EXPERT | Taylor Reed on Climbing Research and Evidence-Informed Movement Coaching

The Power Company Climbing Podcast

Taylor Reed is a climber and coach who has worked with high-level athletes – both competitive and outdoor climbers – for many years. He’s the vice president of the International Rock Climbing Research Association and also runs The Beta Angel Project, which takes climbing-specific research and synthesizes it with ideas and experience in order to find evidence-informed methods that can help us all become better coaches and climbers.

In this episode, we discuss how Taylor assesses movement, how he teaches it, and what role research plays in his overall coaching.

Find Taylor online at:

The Beta Angel Project

International Rock Climbing Research Association (IRCRA)

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🔍 EXPLORE FURTHER

Research mentioned in the episode:

Austrian Research Paper and Write Up

Co-Contraction Paper and Write Up

Multi-Edge Decision-Making / Behavioral Change Paper

You might enjoy these related articles, episodes, and other resources:

Why “Technique” May Not Be The Answer to Better Climbing

EXPERT | Rob Gray | The Gap Between Researchers and Coaches (Part 1)

EXPERT | Rob Gray | How We Learn to Move and Skill Acquisition for Climbers (Part 2)

BOARD MEETINGS | The Art of Learning Climbing

BREAKING BETA | Better Call Paul | How Should Climbing Research Be Standardized?

BREAKING BETA | Better Call Paul | IRCRA Test Battery

Taylor Reed and Bella Jariel | The Coach/Climber Dynamic

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The Power Company Podcast is a proud founding member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry.

Find full episode transcripts and more at our website.

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📚CHAPTERS

(0:00) Intro

(2:40) How Much Does Research Inform Taylor’s Coaching?

(3:48) ANNOTATION: Evidence-Based vs. Evidence-Informed

(10:15) What Aspects of Research Are Most Applicable?

(12:53) Looking Outside of Climbing Research

(13:50) ANNOTATION: Reinvestment Theory

(15:37) Speed Climbing

(19:53) Information Processing vs. Ecological Dynamics for Climbing

(30:32) Thematic Movement Learning

(47:40) Movement Assessment

(1:02:48) Teaching Movement

(1:05:22) ANNOTATION: Differential Learning

(1:08:19) ANNOTATION: Attractor Valleys

(1:16:03) How Much Does the Athlete Need to Know?

(1:20:58) ANNOTATION: Leading By Example

(1:22:48) Do Comp Style Climbs Translate to Outdoors?

(1:27:38) What Is Still Missing From the Research?

(1:32:55) Wrap Up

(1:35:06) Theme