We all know the classic phrase “You are what you eat.” Which I will say is true. If you eat junk, you’ll probably perform, or feel, like junk.

I’d like to expand it to “You are what you train.” Quite simply, your reality is (and becomes) where you focus your time and attention.

If you train the body, the body will adapt and develop in those target areas; if you train the mind, the mind will develop in those areas; and if you train the spirit … well, you get the idea.

Our bodies (and minds) are amazing. They will adapt and survive in all kinds of environments, responding to whatever conditions we put them through. Not only can humans evolve over long periods of time, like the changing of skin pigmentation to protect against environments with higher sun exposure or surviving on steady diets consisting only of seal blubber, but we can also change and develop in our own life span—heck, within a few years or months of consistent habits (good or bad!). If you train something, your body will respond.

If you desire to lift heavy things, like semi-truck tires or pull semis like in the strongest man competition, then your body will adapt, probably by getting really big and muscular. If you work in an office, and have long commutes, don’t exercise, and don’t eat particularly well, you’re body will adapt by growing a nice, soft butt on which to sit. And if you consistently defy gravity and manipulate your body on rock, then your body will adapt by slimming down and increasing finger strength so you can hang on to small holds.

If we dive deeper into training for climbing, we see wide variations within the sport of climbing itself. Boulderers, because their movement is short, powerful bursts of difficult moves close to the ground, might be a little thicker or broader in the shoulders than sport climbers. The style inherently has more compression on slopers or pinches, so their bodies respond.

Sport climbers typically don’t have quite the same power requirement as boulders because they work a lot of moderately difficult moves with rests in between. They’re on the wall longer, so their bodies adapt by optimizing the strength-to-weight ratios.

Going further still to the level of hold selection (or steepness) the holds or style that you are going to be the best on are going to be the ones you get on the most.

Whether it’s in the gym or outside, on pockets, slopers, pinches, or crimps, on steep and deep or thin vertical edging.

Whatever you train, the areas in our life, the climbing style, or the hold type—we will adapt to the condition we consistently place ourselves in.

We are (or become—don’t worry if you’re just getting started on a new training plan, you’ll get there) what we train.

So the question I am asking is, is your training serving you? Are your actions aligned with your goals, or is it time to rethink your training?