Skip to content
The Warriors Way
  • Home
  • Find Training & Coaching
  • Community
  • Products
  • About
    • About
    • Trainers
    • Training Locations
    • History of Warrior’s Way
  • Blog
    • Arno’s Blog
    • Español
    • Português
    • Français
    • In the Media
  • Contact
Menu Close
  • Home
  • Find Training & Coaching
  • Community
  • Products
  • About
    • About
    • Trainers
    • Training Locations
    • History of Warrior’s Way
  • Blog
    • Arno’s Blog
    • Español
    • Português
    • Français
    • In the Media
  • Contact

Know You’re Powerful

Know You’re Powerful

  • Arno
  • February 11, 2023
  • 6:00 pm

Hueco Tanks

I remember Hueco Tanks, Texas in the early 1990s, climbing and training at Todd Skinner’s “Training Camp.” He’d modified his house into a training center and enjoyed hosting climbers from around the world. We could train and explore widely; it was before the current restrictions at Hueco were established. We also explored widely in our conversations about training. I’ve forgotten most of those conversations, however I distinctly remember one thing Todd said: “The benefit of being powerful is knowing you’re powerful.”

It’s interesting how we remember specific things people say, but forget almost everything else. We tend to remember things that shock us, surprise us, or that we don’t expect. We hold certain mental conceptions. We awaken when others say things that shock those conceptions, as long as we remain open to learning from them.

Photo by Mike Kotsch on Unsplash

Knowing is a Mental Quality

I wondered what Todd meant by his statement. It seemed a bit confusing using the word “powerful” twice in the same sentence. It caused me to stop and think, to challenge my conception of what being powerful meant. It’s taken many years of studying mental training to understand such distinctions. 

“Knowing” is a mental quality. Physical power is important, but if we don’t believe we’re powerful, then we’ll lack the ability to apply our physical power. Knowing we’re powerful means our mental power has “caught up” with our physical power. We’ve experienced ourselves applying our physical power enough times that the mind now believes that we’re as powerful as the body demonstrates it is.

Born of the 4th of July

I experienced this recently while working on at route at the Obed in Tennessee: Born on the 4th of July. I’d been doing hang-board training for four months; my physical power was increasing. I was holding onto the small crux crimps of Born on the 4th longer than I had previously. However, I noticed my mind not believing that this was possible and letting go when I might have been able to continue. I needed to know I was powerful in order to apply all the physical power I’d developed. 

We need to give ourselves room to believe in ourselves to close the gap between our physical and mental power. How do we do this? We have a tendency to think in chunks that are too big. We see a series of difficult moves and think about all of them. Instead, think in small chunks. Focus only on the next move. Maintain eye contact on the hold. Doing this keeps our attention focused there. I’ve seen climbers, especially in bouldering competitions, look down while their bodies are still moving upward. This demonstrates that they’ve already decided they can’t succeed in making the move. Looking down directs their attention away from upward engagement.

Don’t quit until you quit. Meaning, don’t stop exerting effort until your body fails. When something unexpected occurs, like still being attached to the rock, use it as an opportunity for your mind to learn. You’ve learned that something you didn’t expect was possible. The benefit of remaining open is you allow your attention to remain in the moment. The effectiveness of engaging the body diminishes when your attention isn’t focused there. As a result, you’ll limit the mind’s ability to catch up with the physical body and you’ll have wasted a lot of time doing physical training. And, you may never know you’re powerful. 

Practice Tip: What Now?

It’s important to have an understanding of the entire route or boulder problem prior to engaging it. However, once you’ve done such thinking, bring your attention to the next small chuck of rock in front of you.

Ask yourself, “What now?” This simple question shifts your mind to the now, the current small chunk of climbing that needs your attention. 

This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Charles February 13, 2023 Reply

    Arno, I enjoy all your lessons, but this one was particularly powerful. As you say, it’s interesting to see how we remember a word or phrase but forget everything else. I just got back from a trip to Mexico, 3 days at EPC, and the rock taught me everything you outlined in this lesson. Now I’m back home and I’m experiencing doubt about my ability to retain and hold onto that lesson. Your article couldn’t have been more timely. Thank you. Charles

    1. Arno February 15, 2023 Reply

      Nice Charles. It’s cool how things can come together in a timely way. I’m glad the lesson did this for your situation. Be well and attentive. a

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

PrevPreviousHow We Approach Goals Matters
NextECOPOINTNext

Fear of Falling Course

Purchase Today

Redpointing Course

Purchase Today

The Rock Warrior's Way Book

the-rock-warriors-way-book
BUY NOW

Online Mental Training Course

DISCOVER MORE

Personalized Coaching

Free Consultation Call

Upcoming Events

Denver Mountain Guiding – Clear Creek Canyon – Falling & Commitment – Sport Camp

Denver Mountain Guiding – Eldorado Canyon – Falling & Commitment – Trad Camp

Denver Mountain Guiding – Clear Creek Canyon – Falling & Commitment – Sport Camp

Denver Mountain Guiding – Clear Creek Canyon – Falling & Commitment – Sport Camp

Denver Mountain Guiding – Clear Creek Canyon – Falling & Commitment – Sport Camp

Join The Warrior's Way Community

Our goal is to create an engaging mental training community that empowers, supports, and challenges our participants to learn new ways to meet life’s challenges.

Learn More

Recent Posts

The Rock Warrior’s Way Book

Espresso Lessons Book

Action Card

Book Translations

Seeking

Featured In
Logo_Climbing Magazine
Logo_Rock-and-Ice
Logo_Gripped
Logo_Training Beta
Logo_Enormocast
Logo_Klettern Mag-2
Logo_Escalando-mag
Logo_Desnivel-1
Logo_Versante Sud-1
Logo_KVCU Radio
Logo_Senders Game Podcast-1
Logo_Vertical Life mag-1
Recent Posts

Resilience to Constant Change

Thinking About Thinking

Frustration Dissected

Connect
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Join Our eList
Email
  • info@warriorsway.com
  • arno@warriorsway.com
  • orders@warriorsway.com
Copyright 2023 – The Warrior’s Way