Meet the Machine: Jess West

When/why did you decide to start training?

I started training shortly after I started climbing. Like many people, I quickly progressed and hit my first plateau within a few months. With this feeling like the most athletic sport I've done, I really wanted to unlock my potential and see how far I could take it.

What made you choose to go with Power Company? 

I listened to the podcast from day one and took as many notes as possible while also attending grad school for exercise science. Power Company was my window to climbing-specific training when the rest of my classmates were more psyched on olympic lifting and ball sports. I met Kris and Nate in 2017 at Climb So iLL and caught up with them at various events over the next couple of years. I joined the team as a coach in 2019 and couldn't be more honored and excited for the future!

Tell us about any memorable successes during/after your training experience.

Most recently, seeing really fast improvements in my finger strength and hanging with my daughter strapped to me.

Super Mario (V4) - Stone Fort, Tennessee

What's the next step in your climbing and training?

GET BACK IN THE GYM. My first full spring season in Chattanooga and my postpartum return to climbing were derailed a bit by COVID-19 so I'm just training hard at home and eager to get back at it. First thing to tackle is our online assessment to see where I'm at and then use those results to steer my training. My guess is that my general and sport-specific fitness is alright but I'll be doing lots of sport-specific energy systems work (various hangs, repeaters, etc.).

What would you say were the most important things (positive or negative) you’ve learned during your training experiences?

It's important to have a focus of the overall training program. General programs see general results. It's amazing what you can achieve when you prioritize your weaknesses.

What would you consider your greatest strength or superpower when it comes to climbing?

I do well under pressure - either during competitions or when I know I need to just try hard and get it done.

Zorro (V4) - Yosemite National Park, California

Tell us about your proudest (not necessarily hardest) send.

My proudest send is “Zorro” (V4) in Yosemite. There's a committing move at the top and I was a very timid, static climber at the time. Making that move - and sending the climb in two sessions - was a huge deal. I later set a simulator boulder at Climb So iLL, which I'm also pretty proud of, and that was when I shifted my focus to what was my dull blade at the time: climbing more dynamically.

What would you say is a weakness or skill you need to improve in climbing?

Currently: body tension and finger strength.

Who Let the Snakes Out ? (10b) - Jackson Falls, Illinois

What advice would you give someone considering starting a training plan?

If you're waiting for the perfect time, you're stalling. Life happens and will continue to happen while you're training. You might have a scheduling conflict, an injury, or some other change in plans. The goal is to continue to improve in some way or another, and if you stop training - or never even start - you're only delaying that process.