Alex Barrows and his specific training for Era Vella 9a

Alex Barrows is a full-time PhD student in England who also finds time to train hard for climbing. He recently sent Era Vella (9a), and TrainingBeta did an interview with Alex on their podcast, where Alex describes exactly how he trains. He trains for routes almost exclusively in a bouldering facility in Sheffield, using circuits and Era Vella replicas to train power endurance and endurance. He uses the fingerboard for finger strength, and does occasional runs for cardio. He talks in depth about his training schedule and the philosophies behind it. He also describes how he got down to his sending weight with a healthy diet, and discusses whether or not climbers should always be super thin. Here is the interesting audio interview.