 hrs a day and another going to the gym for 3 hrs a day are NOT the same thing. EVERYTHING depends on what they do and how they do in the gym. All those lil details is what matters the most.
@@hoseoklee93 I agree, and I think I'm using well my time in the gym, but nonetheless, I can't climb more than 2x4hours per week currently, while I'd like to do more, just because I love climbing. Do you think I should try to "preserve myself" in sessions, so that my body would recover faster? The problem is that it's very hard notto give your everything when you're on a boulder, so I don't know how I could traumatize less my body.
I used to think if I am a little bit taller I can finish more problems. After I watch climbers smaller than me finishing these problems I could not, I don’t use that as an excuse anymore. Just focus on figuring out a beta works for me.
You say, you started climbing 6 days a week, witouth good genetics you were injured, it's impossible to climb 6 days a week witouth injury with normal genetic. Me after 3 years 1/2 i can't climb more than 3 days a week, and if i do a lot of hard problème and compus board, i have a lot of pain in my tendon, it's not my mind or dedication, it's just too more pain and risk of injury. So maybe genetics don't help to improve climbing but it help to train hard witouth injury!
Michael Scytale I just can’t lay out every detail of what I did in the gym in a video..... it’s literally impossible... But what I’m basically saying is..... hard work > genes
@@hoseoklee93 and i say without genes you can't work hard 6 days/week but only 3 days/week, so with good genes you can progress 2 times faster. But obviously 3 days/week hard work > 6days/week soft work + good genes.
Michael Scytale Ariolimax C. I just can’t lay out every little details of what I did in the gym... It’s literally impossible. but I believe you can climb everyday, especially when you’re a beginner, if being smart(adjusting intensity of each session etc.) and I was a student back then when I first started climbing and did literally nothing but climbing, I even skipped school to recover from climbing, and stayed in bed all day long before the gym just to feel fit lol yeah stupid cuz got some F grades on some of the subjects I took, but that’s how passionate I was in climbing. They say it’s a miracle that I could graduate lol and yeah I agree on the conclusion you brought up! hard work > good genetics
jan hojer is like 170 pound and he is like de heaviest... My hypothesis is that is the learning curve of the lighter climber is easier than the one of the heavy climber, let's say more than 180 pounds. Now there is no question that working hard and having some discipline do most of the job and are essential. But is you want to start learning how to move on a wall, how to climb hard, you need to be able to hold the ''holds'' on the wall. That can be a hard gap to close for the heaviest people et they need to work harder to get to the same level. That said, there is some individual genetic and individual sports background that will help. But for most people, being heavy makes climbing harder, and Jan Hojer is not heavy. At most he is normal in term of weight and skinny if you put it in comparison to his height.
I started climbing at Christmas holidays 2020, so about 3 months in. In very first time at bouldering I hit V4 and now I'm pretty steady V5 boulder projecting for V6s. I am 185cm (6 feet 1") and I weight 90kg (200 lbs). Do you think I will progress better climbing very hard at this weight or to slightly adjust my activities (more running etc), eat cleaner to drop off extra 10kgs? 2 months options: OPTION 1: Grind at climbing gym 6 days a week OPTION 2: Clean the diet, run, sweat and climb like 2 days a week and drop 10kgs off Which would you prefer in this point? :)
I like your video, you should do more Q&As in the future :) Just one thing: Height differs quite a bit in strong climbers but maybe it's just not important enough in competition climbing to play a pivotal role - so it is not a strong point to argue against. Is there a top-competition climber without exceptional finger-tendons etc.? Probably not. Would be interesting to see some reasearch on that.
How long were your climbing sessions when you started out and how long are they now? Do you recommend doing shorter sessions, 1.5-2hrs to allow for more frequent climbing. Or were you climbing 3+ hours a day, 6 days a week???
Realtalk. Find it out for yourself and fit it into your weekly schedule as much as you can and feel comfortable. If you are starting out with climbing then don't overthink it. Go for 3 times a week with around 2 hours training. If after a while you have a new goal or you start to slow down in your improvements then add 1 day or more of training core/fingers and so on. Experiment and have fun.
i like the spirit . i am not a climber but following you .u got me insipred . 4:26 u can play basketball or anything else !! don't be too nice ,we take constructive criticisme the rest is too much hate caused by self issues (footwork ':) ) keep up the hard work if u read this. THANKS !
Hi, I'm new to outdoor bouldering, just wanted to ask a quick question. Does your body weight matter when your learning how to boulder on outdoor rock where the holds aren't that obvious. I weight 220 pounds and I feel like that's putting a lot of fatigue on the fingers. Anythings helps, thanks in advance!
Just a question to anyone willing to answer, what is your motivation to go to the gym every day? I personally feel extremely tired after going climbing and I can't imagine going back the next day :( I love climbing and I think I'll have to force myself to go.
try decreasing volume, intensity, and/or total time spent at the gym. stop climbing before you're spent. stop climbing before you start regressing. there's an intensity/volume that you can sustain daily, or even multiple times per day with several hours of rest in between. sounds like you're doing the other extreme where you need many days of rest to recover.
Being able to climb 6 days a week means that you are VERY genetically gifted. How you recover from and respond to that kind of training volume has a ton to do with your genetics. Both Jan Hojer and Sean McColl are genetically gifted, thats why they are the elite level, their height being irrelevant. Obviously being good at something requires tons of hard work, but hard work isn't the main reason the 15-year-old at the climbing gym who has been climbing for 2 or 3 years climbs V10+. All the hard work in the world will never get your average climber to that level.
Except genetics must be expressed, meaning you won't know if youre gifted if you don't try. You maybe a music genius bit if you are not exposed to the (music) environment you won't be able to express it. There are some exemptions, height etc.
Of course bodytype is part of genetics ! And even though i think blaming genetics below high end grades is a shitty excuse, i'm kinda jealous that you don't really have to manage your weight which is something i'm struggling to do even though i climb 4+ times a week, train nearly everyday, run aside and eat healthy normal amount of food. Bodyweight management is ultimate boredom
I''d say I applied myself 100%, but there is the injury barrier. You can only try as hard as your body allows. Some people get injured real easy others can do crazy, intense shit, without getting injured. At the end of the day genetics is pretty much everything, even your mindset is mostly genetics. People just love to pat themselves on the back, saying they worked harder than everybody else, instead of saying, yes i worked hard, but i also got lucky.. Part of that luck is the ability to work as hard in the first place, without destroying your body.
I'm not downplaying your achievements. I think your mindset and hard work are the fundamental factors in why you're so succesful in what you're doing, but I think if there's at least one thing where you might genetically have an advantage; it's your ability to recover from a workout. I could never ever in my life dream of climbing 6 days in a row. Especially not when I just started out.
Yeah i have the same experience, especially when i was a beginner. Being able to climb that often and recover that quickly is a HUGE genetic advantage. I've always had good nutrition, 8+ hours sleep but struggle to climb 2+ days in a row, even after a year of climbing. Maybe the fact i'm 6'2 78kg plays a role but still, his ability to recover and climb often is insane. I'd like to know how long his climbing sessions were and if he felt fresh each day.
Exactly The amount of work is amazing but definitely not everyone would be able to go through that, even if they had the motivation to.. Hoseok you have what's called a survivor bias haha
Jami I was a student back then and did literally nothing but climbing, I even skipped school to recover from climbing, and stayed in bed all day long before the gym lol yeah stupid cuz got some F grades on some of the subjects I took, but that’s how passionate I was in climbing.
@@hoseoklee93 Haha we are much alike! I also skipped school and slept like 10h a day on average, climbing as much as I could and managed to reach V9 in 2 years. My bodytype is also pretty similar to yours, but even smaller. I'm 57kg and my span is 171cm
Do you think that when you talk about “doing something different” in a Boulder problem is involved pulling harder through the holds? Or is only about beta?
Just randomly scrolling comments lol, but something different can be just a different “feel”. Doesn’t have to be beta change or even micro beta change. Actually very often is just a different feel, can even be pull harder with more confidence.
Rotpunkt contains a similar anecdote about young Alex Megos, who could train hard almost every day without getting injured. His genetics (at that age, he couldn't have "earned" it) allowed him to absorb a high volume of training even compared with other nationally competitive German youth. All top athletes share this trait, and that's one of the main commonalities between Jan and Sean. (Aside: Height and weight contribute to that, but they're not the whole story. They're critical, though: "big" elite climbers still have BMIs under 23. Luck, tactics, proprioception, and movement skill all contribute as well, at the margins reducing the risk that a small slip or error will cause an injury.)
Dan Schmidt Ariolimax C. I just can’t lay out every little details of what I did in the gym... It’s literally impossible. but I believe you can climb everyday, especially when you’re a beginner, if being smart(adjusting intensity of each session etc.) and I was a student back then when I first started climbing and did literally nothing but climbing, I even skipped school to recover from climbing, and stayed in bed all day long before the gym just to feel fit lol yeah stupid cuz got some F grades on some of the subjects I took, but that’s how passionate I was in climbing. They say it’s a miracle that I could graduate lol
Bouldering Vlog that’s insane. I’m working on both my bouldering and my chinese language skills, this guy exceeds me at both climbing and language learning haha.
James Wong yea I looked through his journals of words he studied and really didn’t know half the words. Seriously in the three things he says, he’s insane. When he plays Sudden Attack it’s so fast to see. The clip shows him getting two kills but it’s so fast lol.
when he started his statement on genetics i was like "Whatever dude, youre wrong" But i have to admit....by the end....i hate to admit. That makes sense. sure there is some sort of genetic factor, but maybe we and I need to take so much emphasis off
ryanwsu4 as an American I think it’s sad that if I say “think Korean esports dedication and apply it to climbing... that’s Hoseok” that’s the only way people understand. Some people don’t understand the levels of work ethic. I didn’t until I saw Jongwon Chon, Hoseok Lee and Kim Jain climb. Yes genetics push them to the upper limits but the main point is that people who complain don’t push themselves the same way. Where could I be if I pushed like him? Maybe v9-10. Who knows but I’m pretty damn lazy in comparison to him.
ryanwsu4 a funny story is when I was at the climbing gym Christmas Eve I was walking out and we all say bye to each other. Korean culture. Then they say “see you tomorrow”. Christmas Day comes and we are there training lol. We don’t coordinate by saying when are you climbing next etc etc. We just go Monday through Thursday almost like clockwork. Other days of the week we go randomly or weekend climbing outdoors. Edit: it’s not just climbing. Table tennis clubs, jujitsu, pc rooms. Koreans don’t spend time at home like Americans. They adopt other spaces and spend a lot of time there.
@@BeefyBoulders ok this year, 5.13a. I need to step my game up and actually start in training in like February. I climb out of Red river gorge in Kentucky. I need that kinda of regularity. Forget motivation, I need discipline.
every professional climber is genetically gifted... and they also work incredibly hard. You need genetics and hard work, because there are a lot of people who work really hard, but they can't all be pros. Pretty simple concept
If genetics would matter as little as you assume, I think we would see a way broader cast of people in world cup semi-/finals. People have different physical performance caps. All you can do on the physical front is to stimulate your body with targeted training, provide good nutrition and rest, and hope for the best. But that doesn't guarantee that you can do one handed pull-ups on a crimp after just 4 years (or ever). RE people failing repeatedly while trying the same beta over and over: they might just work on their execution. After all, having a good beta alone is just half the story (as you certainly well know). Sometimes a move looks poopy until you stick it. This might sound more negative than I intended it to be; try to take it as neutral feedback. Ur a good lad. Keep it up!
Hard work, consistency, mindset.... none of that matters if you get injured. The mere fact you never even said the word 'injury' when talking about your first 6 months of climbing tells me you had an abnormal experience from larger people. Staying positive and working hard will keep moving you forward, but you being able to climb 6 days a week when you first started is crazy, that would destroy the tendons of someone who weighed more.
There’s an obvious theme and obvious solutions. I personally lost 30lbs because it meant that much to me. Everyone is different and has different goals.
Shoes make a huge difference immediately. I switched from beginner to advanced shoes after 3 months - when I started to feel the limitation of the shoes.
Kubi a friend of mine who was more experienced climber told me I needed a new good pair of shoes, it was when I was three months in, so I listened to him and got myself a pair of Solutions :)
Genetically gifted means high testosterone. That means high strength to weight, easy strength gains, quick recovery. Mindset and discipline are important, but you can't train 3 days in a row, let alone 6 days in a row without getting injured unless you have that genetic X factor.
The are clearly some unfair simplifications in the part where you are neglecting the genetic impact on performance by using such strange comparisons of two different types of climbers. Climbing as you said is a very complex discipline and genes good for climbing do not mean that someone is light or tall or has a huge ape index those are only some factors and the combination of all factors can lead to some measure,but still it is extremly difficult thing to be measured. If only mindset was the main factor here then it would mean that every great athlete who had spent the whole life training would be on the same maximum level which is obviously not true. Everyone is totally different, the speed of improvement is different. I agree that the mindset is very important but still it is just a factor not the key. There are other factors like finger strength and individual ability to improve, age and so on.
How can you call Hoyer and McColl both genetically gifted? Easy Answer: because they probably both have veeery strong tendons (especially hoyer) and don’t tend to injure themselves at a high intensity (just like you). That is genetic too. But every hard working human beats a lazy genetic freak. That’s a fact. I think, genetics are important when it comes to higher end climbing, they define the limits, theres no argument against that fact. There are people who will not climb a vsomethinghard in their entire life even with full dedication and hard work. But I think, every sporty human can reach like v9/10 if they rly put months/years/decades (depends on the individual) of dedication into climbing, so under that grade I personally don’t accept this genetics excuse at all. At harder grades we can talk about it, at lower grades not.
I think hard work is definitely the key to separate good from great, but genetics and age are huge factors in determining how fast someone can progress. Adam ondra was onsighting 5.12s at like freakin 6 years old, Chris sharma was doing 5.14s within 2 years of climbing, Magnus would train for 5 hours a day with shitty warmup ... there’s no way your average kid could do stuff like that. Some people were just born to climb. Similarly, a 25 year old who lifted weights for years is not gonna progress nearly as fast as some skinny young kid
Anecdotally, I lifted weights for years, started climbing at 23, and topped first outdoor V8 18mths in. Not a light boy or even positive ape index either. Agreed that genetics play a role, but too many people use it as an excuse/cop-out.
Genetics for a sport goes FAR beyond someone's height. Obviously hard work matters - nobody gets to the top without it - but there are many, many other genetic factors. Height and weight: Yes, you can be a tall, professional climber, so long as you can keep your weight under 165 pounds (75 kg). Issues with weight are somewhat balanced out by the additional reach of tall climbers. On the other end of the spectrum, yes, you can be a short, professional climber. You will benefit from lighter body weight but struggle to reach holds. Other factors: What about recovery time, muscle growth, muscle strength, tendon strength, proneness to injury, flexibility, coordination, and - if we want to dig into science a little - cellular energy production, nerve communication, and aerobic capacity. Assuming equal effort, where someone starts and how fast they can improve is primarily genetic. As someone who is genetically gifted for climbing, it may be easy to reduce accomplishments to hard work alone. As someone who is not genetically gifted for climbing, it may be easy to reduce accomplishments to genetics alone. In the end, neither are true. Everyone's athletic prowess is a combination of genetics and their environment. Work hard and do the best you can with what you've got. About me: I am a 6 foot 5 inch (196 cm) 210 pound (95 kg) climber. I climb twice a week and workout in the gym three times a week.
Genetics play a really important role only at ultra high level, where everybody is training at 100%. Until you reach around V10, bad genetics are just slowing you down.
You're very genetically gifted as a climber, if you are able to train every day without getting injured. Most beginners would have to take a week off after their first time bouldering to their limit. Also genetics plays a major role in 1. how you are able to pick up the climbing moving style, 2. how flexible you are, 3. what is your tendency to accumulate fat or muscle, 4. your mental strength, 5. your intelligence at solving boulder problems or solving problems related to training. etc. etc. etc.
Mikko Haavisto I just can’t lay out every little details of what I did in the gym... It’s literally impossible. but I believe you can climb everyday, especially when you’re a beginner, if being smart(adjusting intensity of each session etc.) and I was a student back then when I first started climbing and did literally nothing but climbing, I even skipped school to recover from climbing, and stayed in bed all day long before the gym just to feel fit lol yeah stupid cuz got some F grades on some of the subjects I took, but that’s how passionate I was in climbing. They say it’s a miracle that I could graduate lol I also said, “yeah genetics play a certain role too, like I don’t play basketball cuz I’m too short for the sport” I never said I’m not gifted as a climber, I’m saying, HARD WORK > genetics
@@hoseoklee93 You can't say "hard work > genetics", that's just wrong. There are thousands of genetic diseases for example that would prevent you from training for climbing completely as in you would never climb V0. And even in average cases genetics is usually at least 50% of all human behavior no matter what the topic of research is. You should read the research before having an opinion.
I think biggest factor in progressing fast is definitely resilience to injury which = genetics. in my first couple of years I couldnt go more than a few times a week and over 3 hour sessions without things crapping out from overuse, tendinitis, shoulder injury etc Which was with strict warm up and warm down routines etc.
Ariolimax C. sry if I hurt you in some way. I didn’t intend so. I just can’t lay out every little details of what I did in the gym... It’s literally impossible. but I believe you can climb everyday, especially when you’re a beginner, if being smart(adjusting intensity of each session etc.) and I was a student back then when I first started climbing and did literally nothing but climbing, I even skipped school to recover from climbing, and stayed in bed all day long before the gym just to feel fit lol yeah stupid cuz got some F grades on some of the subjects I took, but that’s how passionate I was in climbing. They say it’s a miracle that I could graduate lol
@@hoseoklee93 Not hurt ha! I'm inspired by your progression and clearly you have put in a huge amount of hardwork. However I think the fact is that some people simply cannot train as much as others without getting injured. I have been fortunate enough to be in a situation where I could train a huge amount , climb everyday for a considerable amount of time ...if I was able to... but it simply just caused injury. Maybe age has been a factor too as I started in my 30s.. it doesn't discount your hardwork but I'd say if you can climb 6 days week from the start of your climbing career without injury, even from a young age, you have been blessed with a physical advantage of resilience imo. I've heard many times the key to progressing in climbing is not getting injured and I think that's very true.
You say that hard work and focused mindset help you improve quickly and that you had no sports before? I believe, that the question should be - how can you do so many hard crimper moonboard sessions without getting injured? Training hard is the easy part, not getting injured is some kind of black magic. :/ The thing is - you've been climbing for a very short time and you could try very hard boulders and your tendons let you do this, while most "beginner" climbers, when they catch this kind of mindset, when they start climbing hard and focusing on each move, then they quickly get injured. Tendons of a normal person just don't get used to moonboard 7c's so fast, it takes 5-10 years to make tendons strong enough. How can your tendons let you do this?
Ape index is a genetic trait generally regarded as beneficial to climbing. I know Ondra has a -1 ape index, but he was also the one to say that any climber with mediocre strength can climb V8 given perfect technique. This is to say that genetics is significant to climbing potential.
At some point, you need the lockoff strength to perform big moves, the core strength to keep your body tensioned on the wall, and finger strength to grab tiny holds. I doubt someone in the V2-V3 range could be coached up a V8 using better and better technique. Strength (specific to climbing motions) plays a massive factor.
Good points, but you definately have top tier genetics for strength. There is just no other way you could improve so fast. There isnt anything magic to training and you didnt do anything so much better than anyone else to reach 8B level so quickly. You just got there fast with normal training. Tens of thousands of climbers are doing the same but dont achieve that level so quick. I think Hoseuk is a bit misinformed on how much genetis played role in his progress. I also did nothing, but a climb for years during school and trained hard etc. Didnt get the progress he got. Am I just stupid or didnt know how to train? Nah, Hoseok was just genetically more gifted. Its not that it matters, but it always feels weird when these good climbers want to attribute their success to being so smart when in reality large part of that is just them being lucky.
![SahBabii - Viking [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/D37cL92JX0I/mqdefault.jpg)
**To those who feel triggered about the genetics part in the video:
first of all, sorry if I hurt you in some ways, did not intend it so.
and second, I just can’t lay out every little details of what I did in the gym... It’s literally impossible. but I believe you can climb everyday, especially when you’re a beginner, if being smart(adjusting intensity of each session etc.)
and I was a student back then when I first started climbing and did literally nothing but climbing, I even skipped school to recover from climbing, and stayed in bed all day long before the gym just to feel fit lol
yeah stupid cuz got some F grades on some of the subjects I took, but that’s how passionate I was in climbing. They say it’s a miracle that I could graduate lol
I also said, “yeah genetics play a certain role too, like I don’t play basketball cuz I’m too short for the sport” I never said I’m not gifted as a climber, I’m saying, HARD WORK > genetics
btw, I had to go through sooooo many injuries in those five years of climbing... even now I’m suffering from this finger tendon injury... Idk why everyone just conveniently thinks that I was injury-free.
Starting age is obviously a pretty crucial factor too, I can agree, though I don’t see it affecting it that much to get to like v9/10 level, which is already an advanced level as a climber.
Hope you all can achieve what you wish to achieve in climbing! Also stay injury-free!
Never agreed more with a climbing youtuber haha
Great and true comment.
No need to apologize... there was nothing you said that was in any way offensive.
i think the injuries are a sign that it is more work than genetics. i could be wrong though because one would argue that the proper planning would guard from any injury but who knows.
HoseokClimb hey man, can’t sugarcoat it 🤷🏼♂️ some people are genetically blessed at something’s where others aren’t. If you suck at climbing you’ll probably be good at a ton of other stuff Bc your most likely not skinny or lanky but powerful and thicccc yknow?
I think it's important to recognise that even if we all apply ourselves with 100%... And i mean, 100% effort during every gym session that we'd still improve at different rates ( for a variety of reasons.)
That being said.. As you say the key to improvement with anything in life is dedication. It's easy to say ( this guy has X Y Z advantage over me ) and then justify your own lack of progress. I think if 99% of people watching are being truly honest with themselves, they will arrive at the conclusion that they're nowhere near 100% dedication. Which is the primary factor between ANY Athlete & themselves.
You should definitely do more Q&As like this! I love how passionate you are when it comes to certain topics and not afraid to talk about them.
NeroK thx for watching!!:)
This channel and Dave macleods are the best climbing channels on RUclips in my opinion ! Great stuff, thank you!
I agree with you that hard work with mindful intent is important for progress; you certainly have worked hard! That being said, genetics isn't just about body types. For example, injury resiliency is one genetic aspect that I think is extremely pertinent to climbers, especially with regards to fast progress. Predisposition to injury will certainly limit the amount of work some people can put into improving at climbing.
Daniel Lin Ariolimax C. I just can’t lay out every little details of what I did in the gym... It’s literally impossible. but I believe you can climb everyday, especially when you’re a beginner, if being smart(adjusting intensity of each session etc.)
and I was a student back then when I first started climbing and did literally nothing but climbing, I even skipped school to recover from climbing, and stayed in bed all day long before the gym just to feel fit lol yeah stupid cuz got some F grades on some of the subjects I took, but that’s how passionate I was in climbing. They say it’s a miracle that I could graduate lol
HoseokClimb This is not to belittle your dedication and achievements, because you obviously do focus and train hard! No doubt. But what is a factor that i believe this guy attempted to convey, is that not everyone is physically able to recover in the same amount of time. I know people who can train for 11 days straight and climb at the same level that I do on my second consecutive day of climbing. But if I did the same, my shoulder and bicep tendon would both be injured and they’d need recovery lasting months. In terms of time, this slows down your progress, but using it as an excuse is obviously still lousy. You just have to see through the disadvantage and help your body through the process of improving and taking care of it.
I think this is something a lot of climbers in the intermediate range (like, climbing V5 to V7, starting to get pretty good but hitting plateaux and struggling to improve further) need to hear, me included. There is no magic way to get good, you gotta clock in the hours and you gotta do it in a meaningful way, with the proper mindset and the will to improve.
Pierre Z EXACTLY!!:)
Im in that range right now, i am still getting better but injuries are starting to show aswell so i cant climb as much as i want to max 1-2 times a week. And i think thats is because of my work im currently lifting things/carrying stuff all day and then when i go climbing hard i just get muscle pain that wont go away bc of my work so i dont really know how to get better.
I really like the attitude but genetics is more than just what meets the eye. The capacity and the amount of muscle and certain fibers is predetermined and guys like Jan and Sean both have extreme explosive power that many people couldn't reach even with the best training. That being said, I am 100% on your side that almost no one reaches their genetic limits because it is one hell of a lot of work, dedication and mindset to get there. Most people just set their potential limits super low at like V7/8 but I think V10/11 is reachable for everyone. But with higher grades the gap between them becomes even bigger and thats the time when I believe genetics might play a bigger role but definately not for 90% of the climbing population. Sorry for the super long text... love your Vids and dedication ;)
Thank you for answering my question :D
I would love to see a video of you on slabs.
newrevenger1 will post some!:)
Damn I love this guys content! Really gets me fired up! Stay strong with the no nonsense approach my guy!
"Theres no point in trying really hard if you dont believe in yourself" - Might Guy
Thank you very much for your insights Hoseok, I was very interested by this video. Thanks for inspiring me !
Thanks so much for answer my question, since I started to watch your videos you motivated me to put more effort, I fall in love of this sport since a meet it, and I was worry to start to old to reach a good level
This is great. I can see how many people could find this offensive, but you're just making sense of things and discarding the abundance of excuses and cope.
I came to climbing from powerlifting and what you say about being focused and prioritizing your work and results over socializing or anything else is huge. In lifting, it is easy to isolate yourself in the squat rack or deadlift platform but climbing is inherently much more social. So I've learned from a lot of good climbers like yourself about staying focused and how to differentiate trying and "really" trying.
Thank you for your thoughts on the issue of genetics and body type. My opinion is that complaints about genetics are pretty nonsensical.
Genetic potential is a limiting factor mostly in the very upper limits of climbing. But even then it's not really related to height or weight. At the professional levels it's a lot of subtle stuff, like muscle insertions helping create more efficient levers, higher proportions of fast twitch muscle fibers, etc. But this only really matters at the truly top level.
I'm fairly certain everyone has the potential to be a V10+ boulderer. It's just about whether your goals and your actions are lined up. You want to climb hard, you gotta train hard, and try hard.
I think you’re also smart, and that helps a lot in every thing you do, sports, studies...
C Ollivier 🔥❤️
Great perspective and very true- consistency and hard work is the key to anything
Absolutely love your outlook on climbing! I think it’s very easy to fall into saying what people want to hear but you do an amazing job getting your point across efficiently!
(P.S actually learning Korean right now!) and visiting this fall 🤘🏼
Thx for climbing advice about prioritizing and focusing. And I'm kind shocked when you said you're leaning English, English is not your mother tougne! That's amazing
I can't agree more
Once i started to complete harder boulders my friends started telling me its only because I'm tall even though I go 3 to 4 days a week
My girlfriend is 154cm and im 184cm. If i send it's because I'm tall, if she sends it's because she is short. 7 years of dedicated climbing apparently isn't the factor to some!
It annoys me so much when people act as if being tall is the only reason you can climb, or even that it is that big of an advantage in climbing
Loved loved loved this vid - realistic and to the point. More please :)
Damn bro you've come a long way since day 1.. fucking RESPECT
Sinjo Hunt thx man:)
Cool take on genetics! Me and a buddy started climbing a year and a half ago. Same time, same weight (180lbs). Similar sheduling and passion for climbing. We climbed everyday like you mentioned. First V5 was at the one year mark? In two months after we were at V6. With a small injury break and back after 4 months we were close to V7. BUT. With time our climbing styles showed that we had different strengths and weaknesses. He was a WAY better slab climber and mostly climbed slabs up to V6. I cannot. Most of my V6+ (indoors mind you) sends were overhanging or a roof problem. He spent more time on slabs, I spent more time on overhangs. Differences showed. So hardwork and where you put it IS IMPORTANT! Genetics wise I would say I build muscle better than him and he had better tondon strength. His finger strength was already WAY ahead of mine from the start. I had to fingerboard to catch up. I had better body strength though. It’s all a give and take but at the end of the day our grade of climbing on different styles is close to similar. There are more people I know to compare off of. At the end it boils down to hardwork and consistency specific to you and YOUR weaknesses.
That footwork guy :D great video as always !
I agree with everything here, amazing video thank you for it
Really inspirational man!
Just wanted to say I 100% agree with you and fair play! Training pays off, thanks for the extra motivation and various training ideas. One day in the distant future I'll repeat all your problems ;)
I think your really smart and what you said is true. If genetic have an importance in climbing, i think it's more about resistance to injury so you can train a lot without getting injure.
Well but lifestyle and health practices are also more important than genes
I'm a fan! I start your V8 training routine soon! I hope I can be as motivated as you! I just started my channel.
Nice SlideGuitar on the intro /outro!
Zappel Siebenundsiebzig yeah Bouldering Vlog is truly a masterful mind in video making
Damn i like his personality a lot.
Yeah he’s a good guy
It is an interesting topic that I am revolving aroung in these days as well...I mean the weight issue. I am 79 kg right now, pretty stable, and the way i look at it....I climb on the same level or a little bit below than most of the other climbers at my gym who are like 60 kg. So, at the end of the day, I have the feeling...I do not have to use a 20kg vest...and I am much stronger than them, phisically, and can make the same routes look easy and smooth. So yes, it is only about the mindset, and how you are approach things.
How were you able to climb almosty every day in the week right from the start? It seems almost impossible for me to do that without getting an injury.
Probably youth and lighter weight plays a role. I started at 45 years old and strong from other sports but 175-180 lbs. Even 2 days in a row in the first few months my forearms could barely handle it. 8 months in I can handle 2 no problem, 3 in row and I need a rest day or 2. Regardless I think he's right. Volume of training and focus on what you're doing overall and within each session/problem will get you further, faster no matter what your starting capacity is.
Genetics.. This guy obviously knows nothing about the complexity of genetics.
Geert ten Have I was a student back then when I first started climbing and did literally nothing but climbing, I even skipped school to recover from climbing, and stayed in bed all day long before the gym lol yeah stupid cuz got some F grades on some of the subjects I took, but that’s how passionate I was in climbing. They say it’s a miracle that I could graduate lol
Sonia Galazka yeah I hated skin thing too haha
I completely agree with your first point. Mindset is the key to everything.
IT'S A MINDSET
-Bugez
Cool snap in pics and dig “the truth” (hard work, consistency, and mindset”). As you were talking, I couldn’t help but blabber about being 51 years old and 5th year in climbing. 🤦♂️Reality is those and other “excuses” are justifiers of not trying hard to “your potential” which you stated many times. Unless we’re pro level or sponsored athletes, we’re all recreational. I enjoy this sport like no other in my life because it provides a fun and camaraderie building experience for everyone - regardless of subjective grades. It has benefited my troubled marriage, brought my two daughters closer to me (with one just missing going USA Climbing ABS nationals), and have a calmer peace in my mind/spirit like never before. Thank you for the video and appreciate the fun. Oh, for point of reference why I say climbing is the best universal sport, here are the sports/activities I did prior to it: Tae Kwon Do, Kenpo, Varsity soccer, Varsity collegiate wrestling, Varsity pole vaulting, US Marine Corps & British commando training (enlisted & officer), sniper school, power lifting, bodybuilding, Jiu-Jitsu/Muay Thai/MMA, finally climbing. 😁
Hey Heseok, I noticed you had both of your wrists taped in that V10 send at 6:53. I have seen that on other climbers in videos but never knew the purpose. Could you or anyone reading this enlighten me? Thanks!
Mik hmm I don’t remember it precisely cuz it was a long time ago, but I think I just taped it cuz the undercling was troubling my wrists a little. And one of my friends told me to, so I just did it lol
I am dealing with a wrist injury right now and was kind of curious to know if it could be applied to my situation. Thank you for your answer, greetings from Québec! 😄
Never realized you started climbing in Austria, Graz at Bloc House, my go to bouldergym :) or at least did some climbing there :) were you on a study abroad programm or what brought you to Graz?
Thanks, great advice
How do you avoid injuries because that is what has held me back the most in my climbing?
초기부터 현재까지 진화과정이 궁금해요!!
왜 영상 안올리사나여? ㅋㅋ 새영상 기다리고 있습니다.
Although you should have a mindset that you can reach anything, genetics do matter (not only height and weight instead also resting capability, muscle growth(finger strength)). Its the same as if you compare a natty bodybuilder to a guy on steroids. But as I said you should have the mindset that you can reach anything with dedication because if you dont, youll always have excuses and you dont work on your limits and actually use your genetical potential.
How old are you? :) keep up your work! Love your videos!
El Yuh born in 1993!
I don't know about genetics, but some kind of physical endurance for sure helps. I'm mostly thinking about joints. People talk about "climbing 6 days a week", but I personnally cannot climb more than twice a week without genuinely harming my joints (I tried once to go 3 times in a week, ended up having to rest for 2 weeks because my elbows and shoulders were dead). I hope once I have 1/1.5 year of climbing it'll be possible for me to go at least 3 times a week. But going 6 times a week when you begin... idk man, I just can't.
elie520 one going to the gym for 3 hrs a day and another going to the gym for 3 hrs a day are NOT the same thing. EVERYTHING depends on what they do and how they do in the gym. All those lil details is what matters the most.
elie520 going to the gym xx days a week is just quantity, I believe what matters the most is the quality, like I said in the vid.
@@hoseoklee93 I agree, and I think I'm using well my time in the gym, but nonetheless, I can't climb more than 2x4hours per week currently, while I'd like to do more, just because I love climbing. Do you think I should try to "preserve myself" in sessions, so that my body would recover faster? The problem is that it's very hard notto give your everything when you're on a boulder, so I don't know how I could traumatize less my body.
I used to think if I am a little bit taller I can finish more problems. After I watch climbers smaller than me finishing these problems I could not, I don’t use that as an excuse anymore. Just focus on figuring out a beta works for me.
You say, you started climbing 6 days a week, witouth good genetics you were injured, it's impossible to climb 6 days a week witouth injury with normal genetic. Me after 3 years 1/2 i can't climb more than 3 days a week, and if i do a lot of hard problème and compus board, i have a lot of pain in my tendon, it's not my mind or dedication, it's just too more pain and risk of injury.
So maybe genetics don't help to improve climbing but it help to train hard witouth injury!
Michael Scytale I just can’t lay out every detail of what I did in the gym in a video..... it’s literally impossible... But what I’m basically saying is..... hard work > genes
@@hoseoklee93 and i say without genes you can't work hard 6 days/week but only 3 days/week, so with good genes you can progress 2 times faster.
But obviously 3 days/week hard work > 6days/week soft work + good genes.
Michael Scytale Ariolimax C. I just can’t lay out every little details of what I did in the gym... It’s literally impossible. but I believe you can climb everyday, especially when you’re a beginner, if being smart(adjusting intensity of each session etc.)
and I was a student back then when I first started climbing and did literally nothing but climbing, I even skipped school to recover from climbing, and stayed in bed all day long before the gym just to feel fit lol yeah stupid cuz got some F grades on some of the subjects I took, but that’s how passionate I was in climbing. They say it’s a miracle that I could graduate lol
and yeah I agree on the conclusion you brought up! hard work > good genetics
jan hojer is like 170 pound and he is like de heaviest... My hypothesis is that is the learning curve of the lighter climber is easier than the one of the heavy climber, let's say more than 180 pounds.
Now there is no question that working hard and having some discipline do most of the job and are essential. But is you want to start learning how to move on a wall, how to climb hard, you need to be able to hold the ''holds'' on the wall. That can be a hard gap to close for the heaviest people et they need to work harder to get to the same level.
That said, there is some individual genetic and individual sports background that will help. But for most people, being heavy makes climbing harder, and Jan Hojer is not heavy. At most he is normal in term of weight and skinny if you put it in comparison to his height.
I started climbing at Christmas holidays 2020, so about 3 months in. In very first time at bouldering I hit V4 and now I'm pretty steady V5 boulder projecting for V6s. I am 185cm (6 feet 1") and I weight 90kg (200 lbs). Do you think I will progress better climbing very hard at this weight or to slightly adjust my activities (more running etc), eat cleaner to drop off extra 10kgs?
2 months options:
OPTION 1: Grind at climbing gym 6 days a week
OPTION 2: Clean the diet, run, sweat and climb like 2 days a week and drop 10kgs off
Which would you prefer in this point? :)
I like your video, you should do more Q&As in the future :) Just one thing: Height differs quite a bit in strong climbers but maybe it's just not important enough in competition climbing to play a pivotal role - so it is not a strong point to argue against. Is there a top-competition climber without exceptional finger-tendons etc.? Probably not. Would be interesting to see some reasearch on that.
How long were your climbing sessions when you started out and how long are they now? Do you recommend doing shorter sessions, 1.5-2hrs to allow for more frequent climbing. Or were you climbing 3+ hours a day, 6 days a week???
Realtalk. Find it out for yourself and fit it into your weekly schedule as much as you can and feel comfortable. If you are starting out with climbing then don't overthink it. Go for 3 times a week with around 2 hours training. If after a while you have a new goal or you start to slow down in your improvements then add 1 day or more of training core/fingers and so on. Experiment and have fun.
i like the spirit . i am not a climber but following you .u got me insipred . 4:26 u can play basketball or anything else !! don't be too nice ,we take constructive criticisme the rest is too much hate caused by self issues (footwork ':) ) keep up the hard work if u read this. THANKS !
Is that slab climb on 아차산? That is a fun place to slab climb. I miss Korea!
iangottmusic it’s 북한산!
Hi, I'm new to outdoor bouldering, just wanted to ask a quick question. Does your body weight matter when your learning how to boulder on outdoor rock where the holds aren't that obvious. I weight 220 pounds and I feel like that's putting a lot of fatigue on the fingers. Anythings helps, thanks in advance!
omg is that it? please answer more questions!! so many were asked :(
jigglymabob will do more!
Just a question to anyone willing to answer, what is your motivation to go to the gym every day? I personally feel extremely tired after going climbing and I can't imagine going back the next day :( I love climbing and I think I'll have to force myself to go.
try decreasing volume, intensity, and/or total time spent at the gym. stop climbing before you're spent. stop climbing before you start regressing. there's an intensity/volume that you can sustain daily, or even multiple times per day with several hours of rest in between. sounds like you're doing the other extreme where you need many days of rest to recover.
Being able to climb 6 days a week means that you are VERY genetically gifted. How you recover from and respond to that kind of training volume has a ton to do with your genetics. Both Jan Hojer and Sean McColl are genetically gifted, thats why they are the elite level, their height being irrelevant. Obviously being good at something requires tons of hard work, but hard work isn't the main reason the 15-year-old at the climbing gym who has been climbing for 2 or 3 years climbs V10+. All the hard work in the world will never get your average climber to that level.
Except genetics must be expressed, meaning you won't know if youre gifted if you don't try. You maybe a music genius bit if you are not exposed to the (music) environment you won't be able to express it. There are some exemptions, height etc.
You often mention that you’re quite short in comparison to other climbers. If you don’t mind me asking, how tall are you?
amszz 168cm:)
궁금한게 있는데요 굳은살뜯어지면 클라이밍 쉬시나요 아니면 테이프 붙이고 하시나요?
daejin GOD 저는 테이프 붙이고 하는 편이에요ㅎㅎ
Of course bodytype is part of genetics ! And even though i think blaming genetics below high end grades is a shitty excuse, i'm kinda jealous that you don't really have to manage your weight which is something i'm struggling to do even though i climb 4+ times a week, train nearly everyday, run aside and eat healthy normal amount of food. Bodyweight management is ultimate boredom
More vids!!!!
I''d say I applied myself 100%, but there is the injury barrier. You can only try as hard as your body allows. Some people get injured real easy others can do crazy, intense shit, without getting injured. At the end of the day genetics is pretty much everything, even your mindset is mostly genetics. People just love to pat themselves on the back, saying they worked harder than everybody else, instead of saying, yes i worked hard, but i also got lucky.. Part of that luck is the ability to work as hard in the first place, without destroying your body.
Frederik 001 even my mindset is genetics..???🤯
I'm not downplaying your achievements. I think your mindset and hard work are the fundamental factors in why you're so succesful in what you're doing, but I think if there's at least one thing where you might genetically have an advantage; it's your ability to recover from a workout. I could never ever in my life dream of climbing 6 days in a row. Especially not when I just started out.
Yeah i have the same experience, especially when i was a beginner. Being able to climb that often and recover that quickly is a HUGE genetic advantage. I've always had good nutrition, 8+ hours sleep but struggle to climb 2+ days in a row, even after a year of climbing. Maybe the fact i'm 6'2 78kg plays a role but still, his ability to recover and climb often is insane. I'd like to know how long his climbing sessions were and if he felt fresh each day.
Exactly
The amount of work is amazing but definitely not everyone would be able to go through that, even if they had the motivation to.. Hoseok you have what's called a survivor bias haha
Jami I was a student back then and did literally nothing but climbing, I even skipped school to recover from climbing, and stayed in bed all day long before the gym lol yeah stupid cuz got some F grades on some of the subjects I took, but that’s how passionate I was in climbing.
Jami they say it’s a miracle that I could graduate and get a degree lol have no friends from univ. only climber friends as a result.🤷🏻♂️
@@hoseoklee93 Haha we are much alike! I also skipped school and slept like 10h a day on average, climbing as much as I could and managed to reach V9 in 2 years. My bodytype is also pretty similar to yours, but even smaller. I'm 57kg and my span is 171cm
Do you think that when you talk about “doing something different” in a Boulder problem is involved pulling harder through the holds? Or is only about beta?
Just randomly scrolling comments lol, but something different can be just a different “feel”. Doesn’t have to be beta change or even micro beta change. Actually very often is just a different feel, can even be pull harder with more confidence.
마인드셋 오케이 땡큐!
Comparing Jan hojer to Hafthor got me crying!
Awe you're coming up on your climbing anniversary :) or already have
FreeRange Danger past five-year mark now!
Rotpunkt contains a similar anecdote about young Alex Megos, who could train hard almost every day without getting injured. His genetics (at that age, he couldn't have "earned" it) allowed him to absorb a high volume of training even compared with other nationally competitive German youth. All top athletes share this trait, and that's one of the main commonalities between Jan and Sean.
(Aside: Height and weight contribute to that, but they're not the whole story. They're critical, though: "big" elite climbers still have BMIs under 23. Luck, tactics, proprioception, and movement skill all contribute as well, at the margins reducing the risk that a small slip or error will cause an injury.)
Dan Schmidt Ariolimax C. I just can’t lay out every little details of what I did in the gym... It’s literally impossible. but I believe you can climb everyday, especially when you’re a beginner, if being smart(adjusting intensity of each session etc.)
and I was a student back then when I first started climbing and did literally nothing but climbing, I even skipped school to recover from climbing, and stayed in bed all day long before the gym just to feel fit lol yeah stupid cuz got some F grades on some of the subjects I took, but that’s how passionate I was in climbing. They say it’s a miracle that I could graduate lol
Awesome...
maybe jan hoyer and sean mccoll being genetically gifted has to do with the fact that they both have positive ape indexes
That's some mentality to have! Thanks for your knowhow, really inspiring and valuable stuff.
post some slab on Instagram it would be cool to see
EroticSensation I will!!😂😂😂👍🏻👍🏻
@@hoseoklee93 awesome definetly will keep an eye out for the post with lots of skin on rock
Anyone know why his English is so good?
James Wong he watched a lot of Friends and practiced speaking in the shower.
Bouldering Vlog that’s insane. I’m working on both my bouldering and my chinese language skills, this guy exceeds me at both climbing and language learning haha.
James Wong yea I looked through his journals of words he studied and really didn’t know half the words. Seriously in the three things he says, he’s insane. When he plays Sudden Attack it’s so fast to see. The clip shows him getting two kills but it’s so fast lol.
when he started his statement on genetics i was like "Whatever dude, youre wrong" But i have to admit....by the end....i hate to admit. That makes sense. sure there is some sort of genetic factor, but maybe we and I need to take so much emphasis off
ryanwsu4 as an American I think it’s sad that if I say “think Korean esports dedication and apply it to climbing... that’s Hoseok” that’s the only way people understand. Some people don’t understand the levels of work ethic. I didn’t until I saw Jongwon Chon, Hoseok Lee and Kim Jain climb. Yes genetics push them to the upper limits but the main point is that people who complain don’t push themselves the same way. Where could I be if I pushed like him? Maybe v9-10. Who knows but I’m pretty damn lazy in comparison to him.
@@BeefyBoulders dude same, ive been hanging out around v7-8 and 5.12c-d for like.....years now...years. I need to get my shit together
ryanwsu4 a funny story is when I was at the climbing gym Christmas Eve I was walking out and we all say bye to each other. Korean culture. Then they say “see you tomorrow”. Christmas Day comes and we are there training lol.
We don’t coordinate by saying when are you climbing next etc etc. We just go Monday through Thursday almost like clockwork. Other days of the week we go randomly or weekend climbing outdoors.
Edit: it’s not just climbing. Table tennis clubs, jujitsu, pc rooms. Koreans don’t spend time at home like Americans. They adopt other spaces and spend a lot of time there.
@@BeefyBoulders ok this year, 5.13a. I need to step my game up and actually start in training in like February. I climb out of Red river gorge in Kentucky. I need that kinda of regularity. Forget motivation, I need discipline.
ryanwsu4 motivation is temporary but discipline is a skill that can last forever. I’m currently working on my own discipline as well.
every professional climber is genetically gifted... and they also work incredibly hard. You need genetics and hard work, because there are a lot of people who work really hard, but they can't all be pros. Pretty simple concept
If genetics would matter as little as you assume, I think we would see a way broader cast of people in world cup semi-/finals. People have different physical performance caps. All you can do on the physical front is to stimulate your body with targeted training, provide good nutrition and rest, and hope for the best. But that doesn't guarantee that you can do one handed pull-ups on a crimp after just 4 years (or ever).
RE people failing repeatedly while trying the same beta over and over: they might just work on their execution. After all, having a good beta alone is just half the story (as you certainly well know). Sometimes a move looks poopy until you stick it.
This might sound more negative than I intended it to be; try to take it as neutral feedback.
Ur a good lad.
Keep it up!
7:11 be eeeeeeee
변진호 😂😂
Hard work, consistency, mindset.... none of that matters if you get injured. The mere fact you never even said the word 'injury' when talking about your first 6 months of climbing tells me you had an abnormal experience from larger people. Staying positive and working hard will keep moving you forward, but you being able to climb 6 days a week when you first started is crazy, that would destroy the tendons of someone who weighed more.
There’s an obvious theme and obvious solutions. I personally lost 30lbs because it meant that much to me. Everyone is different and has different goals.
When you started to climb when did you decide to buy shoes ?
Shoes make a huge difference immediately. I switched from beginner to advanced shoes after 3 months - when I started to feel the limitation of the shoes.
Kubi a friend of mine who was more experienced climber told me I needed a new good pair of shoes, it was when I was three months in, so I listened to him and got myself a pair of Solutions :)
HoseokClimb thank you so much , I’m struggling on V5 now with rental shoes 🤣
how tall are you? I can't really make my mind 1,75m or so right?
Sergio López 168cm!
Genetically gifted means high testosterone. That means high strength to weight, easy strength gains, quick recovery. Mindset and discipline are important, but you can't train 3 days in a row, let alone 6 days in a row without getting injured unless you have that genetic X factor.
The are clearly some unfair simplifications in the part where you are neglecting the genetic impact on performance by using such strange comparisons of two different types of climbers. Climbing as you said is a very complex discipline and genes good for climbing do not mean that someone is light or tall or has a huge ape index those are only some factors and the combination of all factors can lead to some measure,but still it is extremly difficult thing to be measured. If only mindset was the main factor here then it would mean that every great athlete who had spent the whole life training would be on the same maximum level which is obviously not true. Everyone is totally different, the speed of improvement is different. I agree that the mindset is very important but still it is just a factor not the key. There are other factors like finger strength and individual ability to improve, age and so on.
Kamil Wolny I never said the mindset is the ONLY factor though, and even said yeah genetics play a certain role too.
How can you call Hoyer and McColl both genetically gifted? Easy Answer: because they probably both have veeery strong tendons (especially hoyer) and don’t tend to injure themselves at a high intensity (just like you). That is genetic too.
But every hard working human beats a lazy genetic freak. That’s a fact. I think, genetics are important when it comes to higher end climbing, they define the limits, theres no argument against that fact. There are people who will not climb a vsomethinghard in their entire life even with full dedication and hard work. But I think, every sporty human can reach like v9/10 if they rly put months/years/decades (depends on the individual) of dedication into climbing, so under that grade I personally don’t accept this genetics excuse at all. At harder grades we can talk about it, at lower grades not.
Noneymar1 Exactly!!!!!!!!!!!
I think the reason for your progress just comes down to crazy unrelenting drive coupled with training smart on and off the wall
I think hard work is definitely the key to separate good from great, but genetics and age are huge factors in determining how fast someone can progress. Adam ondra was onsighting 5.12s at like freakin 6 years old, Chris sharma was doing 5.14s within 2 years of climbing, Magnus would train for 5 hours a day with shitty warmup ... there’s no way your average kid could do stuff like that. Some people were just born to climb. Similarly, a 25 year old who lifted weights for years is not gonna progress nearly as fast as some skinny young kid
Cole Hibbard “of course genetics play a certain role, like I don’t play basketball cuz I’m too short for the sport” is what I said in the vid:)
Anecdotally, I lifted weights for years, started climbing at 23, and topped first outdoor V8 18mths in. Not a light boy or even positive ape index either. Agreed that genetics play a role, but too many people use it as an excuse/cop-out.
Genetics for a sport goes FAR beyond someone's height. Obviously hard work matters - nobody gets to the top without it - but there are many, many other genetic factors.
Height and weight: Yes, you can be a tall, professional climber, so long as you can keep your weight under 165 pounds (75 kg). Issues with weight are somewhat balanced out by the additional reach of tall climbers. On the other end of the spectrum, yes, you can be a short, professional climber. You will benefit from lighter body weight but struggle to reach holds.
Other factors: What about recovery time, muscle growth, muscle strength, tendon strength, proneness to injury, flexibility, coordination, and - if we want to dig into science a little - cellular energy production, nerve communication, and aerobic capacity.
Assuming equal effort, where someone starts and how fast they can improve is primarily genetic. As someone who is genetically gifted for climbing, it may be easy to reduce accomplishments to hard work alone. As someone who is not genetically gifted for climbing, it may be easy to reduce accomplishments to genetics alone. In the end, neither are true. Everyone's athletic prowess is a combination of genetics and their environment. Work hard and do the best you can with what you've got.
About me: I am a 6 foot 5 inch (196 cm) 210 pound (95 kg) climber. I climb twice a week and workout in the gym three times a week.
Genetics play a really important role only at ultra high level, where everybody is training at 100%. Until you reach around V10, bad genetics are just slowing you down.
how can you be korean and not play starcraft? i am disappointed...
Julian Girsch 😂😂I like FPS I guess
im 5ft 3 male and find some boulders have almost impossible reaches at my height specially at v5+
You're very genetically gifted as a climber, if you are able to train every day without getting injured. Most beginners would have to take a week off after their first time bouldering to their limit.
Also genetics plays a major role in 1. how you are able to pick up the climbing moving style, 2. how flexible you are, 3. what is your tendency to accumulate fat or muscle, 4. your mental strength, 5. your intelligence at solving boulder problems or solving problems related to training. etc. etc. etc.
Mikko Haavisto I just can’t lay out every little details of what I did in the gym... It’s literally impossible. but I believe you can climb everyday, especially when you’re a beginner, if being smart(adjusting intensity of each session etc.)
and I was a student back then when I first started climbing and did literally nothing but climbing, I even skipped school to recover from climbing, and stayed in bed all day long before the gym just to feel fit lol yeah stupid cuz got some F grades on some of the subjects I took, but that’s how passionate I was in climbing. They say it’s a miracle that I could graduate lol
I also said, “yeah genetics play a certain role too, like I don’t play basketball cuz I’m too short for the sport” I never said I’m not gifted as a climber, I’m saying, HARD WORK > genetics
@@hoseoklee93 You can't say "hard work > genetics", that's just wrong. There are thousands of genetic diseases for example that would prevent you from training for climbing completely as in you would never climb V0. And even in average cases genetics is usually at least 50% of all human behavior no matter what the topic of research is. You should read the research before having an opinion.
@@MikkoHaavisto1 wtf
I think biggest factor in progressing fast is definitely resilience to injury which = genetics. in my first couple of years I couldnt go more than a few times a week and over 3 hour sessions without things crapping out from overuse, tendinitis, shoulder injury etc Which was with strict warm up and warm down routines etc.
Which makes it a touch annoying when hearing someone say I shouldv'e just been more dedicated or tried harder ;)
Ariolimax C. sry if I hurt you in some way. I didn’t intend so. I just can’t lay out every little details of what I did in the gym... It’s literally impossible. but I believe you can climb everyday, especially when you’re a beginner, if being smart(adjusting intensity of each session etc.)
and I was a student back then when I first started climbing and did literally nothing but climbing, I even skipped school to recover from climbing, and stayed in bed all day long before the gym just to feel fit lol yeah stupid cuz got some F grades on some of the subjects I took, but that’s how passionate I was in climbing. They say it’s a miracle that I could graduate lol
@@hoseoklee93 Not hurt ha! I'm inspired by your progression and clearly you have put in a huge amount of hardwork. However I think the fact is that some people simply cannot train as much as others without getting injured. I have been fortunate enough to be in a situation where I could train a huge amount , climb everyday for a considerable amount of time ...if I was able to... but it simply just caused injury. Maybe age has been a factor too as I started in my 30s.. it doesn't discount your hardwork but I'd say if you can climb 6 days week from the start of your climbing career without injury, even from a young age, you have been blessed with a physical advantage of resilience imo. I've heard many times the key to progressing in climbing is not getting injured and I think that's very true.
YOU SHOULD PLAY CSGO
You say that hard work and focused mindset help you improve quickly and that you had no sports before? I believe, that the question should be - how can you do so many hard crimper moonboard sessions without getting injured? Training hard is the easy part, not getting injured is some kind of black magic. :/ The thing is - you've been climbing for a very short time and you could try very hard boulders and your tendons let you do this, while most "beginner" climbers, when they catch this kind of mindset, when they start climbing hard and focusing on each move, then they quickly get injured. Tendons of a normal person just don't get used to moonboard 7c's so fast, it takes 5-10 years to make tendons strong enough. How can your tendons let you do this?
Łukasz Grymulski plz see the pinned comment.. who says that I never had any injuries?????
Ape index is a genetic trait generally regarded as beneficial to climbing. I know Ondra has a -1 ape index, but he was also the one to say that any climber with mediocre strength can climb V8 given perfect technique. This is to say that genetics is significant to climbing potential.
At some point, you need the lockoff strength to perform big moves, the core strength to keep your body tensioned on the wall, and finger strength to grab tiny holds. I doubt someone in the V2-V3 range could be coached up a V8 using better and better technique. Strength (specific to climbing motions) plays a massive factor.
Good points, but you definately have top tier genetics for strength. There is just no other way you could improve so fast. There isnt anything magic to training and you didnt do anything so much better than anyone else to reach 8B level so quickly. You just got there fast with normal training. Tens of thousands of climbers are doing the same but dont achieve that level so quick. I think Hoseuk is a bit misinformed on how much genetis played role in his progress. I also did nothing, but a climb for years during school and trained hard etc. Didnt get the progress he got. Am I just stupid or didnt know how to train? Nah, Hoseok was just genetically more gifted. Its not that it matters, but it always feels weird when these good climbers want to attribute their success to being so smart when in reality large part of that is just them being lucky.
Women's solutions and skwamas haha
What's funny about that?
@@RuBBENish He obviously wears the men's versions
Dan Keogh I wear Women’s cuz all Men’s were sold out.
100 percent agree