Kevin Cowell: Climbing Identity and How to Keep Getting Better (Even When You Can't Get Stronger)

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Climbing Coach Kevin Cowell joins to discuss:

• Starting the Climb Clinic in his garage
• Treating elite athletes and weekend warriors
• What happens to our identify as climbers when we become injured
• How to keep climbing and training while managing an injury
• Work, school, family… and other things that can affect our climbing identity
• What to do when pushing grades is important
• What to do after we’ve “peaked”
• How to get better when we can’t get stronger

Follow Kevin https://www.instagram.com/theclimbclinic/?hl=en

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BIG THANKS TO THE AMAZING SPONSORS OF THE STRUGGLE WHO LOVE ROCK CLIMBING AS MUCH AS YOU DO:

• PhysiVantage: the official climbing-nutrition sponsor of The Struggle. Use code STRUGGLE15 at checkout for 15% off your full-priced nutrition order.
• Arc’teryx: Inspired by and tested in the Coast Mountains of BC, Arc’teryx makes gear to go the distance! If you’re out adventuring in the elements, Arc’teryx has got you covered. Shop their full collection at Arcteryx.com
• Intentional Climber: Stop spinning your wheels. Start making real progress. Plan smarter, train harder, and stay consistent with world-class coaching plans, mindset tools, and powerful analytics built specifically for climbers. Download on Google Play or the App Store and use code STRUGGLE to unlock Kris Hampton’s 6-week Stronger Fingers program.

And check out ALL the show’s awesome sponsors and exclusive deals at thestruggleclimbingshow.com/deals

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Here are some AI generated show notes (hopefully the robots got it right)

00:00 Plateaus And Shifting Focus

00:56 Meet Kevin Kowal

03:44 Squamish Academy Stories

04:42 Kevin’s Climbing Origin

06:12 Building The Climb Clinic

08:23 Treating Pro Athletes

10:23 When Expectations Collapse

12:43 Injury And Identity

14:39 Reframing Rehab And Training

19:13 Beyond Injury Life Changes

22:56 Sponsors And Gear Break

25:48 Kevin’s Own Setbacks

31:47 Progression Obsession

34:14 Can You Still Progress

36:03 Plateau And Tweaks

36:46 Low Hanging Fruit

38:50 Elite Habits Beyond Hangboarding

40:55 Training Shift Rope To Board

45:36 Injury As Performance Gift

46:51 Life After The Peak

51:38 Humbling Trips And New Beta

57:14 Long Term Climbing Relationship

01:00:39 Work With Kevin And His Course

01:04:12 Bonus Episode And Season Updates

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Shoutout to Kent Olmstead, Michael Martin, and Sam Hancock for supporting at the Hero level on Patreon. So mega!

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Follow along on Instagram and YouTube: @thestruggleclimbingshow

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This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin, and edited by Glen Walker. The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry.

And now here are some buzzwords to help the almighty algorithm get this show in front of people who love to climb: rock climbing, rock climber, climbing, climber, bouldering, sport climbing, gym climbing, how to rock climb, donuts are amazing. Okay, whew, that’s done. But hey, if you’re a human that’s actually reading this, and if you love this show (and love to climb) would you think about sharing this episode with a climber friend of yours? And shout it out on your socials? I’ll send you a sticker for doing it. Just shoot me a message on IG – thanks so much!