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Holy Blisters

Travis Kaney · · Green Bay, WI · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 420

No better time to train on the crimpers.

Bill Lawry · · Albuquerque, NM · Joined Apr 2006 · Points: 1,812

GP: "Over time, your skin will toughen up and youll get less and less blisters/flappers etc"

Aye. Pretty soon. the finger-pad pin prick for giving blood won't produce a drip.

adrianna melody · · Hopatcong, NJ · Joined May 2015 · Points: 45
Bill Lawry wrote:GP: "Over time, your skin will toughen up and youll get less and less blisters/flappers etc" Aye. Pretty soon. the finger-pad pin prick for giving blood won't produce a drip.
Its not nearly as bad now as it was 2 weeks ago!
Zac Diehl · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2015 · Points: 10
adrianna melody · · Hopatcong, NJ · Joined May 2015 · Points: 45
Zac Diehl wrote:
owwww
adrianna melody · · Hopatcong, NJ · Joined May 2015 · Points: 45

Right when i thought i may have healed all my skin...

i one upped myself at the gym tonight -_-

ouch

Scott McMahon · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 1,425

Your probably over gripping if you are giving yourself flappers in the gym like that. Not absolute, but something to think about.

adrianna melody · · Hopatcong, NJ · Joined May 2015 · Points: 45
Scott McMahon wrote:Your probably over gripping if you are giving yourself flappers in the gym like that. Not absolute, but something to think about.
Its very well a possibility. Im still pretty new with climbing..But i also am climbing nearly everyday (indoor and outdoor..id say i climb 4-5 days a week) and am still building up hand/arm strength. I am also trying to focus on using my leg strength more as well.
this one happened while i was attempting to reach a hold with my right hand and slipped off the hold with my left hand..
Scott McMahon · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 1,425

Don't get tendinitis!! haha you'll end up like me having to take off intermittent seasons to rehab.

B Jolley · · Utah · Joined Mar 2015 · Points: 172

This really works,

Step 1
When your climbing and you start to get a blister, stop climbing, slap your hands to gather as hard as you can multiple times. This will bring blood flow to the area and reduce the water in the blisters. After that tape over the area where the new blister is to avoid it flapping so you can continue climbing.

Step 2
The following day, use sand paper or a pumice stone to sand down areas to remove dead skin or callus build up.

Step 3
Apply climbers hand repair balm to the areas of cracked skin, especially at night.

After about 1 month of this routine, you will find your hands to be less susceptible to blisters and cracking.

adrianna melody · · Hopatcong, NJ · Joined May 2015 · Points: 45
Super Fluke wrote:This really works, Step 1 When your climbing and you start to get a blister, stop climbing, slap your hands to gather as hard as you can multiple times. This will bring blood flow to the area and reduce the water in the blisters. After that tape over the area where the new blister is to avoid it flapping so you can continue climbing. Step 2 The following day, use sand paper or a pumice stone to sand down areas to remove dead skin or callus build up. Step 3 Apply climbers hand repair balm to the areas of cracked skin, especially at night. After about 1 month of this routine, you will find your hands to be less susceptible to blisters and cracking.
Thanks so much! Ill absolutely do this!
Dan CO · · Boulder, CO · Joined Aug 2009 · Points: 60

Maybe I'm just old and brittle, but if you're fairly new to climbing, 4-5 days a week (especially if they're gym days)seems excessive. Mixing in some exercise that will improve balance, core strength, cardio, but wont' tax your fingers or elbows can help you stay balanced, and toss in a couple real rest days too. If it works for you that's great, but you don't want to end up like me nursing injuries and taking long bouts off from training because you overdid it.

adrianna melody · · Hopatcong, NJ · Joined May 2015 · Points: 45
DEF wrote:Maybe I'm just old and brittle, but if you're fairly new to climbing, 4-5 days a week (especially if they're gym days)seems excessive. Mixing in some exercise that will improve balance, core strength, cardio, but wont' tax your fingers or elbows can help you stay balanced, and toss in a couple real rest days too. If it works for you that's great, but you don't want to end up like me nursing injuries and taking long bouts off from training because you overdid it.
For the most part we hike/climb outside some days..gym maybe 2 days a week. I would def. like to start working in some cardio or pilates in there some days to prevent injury
Mathias · · Loveland, CO · Joined Jun 2014 · Points: 306

I climbed 3-4 dys a week when I first started. All indoor bouldering. Every night I went home when I couldn't hold on to jugs anymore. It made for quick progress in strength but I was carefully monitoring my joints and tendons for sharp pain. I had fairly constant aches in my fingers through this period and I'm pretty convinced that if it hadn't been for the decade of manual labor I had (which I think strengthened my tendons and ligaments) I would have been injured.

As it was I was taped up to cover flappers in various places much of the time, at least in the first month. It seems to me that skin loses it's toughness quite quickly and I find if I take time off (at least from climbing "hard") I have to toughen my hands back up anyway. I'm currently working through that atm.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

General Climbing
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