Kevin Dahlstrom
@Camp4 • 95,709 subscribers
Hand-crafted content. Currently building ⚡️ https://t.co/FNe8v1zP3I Also climb rocks and raise girls. Join my free email list at https://t.co/PmsiQhN25w
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In the 3 years since I severely herniated a disc at L5/S1, I’ve tried everything under the sun to rehab and prevent reinjury. If I had to recommend just one exercise, it would be this one. It’s the single best exercise for strengthening the posterior chain and the intricate scaffold of muscles that support the spine. It’s a $100 piece of equipment (link in the comments below). Start with static holds and work your way up to 2 minutes. Then start moving as shown below and work your way up to 3 sets of 30. Then you can do more advanced things like added weight and one-leg static holds. A 3-minute deep squat each morning plus this exercise 2-3 times a week plus hanging knee lifts is a great basic back mobility program. If you want to go deeper, check out my full back program in the comments below.
Kevin Dahlstrom1,071,446 次观看 • 4 个月前
I think about this place often. My friend paid $150k for this flat in Saint-Martin-Vésubie, “the Switzerland of France”, then put ~$50k into renovation. —World class ⛷️ 🚴♀️ 🧗♂️ —Great weather year-round —50 steps from the local market —1 hr from a beach & airport in Nice
Kevin Dahlstrom3,902,064 次观看 • 1 年前
There’s only one thing I’m jealous of. Yesterday, I picked up a friend at his house. It was chaos — toys scattered everywhere, two toddlers running wild, remodeling in progress. I told my friend’s wife: “I know life feels hard right now, but you’ll look back on today as the best of times.” If you have kids at home, you’re living the golden years right now. Savor every moment.
Kevin Dahlstrom799,243 次观看 • 7 个月前
> How To Be Successful At Anything < Listen to that primal scream. I caught a lifetime achievement on camera. After two years, 49 days of effort, 125 attempts, 124 failures, and 75,000 vertical feet of hiking just to reach the crag... My friend Matt sent his first 5.14. French alpinist Lionel Terray referred to climbers as “Conquistadors of the Useless.” It’s true—climbing rocks is pointless. Or is it? Let me ask you a question: Without knowing anything else about Matt except for this one climbing achievement… How do you think he fares in other areas of life, like his career? Acclaimed psychologist Angela Duckworth has devoted her career to studying why some individuals succeed and others fail across a range of pursuits. Her research found that one trait stands above them all. It predicts long-term success better than raw talent or IQ. That trait is grit. To explain why, Duckworth developed a formula: Talent x Effort = Skill Skill x Effort = Achievement You’ll notice that effort appears in both equations—for building skill *and* applying it. Grit is the multiplier. So what is grit? The Oxford Dictionary defines it as “courage and resolve; strength of character.” In practical terms, think of it as sustained effort in the face of adversity. Many people confuse grit with toughness or think it’s a “high T” trait. But that’s not it. Some of the grittiest people are quiet and slight of build. Single moms have grit. A lot of jacked fitness bros don’t. Years ago, my wife and I climbed the Grand Teton in Wyoming. On the steep approach hike, we were passed by two cocky, muscle-bound alpha males. We called them “Hans and Franz.” They made sure we knew how fit they were. A few hours later, we crossed paths with Hans and Franz again at the saddle, where the technical climbing begins. Hans was in tears, suffering from altitude sickness. My 115-pound wife was suffering too—from severe nausea—but gave her Ibuprofen to Hans before we pushed on to the summit. Later that day, we ran into Hans and Franz one last time. They had bailed on the climb and were hiking down with their tails between their legs. The next week we found out why my wife was so nauseated—she was pregnant. Grit. So how do you become gritty? Unlike talent, which is heavily influenced by genetics, grit is an acquired trait—a muscle that is built. You develop grit by persevering through progressively bigger challenges. When you do something hard, you’ll inevitably experience fear, uncertainty, and doubt. Those who push through develop grit. Over time, it becomes a superpower—translating to success in anything you set your mind to. Long before Matt sent that route, he made a decision: He’d keep showing up—10, 20, 50, 100 times—and success would become inevitable. Most people run out of grit long before they reach the limits of their ability. So you tried a few times and failed? You feel like giving up. Good. That’s where grit begins and most people quit. Will you? P.S. Knowing when to quit is a skill too—but you're probably not there. Far more people quit too early than too late.
Kevin Dahlstrom27,261 次观看 • 11 天前
Adrenaline Math (R.I.P. Sketchy Andy) In my 20s, I climbed a big route in the Rockies with a well-known mountain guide named Eli. I noticed that Eli placed several pieces of protection on an easy pitch, where his chances of falling were near zero. I asked him why and I’ll never forget his answer: “It’s a numbers game. I figure I’ll climb 5,000 days in my career, so extremely unlikely things are going to happen.” Eli’s math checked out, so I took it to heart. Years later, I was leading an easy route that I had climbed at least a dozen times before. I noticed that the rock was a little wet, so I placed an extra cam in a spot where I normally wouldn’t. I’m not exaggerating when I say that Eli crossed my mind as I slid that cam into the crack. Sure enough, a few moments later my foot slipped and I fell. That extra cam saved me from a life-altering accident. This week, “Sketchy” Andy Lewis—a beloved character in the outdoor community—died in a base jumping accident. He was an accomplished climber, slackliner, and base jumper. He performed with Madonna at Super Bowl XLVI. As his nickname implies, Andy was notorious for pushing the limits in a sport that is already statistically one of the deadliest. He opened several tricky sub-100 foot exits in the Moab area. The world needs people like Sketchy Andy who push the limits of what’s possible. It’s important to follow our passion and live while we’re alive. But don't ignore the math. As Eli told me all those years ago, everything is a numbers game. Math is coldly indifferent to our passion, and even skill has its limits. It’s one thing to take a one-in-a-thousand risk once or twice. But if you make it a lifestyle, the math eventually catches up with you. R.I.P. Sketchy Andy.
Kevin Dahlstrom68,353 次观看 • 1 个月前
A younger guy recently asked me a really smart question: “What’s one thing you’d tell your 30-year-old self to do differently for health & longevity?” This one is a no brainer: I’d invest 5+ hours a week into MOBILITY training. In fact, I’ll take it a step further… EVERYONE—young or older—should replace most of their traditional weight training with mobility work. Stop chasing numbers, adding bulk, and risking injury! Elite mobility guys are ripped, strong as hell, and have unmatched functional fitness. More importantly they stay injury-free. So what’s mobility training? It’s exercise designed to increase: 1) Range-of-motion of joints (not the same as “flexibility”) 2) Functional strength & neuromuscular coordination 3) Skeletal stability (to repair & avoid injury) Yoga and Pilates are forms of mobility training but modern mobility training combines multiple disciplines. Just do a YouTube search and you'll find tons of videos and programs designed to address specific goals or issues (e.g. bad knees). Mobility work allowed me to avoid surgery and recover quickly from a severe back in injury in March. The video below is a basic back program that I do twice a day — it only takes 10 minutes and has been a game-changer. This is just the tip of the iceberg — I plan to go much deeper into mobility and hire a coach (if anyone knows a great one in Boulder LMK). I’m convinced that if I’d discovered mobility training when I was younger I would have avoided 20 years of chronic back issues and performed better athletically. 🤙
Kevin Dahlstrom1,356,373 次观看 • 2 年前
“I’m never late. I’m never frenzied. If you’re frenzied, it’s YOU.” In my 30 years in business I've worked directly with hundreds of entrepreneurs & C-level execs, several self-made billionaires, and even a few icons. What I observed—which may seem counterintuitive to some—is: 👉The most effective people aren't "busy". They have plenty of time for all the important things. They don't rush from one thing to the next. It's not because they have less complicated lives than the rest of us. It's exactly the opposite—*because* they have massive demands on their time, they’re RUTHLESS about these 5 things (they're all simple, but not easy): 1) Focus on a few important things 2) Say no to unimportant things 3) Set boundaries (and don’t compromise them) 4) Measure output, not input (results, not effort) 5) Recognize the importance of free time Just listen to Jeff Bezos in his prime (pun intended): "I get up early, I go to bed early, and I like to putter in the morning. My puttering time is very important to me—that's why I set my first meeting for 10am." If you feel busy and frantic, the problem and the solution are found in the same place—the mirror. 🫵 (h/t Amanda Orson for the inspo — she’s a good follow!)
Kevin Dahlstrom921,513 次观看 • 2 年前
Last summer, during a climbing trip in France, I reinjured my back (not while climbing). 12/10 pain and I had to be wheeled through the airport. The flight home was an experience I never want to relive. I resolved to go all-in on rehab. If you’d have told me that 9 months later I’d be able to do this, I’d have called you crazy. After all, I’m a tall, old guy—I’ve never even been able to touch my toes. Jefferson Curls are perhaps the single best exercise for strengthening the intricate scaffold of muscles that support the spine. It also increases range of motion throughout the posterior chain. These days almost everyone has weak hamstrings, glutes, and back from sitting too much. If you have chronic back, hip, or knee problems the solution probably isn’t surgery or chiropractic or meds, it’s movement with resistance. There are no shortcuts—just consistent hard work. Invest in spine health *before* it becomes a problem—your 50-year-old self will thank you.
Kevin Dahlstrom486,397 次观看 • 1 年前
There’s an iconic line from the movie Up In The Air: “How much did they pay you to give up on your dreams? And when were you going to stop and do what makes you happy?” Look, we all have bills to pay. We do what we have to do to make ends meet and put food on the table. Providing is something to be proud of, but… Don’t sacrifice your dreams along the way. Don’t wake up at 50 (or 60) and realize you’re no closer to your best life than when you started. 👉 Treat your job as a means, not an end. Slowly—over years and decades—gain more control. Become the person you are on vacation. That’s the real you. Now you’ve got a life you don’t need to escape. (P.S. I’m not talking about living a life of leisure. Humans need work and skin in the game. The goal isn’t to retire—it’s to choose your work and do it on your terms. That’s as good as it gets.)
Kevin Dahlstrom46,671 次观看 • 1 个月前
My friend Ret quit a successful corporate career to travel the world teaching billionaires how to live. He shows them things money can’t buy. It’s his calling and he’s great at it. People on this app say follow the money, not your passion. I refer you to the parable of the businessman and the fisherman. P.S. Who can name the three rock formations behind Ret?
Kevin Dahlstrom21,152 次观看 • 18 天前
Two years ago, I severely herniated a disc in my lower back (L5-S1). —12/10 pain —couldn’t walk for weeks —lost foot control —narrowly avoided emergency surgery After a decade of back pain, I’d had enough. I resolved to become bulletproof. I tried everything under the sun and over time, cobbled together a back mobility routine that helped me rebuild and become more resilient. My full routine is in the comments below, but there’s a shortcut—if you do these two simple exercises 3 times a week, you’ll get 80% of the benefit: 1) Back extension. Buy a $100 piece of equipment from Amazon. Start with static holds, work up to 2 minutes, then start moving as shown. Work up to 3 sets of 30. Then you can add weight and/or start doing one-leg static holds. 2) Hanging knee lifts. Start by dead-hanging (without lifting your knees) then slowly work your way up to 3 sets of 15 lifts. Then you can add weight using a product called Monkey Feet. Stick with it—there are no quick fixes for back problems and it can take a few months to turn the corner. Note: It’s important to warm up before doing these exercises. I usually do a 1-3 mile walk, then planks and bird dogs as shown in my complete routine in the comments below.
Kevin Dahlstrom138,872 次观看 • 8 个月前
Conquistadors of the Useless In 1999, I stumbled into a dusty grain silo that had been converted to a climbing gym. Little did I know, my life would never be the same. What I found was a community of people who were… happy. Most weren’t wealthy, but they lived rich lives and never lacked purpose. Meanwhile, my colleagues in the C-suite were… mostly miserable—rich but unhealthy, both physically and spiritually. Legendary French alpinist Lionel Terray referred to climbers as “Conquistadors of the Useless.” It’s a tongue-in-cheek way of acknowledging a paradox: Climbing is a pointless pursuit, with little practical or economic value. And yet… For me and many others, it’s as profound as it is pointless—essential to the human spirit. Which has more value: climbing a mountain or building a spreadsheet (or a business)? It’s a trick question. The truth is, we’re all Conquistadors of the Useless. Mankind’s entire existence is a blink of the eye on a speck of dust hurtling through infinite space. Nothing matters. Everything matters. You decide what is pointless and what is profound—what fills your spirit. That’s all there is to conquer. POSTLOGUE: Earlier this week, I gave my talk, How to Build a Kick Ass Life, to a prominent entrepreneur’s organization. Afterward, a guy game up to me and said, “When I heard you were going to speak to us, I did your Ideal End State exercise. It was life-changing. I just wanted to let you know that what you’re doing matters.” Spirit filled. Maybe rock climbing isn’t so pointless after all. (A video of my talk is in the comments below.)
Kevin Dahlstrom110,348 次观看 • 7 个月前
Boulder is ground zero for the obscure sport of scrambling, a mashup of free solo rock climbing and trail running. And within that niche there’s an exclusive semi-secret club that counts some of the world’s top mountain athletes as members. To even be considered, you have to log a car-to-car time on the First Flatiron—a 1,000 foot rock climb with a steep approach—of under an hour. My PR is 47 minutes, which is on the slow end. The very best do it in 30. I’m not elite among these elites, but I do have one distinction: I’m the largest member (by a wide margin). Physics is a bitch.
Kevin Dahlstrom95,621 次观看 • 6 个月前
In high school, I was an average athlete. In college, above average. In my 20s, top 25%. In my 30s, top 10%. In my 40s, top 1%. Now at 54, top 0.1%. I'm nothing special—I just never stopped. Everything is a war of attrition. Most won't last. That's your opportunity.
Kevin Dahlstrom111,847 次观看 • 8 个月前