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Even before he tackled America's toughest obstacle course, Isaac Caldiero had his eyes on Chattanooga. Just months after winning NBC's American Ninja Warrior and claiming the million-dollar prize, Caldiero and his girlfriend, Laura Kisana, relocated from Utah to the Scenic City for one reason: "Rock climbing, man," Caldiero says.
A former busboy who altered his lifestyle to become the show's first winner since its premiere six years ago, he chose to unwind with the girl he loves while practicing the sport he loves in a place he loves. "We came out [to Chattanooga] about five years ago and kind of just fell in love with the place," Caldiero says. "We said if there was ever another home we would like to have away from our West Coast home, it would be out here."
Though the Ninja Warrior has mounted rocks all over the world, he was seduced by the area's sandstone because of its subtle differences, which provide a different variety of training. He says the nature of the rocks surrounding his new home builds dynamic strength, the type of strength a climber calls on as they monkey-swing their arms to the next grip, their legs constantly engaged - and the same type of strength needed on American Ninja Warrior.
"It's more jumpy [and] more dynamic here versus other types of sandstone," Caldiero says. "That's something that's always kind of been a weakness of mine, so it's kind of helped develop those skills a bit more."
While climbers have excelled in the TV competition due to their upper-body strength, grip and agility, Caldiero advises local climbers to divert energy to becoming the next American Ninja Warrior only if it's their passion.
"Stay true to what makes you happy," he says. "If there's something you really want to do, or something you're doing, if it's not making you happy at the end of the day, then I wouldn't even waste your time with it. It's gotta come from the heart. It's gotta come from passion and desire. And for me, that was a huge part of my success."
The rock here kind of stands out compared to other places that I've climbed around the world.
Ninja training
A quick Google search will tell you everything you need to know about Isaac Caldiero’s intense training regimen.He reproduced obstacles from the competition in his parents’ backyard, drank a pre-breakfast of lukewarm water with fresh-squeezed lemon juice to wake up his digestive system and ate oat bran with almond milk, molasses, cinnamon and chia seeds. But the Ninja Warrior says it wasn’t his physical strength that set him apart — it was his mind.For years, Caldiero has been developing his own style of meditation. What started as the traditional “sit and meditate” method has evolved into a practice where he focuses on his breathing throughout the entire day. This practice has helped him keep calm during high-stress situations (like Stage 3 of the ANW competition) and he says it can help climbers keep calm when free-soloing, highball bouldering or attempting other high-stress stunts.Here’s an easy breathing technique to get you started: Simply breathe in through your nose for four counts, then out through your nose for four counts. This can help balance, center and relax you. As you advance, aim for six to eight counts per breath.