Pulling plastic

[letsroll]

In the past I climbed at Portland Rock Gym 3 times a week. Took a bunch of time off and now have been checking out Stoneworks and today Circuit gym. My hands are taking a beating. Never really had this problem while at PRG. I am getting blisters at the first joint closest to the knuckles on several fingers. Bad form? Or do I just tough it out and fingers will toughen up?

Edited September 18, 2010 by letsroll

[genepires]

ease off but hang in there to toughen up. never heard of blisters on hands while climbing. not from the rope?

[stevetimetravlr]

Typically happens from pulling on plastic bouldering hard. Tape it at the first sign of a hotspot or before you go if it is frequent. Has allot to do with the holds you are using,you won't get it from crimpers.

[wenga]

Clean and dress (tape) the open wounds until they heal. From now on, after every gym session, use an emory board to file/sand areas of redness and friction on your hands. This does two things - (1) prevents the large build-up of calluses that will eventually rip off and (2) it helps to toughen your skin.

[letsroll]

Lol...pulling hard. Wish is was that is why this problem is puzzling to me. But both gyms are vertually all over handing so it is hard to weight the feet and I am not strong enough to pull my 220 lbs on overhanding crimpers as of yet.

 

Wenga, that sounds interesting. Think I will give the emory board a try.

[Jens]

You are doing lots of endurance work on jugs eh'?

[letsroll]

Yes I am. Trying to get the finger strenth up and running before doing crimpers all the time. Don't want to crank too hard to prevent pulling a tendon.

[Off_White]

Caution is justified, I think of gyms as being where you go to get injured...

 

That said, that season does seem to be upon us, doesn't it?

[eldiente]

Climbing jug hauls is hard on the hands, especially if you haven't gym climbed in a while. The Circuit seems really hard on the hands as they set steeo jug hauls with sharp holds.

 

1.) Climbing on smaller holds. This will keep the jug blisters at bay and probably be more realistic training as there just aren't that many overhanging jug hauls around the PNW. Seems like all the hard problems around the PNW are thin and crimpy.

 

If your injured, consider trying to use open grip holds, sloppers and the like. This won't hurt the tendons as much and still gives you a good solid pump. If you are at the Circuit, trying climbing up and down on the black plastic pipes a few times, easy on the hands but oh my that blasts me every time.

 

 

[Lucky Larry]

Caution is justified, I think of gyms as being where you go to get injured...

 

That said, that season does seem to be upon us, doesn't it?

I always ended up w/injured fingers from the gym the few times I went. A much better rock climber then myself just used the door jamb at home. The latest scare is communicable skin diseases of which there are many and some are passed on by sweat. And some are very bad, as in , antibiotic resistant flesh eating kind. I would recommend not climbing gym plastic w/any open wound. To each his/her own. Edited September 28, 2010 by oldlarry