Help with blistery hands and callouses?

Question

I'm rock climbing at least every other day, and my hands are really playing for it... my hands are all blistery which i dont care but they are starting to hurt when im on certain holds like slopers. It burns! I cannot take time off because im training for competitions... bouldering nationals is my goal... suggestion to soothe hands? or turn blisters into callouses? thankz....

Answer 1

There are climbers "balms" which I'm sure you already know about (like "climb on balm", "bag balm", etc) - these really help.

http://www.climbonproducts.com/index.php

What also happens is that the calluses start to get realy big and can actually tear off - they make foot repair callus shavers that can trim them down and this also really helps.

Good Luck

Answer 2

The balms work pretty good, but something I like to use is something called iron hand liniment. It's an herbal formula, and it seems to make a noticeable difference in speed of heal time, and strengthening your skin, tendons, and ligaments. Overall its pretty good. If you buy the balms don't get the stuff from Joshua Tree it sucks. You want to get 'climb on.' The Joshua Tree stuff melts and its just a waste of money. My suggestion is getting both Iron Hand liniment and climb on.

Good luck,

Will

Answer 3

Try using chalk when climbing. This will reduce the friction between your skin and the rock, and absorbs your sweat, so you don't slip off the hold.

Also, if you are using any type of lotion, STOP! Lotion only softens the skin, which means when you climb hard rock with soft skin, it pretty much comes off in shreds.

You don't have to take time off training, but do cut back on certain things. For instance, if slopers bother your hands, then don't climb them so much, focus on crimps or pinches instead. Or, if your hands are hurting on every hold in general, then chill! Go running, or do pull-ups instead.

And if you're just beginning, then don't climb as often, otherwise your hands are kinda blister-shocked. I've been climbing, and I don't go more than 3 times a week. I don't mind my blisters or calllouses, it's just that if I climb more, my hands are scabby and practilallly bleeding.

Hope I helped.

Answer 4

Bouldering Nationals is pretty far away, you really need to give your body a break or you're going to hurt yourself.

However, there is a balm called 'Climb On' that they sell at REI and other outdoor stores. It helps to soothe hurting hands. The good thing about Climb On is that you can also use it for chapstick, and it'll help your cuts heal faster. It's very convenient to have in your pack.

Good luck and I'll probably see you there!

Answer 5

You say you can't take time off, what about doing some cross training? When a runner injures himself, sometimes riding a bike is a good way to keep training without aggravating the injury.

You can rest your hands while still building muscle, or doing aerobics to increase your endurance.

Hope your hands feel better.

Answer 6

OK SO IF U HAVE CALLOUSES just file them down with a nail file. It dose not hurt and it really helps. After every climbing session put lotion on you're hands. RIGHT ON on you're blisters if you are like me u might have blisters in the middle of you're finger the best thing to do if you still want to climb is to just but bandades on them and climbing tape over the bandages. Then just do indurence traning nothing else so your arms feel like there are going to fall off not you're fingers. I usally run laps on like a v2 or really easy 3 or somthing with no rest until the point where you just phycally just can not hold on to the holds BECAUSE YOUR ARMS OF SORE NOT YOUR FINGERS! TRUST ME THIS WORKS> YOU WILL STILL GET STRONG