Dr. Tyler Nelson: How to Test Critical Force and What to Do With the Results

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Dr. Tyler Nelson returns to dive deep on Critical Force, including:

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How to test critical force

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Why it matters

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My critical force test

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Why MVC is still king

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How critical force tells us what to train

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Improving power endurance on and off wall

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The big change I’m making to my training now

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What boulderers should focus on kill

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Why so many pros don’t test finger strength

Dr. Tyler Nelson's Critical Force Field Test is on the Intentional Climber app! Test your CF and get instant training recommendations from Tyler based on the results.

Here are Tyler's other episodes to check out:

• thestruggleclimbingshow.com/dr-tyler-nelson-on…

• thestruggleclimbingshow.com/expert-analysis-tr…

• thestruggleclimbingshow.com/pro-clinic-power-w…

• thestruggleclimbingshow.com/dr-tyler-nelson-pr…

• thestruggleclimbingshow.com/dr-tyler-nelson-st…

• thestruggleclimbingshow.com/pro-clinic-dr-tyle…

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

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• Intentional Climber (thestruggleclimbingshow.com/intentionalpodcast): 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 (thestruggleclimbingshow.com/intentionalgp) or the App Store (intentionalclimber.com/intentionalapp) 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 atthestruggleclimbingshow.com/dealspodcasthttp:/…

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

00:00 Critical Force Teaser

00:22 Show Intro and Focus

01:39 Critical Force Explained

05:20 Host Updates Australia

06:47 Meet Dr Tyler Nelson

08:05 Testing Protocol Breakdown

11:07 Interpreting Your Numbers

15:27 Energy Systems and Plateau

18:23 Testing Method Matters

23:58 Who Should Use This

25:43 Arc'teryx Academy Ad

26:59 What Results Mean Training

31:42 Route Goal Flower Power

33:28 Training Interventions Percentages

41:49 No Gear Testing Options

43:49 Treadwall for Endurance

45:28 How To Train From Metrics

47:38 Critical Force Takeaways

48:57 Power Endurance Priority

50:28 Training Tools Setup

52:09 Active Rest Explained

53:39 80 vs 60 Percent Blocks

56:11 Retesting and Progress

57:35 Elite Curve and Technique

01:01:47 Why Pros Skip Testing

01:04:00 More Quality Attempts

01:09:31 Repeater Protocol Details

01:11:41 In Season Projecting

01:14:52 Peaking for Fall Season

01:19:57 Outro and App Protocol

01:23:49 My Current Training Plan

01:27:25 Final Wrap Up

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

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Follow along onInstagram (instagram.com/thestruggleclimbingshow) andYouTube (youtube.com/@thestruggleclimbingshow): @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!